Short answers, pulled from the story.
Estonia first participated in the Viking Age in the year 1187 when a coalition of Estonian, Curonian, and Karelian raiders sacked Sigtuna. This event marked the beginning of a complex history where the coastal peoples of what is now Estonia were active participants rather than passive victims.
King Valdemar II of Denmark conquered northern Estonia in 1219 during the Battle of Lyndanisse. This battle initiated over seven centuries of foreign domination and led to the establishment of the city of Tallinn on the site of the former fortress of Lindanise.
Estonia declared the Republic of Estonia on the 24th of February 1918 following the collapse of the Russian Empire. The Estonian War of Independence began on the 28th of November 1918 when Soviet Russia invaded, but the Estonian Army successfully ejected the Bolshevik forces within a few months.
The Soviet Union formally annexed Estonia on the 6th of August 1940 after instituting a full naval and air blockade on the 14th of June 1940. A repressive terror regime was established targeting the country's elite, and hundreds of people were executed or deported to Russia.
Estonia declared the restoration of independence on the 20th of August 1991 following a referendum held in March 1991 where 78.4% of voters supported independence. The last units of the Russian army left Estonia in 1994, and the country began to pursue radical economic reforms.
The population of Estonia on the 1st of January 2025 was 1,369,285 people. This population includes 211 different self-reported ethnic groups, with 43% of the population aged 25 to 64 having a university education.