Brussels in History

Secures support for establishing an astronomical observatory in Brussels.

Creates the institution that develops into the Royal Observatory of Belgium.

Serves in the Belgian Provisional Government created during the revolt.

Joins the Belgian Provisional Government after the fighting in Brussels.

Joins the Belgian Provisional Government formed during the revolution.

Serves in the Belgian Provisional Government formed after Dutch troops withdraw.

Helps lead the provisional authorities when Belgian independence is declared.

Participates as the Provisional Government declares Belgium independent.

Presides over the National Congress convened to establish Belgium's political system.

Presides as the National Congress confirms Belgium's independence.

Presides when the National Congress excludes the House of Orange-Nassau from the Belgian throne.

Begins the Etienne de Gerlache Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

The Etienne de Gerlache Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the First Joseph Lebeau Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

The First Joseph Lebeau Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the Felix de Muelenaere Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

Demonstrates visual persistence through sequential drawings viewed in rapid rotation.

Develops a spinning-disc device that creates the illusion of moving images.

The Felix de Muelenaere Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the Albert Goblet d'Alviella Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

Organizes regular meteorological observations at the Brussels observatory.

Builds long-term scientific records of Belgian atmospheric conditions.

The Albert Goblet d'Alviella Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the First de Theux Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

Opens the public railway between Brussels and Mechelen.

Inaugurates the first steam passenger railway on continental Europe.

The First de Theux Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the Second Joseph Lebeau Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

The Second Joseph Lebeau Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the Jean-Baptiste Nothomb Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

The Jean-Baptiste Nothomb Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the Sylvain Van de Weyer Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

The Sylvain Van de Weyer Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the Second de Theux Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

The Second de Theux Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the First Charles Rogier Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

The First Charles Rogier Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the Henri de Brouckere Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

The Henri de Brouckere Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the Pieter de Decker Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

The Pieter de Decker Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the Second Charles Rogier Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

Uses ammonia recovery to reduce the cost and waste of soda production.

Develops an efficient industrial process for manufacturing sodium carbonate.

Develops a square-topped locomotive firebox with increased heating surface.

Creates a boiler design adopted by railways in many countries.

The Second Charles Rogier Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the First Frere-Orban Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

The First Frere-Orban Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the Jules d'Anethan Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

The Jules d'Anethan Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the Third de Theux Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

The Third de Theux Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the First Jules Malou Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

Promotes new instruments, publications and international astronomical cooperation.

Becomes director of the Royal Observatory and reorganizes its work.

The First Jules Malou Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the Second Frere-Orban Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

Appointed Senate President of Belgium

The Second Frere-Orban Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the Second Jules Malou Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the August Beernaert Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

The Second Jules Malou Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

The August Beernaert Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the Jules de Burlet Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

The Jules de Burlet Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the First de Smet de Naeyer Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

The First de Smet de Naeyer Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the Jules Vandenpeereboom Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

The Jules Vandenpeereboom Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the Second de Smet de Naeyer Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

A failed assassination attemp to kill Albert I

Creates a flexible classification framework used by libraries and information centres.

Co-develops a decimal system for organizing documents across subject fields.

Provides a basis for laboratory diagnosis and later vaccine development.

Co-isolates the bacterium responsible for whooping cough.

The Second de Smet de Naeyer Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the Jules de Trooz Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

The Jules de Trooz Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the Frans Schollaert Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

The Frans Schollaert Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the First de Broqueville Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

Germany captures Brussels

The First de Broqueville Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the Gerard Cooreman Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

The Gerard Cooreman Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the Leon Delacroix Government in Brussels and serves as head of the Belgian government.

Albert I re-enters Brussels

Begins to make equal the rights of Flemish citizens

The international conference recommends balanced budgets and eventual restoration of stable convertible currencies.

The Leon Delacroix Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as head of the Belgian government.

Begins the Henri Carton de Wiart Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

The Henri Carton de Wiart Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the First Georges Theunis Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the Aloys Van de Vyvere Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

The First Georges Theunis Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

The Aloys Van de Vyvere Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the Prosper Poullet Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Belgium stabilises the belga and joins the reconstructed gold-exchange standard.

The Prosper Poullet Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the Henri Jaspar Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Belgium becomes fully covered by the Locarno guarantee system when the treaties enter into force.

The Henri Jaspar Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the Jules Renkin Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

The Jules Renkin Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the Second de Broqueville Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

The Second de Broqueville Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the Second Georges Theunis Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Belgium devalues the currency and leaves the shrinking European gold bloc.

The Second Georges Theunis Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the Paul van Zeeland Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

The Paul van Zeeland Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the Paul-Emile Janson Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

The Paul-Emile Janson Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the First Paul-Henri Spaak Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Belgium declares its neutrality

The First Paul-Henri Spaak Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the Hubert Pierlot Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

The Hubert Pierlot Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the First and Second Van Acker Governments in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Explains cosmic expansion from an extremely dense initial state.

Publishes a book presenting his primeval-atom cosmological theory.

The First and Second Van Acker Governments ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the Second Paul-Henri Spaak Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

The Second Paul-Henri Spaak Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the Third Van Acker Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the Camille Huysmans Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

The Third Van Acker Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

The Camille Huysmans Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the Third and Fourth Spaak Governments in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

The Third and Fourth Spaak Governments ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the First Gaston Eyskens Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

The First Gaston Eyskens Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the Jean Duvieusart Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

The Jean Duvieusart Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the Joseph Pholien Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

The Joseph Pholien Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the Jean Van Houtte Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

The Jean Van Houtte Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the Fourth Van Acker Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Chairs the committee charged with preparing proposals for a European common market and Euratom.

Snoy represents Belgium in the intergovernmental work that develops the proposals launched at Messina.

Spaak chairs the constituent meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee created to prepare proposals for a common market and Euratom.

Presents the Spaak Report recommending a common market and atomic energy community.

Snoy contributes to the Belgian delegation's work behind the Spaak Report on the common market and Euratom.

At the Brussels opening, Snoy takes Belgium's seat among the six national heads of delegation.

Represents Belgium during detailed negotiations on the common market and Euratom.

Presents the common market as a practical route to wider European integration.

Snoy briefs Belgian officials on the Common Market, Euratom and overseas-association arrangements shortly before signature.

Heads the Belgian government as Belgium signs the Treaty of Rome.

Heads the Belgian government when Belgium signs the Treaty of Rome.

Designs the Atomium as an enlarged iron-crystal structure for Expo 58.

Creates an engineering landmark representing scientific and industrial progress.

The Fourth Van Acker Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the Second to Fourth Eyskens Governments in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

The Second to Fourth Eyskens Governments ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the Theo Lefevre Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Publishes a spontaneous-symmetry-breaking mechanism with Robert Brout.

Explains how gauge particles can acquire mass through a scalar field.

The Theo Lefevre Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the Pierre Harmel Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

The Pierre Harmel Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the First Vanden Boeynants Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

The First Vanden Boeynants Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the Fifth and Sixth Eyskens Governments in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the Edmond Leburton Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

The Fifth and Sixth Eyskens Governments ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

The Edmond Leburton Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the Leo Tindemans Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Scores twice in Anderlecht's 4-2 European Cup Winners' Cup final victory over West Ham United.

Scores in Anderlecht's 4-1 second-leg victory over Bayern Munich in the UEFA Super Cup.

The Leo Tindemans Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the Second Vanden Boeynants Government in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Restores Anderlecht's lead against Liverpool in the first leg of the UEFA Super Cup.

Scores Anderlecht's opening goal in a 3-1 UEFA Super Cup first-leg victory over Liverpool.

The Second Vanden Boeynants Government ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

Begins the First to Fourth Martens Governments in Brussels and serves as Prime Minister of Belgium.

The First to Fourth Martens Governments ends in Brussels, concluding this period as Prime Minister of Belgium.

In Belgium, Nothomb starts adapting border and policing arrangements to the commitments created at Schengen. Brussels also stresses coordinated policing and external-border safeguards.

Gol helps review legal consequences of the agreement's programme for progressively freer cross-border movement. Belgium supports wider participation while preserving practical security cooperation.

Brussels is granted devolved power

Brussels is granted devolved power

Government decides to withdraw Belgium's UNAMIR contingent.

The move follows the murder of ten Belgian peacekeepers.

Dehaene oversees preparations for the planned operational removal of internal Schengen border controls. Belgium supports wider participation while preserving practical security cooperation.

In Belgium, Vande Lanotte coordinates legal, policing and information-system preparations before full Schengen implementation. The Belgian approach combines mobility with common visa and policing rules.

Derycke helps support Belgium's first operational day without routine internal Schengen border checks. Belgian officials favour gradual implementation backed by shared security measures.

Leads Belgium when Schengen internal-border controls are abolished among the first seven participating states.

During the Schengen process, Wathelet oversees domestic security arrangements as the Schengen border-free regime becomes operational. Belgian policy links freer movement with close Benelux cooperation.

Derycke backs Austria's accession to the Schengen arrangements in Brussels. Brussels also stresses coordinated policing and external-border safeguards.

During the Schengen process, Derycke represents Belgian diplomacy as Schengen is absorbed into the European Union legal order. The Belgian approach combines mobility with common visa and policing rules.

Dehaene helps lead Belgium when the Amsterdam Treaty takes effect and the Schengen acquis becomes part of EU law. Belgium supports wider participation while preserving practical security cooperation.

Van Parys backs the Council's allocation of EU treaty bases to the inherited Schengen measures. Belgian officials favour gradual implementation backed by shared security measures.

Belgium imposes national restrictions as COVID-19 spreads.