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Christopher Columbus sights the coast of Suriname.
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Spanish explorers visit the area and name it Suriname, after the country's earliest inhabitants, the Surinen.
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First permanent European settlement, established by British at Paramaribo by Lord Francis Willoughby
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British gave up their part of Suriname to The Netherlands in exchange for New Amsterdam, which today is New York City.
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Slavery abolished leading to indentured labourers to be brought in from India, Java, China to worked on plantations basically as a different form of slavery.
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Aluminum Company of America, or Aloca, began mining bauxite, the principal ore of aluminum, which gradually became Suriname's main export
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Armed forces seize power in a coup led by Lieutenant-Colonel Desi Bouterse and set up a Revolutionary People's Front; 15 opposition leaders charged with plotting a coup and executed; Netherlands and US respond by cutting off economic aid.
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Johan Kraag became interim president. He was an alliance of opposition parties. Ronald Venetiaan was then elected president.
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Jules Wijdenbosch, an ally of Bouterse, was elected president.
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Flooding, caused by severe rain, leaves more than 20,000 people homeless. President Venetiaan says lowland areas are in "total chaos".
