2013 Event Sigmundur Davio Gunnlaugsson, the Prime Minister elect of Iceland, announces he will indefinitely extend January's freeze on European Union membership talks 2013 Event Iceland's center-right opposition party is set to return to power after the country's parliamentary election results are finalized 2013 Event A court grants Iceland's Blaer Bjarkardottir the right to use her own name; after previously ruling Blaer was only a man's name, the Reykjavik court rules it could also be used as a girl's name 2011 Event Germany determines it must shut down part of its airspace as volcanic ash from Iceland's Grisvotn eruption spreads through northern Europe 2011 Event The most active volcano in Iceland, Grimsvotn, erupts and triggers 50 small earthquakes 2010 Event Iceland lowers its interest rate to 7 percent 2010 Event Iceland's volcano causes Britain's two busiest airports to close in addition to Dublin Airport and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol 2010 Event Ash from the Iceland volcano causes new flight restrictions at airports including Shannon Airport and Ireland West Airport Knock 2010 Event Planes return to the air in Germany, France and Italy after being grounded by ash clouds from Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano 2010 Event Planes across the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia are grounded as a result of the volcanic ash coming from Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano 2010 Event Ash from Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano drifts towards Europe, causing air traffic to close over Northern Norway 2009 Event The parliament of Iceland votes to pursue joining the European Union 2008 Event Iceland takes control of 3 banks due to the global financial crisis 2008 Death Bobby Fischer, dies in Iceland, at 64 1998 Death Laxness, Iceland's Nobel Literature laureate, dies at 95 1991 Event Iceland recognizes Lithuania's independence 1988 Event Linda Petursdottir of Iceland, 18, crowned 38th Miss World 1988 Event Iceland's president Vigdis Finnbogadottir elected (90+%) 1987 Event "Les Miserables" opens at National Theatre of Iceland, Reykjavik 1986 Event Reagan and Gorbachev open talks at a summit in Iceland 1985 Event Holmfriour Karlsottir of Iceland, 22, crowned 35th Miss World 1976 Birthday Solveig Lilja Gudmundsdottir, Miss Iceland Universe 1997 1975 Event Iceland moves International boundary from 50 to 200 miles 1973 Event Helgafell, island of Heimaey Iceland erupts for 1st time in 7,000 yrs 1971 Event Original Codex Reguis (with Edda-liederen) returns to Iceland 1965 Birthday Bjork, Iceland, singer, Like Someone in Love 1964 Birthday Maria Ellingsen, Reykjavik Iceland, actress, Katrina-Santa Barbara 1952 Death Sveinn Bjornsson, Danish 1st President of Iceland (1944-52), dies at 70 1949 Death Felix Bressart, actor (Escape, Ninotchka, Iceland), dies at 54 1947 Birthday Peter Hinchcliffe, co-founder, Iceland Frozen Foods 1946 Birthday M C Walker, CEO, Iceland Frozen Foods 1945 Birthday Bjarni V Tryggvason, Reykjavik Iceland, astronaut, STS-85 1944 Event Iceland declares independence from Denmark at Thingvallir, Iceland 1944 Event Iceland adopts constitution 1942 Event PQ-17 convoy leaves Iceland for Archangelsk 1942 Event Convoy PQ13 departs Reykjavik Iceland to Russia 1941 Event 1st U.S. destroyer (Kearney) torpedoed in WW II, off Iceland 1941 Event U.S. forces land in Iceland to forestall Nazi invasion 1939 Death Indrid Einarsson, Iceland playwright dies at 87 1935 Event Iceland becomes 1st country to legalize abortion 1930 Birthday Vigdis Finnbogadottir, president of Iceland, 1980- 1929 Event Jan Mayen island, 500 km NNE of Iceland, incorporated into Norway 1918 Event Danish parliament passed an act to grant Iceland independence 1918 Event Iceland becomes independent state under Danish crown 1918 Death Jon Trausti, Gudmundur Magnusson, Iceland author (Godir), dies 1915 Birthday Igor Buketoff, Hartford Conn, conductor, Iceland Symph 1964-65 1902 Birthday Halldor Laxness, born in Iceland, novelist, Salka Valka, Nobel 1955 1901 Birthday Tomas Gudmundsson, Iceland, poet 1899 Birthday Jon Leifs, Iceland, composer and conductor 1898 Birthday Guomundur G Hagalin, Iceland author, Kristun/d into Hamravik 1881 Birthday Sveinn Bjornsson, 1st president of Iceland, 1944-52, poet, Figur ild 1858 Birthday Porsteinn Erlingsson, Iceland, poet, Pyrnar 1852 Birthday Gestur Palsson, Iceland writer, Verdandi, Ritsafn 1851 Birthday Indrid Einarsson, Iceland playwright, Nyjarsnottin 1811 Birthday Jon Sigurdsson, born in Iceland, leader/collects Icelandic legends 1783 Event Skaptar Volcano on Iceland erupts killing about 9,000 1783 Event Laki Volcano in southern Iceland begins 8-month eruption 930 Event World's oldest parliament, the Iceland Parliament, established
