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Timeline: Puerto Rico |
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A chronology of key events. 1493 - Christopher Columbus claims Puerto Rico for Spain. 1508 - Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon arrives from Hispanola with armed Spanish settlers. 1898 - Following the Treaty of Paris in December, Puerto Rico is ceded by the Spanish to the United States at the end of the Spanish-American War. 1900 - The U.S. Congress institutes civil government in Puerto Rico with the Foraker Act. However, the U.S. maintains strict control over the island causing the Puerto Ricans to demand more local control. 1917 - In March the Jones Act is passed granting Puerto Ricans U.S. citizenship. 1946 - Jesus T. Pinero appointed as Puerto Rico's first governor by the U.S. 1947 - Partial self-government granted to Puerto Ricans enabling them to elect their own governor. 1948 - Munoz Marin elected as governor by Puerto Rican popular vote. As Leader of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), Munroz serves four terms as governor. 1950 - October - President Truman signs the Puerto Rico Commonwealth Bill enabling the island to establish its own constitution. Nationalists oppose the new law and resort to violence. In November, an assassination attempt on President Truman is made by two New York-based Nationalists in Washington D.C. 1951 - Puerto Ricans vote overwhelmingly in favour of U.S. commonwealth status in referendum. 1952 - 25 July - Puerto Rico's constitution is proclaimed establishing a Commonwealth with autonomy in internal affairs.
1954 - Nationalist violence erupts again in Washington when fire is opened on U.S. congressmen from the viewing galleries of the House of Representatives. 1964 - Munoz Marin steps down, succeeded by the second elected governor in the island's history, Roberto Sanchez Vilella. 1967 - Puerto Ricans vote in favour of continued commonwealth status. 1968 - Power dwindles within the PPD and governorship is relinquished to Luis A Ferre, leader of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party (PNP). 1973 - PPD returned to power under the leadership of Rafael Hernandez. For the next thirty years the PPD and PNP alternate terms in government. 1993 - Puerto Ricans vote in favour of continued U.S. commonwealth status, in preference to statehood. 1998 - Voters reject the admission of Puerto Rico as the 51st U.S. state. 1999 - Two off-target bombs kill a security guard on Vieques, an island municipality of Puerto Rico. Protests against the U.S. Navy's use of the island follow resulting in the nation's largest demonstration to date. On 21 February 2000 tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans gather in protest, including many leaders of the Independence Party.
2000 - November - Sila Calderon of PPD and mayor of San Juan, elected as first female governor. 2001 - June - President George W Bush agrees to end the U.S. assault on Vieques by May 2003. 2002 - U.S. Navy tests on Vieques resume in April. U.S. congress claim they are necessary as part of their war on terrorism following the attacks of 11 September. 2003 - 1 May - U.S. Navy finally withdraws from Vieques, both protest and celebration mark the occasion. The last remaining base at Ceiba is closed on 31 March 2004. 2004 December - Ruling party's Anibal Acevedo Vila is confirmed as the territory's next governor after nearly two months of legal wrangling over a 0.2% margin of victory. Story from BBC NEWS: |
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