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670
Thought discovery by Arab sailors
It is thought that they were discovered in the 7th century by some Arab sailors, of whose visits vague evidence remains today. -
1502
"Tres Irmãos" archipelago mapped by Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama sighted the archipelago and indicated it on his maps under the name of "Tres Irmãos", the three brothers. Today this name is used in French to indicate three iconic mountain peaks of Mahé (Trois Fréres). -
British East India Company landed as first Europeans
First Europeans to set foot in the Seychelles were British: the British East India Company landed there in 1609, but did not settle there. -
French explorer Lazare Picault landed
French explorer Lazare Picault landed on today's Mahé in 1742, he was struck by its fertile and luxuriant appearance and called it Ile de l'Abondance. When he returned two years later to map it better, he renamed it Mahé in honour of Mahé de la Bourdonnais, his patron and administrator of Mauritius. Later Mahé took the name of Isle de Séchelles in honour of Viscount Jean Moreau de Séchelles, Minister of Finance during the reign of Louis XV. -
First settlement by Europeans with enslaved Africans
The Seychelles were uninhabited until the 18th century. The French decided to settled in the Seychelles both to take advantage of their strategic position in relation to India and to start growing spices in an attempt to compete with the Dutch spice trade. 15 settlers with a dozen slaves settled in the Seychelles. Subsequently, large quantities of slaves were brought from Mauritius (Creoles born of African and European parents), Madagascar, Mozambique and, to a lesser extent, India. -
Seychelles were ceded to Great Britain
The Seychelles remained part of France until 1814, when it passed to the British. It is still possible to observe strong French influences in the reality of the Seychelles, not only in surnames and geographical names, but also in the cuisine and language. After the Napoleonic wars, with the Treaty of Paris (1814), the Seychelles were ceded to Great Britain, albeit with the usual French practices still in force. -
Slavery abolishment throughout the British territories
When slavery was abolished throughout the British territories in 1835, several hundred freed African slaves arrived in the Seychelles and went to work on the remaining plantations in exchange for food rations and wages. They also helped to make the population of the Seychelles extremely diverse. -
First elections
The first elections in the Seychelles were held in 1948, after the Seychelles had been partially separated from the British Crown. -
First completely independent Seychellois elections
At this time, stronger political awareness developed, which was reflected in the following years by the increasing formation of political parties - in 1967 the first completely independent Seychellois elections were held -
Independent republic within the Commonwealth
The Seychelles remained with the British until 1976, when it became an independent republic within the Commonwealth.