CChronica Maps

Reykjavík: History, Former Names & Timeline

Iceland's first settlement, said to have been founded by the Norwegian Ingólfr Arnarson.

Map showing Reykjavík in AD 900Reykjavík
Border map for AD 900. See Europe in AD 900.

Explore Reykjavík in the interactive map

Former names of Reykjavík

FromNameNote
AD 874Reykjavík

Timeline of Reykjavík

YearEvent
AD 874Ingólfr Arnarson settles here (traditional date)
AD 930The first Althing meets at nearby Þingvellir
1944The Republic of Iceland is founded

Who ruled Reykjavík

Derived from the border maps; each row runs until the next recorded border change.

PeriodState
500 BC–799Unclaimed / no data
800–899Northmen
900–999Unclaimed / no data
1000–1199Icelandic Commonwealth
1200–1399Norway
1400–1491Kalmar Union
1492–1499Denmark-Norway
1500–1599Kalmar Union
1600–1782Unclaimed / no data
1783–1814Denmark-Norway
1815–1879Denmark
1880–1937Iceland
1938–1944Denmark
1945–todayIceland

Battles and sites near Reykjavík