(50 BC - 400 AD) Romans ruled the southern part of Netherlands
(1 - 100 AD) Frisians settled in northern Netherlands
(600 - 700) Frisians clashed with Franks
(838) Large portion of northwest Netherlands flooded; over 2,400 died
1100's - 1300's
(1170) First All Saints' Flood inundated Netherlands and Zuider Zee region
(1212) Large flood at Noordholland killed 60,000
(1219) St. Marcellus Flood killed 36,000
(1287) Zuider Zee seawall collapsed; 50,000 died
(1299) Count of Holland gained control of Zeeland
(1300's) French Dukes of Burgundy united all of the Low Countries
(1301) Holland defeated Lichtenberg at Battle of Breukelen
(1345) Frisian defeated Dutch at Warns
(1362) Storm surge kills 25,000; sixty parishes destroyed in Slesvig
1400's
(1404) First St. Elizabeth's Flood occurred; towns washed away
(1421) Second St. Elizabeth's Flood; dike broke, villages swept away; many thousands died
(1432) Zeeland became part of Low Countries under Phillip the Good of Burgundy
(1460) Episcopal palace at Atrecht held witch burnings
(1477) Mary of Burgundy, heiress of all Netherlands, married Maximilian I of Habsburg family of Austria
(1489 - 1490) Plague killed thousands
(1492) German mercenaries killed 232 at Bread and Cheese rebellion
1500's
(1500's) Protestant Reformation swept across Europe; Dutch Protestants persecuted by Roman Catholics
(1511) Portuguese traders reached Banda Islands
(1516) King Charles I of Spain rules Netherlands
(1517) Protestants burned at the stake
(1519) King Charles I of Spain became Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V
(1520) Public burning of books took place in Louvain
(1521) Emperor Charles V banned wooden buildings in Amsterdam
(1524) Henry Van Zutphen, Dutch Protestant martyr, burned at stake
(1527) Wendelmoet Claesdochter first Dutch woman burned at stake as heretic
(1540) Emperor Charles V beat uprising against taxes in Ghent; nine leaders beheaded, one hanged
(1556) Emperor Charles V gave control of Low Countries to Son, King Philip II of Spain
(1567) Duke of Alba became guardian of Netherlands
(1568) William I, Prince of Orange, led revolt against Spanish government; Duke of Alba declared William of Orange an outlaw; Holy office condemned all inhabitants of Netherlands to death as heretics; Eighty Years' War(Dutch Revolt) began
(1568) King Phillip II of Spain banned foreign Dutch students; tidal wave in North Sea destroyed sea walls, over 1,000 killed
(1572) William of Orange became viceroy of Holland, Friesland, Utrecht; town of Naarden surrendered to Spanish, town burned, all residents massacred
(1574) Storm broke Leiden dike, 20,000 Spanish soldiers drowned
(1576) Netherlands' 17 provinces united in Pacification of Ghent; formed federation to maintain peace; Spanish forces attached Antwerp (the Spanish Fury)
(1579) Treaty of Utrecht signed, beginning of Dutch Republic; Friesland joined Union of Utrecht
(1580) States of Utrecht outlawed Catholic worship
(1581) Dutch declared independence from Spain
(1584) Gregorian (New World) calendar adopted; William of Orange assassinated; succeeded by son, Maurice of Nassau
