Post by Iceland on Jul 29, 2013 23:46:30 GMT -5
My Reflection
Nation:
EN: Iceland
IS: Ísland
Name:
Sigurður Þórsson
Gender:
Male
Appearance Age:
17
Actual Age:
1,139 years from the first permanent settlement.
Appearance
Hair Color:
Platinum blonde
Eye Color:
Magenta
Height:
160cm (5'3"), and no, he's not happy about it.
Weight:
Around 110 lbs.
Appearance:
Iceland considers himself a bit odd to look at compared to most other nations, or even other human beings. Most noticeably, he has very light-colored hair, perhaps bordering on white or ashen (though he insists that it is blonde). His skin is likewise very pale, with a rosy tint. Any attempts at tanning overseas usually results in burns that turn him red as a lobster. His eyes are an odd shade of magenta, as if his blue eyes got an inhuman dose of red pigment-- because of his volcanoes, he assumes.
He's very self-concious about his figure as well. Unfortunately, he hasn't had the opportunity to put on much weight during his modernization-- and the economic crash hasn't helped. His ribs and collarbone are quite defined under his skin, and his joints are bony. He doesn't have a lot of muscle, and what he has is very lean; he wishes he were more muscular and had some more shape, as well as wishing that he didn't constantly look as if he were recovering from some illness.
Defining Features:
Unlike most nations, Iceland is pretty much unscarred. He's never been (directly) involved in any world wars, only civil wars and his constant war with nature. He has a few scars from mishandling knives and other small utensils, but in his mind they don't count.
Who Am I?
Personality:
Iceland's personality is much like the landmass he represents; just as his island is a large volcano with an arctic climate, Iceland has a fiery, warm base personality tempered by a practiced cool exterior.
Iceland is very passionate, opinionated, and judgmental about things, yet maintains (or tries his best to maintain) the appearance of being cold on the outside. Over the years he has used this as a defense or a way to cope, to put himself at a safe distance from other people and not have to get too emotionally involved in any given situation. He doesn't like leaving any possible way for anyone to take advantage of him, or get under his skin.
On closer inspection, however, it is readily apparent that it is not innate to him to be cold and calculating; it is easy to ruffle his feathers and tempt a reaction from him, which often come in short and unexpected bursts of emotion. His pride and confidence are both equally fragile, though he insists they are the opposite.
Iceland started putting on a cold face around the end of the Kalmar Union, when his situation took a turn for the worse and he was separated from his brother and guardian. Although he will fiercely deny any likeness to Norway, in either appearance or action, it is very clear that he either inherited some of Norway's disposition, or adopted it looking for a way to cope. He easily dismisses, insults, or ignores those close to him as a defense; he fears being too attached to loved ones that can be taken away. Underneath his fear, however, he cares very strongly for his family and those he cares deeply about.
Having become defensive to the extreme on top of adolescent self-consciousness and invincibility, Iceland is often stubborn to the point of stupidity, especially with those he doesn't like. Lacking many of the great achievements many other nations can boast about, he takes great pride in that by however little margin, his country has survived natural and man-made disasters and hardships alike, despite the odds, and that he has one of the highest standards of living in the modern world.
Having conditioned himself to bury his emotions, when he can't take it anymore they often escape explosively in displays of temper or other emotions. Whether by many compounded offenses or striking a particularly sensitive nerve, his reaction is vent all of his feelings at once, often by shouting or blubbering, or generally throwing a fit. Because his temper flares up more often than he'd like, Iceland has little patience for people who annoy him, and thus tries to avoid them.
Iceland is aware that his way of dealing with his emotions is immature and childish, but he presently doesn't have the motive to work through things introspectively.
To those who don't annoy him, Iceland does try to appear aloof, but does value being polite; he usually comes off as being somewhat friendly, if uninterested, and slightly awkward. He is also very worrisome and prone to being overly anxious, as a result of trying to put up defenses. Although he'll try his best not to show it, he does actively worry about the well-being of others, especially those closest to him.
Like his people, Iceland has a tendency to be very superstitious. Although he is aware that science is the most logical explanation, he can't shake the superstition in his gut. In Iceland, roads are sometimes redirected to avoid bothering the Huldufólk, or the "hidden people" elves of Icelandic folklore.
When it comes to problems, Iceland almost always chooses to avoid rather than to face the problem. He doesn't like to be a part of other people's problems, and would rather avoid his own and pretend they don't exist. An exception is his sense of justice; Iceland has been known to be active in helping other nations or peoples achieve independence, or being quick to recognize their statehood, perhaps due to Iceland's own difficulty and triumph in obtaining independence.
Likes:
Dislikes:
Fears:
Fun Facts:
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Your History
1000s and Before[/u]
860: Naddoddr accidentally discovers Iceland while attempting to sail from Norway to the Faroe Islands; he drifted off course and landed on the east coast of the country. He names it Snæland, meaning "Snowland."
860: A Swedish man named Garðar Svavarsson sails around Iceland, discovering that it is indeed an island. He stays for one winter, and names it Garðarshólmi (Garðar's Islet).
865: Hrafna-Flóki is the first Scandinavian to deliberately sail to Iceland. After spotting drift ice in a fjord from a nearby mountaintop, he names the country Ísland (Iceland).
874: Ingólfr Arnarson permanently settles in Iceland, beginning Iceland's period of settlement.
930: The Alþingi, the Icelandic parliament, is established. It has legislative and judicial power, but no executive power; this begins a growth period.
999-1000: Icelanders peacefully convert to Christianity. Private Pagan practices are still allowed.
1100s[/u]
1104: The volcano Hekla erupts, destroying a settlement in Þjórsárdalur.
1122: Ari Þorgilsson writes the Íslendingabók, a book taking primarily oral history and writing it in prose, taking care to eliminate Christian bias and avoid references to the supernatural. He even goes so far as to check the reliability of his sources and admit that he may have made some mistakes. Due to his painstaking effort, it is considered a reliable source on early Icelandic history.
1200s[/u]
1220: Snorri Sturluson, an Icelandic historian, poet and politician, becomes a vassal of King Hákon of Norway, starting the Sturlung Era civil war.
1262: After 42 years of civil war, the Old Covenant is signed, bringing Iceland under the rule of the King of Norway. It is an agreement between Haakon IV of Norway and the major chieftains of Iceland. Norway's consolidation of power was slow, but the power of the bishops in Iceland slowly accumulated through tithing and aquiring land at the expense of old chieftains.
1300s[/u]
1300: The volcano Hekla erupts starting on July 11th, lasting for an entire year. 30,000 square kilometars of land is covered in tephra, significantly damaging surrounding settlements and killing 500 people.
1308: Iceland's jarldom is abolished.
1357: Iceland's first bishop with Papal authority.
1341: A second eruption of Hekla, depositing tephra in the west and southwest of the volcano, causing cattle death from fluorosis.
1362: A volcanic eruption in Öræfajökull destroys Litlahérað.
1349: Exports and imports from Norway are cut off, due to the spread and severity of the Black Plague in Norway.
1380: The death of Olav IV causes Norway (and Iceland as a result) to become part of the Kalmar Union, along with Sweden and Denmark. As Denmark had no need to import Icelandic fish and wool, this created a giant trade deficit for Iceland.
1400s
1402: The Great Plague of Iceland. Not to be confused with the Bubonic plague; when the Bubonic plague spread to Norway, all incoming contaminated ships, well, never made it to Iceland. This plague was a viral herorrhagic plague as opposed to bubonic, as there are no rats in Iceland.
1494: A second plague hits Iceland, killing half of the population. Not much is known about the strain of plague, except that it does not have the defining characteristics of the Bubonic plague, and that there is no evidence of the survival of any afflicted parties.
1500s
1500: The small Greenland colony dies out.
1501: English merchants plunder Bessastaðir, the residence of the highest-ranking officers and officials in Iceland.
1559: The English are driven from Vesmannaeyjar (Westmman Islands).
1600s[/u]
1602: The King of Denmark grants Danish monopoly over Icelandic trade.
1615: Spánverjavígin, or the Spanish Killings, were the last massacre in Iceland's history. After a shipwrecked whaling ship, Iceland determines the Basque whalers to be criminals, and Icelanders are ordered to kill as many as possible.
1625: The first person is burnt alive for witchcraft.
1627: The Turkish Abductions: on three separate occasions, Turkish invaders raided Iceland, navigating to the island by direction of a hired Danish slave captured from another ship. The Turks, disappointed in the lack of goods to steal, kidnapped several hundred Icelanders across the three raids, eventually selling them into slavery.
1650: The Little Ice Age begins, shortening an already short growing season and causing longer winters and great hardship for Icelanders. Increased reliance on imports quickly sunk Iceland into poverty, especially when frozen harbors limited trade.
1662: Icelanders are forced to accept Denmark's absolute monarchy, relinquishing Icelandic autonomy and the right to initiate and consent to legislation to the Danish king.
1700s
1707: The bubonic plague spreads in Iceland, killing 1/4th of the population.
1720: The Árni Magnússon manuscript collection is moved to Denmark.
1760: Icelanders start exporting salted fish to Spain.
1783-85: Móðuharðindin, "The Mist Hardships." Following the eruption of Laki on June 8th, 1783, a poisonous mist of fluorine and sulfur dioxide settled over the entire country, burning grazing land and killing 80% of the country's livestock, as well as one-fifth of the human population.
1787: The Danish trade monopoly ends.
1800s
1800: The Alþingi is abolished on the 6th of June, 1800, by royal decree.
1807: Napoleonic wars severely diminish trade with Iceland.
1809: Jørgen Jørgensen takes power and declares Iceland's independence, but is quickly taken care of by Denmark.
1814: The Treaty of Kiel, following the Napoleonic Wars, separates Norway from Denmark on January 14th, 1814. Iceland, however, is kept by Denmark as a dependency.
1843: By royal decree, the Alþingi is resurrected, to be opened in 1845.
1851: The National Assemble of 1851. A bill that would have made Iceland independent in all but name was shot down by the governor, believing none would support it. In turn, Jón Sigurðsson, the leader of the Icelandic independence movement, and other members of the assembly rose to protest.
1855: Denmark grants Iceland free trade.
1871: Danish Parliament passes the Stóðulög laws.
1874: The King of Denmark visits, granting Icelanders a constitution.
1879: Jón Sigurðsson dies on the 7th of December.
1880: A colder climate drives Icelanders to emigrate to the New World. (Plans of a total exodus to Canada are considered, but ultimately discarded.)
1885: Icelanders begin to demand a review of the constitution from the Danes.
1900s
1915: Iceland obtains universal suffrage.
1918: Iceland becomes independent, but the King of Denmark is still the head of state.
1940: The British invade Iceland in Operation Fork, violating Iceland's neutrality.
1941: American troops, although still officially neutral, replace the British troops as the occupying force in Iceland.
1946: The Keflavík Agreement between the US and Iceland is made. The United States agrees to remove all troops within six months, along with nullifying all previous agreements.
1948: Iceland receives Marshall Aid from the US.
1949: Iceland joins NATO.
1951: The US Army establishes a base in Keflavík, ignoring previous agreements.
1968: The fishing industry collapses, due to over-fishing of herring. A wave of emigrants leave Iceland.
1970: Iceland joins the European Free Trade Association.
1944: A vote is held to determine whether or not to end the union with Denmark. 98% of the country voted to abolish it, resulting in Iceland's independence.
1944: Iceland joins the European Economic Area.
2000s
2000: Southern Iceland is hit by two earthquakes on the 17th of June, of magnitudes 6.5 and 6.6. Although there were no fatalities and only a few injuries, the infrastructure had considerable damage.
2006: The US Army abandons the military base in Keflavík, ending a 55-year military presence in Iceland.
2008: Iceland's three major commercial banks collapse in September, causing a financial crisis.
2009: On the 26th of January, the Icelandic government resigns.
2009: Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir becomes the first female prime minister of Iceland and the world's first openly gay head of government.
2009: A bill is narrowly passed authorizing the government to apply for EU membership.
2010: Eyjafjallajökull begins to erupt on the 20th of March. By April, it grounds most of Europe's air traffic.
2011: The volcano Grímsvötn erupts on the 21st of May.
Sample Post
Finland, ca. 1350
Iceland suddenly felt very much alone, standing by himself in Sweden's house after his guardian and the master of the house had left for their "meetings." He hadn't heard much, but they had been meeting more than usual recently. Norway, of course, didn't let anything slip. All he got was a hair-ruffle and an order to "be good to Finland."
Iceland had heard the name before, but hadn't actually seen this "Finland," let alone have met him before. He really hadn't seen any of Europe; it had only been a scant hundred years since Norway had taken him in. His memories of Sweden, tall and stern, were fleeting. He thought he would have remembered seeing a colony his own age, though. Did Sweden never bring him anywhere? How irresponsible, Iceland mused to himself.
Ever since he'd moved to Norway's house on the mainland of Europe, Norway had been very good at never letting him out of his sight, even if it meant bringing him places he had no wish to go. At first perhaps it was a safety issue, not trusting him in the streets-- certainly more populous and congested than any place in Iceland-- but it did seem that Norway worried about his safety too much. He'd lived perfectly fine by himself for centuries before he became Norway's colony. He wanted to insist, but Norway was usually right. As annoying and rule-focused as Norway was, staying in his house wasn't unpleasant by any means. A lack of free wandering was a small price to pay to end his bloody civil wars. He didn't want to think about other consequences, though.
He assumed--hoped, rather-- that Finland, being another colony, would be around his age? It'd be nice to have someone to play with, Iceland supposed, if Norway was going to make a habit of these meetings. He wasn't sure he liked this country-- certainly, he didn't like the trip to get here. It was a very long trip east, even if he had spent most of it asleep.
Iceland waited somewhat impatiently, anxiously brushing off his newly-clean, brown tunic. He looked around the room curiously and coughed. It was very plain, much like his own home, and he wondered just where Finland was. He missed his puffin already. How long was Norway going to be gone?
The Player
Name: Jess
Age: 18
Fun Fact: I do really bad in history classes because I'm terrible at remembering the names of people I meet, let alone the names of dead people I've never met...
(I hope this timeline suffices, I didn't know what to put in or how to reword things concisely etc /o\")
Nation:
EN: Iceland
IS: Ísland
Name:
Sigurður Þórsson
Gender:
Male
Appearance Age:
17
Actual Age:
1,139 years from the first permanent settlement.
Appearance
Hair Color:
Platinum blonde
Eye Color:
Magenta
Height:
160cm (5'3"), and no, he's not happy about it.
Weight:
Around 110 lbs.
Appearance:
Iceland considers himself a bit odd to look at compared to most other nations, or even other human beings. Most noticeably, he has very light-colored hair, perhaps bordering on white or ashen (though he insists that it is blonde). His skin is likewise very pale, with a rosy tint. Any attempts at tanning overseas usually results in burns that turn him red as a lobster. His eyes are an odd shade of magenta, as if his blue eyes got an inhuman dose of red pigment-- because of his volcanoes, he assumes.
He's very self-concious about his figure as well. Unfortunately, he hasn't had the opportunity to put on much weight during his modernization-- and the economic crash hasn't helped. His ribs and collarbone are quite defined under his skin, and his joints are bony. He doesn't have a lot of muscle, and what he has is very lean; he wishes he were more muscular and had some more shape, as well as wishing that he didn't constantly look as if he were recovering from some illness.
Defining Features:
Unlike most nations, Iceland is pretty much unscarred. He's never been (directly) involved in any world wars, only civil wars and his constant war with nature. He has a few scars from mishandling knives and other small utensils, but in his mind they don't count.
Who Am I?
Personality:
Iceland's personality is much like the landmass he represents; just as his island is a large volcano with an arctic climate, Iceland has a fiery, warm base personality tempered by a practiced cool exterior.
Iceland is very passionate, opinionated, and judgmental about things, yet maintains (or tries his best to maintain) the appearance of being cold on the outside. Over the years he has used this as a defense or a way to cope, to put himself at a safe distance from other people and not have to get too emotionally involved in any given situation. He doesn't like leaving any possible way for anyone to take advantage of him, or get under his skin.
On closer inspection, however, it is readily apparent that it is not innate to him to be cold and calculating; it is easy to ruffle his feathers and tempt a reaction from him, which often come in short and unexpected bursts of emotion. His pride and confidence are both equally fragile, though he insists they are the opposite.
Iceland started putting on a cold face around the end of the Kalmar Union, when his situation took a turn for the worse and he was separated from his brother and guardian. Although he will fiercely deny any likeness to Norway, in either appearance or action, it is very clear that he either inherited some of Norway's disposition, or adopted it looking for a way to cope. He easily dismisses, insults, or ignores those close to him as a defense; he fears being too attached to loved ones that can be taken away. Underneath his fear, however, he cares very strongly for his family and those he cares deeply about.
Having become defensive to the extreme on top of adolescent self-consciousness and invincibility, Iceland is often stubborn to the point of stupidity, especially with those he doesn't like. Lacking many of the great achievements many other nations can boast about, he takes great pride in that by however little margin, his country has survived natural and man-made disasters and hardships alike, despite the odds, and that he has one of the highest standards of living in the modern world.
Having conditioned himself to bury his emotions, when he can't take it anymore they often escape explosively in displays of temper or other emotions. Whether by many compounded offenses or striking a particularly sensitive nerve, his reaction is vent all of his feelings at once, often by shouting or blubbering, or generally throwing a fit. Because his temper flares up more often than he'd like, Iceland has little patience for people who annoy him, and thus tries to avoid them.
Iceland is aware that his way of dealing with his emotions is immature and childish, but he presently doesn't have the motive to work through things introspectively.
To those who don't annoy him, Iceland does try to appear aloof, but does value being polite; he usually comes off as being somewhat friendly, if uninterested, and slightly awkward. He is also very worrisome and prone to being overly anxious, as a result of trying to put up defenses. Although he'll try his best not to show it, he does actively worry about the well-being of others, especially those closest to him.
Like his people, Iceland has a tendency to be very superstitious. Although he is aware that science is the most logical explanation, he can't shake the superstition in his gut. In Iceland, roads are sometimes redirected to avoid bothering the Huldufólk, or the "hidden people" elves of Icelandic folklore.
When it comes to problems, Iceland almost always chooses to avoid rather than to face the problem. He doesn't like to be a part of other people's problems, and would rather avoid his own and pretend they don't exist. An exception is his sense of justice; Iceland has been known to be active in helping other nations or peoples achieve independence, or being quick to recognize their statehood, perhaps due to Iceland's own difficulty and triumph in obtaining independence.
Likes:
- Black Licorice.
- His Puffin, aptly named Mr. Puffin.
-
Alcohol - The outdoors, when the weather is nice.
- Being by the ocean.
-
His family.
Dislikes:
-
Denmark - Loud and inconsiderate people.
- Inclement weather. Natural disasters.
- Feeling under the weather, or weak.
- Nudity. While he's okay with it, he'd rather people stay covered up. He's not comfortable in his own skin, let alone seeing other people nude.
- Long winters
- Thunderstorms
- Large crowds.
- Being treated like a child.
- Being disrespected as an older nation because of his young appearance.
Fears:
- Death, either his own or of people he cares about.
- War. Seeing the effects but having been uninvolved makes war especially terrifying to Iceland.
- Thunderstorms. Iceland doesn't get very many, and they've scared him since he was a child.
- Letting his emotions get the best of him.
- Environmental pollution.
Fun Facts:
- Iceland is fluent in Danish, but will refuse to speak it or even admit he understands it, unless caught.
- When he speaks Norwegian, he usually chooses to speak the western dialects because they're most similar to Icelandic.
- Iceland is a big fan of ambient and post-rock bands, and often searches out smaller bands or groups to give their music a listen.
You've probably never heard of them. - He's not a huge fan of metal, unlike his neighboring nations, but is not opposed.
- Despite his viking ancestry, Iceland never learned how to sail; he was too young during the time where he could have learned. Nowadays, he's too embarrassed to learn how, not wanting to be a beginner around nations with centuries of experience.
- Iceland has a huge sweet tooth and appetite for junk food. He excuses it by saying that maybe it'll help him put some weight on his bones.
- The irony that he is older than all of his government officials and is still technically underage is not lost on him. He keeps a stocked liquor cabinet anyway.
It's totally just to spite them. Totally ornamental. - Unwilling (if not unable) to discuss his feelings with others, he occasionally drinks by himself to self-medicate. When not drinking away his sorrows, however, he's a sleepy and sometimes snuggly drunk.
Strengths:
- Surviving. No matter what. While Iceland may be weak, he is very good at gritting his teeth and bearing hardship.
- Very empathetic, when he allows himself to be.
- He's very skilled in knitting and crocheting.
- He has a way with both livestock and wild animals.
Weaknesses:
- Physically weak
- Somewhat sickly constitution
- Bottles up his emotions
- Worries a lot
- Very self-conscious
- Stubborn, often to a fault
Your History
1000s and Before[/u]
860: Naddoddr accidentally discovers Iceland while attempting to sail from Norway to the Faroe Islands; he drifted off course and landed on the east coast of the country. He names it Snæland, meaning "Snowland."
860: A Swedish man named Garðar Svavarsson sails around Iceland, discovering that it is indeed an island. He stays for one winter, and names it Garðarshólmi (Garðar's Islet).
865: Hrafna-Flóki is the first Scandinavian to deliberately sail to Iceland. After spotting drift ice in a fjord from a nearby mountaintop, he names the country Ísland (Iceland).
874: Ingólfr Arnarson permanently settles in Iceland, beginning Iceland's period of settlement.
930: The Alþingi, the Icelandic parliament, is established. It has legislative and judicial power, but no executive power; this begins a growth period.
999-1000: Icelanders peacefully convert to Christianity. Private Pagan practices are still allowed.
1100s[/u]
1104: The volcano Hekla erupts, destroying a settlement in Þjórsárdalur.
1122: Ari Þorgilsson writes the Íslendingabók, a book taking primarily oral history and writing it in prose, taking care to eliminate Christian bias and avoid references to the supernatural. He even goes so far as to check the reliability of his sources and admit that he may have made some mistakes. Due to his painstaking effort, it is considered a reliable source on early Icelandic history.
1200s[/u]
1220: Snorri Sturluson, an Icelandic historian, poet and politician, becomes a vassal of King Hákon of Norway, starting the Sturlung Era civil war.
1262: After 42 years of civil war, the Old Covenant is signed, bringing Iceland under the rule of the King of Norway. It is an agreement between Haakon IV of Norway and the major chieftains of Iceland. Norway's consolidation of power was slow, but the power of the bishops in Iceland slowly accumulated through tithing and aquiring land at the expense of old chieftains.
1300s[/u]
1300: The volcano Hekla erupts starting on July 11th, lasting for an entire year. 30,000 square kilometars of land is covered in tephra, significantly damaging surrounding settlements and killing 500 people.
1308: Iceland's jarldom is abolished.
1357: Iceland's first bishop with Papal authority.
1341: A second eruption of Hekla, depositing tephra in the west and southwest of the volcano, causing cattle death from fluorosis.
1362: A volcanic eruption in Öræfajökull destroys Litlahérað.
1349: Exports and imports from Norway are cut off, due to the spread and severity of the Black Plague in Norway.
1380: The death of Olav IV causes Norway (and Iceland as a result) to become part of the Kalmar Union, along with Sweden and Denmark. As Denmark had no need to import Icelandic fish and wool, this created a giant trade deficit for Iceland.
1400s
1402: The Great Plague of Iceland. Not to be confused with the Bubonic plague; when the Bubonic plague spread to Norway, all incoming contaminated ships, well, never made it to Iceland. This plague was a viral herorrhagic plague as opposed to bubonic, as there are no rats in Iceland.
1494: A second plague hits Iceland, killing half of the population. Not much is known about the strain of plague, except that it does not have the defining characteristics of the Bubonic plague, and that there is no evidence of the survival of any afflicted parties.
1500s
1500: The small Greenland colony dies out.
1501: English merchants plunder Bessastaðir, the residence of the highest-ranking officers and officials in Iceland.
1559: The English are driven from Vesmannaeyjar (Westmman Islands).
1600s[/u]
1602: The King of Denmark grants Danish monopoly over Icelandic trade.
1615: Spánverjavígin, or the Spanish Killings, were the last massacre in Iceland's history. After a shipwrecked whaling ship, Iceland determines the Basque whalers to be criminals, and Icelanders are ordered to kill as many as possible.
1625: The first person is burnt alive for witchcraft.
1627: The Turkish Abductions: on three separate occasions, Turkish invaders raided Iceland, navigating to the island by direction of a hired Danish slave captured from another ship. The Turks, disappointed in the lack of goods to steal, kidnapped several hundred Icelanders across the three raids, eventually selling them into slavery.
1650: The Little Ice Age begins, shortening an already short growing season and causing longer winters and great hardship for Icelanders. Increased reliance on imports quickly sunk Iceland into poverty, especially when frozen harbors limited trade.
1662: Icelanders are forced to accept Denmark's absolute monarchy, relinquishing Icelandic autonomy and the right to initiate and consent to legislation to the Danish king.
1700s
1707: The bubonic plague spreads in Iceland, killing 1/4th of the population.
1720: The Árni Magnússon manuscript collection is moved to Denmark.
1760: Icelanders start exporting salted fish to Spain.
1783-85: Móðuharðindin, "The Mist Hardships." Following the eruption of Laki on June 8th, 1783, a poisonous mist of fluorine and sulfur dioxide settled over the entire country, burning grazing land and killing 80% of the country's livestock, as well as one-fifth of the human population.
1787: The Danish trade monopoly ends.
1800s
1800: The Alþingi is abolished on the 6th of June, 1800, by royal decree.
1807: Napoleonic wars severely diminish trade with Iceland.
1809: Jørgen Jørgensen takes power and declares Iceland's independence, but is quickly taken care of by Denmark.
1814: The Treaty of Kiel, following the Napoleonic Wars, separates Norway from Denmark on January 14th, 1814. Iceland, however, is kept by Denmark as a dependency.
1843: By royal decree, the Alþingi is resurrected, to be opened in 1845.
1851: The National Assemble of 1851. A bill that would have made Iceland independent in all but name was shot down by the governor, believing none would support it. In turn, Jón Sigurðsson, the leader of the Icelandic independence movement, and other members of the assembly rose to protest.
1855: Denmark grants Iceland free trade.
1871: Danish Parliament passes the Stóðulög laws.
1874: The King of Denmark visits, granting Icelanders a constitution.
1879: Jón Sigurðsson dies on the 7th of December.
1880: A colder climate drives Icelanders to emigrate to the New World. (Plans of a total exodus to Canada are considered, but ultimately discarded.)
1885: Icelanders begin to demand a review of the constitution from the Danes.
1900s
1915: Iceland obtains universal suffrage.
1918: Iceland becomes independent, but the King of Denmark is still the head of state.
1940: The British invade Iceland in Operation Fork, violating Iceland's neutrality.
1941: American troops, although still officially neutral, replace the British troops as the occupying force in Iceland.
1946: The Keflavík Agreement between the US and Iceland is made. The United States agrees to remove all troops within six months, along with nullifying all previous agreements.
1948: Iceland receives Marshall Aid from the US.
1949: Iceland joins NATO.
1951: The US Army establishes a base in Keflavík, ignoring previous agreements.
1968: The fishing industry collapses, due to over-fishing of herring. A wave of emigrants leave Iceland.
1970: Iceland joins the European Free Trade Association.
1944: A vote is held to determine whether or not to end the union with Denmark. 98% of the country voted to abolish it, resulting in Iceland's independence.
1944: Iceland joins the European Economic Area.
2000s
2000: Southern Iceland is hit by two earthquakes on the 17th of June, of magnitudes 6.5 and 6.6. Although there were no fatalities and only a few injuries, the infrastructure had considerable damage.
2006: The US Army abandons the military base in Keflavík, ending a 55-year military presence in Iceland.
2008: Iceland's three major commercial banks collapse in September, causing a financial crisis.
2009: On the 26th of January, the Icelandic government resigns.
2009: Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir becomes the first female prime minister of Iceland and the world's first openly gay head of government.
2009: A bill is narrowly passed authorizing the government to apply for EU membership.
2010: Eyjafjallajökull begins to erupt on the 20th of March. By April, it grounds most of Europe's air traffic.
2011: The volcano Grímsvötn erupts on the 21st of May.
Sample Post
Finland, ca. 1350
Iceland suddenly felt very much alone, standing by himself in Sweden's house after his guardian and the master of the house had left for their "meetings." He hadn't heard much, but they had been meeting more than usual recently. Norway, of course, didn't let anything slip. All he got was a hair-ruffle and an order to "be good to Finland."
Iceland had heard the name before, but hadn't actually seen this "Finland," let alone have met him before. He really hadn't seen any of Europe; it had only been a scant hundred years since Norway had taken him in. His memories of Sweden, tall and stern, were fleeting. He thought he would have remembered seeing a colony his own age, though. Did Sweden never bring him anywhere? How irresponsible, Iceland mused to himself.
Ever since he'd moved to Norway's house on the mainland of Europe, Norway had been very good at never letting him out of his sight, even if it meant bringing him places he had no wish to go. At first perhaps it was a safety issue, not trusting him in the streets-- certainly more populous and congested than any place in Iceland-- but it did seem that Norway worried about his safety too much. He'd lived perfectly fine by himself for centuries before he became Norway's colony. He wanted to insist, but Norway was usually right. As annoying and rule-focused as Norway was, staying in his house wasn't unpleasant by any means. A lack of free wandering was a small price to pay to end his bloody civil wars. He didn't want to think about other consequences, though.
He assumed--hoped, rather-- that Finland, being another colony, would be around his age? It'd be nice to have someone to play with, Iceland supposed, if Norway was going to make a habit of these meetings. He wasn't sure he liked this country-- certainly, he didn't like the trip to get here. It was a very long trip east, even if he had spent most of it asleep.
Iceland waited somewhat impatiently, anxiously brushing off his newly-clean, brown tunic. He looked around the room curiously and coughed. It was very plain, much like his own home, and he wondered just where Finland was. He missed his puffin already. How long was Norway going to be gone?
The Player
Name: Jess
Age: 18
Fun Fact: I do really bad in history classes because I'm terrible at remembering the names of people I meet, let alone the names of dead people I've never met...
(I hope this timeline suffices, I didn't know what to put in or how to reword things concisely etc /o\")
