Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Vienna's Donauinsel (Danube Island) is created to protect the city against flooding. Today it serves
as one of the city's recreation areas, with parks, river beaches, trails and forest.
1979
A third UN headquarters is opened in Austria's capital. It is the headquarters for the International
Atomic Energy Agency, Drugs & Crime office, and other functions.
1981
Hohe Tauern National Park is established as the first of seven national parks in Austria.
1986
Presidential candidate Kurt Waldheim (1918-2007) is accused of war crimes. Waldheim wins a
tough election but is stained. The Historians Commission finds Waldheim unhelpful, but no proof of
crimes.
1986
Vienna ceases to be the capital of surrounding Bundesland of Niederösterreich (Lower Austria), re-
placed by St Pölten.
1995
Austria joins the EU in 1995, but because of guarantees in 1955 to Moscow to remain neutral it for-
goes NATO membership.
1999
Austria introduces the euro and abolishes the Austrian schilling as its currency, having easily satis-
fied the criteria for the level of debt and the inflation rate.
2003
Styrian muscleman, actor and director Arnold 'Arnie' Schwarzenegger is elected governor of Califor-
nia after becoming a US citizen in 1983.
2007
A grand coalition government of Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) is
formed under Alfred Gusenbauer.
2008
Austria cohosts football's European Cup with Switzerland.
