History of North Macedonia Timeline

The region was captured by the Kingdom of Serbia during the First Balkan War of 1912 and annexed to Serbia under the Karađorđević dynasty in post-war peace treaties, except Strumica, part of Bulgaria between 1912 and 1919.

Image source: First Balkan War

The region was occupied by the Kingdom of Bulgaria between 1915 and 1918 during World War I.

Image source: Bulgarian occupation of Serbia (World War I)

After World War I (1914–1918) the Slavs in Serbian Macedonia ('Vardar Macedonia') were regarded as southern Serbs and the language they spoke a southern Serbian dialect.

Image source: Vardar Macedonia

On May 6, 1924 the May Manifesto was signed by the Balkan Communist Federation, calling for an independent and unified Macedonia.

Image source: May Manifesto

King Alexander I Karađorđević committed a coup d'état, abolished the Vidovdan Constitution, and renamed the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

Image source: 6 January Dictatorship

After growing popular resentment against his autocratic rule, King Alexander I was assassinated in France in 1934 by the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO).

Image source: Alexander I of Yugoslavia

During World War II, the Vardar Banovina was occupied between 1941 and 1944 by Italian-ruled Albania, which annexed the western regions, and pro-German Bulgaria, which occupied the remainder.

Image source: Vardar Banovina

The resistance began to grow in the summer of 1943 with the capitulation of Italy and the Soviet victories over Nazi Germany.

Image source: National Liberation Army (Macedonia)

The Mirče Acev Battalion, formed on August 18, 1943 on Mount Slavej between Ohrid and Kičevo, is officially celebrated today in North Macedonia as the Day of the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia.

Image source: Mirče Acev

In November 1943, the second session of AVNOJ recognized the Macedonians as a separate nation for the first time.

Image source: Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Yugoslavia

The 1st Macedonian Kosovo Shock Brigade was formed on 11 November 1943, the 2nd Macedonian Shock Brigade on 22 December 1943, and the 3rd Macedonian Shock Brigade on 26 February 1944 near Kumanovo.

From 8,000 partisans in summer 1944 until final operations in April 1945, the National Liberation Army of Macedonia grew to three corps, seven divisions and thirty brigades, totaling 100,000 regular soldiers.

When the former Vardar province was established in 1944, most of its territory became a separate republic while northernmost parts remained with Serbia. In 1946 it gained federal status as the 'People's Republic of Macedonia' within SFR Yugoslavia.

Image source: Socialist Republic of Macedonia

The Macedonian language was codified in 1944 from the Slavic dialect spoken around Veles.

Image source: Macedonian language

In the 1963 Constitution of Yugoslavia the republic was slightly renamed to bring it in line with other Yugoslav republics, becoming the Socialist Republic of Macedonia.

Following the earthquake, a major urban and architectural reconstruction plan — the urban master-plan of Skopje 1963, designed with international assistance — was implemented.

Image source: Skopje 2014

A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck Skopje on July 26, 1963, killing over 1,070 people, injuring 3,000–4,000, and leaving more than 200,000 homeless.

Image source: 1963 Skopje earthquake

In 1990, the form of government peacefully changed from socialist state to parliamentary democracy.

Image source: North Macedonia

The first multi-party elections in the Socialist Republic of Macedonia were held on 11 and 25 November and 9 December 1990.

Image source: 1994 Macedonian general election

After the collective presidency led by Vladimir Mitkov was dissolved, Kiro Gligorov became the first democratically elected president of the Republic of Macedonia on 31 January 1991.

Image source: Kiro Gligorov

On 16 April 1991 parliament adopted an amendment removing 'Socialist' from the official name, and on 7 June the new name 'Republic of Macedonia' was officially established.

On 8 September 1991, the country held an independence referendum where 95.26% voted for independence from Yugoslavia, under the name Republic of Macedonia. The Declaration of Independence was formally adopted on 25 September 1991.

Image source: 1991 Macedonian independence referendum

A new Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia was adopted on 17 November 1991. Discontent over lack of recognition of Albanian collective rights led Nevzat Halili to declare a Republic of Ilirida in 1992 and again in 2014.

To compromise amid the naming dispute with Greece, the country was admitted to the United Nations on 8 April 1993 under the provisional name 'the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia'.

Image source: United Nations Security Council Resolution 817

Greece imposed a trade blockade in February 1994. Sanctions were lifted in September 1995 after Macedonia changed its flag and aspects of its constitution perceived as granting intervention rights in other countries.

Image source: Macedonia naming dispute

In 1999, the Kosovo War led to 340,000 Albanian refugees from Kosovo fleeing into the Republic of Macedonia, disrupting normal life and threatening the balance between Macedonians and Albanians.

Image source: Kosovo War

In spring 2001, ethnic Albanian insurgents calling themselves the National Liberation Army took up arms in the north and northwest. In August 2001, 3,500 NATO soldiers conducted Operation Essential Harvest to retrieve weapons under the Ohrid Agreement.

Image source: 2001 insurgency in Macedonia

President Boris Trajkovski died in a plane crash near Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on 26 February 2004.

Image source: Boris Trajkovski

In March 2004 the country applied for EU membership, and on 17 December 2005 was listed as an accession candidate. Proceedings were delayed by Greece and later by Bulgaria over historical disputes.

Image source: Accession of North Macedonia to the European Union

Shootouts erupted on 9–10 May 2015 during a raid between Macedonian police and an armed group identifying itself as the National Liberation Army; 30 militants were arrested and charged with terrorism.

Image source: 2015 Kumanovo clashes

In June 2017, Zoran Zaev of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia became Prime Minister six months after early elections.

Image source: Zoran Zaev

In June 2018, Greece and Macedonia agreed to rename the latter Republic of North Macedonia. The agreement came into effect on 12 February 2019, ending the naming dispute.

Image source: Prespa Agreement

Stevo Pendarovski of SDSM was sworn in as North Macedonia's new president in May 2019.

Image source: Stevo Pendarovski

Early parliamentary elections took place on 15 July 2020.

Image source: 2020 North Macedonian parliamentary election

Bulgaria effectively blocked accession negotiations in December 2020, citing disputes over history and language. A French proposal agreed in 2022 required constitutional changes that SDSM couldn't secure with a two-thirds majority.

Zoran Zaev announced his resignation after party losses in October 2021 local elections. Dimitar Kovačevski succeeded him as SDSM leader on 12 December 2021 and was sworn in as Prime Minister on 16 January 2022.

Image source: Dimitar Kovačevski

In the 2024 elections, unrest over failed EU accession led to victory for conservative VMRO-DPMNE, with new Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski refusing to appease the French proposal or Bulgarian demands until ethnic Macedonians in Bulgaria gain equal minority representation.

Image source: Hristijan Mickoski