New Zeland By roland35263748336 1250 Maori arrive in New Zealand from Polynesia 1840 Treaty of Waitangi signed, establishing British sovereignty over New Zealand 1893 New Zealand becomes the first country in the world to grant women the right to vote 1914 : New Zealand participates in World War I 1939 New Zealand participates in World War II 1947 New Zealand becomes a founding member of the British Commonwealth 1984 Significant economic reforms are implemented, including the deregulation of financial markets and the removal of subsidies 1996 New Zealand becomes the first country in the world to adopt a system of proportional representation 2011 Christchurch earthquake causes significant damage and loss of life 2019 New Zealand experiences a terrorist attack on mosques in Christchurch, resulting in 51 deaths.