The history of Aerica begins in Montreal, Canada, in the year 1987. A young boy bordering on Normalcy hit upon the idea to create a city. He, as a then uncreative 5 year old, came up with the name Aerica ("America" with no "m", because it sounded like "Eric."). Within a year, as Eric grew sillier and sillier, Aerica grew. By 1990 Aerica was an empire to match the Star Trek Federation of Planets. And much sillier. Since then, Aerican technology, culture, relations and power have continued to grow, while removing many of the less realistic elements to make the Empire as close as possible to a true nation.
Prior to 1999, history was recorded haphazardly in the Empire, and so while this page is a valid timeline, it does not contain to-the-day accuracy in the recording of early events in the Empire. After 1999, when an official Aerican news service was founded, it became more feasible to create a long-term record of events on a month-by-month basis, and so accuracy in the history increases. For much the same reason, it is after 1999 that individual diplomatic events stop being listed as "historical" events and instead are listed with less ceremony but greater accuracy in the News archives.
We wish to emphasize that all events here are real, and actually happened in what people reading this consider reality. It may seem made up, but it is all true. Events are listed vaguely in chronological order. Not all events have dates listed; this is a basic timeline of Imperial history and not an exhaustive analysis.
Early History:
This period of Imperial history is defined by numerous small wars which took place. The young age of the individuals involved explains much of this time. This period is notable, though, because of the obvious importance which it was in shaping later history.
1987
- May 8th: Aerica founded
- Aerica encouters first other micronation, the Hfsers, who begin agressions against the Empire. Aerica conquers Hfsers in the battle of the yard, conducted via wargame simulation and argument.
- Aerica encounters Comiconia, a micronation. Comiconia begins hostile actions, initiating a conflict lasting nearly six months in a variety of media, primarily in competitive short-story writing and video-game based battles.
- Aerica conquers Comiconia in the battle of the mad.
- Foundation of Omega, the Imperial Guard, to help avert wars such as those which plagued early Imperial history.
- Establishment of the first church of Forsteri.
- July: The Empire begins experimentation with Insult Wars, defeating an invading force at the Battle of the Abbott.
Early Micronational Era
This period in Imperial history is defined by the initial, tentative steps onto the Internet and into a wider role. Many mistakes were made, but by and large, this was a period of tremendous growth and maturation for the Empire.
1997
- September 6: Aerica encounters Lothlorrien. This is the Empire's first contact with a state classifying itself as a micronation.
- October: Aerica creates its first web presence.
- The first miracle of Forsteri is observed: in the midst of an insult war with a hostile power, a tree mysteriously falls on the Empire's enemies at an opportune moment.
- April: Aerica begins contacting online micronations.
- Aerica joins the Grand Alliance.
- Aerica joins Microworld.
- June: Aerica joins LOSS with observer status.
- July 9: In a joint venture with the Minbari Federation, the Empire purchasses land on Mars. The Empire's share of this land becomes Mars Colony.
- September 3: The first ever message tramsits across the Imperial Mailing List.
- September 20: Aerica joins the The Splendid Micro-Union of Microstatia (SPUM).
- October 7: Aerica adopts the celebration of Topin Wagglegammon.
- October: Aerica joins the United Micronations.
- November 23: Grand Alliance dissolved.
- January 1: Foundation of the Imperial Information Desk new page and archive.
- January 1: Foundation of the Aerican Museum of Culture and Stuff.
- February 1: Aerica recalls Davre Rath from the LOSS, and makes Tristan Glark the new ambassador.
- February 2: Davre Rath becomes the first citizen to be expelled for crimes against the Empire, found guilty of gross incompetence in a government position.
- March 13: Homeland cedes a portion of its land to the Aerican Empire, making the second colony.
- August Aerica accepts A Cow Pasture (also known as The Pasture) as a new colony.
- September 4: Aerica accepts Northern Plutopia as a new colony.
- September: The Empire becomes a full member of the LoSS.
Rise of the Empire
The modern era, this time is defined by the Empire being a large, stable, and populous nation with a rich culture and a proud people. This period is marked by the Empire's early news coverage and the beginning of recognition beyond the micronational world.
2000
- January 16: Aerica appears in a newspaper for the first time, in an article in a Portuguese news magazine, O Publico.
- February: Aerica accepts Israelia as a colony.
- February: Aerica joins the World Micronation Union
- March: Aerica accepts Starwene as a colony.
- March: Aerica renounces its joint claim to part of Homeland due to a territory dispute.
- Aerica is featured in a book about micronations, Ils ne siegent pas a l'ONU.
- May 24: Aerica is featured in an article in the New York Times, its first mention in a major world news paper.
- June: Aerica accepts Chompsville and Psyche as colonies.
- June: An "activity check" of all citizens is performed. This activity check proves to be the first of what later becomes known as the Culling of the Inactive. Thirty citizenships are terminated.
- July: The New York Times article is reprinted in a half dozen other papers.
- July: Geocities features The Empire as one of its four featured sites of the month in the World Report.
- The Imperial Activity Check (a precursor to the later Culling of the Inactive) removes 30 citrizens from the Empire.
- September: Aerica joins the League of Micronations.
- October1-November 10: Geocities posts an advertisement for the Empire on one of its main pages. The ad is up all month and comes down November 10. After november 10, the ad is replaced by a series of random links, so that every fifth visitor to the page sill sees an advertisement for the Empire.
- October 15: The Boston Phoenix prints an article about Freedonia, in which they speak favorably of the Aerican Empire and quoted from an interview with the Emperor.
- January 1: Aerica unveils http://www.aericanempire.com.
- January 18: Le Soliel runs an article on the Empire.
- march 25: Figurehead Monarchy established.
- April 1: Context Magazine runs a feature on "cybernations" which speaks of the empire.
- June 18: Geocities stops featuring websites on its main page, and thus, stops advertising the Empire.
- July 1: With the end of the second Culling of the Inactive in 2001, the Empire's citizenship drops from 529 to 113.
- August 1: A new Senate is elected.
- September 1: The colony of Israelia is merged with Chompsville, and the new Chompsville is given a smaller territory.
- October 7: The colony of Starwene is officially renamed Verden following a vote by the citizens of that colony.
- December 26: The Supreme Court of the Empire is established.
- January: The first Imperial Census is conducted, measuring proportion of gender in each colony.
- July 1: With the end of the third Culling of the Inactive, the Empire's citizenship drops from 146 to 53.
- June: The fourth Culling of the Inactive is carried out. Twenty-five citizenships are terminated.
- January: The Empire withdraws from the UM and the WMU.
- May 8: Aerican unveils its new mission statement.
- June: The fifth Culling of the Inactive is carried out. Thirteen citizenships are terminated.
- July: With the end of the fifth Culling of the Innactive, the Empire's citizenship drops from 53 to 42.
- March: The Empire formally withdraws from the LoSS.
- June: The sixth Culling of the Inactive is carried out. Ninteen citienships are terminated, after which the Empire's citizens number 39.
- December 1: A new Imperial Senate is elected to a four year term.
2006
- March 1-19: The First Annual International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day Scavenger Hunt is conducted.
- June: The seventh Culling of the Inactive drops the Empire's population from 62 to 51.
- July 23: The Empire formally withdraws from the SpUM and the LoM.
2007
- January 18: Retsaot Island is accepted by the Empire as a new colony.
- June: The eighth Culling of the Inactive drops the Empire's population from 225 to 126.
- July 21: The first Aerican Convention is held in Montreal, Canada.
2008
- May 6: Parrwater is accepted by the Empire as a new colony.
- June: The ninth Culling of the Inactive drops the Empire's population from 342 to 170.
2009
- June: The tenth Culling of the Inactive drops the Empire's population from 448 to 238.
- November: The Empire issues its first minted coin, valued at 42 Solari and 3.14 Mu.
2010
- June: The eleventh Culling of the Inactive drops the Empire's population from 513 to 253.
2011
- June: The twelfth Culling of the Inactive drops the Empire's population from 544 to 262.
- January: The Empire issues its second minted coin, to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
- May: As part of its 25th anniversary, the Empire adopts the new colony of Yackbard and its first ever national anthem, Home is Where I Hang My Towel.
- June: The twelfth Culling of the Inactive drops the Empire's population from 505 to 183. Cullings begin to be archived elsewhere on the site and so are no longer recorded in the History.
- May: As part of its 28th anniversary, the Empire adopts the new colony of Microvia and produces its first-ever stamps. The Empire furthermore adopts a formal Coat of Arms.
- May: As part of its 30th anniversary, the Empire releases its first ever banknote, valued at 30 Solari.
- July: The Empire takes part in MicroCon in the city of Atlanta, Georgia.
The Imperial history continues today...
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