History

 

We know there have been people living in Malta since 5200 BC and evidence has been found that people lived in Malta as early as 7200 BC. The first temple was built about 3000 BC, it's about 1000 years before the oldest pyramid in Egypt were built. Temple culture ended abruptly abourt 2500 BC and no one knows why.

 

218 BC the Romans conquered Malta.

 

60 BC There is a legend that Paul was shipwrecked, which today is Paul's Bay. He was attacked by a poisonous snake but escaped unharmed to everyone's suprise. There is an evil Maltese proverb that says "when the poison left Maltese vipers, it moved to the Maltese women's tongues". Paul converted the Maltese to Christianty and Malta's long history of religious devotion began.

 

In 395 the Arabs conquered Malta and they have left their mark, both in agriculture and in the language.

 

In 1090 Malta was conquered by a Norman count. The Maltese was quit autonomous and exercised their Muslim faith. Then the Swabian kings conquered Malta in 1194 expelled all Muslims.

 

1282 Spain took over Malta after a brief period of French rule.

 

1530 The Holy roman King Charles V bestowed upon Malta the Knights and for this Malta paid, every year, a live gyrfalcon in taxes. The Knights built Valletta, many palaces, forts and other construction works.

 

1565 the Turks besieged Malta but was defeated by the Knights.

 

1798 Napoleon took Malta from the Knights without a fight. When the Knights left Malta they took with them John the Baptist hand and other relics. Napoleon stayed in Malta only six days but could loot Malta everything of value. The Malteses became angry and took the help of Englishmen who defeated the French and the English took control of Malta.

 

During the 1700s had the Malteses forgotten his piety and Malta/Valletta (party town) became known for loose living and serf-indulgence.

 

1814, Malta became a British colony. Malta became a rich country when they became an important fuel station for the English steamboats that would to/from India.

 

During the First World War Malta was used as a large hopital.

 

During the Second World War, Malta became the most bombed place in the world. For six week, 6,700 tons of bombs fell on Malta. On 9 April 1942, about 300 people gathered for worship in Mosta church. During the service a German bomb fell through the Churh's high dome. The bomb was not triggered and no one was injured. The Maltese have always regarded this as a miracle. After the war, major parts of Malta was in ruins and they received assistance from the British to rebuild Malta.

 

The Maltese longed to become indpendent and they were heard in 1964. 1979 the last British forces left Malta. In 2004 Malta became a member of the EU.