A brief, dated history of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Antiquity and the early Middle Ages
Home to Illyrian tribes and then a Roman province, the region was settled by South Slavs from the 6th–7th centuries. A distinct Banate of Bosnia emerged in the 12th century.
The medieval Bosnian kingdom (1377–1463)
Bosnia became a kingdom in 1377 under Tvrtko I, reaching the Adriatic at its height. This era left the mysterious carved stećci tombstones, now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Ottoman rule (1463–1878)
The Ottomans conquered Bosnia in 1463 and Herzegovina by 1482. Over four centuries they built the mosques, bridges and bazaars that still define cities like Sarajevo and Mostar (whose famous bridge dates to 1566), and a large part of the population adopted Islam, creating Bosnia distinctive blend of faiths.
Austria-Hungary and the spark of a world war (1878–1918)
The Congress of Berlin placed Bosnia under Austro-Hungarian administration in 1878; it was formally annexed in 1908. On 28 June 1914 the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo triggered the First World War.
Yugoslavia and the war of the 1990s
Bosnia became part of Yugoslavia in 1918 and a socialist republic after 1945; Sarajevo hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics. When Yugoslavia broke apart, Bosnia declared independence in 1992, leading to a devastating war that ended with the Dayton Peace Agreement in 1995.
Modern Bosnia and Herzegovina
Today the country is a sovereign state rebuilding as a warm, affordable destination, its rebuilt Mostar bridge a symbol of reconciliation and its cities a living meeting point of East and West.
Informational summary. Dates follow widely accepted historical consensus.