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History of Iceland
The official records of the history of Iceland start from the first permanent settler, a Norwegian chieftain named Ingólfur Arnarson. The Nordic Chieftain threw two carved pillars overboard and vowed to settle in wherever the pillars landed. He settled with his family in Iceland around 874 A.D. in a place he named Reykjavík (Bay of Smokes), which is now the capital and largest city of modern Iceland.
Soon after, people of Norwegian, Irish and Scottish origins settled and began their life in Iceland. The settlement of Iceland is thoroughly recorded in the Landnámabók (Book of Settlement), which was compiled in the early 12th century, 200 years after the age of settlement. The initial settlers in Iceland were mainly pagans however in the year 1000, one of the chieftains appointed by the Alþing (Iceland Parliament) decided that the country should convert to Christianity. When Norway and Denmark formed the Kalmar Union in 1397, Iceland fell under the sovereignty of the King of Denmark. The Danish kings brought about the Reformation of the Church in 1551, which resulted in Danish control over the Church, and confiscation of its great wealth. Under the Danish rule, Icelanders were forbidden to trade with other countries other than Denmark and this lead to disastrous consequences to the Icelandic economy. Coupled with food shortages due to a cooling climate during the 16th and 17th century, this was a most tragic period in Iceland’s history. When the trade monopoly was abolished in 1854 and 1874, Iceland received a constitution from the Danish King to take control of its own finances.
In 1904 Iceland received home rule and finally in 1918, achieved sovereignty united with Denmark under the Danish crown. In 1940, Iceland was occupied by British forces, which were replaced in 1941 by American troops by special agreement between the Icelandic and American governments. Finally, on 17 June 1944, the Republic of Iceland was formally proclaimed at Þingvellir, home to the Alþing (Icelandic Parliament).
