On This Day

Switzerland becomes an independent state

Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located at the intersection of Central, Western, and Southern Europe.

Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located at the intersection of Central, Western, and Southern Europe. It is bordered by Germany to the north, France to the west, Austria and Liechtenstein to the east, and Italy to the south. Switzerland is geographically divided among the Swiss Alps, the Swiss Plateau, and the Jura Mountains; the Alps cover most of the country's territory, whereas the majority of its 9 million people are concentrated on the plateau, which hosts many of the largest cities and economic centres, including Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Bern, Lausanne, Winterthur, and Lucerne.

Switzerland is a federal republic composed of 26 cantons, with Bern serving as the federal city and the seat of the national government.

Historical Significance

Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located at the intersection of Central, Western, and Southern Europe.

Events Before

  1. Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama arrives in Calicut, India, becoming the first European to reach India by sea

    Vasco da Gama ( VAS-koo də GA (H)M-ə, European Portuguese: [ˈvaʃku ðɐ ˈɣɐmɐ]; c. 1460s – 24 December 1524) was a Portuguese mariner, explorer and nobleman.

  2. Cesare Borgia, son of Pope Alexander IV, 1st man to resign the cardinalate marries Charlotte d'Albret of Navarre

    Cesare Borgia, son of Pope Alexander IV, 1st man to resign the cardinalate marries Charlotte d'Albret of Navarre

  3. Crowd storms Savonarola's convent San Marco Florence, Italy

    Crowd storms Savonarola's convent San Marco Florence, Italy

  4. Jews are expelled from Nuremberg, Bavaria, by Emperor Maximillian

    Jews are expelled from Nuremberg, Bavaria, by Emperor Maximillian

  5. Charles VIII dies

    Charles VIII dies

Events After

  1. Pedro Álvares Cabral is the first European to discover Brazil, landing near Monte Pascoal and claiming it for Portugal

    Pedro Álvares Cabral was a Portuguese nobleman, military commander, navigator and explorer regarded as the European discoverer of Brazil.

  2. "Blood Wedding" of Astorre Baglione & Lavinia Colonna in Perugia family Baglione massacre

    "Blood Wedding" of Astorre Baglione & Lavinia Colonna in Perugia family Baglione massacre

  3. King Manuel of Portugal (31) marries his second wife Maria of Aragon (18), daughter of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain an

    King Manuel of Portugal (31) marries his second wife Maria of Aragon (18), daughter of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain and the sister of his first wife Isabella, in Alcácer do Sal

  4. Vicente Yáñez Pinzón becomes the first European to set foot in Brazil

    Vicente Yáñez Pinzón becomes the first European to set foot in Brazil

  5. Battle of Hemmingstedt: German peasant army of Dithmarschen repels King John of Denmark and his brother Duke Frederick's

    Battle of Hemmingstedt: German peasant army of Dithmarschen repels King John of Denmark and his brother Duke Frederick's army of Schleswig and Holstein

More from the 1490s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on September 22, 1499?
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located at the intersection of Central, Western, and Southern Europe. It is bordered by Germany to the north, France to the west, Austria and Liechtenstein to the east, and Italy to the south. Switzerland is geographically divided among the Swiss Alps, the Swiss Plateau, and the Jura Mountains; the Alps cover most of the country's territory, whereas the majority of its 9 million people are concentrated on the plateau, which hosts many of the largest cities and economic centres, including Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Bern, Lausanne, Winterthur, and Lucerne.
Why is Switzerland becomes an independent state significant?
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located at the intersection of Central, Western, and Southern Europe.

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