Timeline of Maltese history

This is a timeline of Maltese history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Malta and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see History of Malta. See also the list of monarchs of Malta and list of governors of Malta (till its independence in 1964) and list of heads of state of Malta.

Prehistory

This period refers to human history in Malta prior to the invention of writing.

6th millennium BC

3rd - 4th millennium BC

Punic Period

This period refers to the period when Phoenicians and Carthaginians influenced the Western Mediterranean during the Iron Age.

10th century BC

8th century BC

7th century BC

6th century BC

4th - 5th century BC

Roman Era

The Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage established Rome as a dominant power in the Mediterranean, until its collapse in 476 AD.

3rd century BC

The First Punic War lasted between 264 BC to 241 BC, while the Second Punic War was between 221 BC and 202 BC. During the First Punic War, Malta was raided by the Romans but remained under Carthaginian control.

2nd century BC

1st century BC

1st century

2nd century

3rd century

4th century

Medieval Era

The Middle Ages or mediaeval period followed the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery.

5th century

6th - 8th century

9th century

10th century

11th century

12th century

13th century

14th century

15th century

Knights of Malta era

The Renaissance and the Age of Discovery in Malta is characterised by the arrival of Hospitaller Knights in 1530 till the French occupation in 1798.

16th century

17th century

18th century

British Empire Era

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Malta was part of the British Empire until its independence in 1964.