1. The history of Poland and famous Poles

2. Poland: Past and Present Poland is located in Europe’s Center Note: in the east Europe stretches to the Ural mountains, which are off the map

3. The Beginning of Poland Biskupin Polish state begins with the rule of Mieszko I of the Piast dynasty in the second half of the 10th century.

4. The Constitution of May 3, 1791 The first democratic constitution in Europe, the second in the world

5. In 1791 the Great or Four-Year Sejm adopted the May 3 Constitution at Warsaw's Royal Castle The Constitution of May 3, 1791

6. Polish–Soviet War, defenses near Warsaw, August 1920 Second Polish Republic (1918–1939)

7. World War II: invasion and partition German battleship Schleswig- Holstein shelling Westerplatte on September 1, 1939

8. Warsaw destroyed, January 1945. There were one million war orphans and over 500,000 war disabled. The country lost 38% of its national assets (Britain lost 0.8%, France 1.5%). After WW II

9. SOLIDARITY - 1980 ROUND-TABLE - 1989 Lech Wałęsa

10. 1989 The "round- table" talks with the opposition began in February 1989.

11. Poland Regained Independence For the first time in more than 40 years, Poland had a government led by noncommunists. In December 1989, the Sejm approved the government's reform program to transform the Polish economy rapidly from centrally planned to free-market, amended the constitution to eliminate references to the "leading role" of the Communist Party, and renamed the country the "Republic of Poland."

12. December 22, 1990 Lech Walesa having won a landslide election is sworn is as Poland’s first post WWII non communist President

13. Poland in NATO - 1999 13

14. Poland in European Union Poland entered the European Union on 1st May 2004