Site map
1990
- Franjo Tuđman elected president by Parliament in the first democratic elections
- Beginning of the armed insurgency by Serb separatists
- Adoption of the new Constitution and introduction of the traditional chequered flag
1991
- First fatal ambushes by Serb separatists
- Croatia's declaration of independence
- Open and intensive intervention of the Yugoslav Army against Croatia
- Ethnic cleansing returns to Europe
- Bombing of the Presidential Palace in Zagreb
- A quarter of Croatia occupied by the "federal" army
- Mobilization of the Croatian diaspora
- Fall of the town of Vukovar, "Croatia's Stalingrad", after a three month siege
- More than 2500 dead and missing, survivors deported
- Dubrovnik, the "Pearl of the Adriatic", besieged and destroyed
- "Black Friday" in Dubrovnik
1992
- International recognition of Croatia
- First participation of the independent Croatia in the Olympic Games
- Deployment of UN blue helmets to Croatia
- War spreads to neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Croatia becomes a UN Member State
- A nation celebrates
- First Olympic medal at the Barcelona Olympics
1993
1994
- Washington Agreement restores Croat-Bosniak alliance
- Kuna, the new national currency
- The number of refugees drops to 400,000
- Pope John Paul II in Croatia
1995
- Operation Flash: western Slavonia liberated
- Indiscriminate bombing of Croatia's capital
- Inauguration of the new national library
- Strategic alliance between Zagreb and Sarajevo
- Operation Storm liberated most occupied territories
- A strategic turning point
- The Croatian Army breaks the siege of the Bihać enclave in Bosnia
- The Croatian flag on the Knin Fortress symbolizes the end of the war
- Organised evacuation of the Serbs from Croatia
- Serb separatists surrender
- Peace negotiations in Dayton
- Signing of the Paris-Dayton Accords puts an end to the war
1996
- President Bill Clinton in Zagreb
- Croatia becomes the 40th Member State of the Council of Europe
- First Olympic gold
- President Tuđman's historic visit to Vukovar
1997
1998
- Zagreb recovers the last occupied territory
- Croatia third in FIFA World Cup in France
- Beatification of cardinal Stepinac
1999
- Opening of Sveti Rok Tunnel
- Death of President Franjo Tuđman
- Croats pay homage to "the father of independence"
2000
- First political alternation
- Stjepan Mesić elected President of Croatia
- Zagreb Summit puts enlargement to South-East Europe back on the agenda
- Šibenik Cathedral designated as a World Heritage Site
2001
- Goran Ivanišević wins Wimbledon tournament
- Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European Union
2002
2003
- Croatia applies for EU membership
- First contingent of the Croatian army joins NATO's mission in Afghanistan
- Pope John Paul II's third pastoral visit to Croatia and the 100th papal visit abroad
- A new Nature Protection Act
- The tie, a Croatian-born fashion accessory
2005
- Opening of the Zagreb–Split motorway
- Start of European Union accession negotiations
- Croatia wins the Davis Cup
2006
2008
2009
- Croatia joins the North Atlantic Alliance
- First woman at the head of the Government
- 60th Dubrovnik Summer Festival
- U2 in concert in Zagreb
- The new location of the Zagreb Museum of Contemporary Art
2010
- Ivo Josipović elected 3rd President of the Republic
- Serbian President apologises for the victims of war
- Blanka Vlašić crowned the world's sportswoman of the year
2011
- The biggest smile in the world
- Rimac Concept One: the fastest electric car in the world
- 20th anniversary of the fall of Vukovar
- Every 18 November Croatia remembers
- Signing of the Treaty of Accession to the European Union
- Return of the left to power
2012
- Croats say "yes" to Europe
- D-526 before accession to the European Union
- Return of general Ante Gotovina after his acquittal by the ICTY
- Popular tribute to the acquitted generals
2013
2014
2015
- Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović elected President of the Republic
- 300th Alka Tournament
- Zagreb Christmas Market voted best in Europe
2016
- Migrant crisis
- Zadar, Best European Destination of 2016
- Rijeka designated European Capital of Culture 2020
- A century of institutional Islam in Croatia
- A museum dedicated to the Croatian Apoxyomenos
- 2Cellos concert in Zagreb
- Harvest of medals in Rio de Janeiro
- Andrej Plenković at the head of the Government
2017
2018
- Concept Two beats all speed records
- Both Čilić and Ćorić win on the ATP circuit
- Finalist in FIFA World Cup in Russia
- Croatia bids farewell to Oliver in song
2019
2020
- A challenging Croatian EU presidency
- From garage to global giant
- Second term for Prime Minister Plenković
- A year of resilience, trials, and solidarity