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Christopher Columbus makes his first landing in the New World in the Bahamas.
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English and Bermudan religious refugees, the Eleutheran Adventurers, establish the first European settlement on the Bahamas
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Colonisation of New Providence Island begins.
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Bahamas become a British crown colony.
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Spain cedes the Bahamas to Britain in accordance with the Treaty of Paris after briefly occupying the islands the previous year.
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Emancipation of slaves.
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The Duke of Windsor - formerly King Edward VIII - serves as governor of the Bahamas
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Britain grants the US a military test range and tracking station for guided missiles in the Bahamas
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Free trade area established in the town of Freeport, stimulating tourism and attracting offshore banking
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Bahamas granted internal autonomy.
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Lynden Pindling becomes prime minister after his centrist Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) wins the islands' first legislative elections
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Negotiations with Britain over independence begin in the wake of an overwhelming victory in the elections by the PLP, which campaigns on a platform of independence.
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The Bahamas become independent.
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Government ministers face allegations of drug trafficking
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Pindling is endorsed as PLP leader after denying charges of corruption and ties to drug traffickers
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Hubert Ingraham becomes prime minister after his centre-left Free National Movement (FNM) wins an absolute majority in the general elections, ending 25 years of rule by Pindling
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Ingraham reinstates the death penalty for murder
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Ingraham returns as prime minister after his party is re-elected.
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Two convicted murderers are hanged despite international opposition and concern over the use of the death penalty in the Caribbean.
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August - "Father of independence" Sir Lynden Pindling dies. He was head of government from 1967-92.
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November - Dame Ivy Dumont becomes the Bahama's first woman governor-general.
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May - Veteran politician Perry Christie leads his Progressive Liberal Party to a landslide victory, unseating the Free National Movement, which has been in power for 10 years.
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September - Hurricane Frances sweeps through, causing widespread damage. Weeks later Hurricane Jeanne batters the Bahamas.
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March - UK-based final appeals court rules that the mandatory death sentence for murder breaches the Bahamian constitution. It was last used in 2000.
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May - Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham's Free National Movement wins parliamentary elections
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May - Perry Christie returns to power as the Progressive Liberal Party wins parliamentary elections. Defeated Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham announces his retirement from politics