Short answers, pulled from the story.
Estonia declared independence on the 24th of February 1918, during the brief window between Russian retreat and German arrival. Full independence was restored on the 20th of August 1991, following the collapse of Soviet authority.
The Singing Revolution was a peaceful movement toward independence that began in 1987 after the Soviet government introduced perestroika. It included protests, mass demonstrations, and the formation of new political movements. On the 23rd of August 1989, two million people formed a human chain called the Baltic Way across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania as a unified demand for independence.
In 1945, ethnic Estonians made up 97% of the population. By 1989, following decades of Soviet-induced immigration of Russians and other Soviet nationalities, that share had fallen to 62%. Around 20,000 Estonians were deported to Siberia in March 1949 alone. Today, ethnic Russians comprise about 24% of Estonia's total population.
Estonia built a strong IT sector starting in the mid-1990s through the Tiigrihüpe project. It became the first country to enable nationwide binding Internet voting in 2005. As of 2022 it had 1,291 startups including seven unicorn companies. Well-known startups founded in Estonia include Skype, Bolt, and Wise.
Tallinn was founded on the site of Lindanise after King Valdemar II of Denmark defeated Estonians at the Battle of Lyndanisse in 1219. It received full town rights in 1248 under Lubeck law and became a member of the Hanseatic League. Today it is Estonia's capital city and hosts the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, established there in 2008.
Estonia is one of the least religious countries in the world. According to the 2021 census, 58% of Estonians reported no religious affiliation. Among the roughly 29% who did identify with a religion, 93% considered themselves Christian. The Lutheran church has historically been the largest denomination, though since the 2011 census Eastern Orthodoxy has surpassed it in church membership.