Greeks

:For other uses of the name "Greek", see Greek (disambiguation)

Timeline of Greek migrations

Practically every event in this timeline is disputed by one theory or another. This timeline attempts to represent the mainstream views of modern Greek historians. Some key historical events have also been included for context, but this timeline is not intended to cover history not related to migrations. For more information on the historical context of these migrations, please see History of Greece.

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• 20th century BCE — Greek tribes migrate into Macedonia (most likely from the Caucasus region), and establish some settlements in peninsular Greece.
• 17th century BCE — Decline of Minoan civilization, possibly due to the eruption of Thera. Greek tribes (Achaeans, Ionians) enter southern Greece, establishing the Mycenaean civilization. Greek history begins.
• 13th century BCE — First colonies established in Asia Minor.
• 11th century BCE — Doric tribes move into peninsular Greece.
• 9th century BCE — Major colonization of Asia Minor.
• 8th century BCE — First colonies established in Sicily and Southern Italy.
• 6th century BCE — Colonies established across the Mediterranean and the Black Sea
• 4th century BCE — Campaign of Alexander the Great; colonies established in Egypt and the Middle East.
• 2nd century BCE — Conquest of Greece by the Roman Empire.
• 4th century CE — Establishment of Eastern Roman Empire. Migrations of Greeks throughout the Empire, and of non-Greeks into Greece over the next 6 centuries.
• 13th century CE — Dissolution of Eastern Roman Empire. Re-emergence of Greek nationalism.
• 14th century CE — Eastern Roman Empire recreated and refashioned as a Greek state.
• 15th century CE — Conquest of Greece by the Ottoman Empire . Greek diaspora into Europe begins. Turkish settlements in Greece.
• 1830s — Creation of the Modern Greek State. Immigration to the New World begins.
• 1913 — Macedonia partitioned; Population exchange with Bulgaria; Greek presence in Bulgaria and presence of Slavic peoples in Greece practically end.
• 1910s — Genocide of Pontian Greeks; approximately 350,000 killed.
• 1923 — Treaty of Lausanne. 1.3 million Greeks removed from the newly created Republic of Turkey; 500,000 Turks and other Muslims removed from Greece. Muslim Greeks remain in Turkey. 50,000 Christian Greeks in Constantinople and a number of Muslims in Greek (Western) Thrace excluded from the exchange.
• 1948 — Greek Civil War. Tens of thousands of Greek communists and their families flee into Eastern Bloc nations. Thousands settle in Tashkent.
• 1950s — Massive emigration of Greeks to West Germany, the United States, Australia, Canada, and other countries. Large Greek community in Alexandria flees Nasser's regime in Egypt.
• 1955 — Istanbul Pogrom against Greeks. Exodus of Greeks from the city accelerates; less than 2000 remain today.
• 1960s — Republic of Cyprus created, as a joint Greek–Turkish state. Economic emigration continues.
• 1974 — Turkish invasion of Northern Cyprus. Almost all Greeks living in northern Cyprus flee to the south; many flee to the United Kingdom.
• 1980s — Civil war refugees allowed to remigrate to Greece. Reverse migration of Greeks from Germany also begins.
• 1990s — Collapse of Soviet Union. Approx. 300,000 ethnic Greeks migrate from Georgia, Armenia and southern Russia to Greece. Approx 150,000 ethnic Greeks migrate from Albania to Greece.
• 2000s — Schengen Treaty increases population mobility within the European Union. Numbers indicate a trend of reverse migration of Greeks from the United States and Australia beginning.