Brussels
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, is a region of Belgium comprising 19 municipalities, including the City of Brussels, which is the capital of Belgium. The Brussels-Capital Region is located in the central portion of the country and is a part of both the French Community of Belgium and the Flemish Community, but is separate from the Flemish Region and the Walloon Region, located less than 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) to the south. Historically Dutch-speaking, Brussels saw a language shift to French from the late 19th century. Nowadays, the Brussels-Capital Region is officially bilingual in French and Dutch, although French is the majority language and lingua franca. Brussels is also increasingly becoming multilingual. English is spoken widely and many migrants and expatriates speak other languages as well.
Some of the key events about Brussels
- 1695French troops bombarded the city, destroying a third of its buildings
- 1830Brussels became the capital of the newly independent Belgium
- 1847The Royal Galleries of Saint-Hubert, Europe's first covered shopping arcade, opened
- 1893The Art Nouveau movement flourished, transforming the city's architecture
- 1897The Palais de Justice, one of the largest buildings constructed in the 19th century, was completed
- 1914German forces occupied Brussels during World War I
- 1940Nazi Germany invaded and occupied Brussels during World War II
- 1958Brussels hosted the World's Fair, introducing the iconic Atomium structure
- 1958A major fire destroyed the World's Fair exhibition hall, injuring dozens
- 1967NATO headquarters was established in Brussels
- 1967A devastating fire at the Innovation Department Store killed 322 people
- 1977The European Economic Community (precursor to the EU) made Brussels its provisional headquarters
- 1985The Heysel Stadium disaster occurred, resulting in 39 deaths and hundreds of injuries
- 1989The Brussels-Capital Region was formed, granting the city more autonomy
- 2000Brussels was designated as one of the European Capitals of Culture
- 2009The Magritte Museum opened, showcasing the world's largest collection of the surrealist artist's works
- 2016Coordinated terrorist attacks at Brussels Airport and Maalbeek metro station killed 32 civilians
- 2017A failed terrorist attack occurred at Brussels Central Station
- 2018Brussels experienced severe flooding due to heavy rainfall, causing significant damage
- 2020Brussels was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to lockdowns and economic hardship
Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.
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