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Belgrade is one of Europe's oldest cities, with a history spanning 7,000 years across peoples and cultures. The city was first settled in about 5,000 BC, when the Neolithic peoples of the StarÄŤevo and VinÄŤa cultures inhabited these lands.
5000 BC
First human settlements built in Belgrade, making her one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities both in Europe and the world.
800 BC-75 BC
Thracians and Dacians were among the original Belgraders, right up until the Celtic invasion in 279 BC which saw the city renamed to Singidun.
75 BC-395 AD
The Romans renamed the city Singidunum, which would later on become the birthplace of a Roman emperor Jovian, who re-established Christianity as the state religion in 363.
395–626
During the Byzantine era of the city, Emperor Justinian the Great rebuilt Singidunum in 535.
Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, the first Serbian state was formed, while Belgrade was the capital of King Dragutin’s 13th century kingdom.
Ottoman conquest
After being captured by Suleyman the Magnificent’s army in 1521, Belgrade was destroyed, rebuilt, and changed hands throughout the next couple of centuries.
1841
Belgrade became the capital of Serbia under Prince Mihailo Obrenović.
1918
The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes was established, with Belgrade as the capital.
1941
One of the most devastating attacks on Belgrade occurred, when the city fell victim to Nazi occupation.
1944
The city suffered another major bombing attack, this time from the Allies. However, Belgrade was finally liberated on October 20, 1944 by the joint efforts of the Yugoslav Partisans and the Red Army.
1945
The Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia was proclaimed in Belgrade on November 29, 1945 by Josip Broz Tito, Yugoslavia’s fabled leader during the Cold War.
1992
Following the break-up of Yugoslavia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was proclaimed, which ushered in a new era marked by political instability. Belgrade’s citizens could be seen by people around the globe as scenes from the city’s massive anti-war and anti-government protests were shared in the media throughout the nineties.
1999
The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia lasted three months and caused significant damage to the Serbian capital, some of which was still on display in the Belgrade city center until recently.
2006
Serbia and Montenegro split up, with Belgrade remaining the Serbian capital until present days. Belgrade is the largest city in Serbia, as well as among the former Yugoslavian countries.