Most popular European moments

Throughout history, remarkable events and experiences have transformed the lives of Europeans, influenced their views of Europe,
and inspired them to fight for a cause. Europe’s Stories asked you to identify your formative, best and worst #EuropeanMoments.

The moments at the top are those most frequently mentioned by our interviewees

People in crowd holding EU flags and large red banners that read "make it another meaningful vote, history will still remember you"

Thomas Kowalski

InterRail ticket in German

Olaf Kosinsky, Wikimedia Commons

Personal Travel Experiences

Latvia postage stamp showing new EU members

Wikimedia Commons

Eastern enlargement (2004)

Erasmus students with international flags

"UP" (Wikimedia Commons)

Studying abroad - Erasmus established (1987)

Large pile of children's shoes

Mstyslav Chernov, Wikimedia Commons

Refugee/migrant crisis (2015)

West and East Germans on top of the Berlin Wall at the Brandenburg Gate

Wikimedia Commons

Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989)

Children in striped prison uniforms behind fence at Auschwitz liberation

Wikimedia Commons

World War II (1939-1945)

Instructional guide on washing hands used during COVID-19 pandemic

Guido4, Wikimedia Commons

COVID-19 Pandemic (2020)

Protest in Dublin city center, people with large banners that read "workers united will never be defeated"

William Murphy, Wikimedia Commons

Financial and Eurozone Crisis (2008)

Euro coin from 2002

Mark Morgan

Introduction of the Euro (2002)

White UN tank in wooded area

Wikimedia Commons

Bosnian and Yugoslav Wars (1992-1999)

Road at Austrian Schengen Border with blue sign that reads "Republik Osterreich" surrounded by EU's yellow stars

BlueMars Wikimedia Commons

Establishment of the Schengen Area (1995)

Rally of people with Wirmer flag of Germany and Pegida flag

Metropolico.org, Wikimedia Commons

Rise of populism and far-right movements (2010)

Commemorative Medal Treaty of Maastricht, circular silver medal with map of Europe

Museum Rotterdam

Maastricht Treaty (1992)

Two people with cardboard signs that read "There is no Planet B" and "wenn ihr jetzt nichts tut gehen wir alle baden"

Andol Wikimedia Commons

Mobilisation against climate change (2019)

Leaders on a panel celebrating the adoption of the agreement

UN Climate Change, Wikimedia Commons

Paris Agreement (2015)

Crowd of people at a march, one man holds a sign that reads "Je suis Charlie"

Pierre Selim, Wikimedia Commons

Terrorist Attacks (2015)

Three men in military uniforms pointing guns at a border checkpoint

Sasha Maksymenko, Wikimedia Commons

Ukraine Crisis and Crimean Annexation (2014)

EU Nobel Peace Prize, a large folder with colors on the left and certificate on the right

Kaihsu Tai, Wikimedia Commons

EU wins Nobel Peace Prize (2012)

British ambassador speaking to refugees in Turkish camp

British ambassador visits Turkish refugee camp (Foreign and Commonwealth Office Wikimedia Commons)

EU-Turkey migration deal (2016)

Large hemicycle of European Parliament with members seated

Diliff, Wikimedia Commons

European Parliament Elections (2019)

Pride parade in France with people and rainbow LGBTQ pride flags

John Samuel, Wikimedia Commons

Legalisation of same-sex marriage (2001-2015)

Croatian and EU flags hanging on a building

Bogdan Giuşcă Wikimedia Commons

New Member States Join the EU (2007-2013)

Destroyed buildings and rubble in Dresden

By Deutsche Fotothek‎, CC BY-SA 3.0

Post WWII unification of Europe (1945)

Eight Solidarność stamps that depict sculptures and religious figures

Solidarność movement (1980s)

Two pages of Treaty of Rome with signatures

Zinneke at lb.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0,

Treaty of Rome (1957)

Flag of Ukraine, blue rectangle on top of yellow rectangle

Alex Tora, Wikimedia Commons

Visa-Waiver for Ukraine and Georgia (2017)

Hand holding an iPhone 8

Tinh tế Photo - Wikimedia Commons

Abolition of roaming charges (2017)

Flag that is half blue half black with ten white stars

Wikimedia Commons

Creation of the European Coal and Steel Community (1952)

Map of Europe with shades of green marking the 2004 enlargement

Mfloryan and Glentamara, Wikimedia Commons

European Constitution (2004)

Marine le Pen surrounded by people and flags at a rally in Lille, France

Jérémy-Günther-Heinz Jähnick, Wikimedia Commons

French, Dutch, and Austrian elections (2017)

Belfast Peace wall, a high fence and cloudy skies

Bill Boaden Wikimedia Commons

Good Friday Agreement (1998)

Tents and protestors in orange jackets covered in snow, flags surround them

Oleh Petriv, Wikimedia Commons

Orange Revolution (2004-2005)

March of many people with EU flags

Elke Wetzig

Pro-European protests (2016)

Black and white image of protestors with banners

Josef Šrámek, Wikimedia Commons

Velvet Revolution (1989)

White albino rat

Wikimedia Commons

Ban on Animal Testing (2013)

fragment of the Union Jack flag in front of a blurry big ben

Prabhu Jay, Wikimedia Commons

Brexit Deal Reached (2020)

Sepia-tone photo of men playing football together.

Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons

Christmas Truce (1914)

Image of the Eurostar train and tunnel section in railway museum

Ben Salter, Wikimedia Commons

Construction of the Channel Tunnel (1994)

Lord and Lady Mountbatten visiting riot affected areas in Lahore in July 1947

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, India

Image of parliamentary representation in colored dots of each party - Democratic red is most prominent.

Wikimedia Commons

Democratic Victory for Italy in European Parliament Election (2014)

Picture of Donald Trump at a rally in North Carolina

Jackson A. Lanier, Wikimedia Commons

Election of President Donald Trump (2016)

Red flag with yellow stars - Flag of China

Wikimedia Commons

EU-China Trade Deal (2021)

Flag of Turkey in the shape of Turkey, red lackground with white crescent moon and star

Darwinek, Wikimedia Commons

EU-Turkey Ankara Agreement (1963)

Football field in stadium with large crowds

Wikimedia Commons