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NATO
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Timeline of Events
1948
3.17.1948
Benelux, France, and the United Kingdom sign the Treaty of Brussels, a precursor to the North Atlantic Treaty establishing NATO.
1949
3.30.1949
A riot breaks out in Austurvöllur square in Reykjavík, when Iceland joins NATO.
4.4.1949
Twelve nations sign the North Atlantic Treaty creating the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
8.24.1949
The treaty creating NATO goes into effect.
1950
11.19.1950
US General Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes supreme commander of NATO-Europe
1952
4.28.1952
Dwight D. Eisenhower resigns as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO.
1955
5.9.1955
Cold War: West Germany joins NATO.
1961
7.25.1961
In a speech John F. Kennedy emphasizes that any attack on Berlin is an attack on NATO.
1962
10.8.1962
Spiegel scandal: ''Der Spiegel'' publishes the article ''"Bedingt abwehrbereit"'' (''"Conditionally prepared for defense"'') about a NATO manoeuver called "Fallex 62", which uncovered the sorry state of the Bundeswehr (Germany's army) facing the communist threat from the east at the time. The magazine is soon accused of treason.
1974
7.20.1974
Turkish occupation of Cyprus: Forces from Turkey invade Cyprus after a "coup d' etat", organised by the dictator of Greece, against president Makarios. NATO's Council praises the United States and the United Kingdom for attempts to settle the dispute. Syria and Egypt put their militaries on alert.
1985
10.10.1985
United States Navy F-14 fighter jets intercept an Egyptian plane carrying the ''Achille Lauro'' cruise ship hijackers and force it to land at a NATO base in Sigonella, Sicily where they are arrested.
1990
10.24.1990
Italian prime minister Giulio Andreotti reveals to the Italian parliament the existence of Gladio, the Italian "stay-behind" clandestine paramilitary NATO army.
1995
6.2.1995
United States Air Force Captain Scott O'Grady's F-16 is shot down over Bosnia while patrolling the NATO no-fly zone.
8.30.1995
NATO launches Operation Deliberate Force against Bosnian Serb forces.
12.20.1995
NATO begins peacekeeping in Bosnia.
1997
7.8.1997
NATO invites the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland to join the alliance in 1999.
1999
1.1.1999
The Euro currency is introduced in 11 countries - members of NATO (with the exception of the United Kingdom, Denmark, Greece and Sweden).
3.12.1999
Former Warsaw Pact members the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland join NATO.
3.24.1999
Kosovo War: NATO commences air bombardment against Yugoslavia, marking the first time NATO has attacked a sovereign country.
4.14.1999
NATO mistakenly bombs a convoy of ethnic Albanian refugees – Yugoslav officials say 75 people are killed.
5.7.1999
Kosovo War: In Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, three Chinese citizens are killed and 20 wounded when a NATO aircraft bombs the Chinese embassy in Belgrade.
6.10.1999
Kosovo War: NATO suspends its air strikes after Slobodan Milošević agrees to withdraw Serbian forces from Kosovo.
6.12.1999
Kosovo War: Operation Joint Guardian begins when a NATO-led United Nations peacekeeping force (KFor) enters the province of Kosovo in Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
2001
8.21.2001
NATO decides to send a peace-keeping force to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
10.2.2001
NATO backs U.S. military strikes following 9/11.
10.4.2001
NATO confirms invocation of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
2002
5.28.2002
NATO declares Russia a limited partner in the Western alliance.
11.21.2002
NATO invites Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia to become members.
2003
2.10.2003
France and Belgium break the NATO procedure of silent approval concerning the timing of protective measures for Turkey in case of a possible war with Iraq.
8.11.2003
NATO takes over command of the peacekeeping force in Afghanistan, marking its first major operation outside Europe in its 54-year-history.
2004
3.29.2004
Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia join NATO as full members.
2009
4.1.2009
Croatia and Albania join NATO