-
Apr 1, 1499
Spanish Rule
Ojeda named Aruba la isla de los gigantes, which means the island of the giants. Many indians were sent to Aruba to work as slaves. In 1862 the last indian slave soon died. This event is important because it informs everyone what Aruba was and what happened there before their time. For one thing, it is very important because if Alonso de Ojeda wouldn’t of discovered the history would probably would not be the some or there might of not been an Aruba. -
Dutch Rule
They only occupied it because they wanted to protect their salt supply from the mainland. They also only occupied it because they wanted to establish a naval base in the Caribbean while they were in their 80th war with Spain. Aruba basically stayed in the Dutch’s hands for the whole time, but during the years 1805-1816 the land was under english rule. This event is important because it really explains what Aruba all went through. Aruba had three different rules placed on it. -
Netherlands claim Aruba
In 1816 the island was given back to the Netherlands after coming under British rule. All this happened during the Napoleonic Wars. This event was important because this was the final country that was owning Aruba. -
Oranjestad gets its name
Oranjestad was named after Huis van Oranje, which means orange house. This event is important because that was the day when Oranjestad finally became something, they now had a capital, and they could now actually have a name of a location. -
California Lighthouse
The California Lighthouse was designed by a French architect in 1910. The S.S. California, which was a wooden sailing ship that sank near shore. That is where the California Lighthouse got it’s name. This event is significant because it directed ships to shore with flashing lights. -
Antilla Shipwreck
There was a ship called ES Antilla cargo ship. It was launched in 1939 and while is was making it’s way through Aruba the ship sank. The Antilla Shipwreck is a big tourist attraction in Aruba. People can go down with gear to see what it looked like. -
Attack on Aruba
On February 16th 1942 a german U- boat attacked Aruba. The germans sank damaged tankers in Aruba. They attacked because Aruba was home to two of the largest oil refineries. The attack disrupted the vital allied fuel production. It took place at San Nicolas Harbor. The significance of this attack was that the United States and the Dutch promised Aruba that they would never get bombarded again, which means that the citizens in Aruba will be much safer. -
Aruba's Flag
The event that occurred was that Aruba adopted their flag and finally could become their own country. It was significant because it symbolizes freedom and it let’s the citizens know that they are not being owned anymore, at least by a different country. Each color and design on
the Aruban flag has a meaning. The blue means the water surrounding it, yellow is the color of abundance, the red star has the meaning of a compass, and there is so much more to the flag. -
Aruba Status
In 1983 the Dutch and the Netherlands government agreed that Aruba should receive separate status. This event is important because Aruba could now make their own decisions and not be ruled by any other countries. -
Aruba elects their first prime minister
On January 1st 1986 the Aruban citizens finally elected their first prime minister. The Aruba people vote for Henny Eman. He was born on March 20th, 1948. Henny Eman took office twice. He left office February 1989. This event was important because Aruba now had someone to lead them, they were no longer of their
