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Jan 1, 1525
1st Settlement
The first Spanish settlement in current day Colombia was at Santa Marta. -
Independence
Colombia gained its independence from Spain in 1810 -
Gran Colombia
Colombia, along with Venezuela and Ecuador created the nation of Gran Colombia, of which the famous Simon Bolivar was a member, (he lived in Caracas). -
Independence Once Again
Colombia declares independence once again only this time from Gran Colombia instead of from Spain. -
War of the Thousand Days
The division of political beliefs in the mid-nineteenth century into conservative and liberal factions produced not only debate but also civil war..The War of the Thousand Days. -
La Violencia
The Violencia, a civil war fought in Colombia between 1946 and 1958 was the largest armed conflict in the Western Hemisphere since the Mexican Revolution which at its end resulted in a much larger and more powerful military that seemed out of place for Colombia. -
Drug Trade Gets Big
Drug violence has claimed so many deaths that it is comes in at number 2, just under cancer for causes of death in the country and is the major cause of death for men between the ages of 15 and 45. An interesting note is that according to Latin America Update, drug traffickers "represent a new economic class in Colombia."
