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Jamaica occupied by the Spaniards under a licence from Columbus's son; much of the indigenous Arawak community dies off from exposure to European diseases; African slaves brought in to work on the sugar plantations. -
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Port Royal, once the busiest trading centre of the British West Indies and infamous for general debauchery, is devastated by an earthquake. -
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The British ruthlessly put down the Morant Bay rebellion, staged by freed slaves in response to acute hardship, and force the local legislature to surrender its powers; Jamaica becomes a crown colony. -
Banana plantations set up as the sugar cane industry declines in the face of competition from European beet sugar. -
New constitution marks the initial revival of local autonomy. -
Serious riots caused by unemployment and resentment against British racial policies; People's National Party (PNP) founded by Norman Manley. -
Universal adult suffrage introduced; new constitution providing for a popularly-elected House of Representatives promulgated. -
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Jamaica becomes independent within the British Commonwealth with Alexander Bustamante of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) as prime minister. -
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Michael Manley becomes prime minister following an impressive victory by the PNP in the general elections and pursues a policy of economic self-reliance. -
The PNP wins another term following elections marked by violence and proceeds to nationalise businesses and build closer ties with Cuba. -
Edward Seaga becomes prime minister after his JLP wins general elections. He proceeds to privatise state enterprises and to distance Jamaica from Cuba. US grants Seaga government substantial aid. -
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PNP ousts JLP in elections, returning Michael Manley as prime minister. Manley, however, chooses to continue Seaga's policy course. -
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PNP wins a third term; increase in violent crime reported as the economy deteriorates. -
Government orders the army to patrol the streets of Kingston following a massive increase in crime. -
Violent protests take place against a 30% increase in fuel prices. -
Troops and armoured vehicles move in to restore order in the capital, Kingston, after three days of unrest leave at least 27 people dead. -
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Britain's Privy Council - final court of appeal for Jamaica and other former colonies - decides to halt executions in some Caribbean countries, where capital punishment is supported as a deterrent to violent crime. Prime Minister PJ Patterson criticises the move. -
Prime Minister PJ Patterson's People's National Party wins general elections, ushering in fourth successive term in office for party and third term for incumbent premier. -
UK introduces visa requirement for Jamaicans entering UK; London says move is intended to tackle illegal immigration. -
Hurricane Ivan - described as the biggest in living memory - pounds the island, destroying thousands of homes. -
Ousted former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide takes up temporary asylum, prompting an angry response from the new Haitian government. -
Prime Minister PJ Patterson says he will step down by April 2006. -
Local government minister Portia Simpson Miller is elected as head of the ruling People's National Party. She succeeds PJ Patterson to become Jamaica's first female PM in March. -
Government survives a confidence vote in parliament over the ruling party's acceptance of a campaign donation from a Netherlands-based oil company. -
Jamaica Labour Party wins general elections, Bruce Golding becomes PM. -
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Parliament votes to keep the death penalty, as Jamaica struggles to contain one of the world's highest murder rates. -
Dozens killed in operation to arrest alleged drug lord Christopher "Dudus" Coke. He is extradited to the US, sentenced and jailed. -
Andrew Holness takes over as premier, after Golding quits, citing the ''Dudus'' Coke affair. -
Portia Simpson-Miller from the People's National Party wins a snap general election. -
On taking up office, Mrs Simpson-Miller says that 50 years after Jamaica gained its independence from Britain, it is time for the country to break with the British monarchy and become a republic. -
Jamaica abolishes flogging and whipping from its penal code. -
Anti-doping officials in Jamaica given Asafa Powell, once the world's top sprinter, an 18-month ban for failing a drugs test. -
Parliament decriminalises the possession of small quantities of cannabis for personal use. The law also permits the use of marijuana for religious, medical and scientific purposes.