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Jun 20, 1492
christopher columbus
Christopher Columbus makes his first landing in the New World in the Bahamas. -
Period: Jun 20, 1492 to
Bahamas
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Refugee settlement
English and Bermudan religious refugees, the Eleutheran Adventurers, establish the first European settlement on the Bahamas -
colonization
Colonisation of New Providence Island begins. -
British
Bahamas become a British crown colony. -
Spain
Spain cedes the Bahamas to Britain in accordance with the Treaty of Paris after briefly occupying the islands the previous year. -
Slaves
Emancipation of slaves. -
Govonor
The Duke of Windsor - formerly King Edward VIII - serves as governor of the Bahamas -
US military
Britain grants the US a military test range and tracking station for guided missiles in the Bahamas -
Free trade
Free trade area established in the town of Freeport, stimulating tourism and attracting offshore banking -
internal autonomy
Bahamas granted internal autonomy. -
prim minister
Lynden Pindling becomes prime minister after his centrist Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) wins the islands' first legislative elections -
independance
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. -
gantede independence
The Bahamas become independent. -
Drug traficking
Government ministers face allegations of drug trafficking -
plp leader
Pindling is endorsed as PLP leader after denying charges of corruption and ties to drug traffickers -
prime minister
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 -
death penalty
Ingraham reinstates the death penalty for murder -
reelected
Ingraham returns as prime minister after his party is re-elected. -
Hung
Two convicted murderers are hanged despite international opposition and concern over the use of the death penalty in the Caribbean. -
old prime dies
August - "Father of independence" Sir Lynden Pindling dies. He was head of government from 1967-92. -
woman in gov.
November - Dame Ivy Dumont becomes the Bahama's first woman governor-general. -
liberals
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. -
hurricane
September - Hurricane Frances sweeps through, causing widespread damage. Weeks later Hurricane Jeanne batters the Bahamas. -
no more deathpenalty
March - UK-based final appeals court rules that the mandatory death sentence for murder breaches the Bahamian constitution. It was last used in 2000. -
Free national movement
May - Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham's Free National Movement wins parliamentary elections -
prime ministerv retires
May - Perry Christie returns to power as the Progressive Liberal Party wins parliamentary elections. Defeated Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham announces his retirement from politics