998

A Clunisian priory is founded at Bevaix by monks from Payerne.

1011

First reference to Neuchâtel: it is part of the territories of Rodolphe III, King of Burgundy (Bourgogne). 

1033

Burgundy becomes part of the Holy Roman Empire.

1049

Henri III confirms all Cluny’s possessions in the kingdom of Burgundy, including Bevaix.

1143

Foundation of the abbey of Fontaine-André at La Coudre.

1151

First reference to Le Locle, as part of the property of the Lord of Valangin which is gifted to the monastery of Fontaine-André.

1180

Ulrich de Neuchâtel swears loyalty firstly to the Duke of Zähringen, imperial representative in Burgundy, and secondly to the Bishop of Lausanne.

1196

First reference to the title Count of Neuchâtel: Count Rodolphe de Neuchâtel-Nidau.

1214

First rights (“franchises”) accorded to the inhabitants of Neuchâtel.

1249

Neuchâtel is taken by the Bishop of Basle.

1271

Conflict begins between Rodolphe de Habsbourg, German sovereign, and the Bishop of Basle.

1276

Dedication of the Collegiate Church of Neuchâtel, whose construction began at the end of the 12th century.  Conflict between Neuchâtel and Guillaume d’Aarberg, Lord of Valangin.

1284

Amédée, Lord of Neuchâtel, comes under the protection of Rodolphe de Habsbourg.

1291

Pact signed at Rütli between Uri, Schwyz and Nidwald: regarded as the beginning of the Swiss Confederation.

1303

Peace between Neuchâtel and Valangin.

1317

Valangin subject to the Bishop of Basle.

1326

First dwelling, with permission to clear the land, authorised at La Corbatière, near La Sagne.

1332

Lucerne becomes the 4th Swiss canton.

1350

First mention of La Chaux-de-Fonds.

1351

Zürich becomes the 5th Swiss canton.

1352

Glaris and Zug become the 6th and 7th Swiss cantons.  First franchises accorded by Jean d’Aarberg, Lord of Valangin, to his subjects.

1353

Bern becomes the 8th Swiss canton.

1363

The inhabitants of La Sagne are accorded the right to dispose of their own land.

1393

Similar rights are accorded to Le Locle.  More privileges follow in 1409 and 1412.

1396

Conrad de Fribourg becomes Count of Neuchâtel after the death of Isabelle de Neuchâtel.

1439

First witchcraft trials in Neuchâtel.   Almost all the accused are men.

1450

Neuchâtel is badly damaged by fire.

1458

Death of Jean de Fribourg.  Rodolphe de Hochberg becomes Count of Neuchâtel.

1464

Jean d’Aarberg accords further rights to the “franc-habergeants” of Le Locle and La Sagne.

1481

Fribourg and Solothurn become the 9th and 10th Swiss cantons.

1501

Basle and Schaffhausen become the 11th and 12th Swiss cantons.

1529

The reformer Guillaume Farel preaches at Neuchâtel for the first time.  The first Kappel War is resolved diplomatically without bloodshed, and results in a peace favourable to Protestants.

1530

The Catholic Mass is abolished in Neuchâtel. Protestantism spreads along the lakeshore.

1531

Death of the reformer Huldrych Zwingli in the second Kappel War; the ensuing peace favours the Catholics.

1535

The first French-language Bible is published in Neuchâtel: the Olivétan Bible.

1536

The Reformation is reluctantly accepted by the Valangin authorities: Le Locle and La Sagne become Protestant parishes.

1541

Jean Calvin comes to live in Geneva.

1543

François d’Orléans becomes count of Neuchâtel after the death of Jeanne de Hochberg.

1564

Death of Calvin.  The Catholic cantons apply the decisions taken at the Council of Trent which set in motion the Counter-Reformation.

1573

Henri I de Longueville succeeds Léonor d’Orléans.  His mother, Marie de Bourbon, acts as regent during his minority.

1579

The River Seyon floods, and causes major damage in Neuchâtel, including the destruction of part of the archives. 

1582

Poor harvests: famine in Switzerland until 1587.

1584

The Swiss cantons accord Valangin to Marie de Bourbon.

1610

Plague in Basle.

1629

Major epidemic of plague throughout Switzerland.

1632

Switzerland declares its neutrality in the Thirty Years War.

1663

Jean-Louis-Charles d’Orléans becomes Prince of Neuchâtel after the death of Henri II d’Orléans-Longueville.

1669

Final epidemic of plague in Switzerland; Neuchâtel is not affected.  Birth of Daniel JeanRichard, goldsmith and watchmaker, popularly regarded as the father of the watchmaking industry in Neuchâtel.

1679

Marie de Nemours becomes Regent of Neuchâtel for her half-brother, the abbot of Orléans.

1685

Protestant refugees flee from France to Switzerland after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Most of those who come to Neuchâtel, however, leave after a few months.

1686

Jean-Frédéric Ostervald becomes Deacon of Neuchâtel.  He modernises the liturgy and catechism of the Swiss Reformed Church, as well as its Bible.

1700

The Gregorian Calendar is introduced in Neuchâtel: the first day of the year is January 12th.

1707

Friedrich I, King of Prussia, becomes Prince of Neuchâtel after the death of Marie de Nemours.

1710

Several hundred Neuchâtel families respond to an appeal from Friedrich I, and set off for Prussia to recolonise an area devastated by the plague.

1715

The Catholic cantons sign an alliance with France.

1732

Jean-Pierre Pury recruits colonists for Purrysburg, South Carolina.

1738

The newspaper Feuille d’Avis de Neuchâtel is first published.

1746

Birth in Zürich of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, pioneer in child-orientated pedagogy.

1774

Public presentation of 3 “automates” (animated figures) built by the Jaquet-Droz brothers.

1777

Final renewal of the alliance between the Swiss cantons and France.

1782

Last witchcraft trial in Switzerland (Glaris).

1792

Under threat from revolutionary activity in France, Neuchâtel proclaims itself “essentially Swiss”, and is included in Swiss neutrality.

1794

La Chaux-de-Fonds is seriously damaged by fire.  Birth there of the artist Léopold Robert (d.1835 in Italy.)  The rebuilt main street of La Chaux-de-Fonds will be named in his honour.

1798

Invasion of Switzerland by French revolutionary troops.

1803

Aargau, Graubünden, St-Gallen, Ticino, Thurgau and Vaud become Swiss cantons.

1805

Friedrich-Wilhelm III cedes the principality of Neuchâtel to Napoléon.

1806

Napoléon’s marshal Alexandre Berthier becomes Prince of Neuchâtel.

1811

The first Catholic chapel since the Reformation is built in Neuchâtel.

1813

Neuchâtel is occupied by foreign troops as the allies pursue Napoléon.

1814

Friedrich-Wilhelm III reasserts his right to the principality of Neuchâtel.  At the same time, Valais, Neuchâtel and Geneva are accepted as Swiss cantons.

1815

Neuchâtel is recognised by the Congress of Vienna as having double status: Swiss canton and Prussian principality.

1819

Foundation of Nova Friburgo in Brazil.

1826

Philippe Suchard installs his first cocoa mill in the valley of La Serrière.

1829

Birth of Johanna Spyri, author of the “Heidi” books (first published in 1881).

1833

Le Locle is badly damaged by fire.  Basle is separated into two half-cantons.

1838

Creation of the Neuchâtel Academy.

1839

Work begins to divert the River Seyon.

1843

The first Jewish synagogue in the canton of Neuchâtel is created in a private home at La Chaux-de-Fonds.

1848

On March 1st, Neuchâtel rebels against the Prussian monarchy under the impulsion of republicans from La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle.  A republican constitution is accepted on April 30th.

1850

Creation of the Swiss franc.  Schooling becomes obligatory from age 7-16.

1856

A royalist uprising in Neuchâtel fails.

1857

The King of Prussia renounces his rights over Neuchâtel in the Treaty of Paris.  The railway between Le Locle and La Chaux-de-Fonds is inaugurated.

1858

Liberty of worship is accorded to the Mennonite church, but its pacifist members are not exempted from military service.  Many leave for America.

1860

Opening of the railway between Le Locle and Neuchâtel.

1863

Henri Dunant (b.1828 in Geneva) founds the Red Cross.  The first Geneva Convention is adopted the following year, and he receives the Nobel Peace prize in 1901.

1887

Births of the author Blaise Cendrars and architect Le Corbusier at La Chaux-de-Fonds.

1901

Birth of artist and sculptor Alberto Giacometti in Borgonovo (GR), son of neo-impressionist Giovanni Giacometti, and nephew of another artist, Augusto Giacometti.

1907

Absinthe is banned in Switzerland.

1910

The Academy becomes Neuchâtel University.

1914

The Swiss army is mobilised to close the borders at the outbreak of World War I.  Taken by surprise, the country suffers under rationing and greatly increased prices.

1918

General strike; flu epidemic.  The Armistice is celebrated throughout Switzerland.

1925

Birth of the sculptor in iron Jean Tinguely.

1939

Switzerland is better prepared at the outbreak of World War II.  Total neutrality is maintained.

1959

After unsuccessful initiatives in 1919, 1941 and 1948, Neuchâtel is one of the first cantons to give women the right to vote in local elections.

1971

Women obtain the vote nationally in Switzerland.

1978

In Neuchâtel, the voting age is lowered to 18.   Part of the French-speaking region of the canton of Bern obtains independence, and becomes the canton of Jura.

1981

Equality of the sexes is adopted as a principle of the Swiss Constitution.

1992

The road tunnel under La Vue-des-Alpes (linking Neuchâtel to La Chaux-de-Fonds) is finished.  The canton of Neuchâtel votes 80% in favour of adhesion to the European Free Trade Zone, but the initiative is refused nationally.

2002

In a national referendum, Switzerland votes narrowly in favour of UN membership.  Expo 02 is held at sites on the lakes of Neuchâtel and Bienne.