Timeline of Dominican Republic History
100 - 500 BC First Amer-Indians arrive in what is now Hispaniola, Probably from modern-day Mexico.
0 BC Arawaks begin to arrive via the northern areas of South America.
600-800 AD Tainos ( an Arawak group) arrive and become the dominate group on the island.
1000 AD Caribs begin to arrive from the lesser Antilles
1492 Columbus arrives along the northern coast; he names the island Hispaniola and establishes settlement at La Navidad, in present day Haiti.
1493-94 Columbus returns to find the original settlers dead; founds new settlement, La Isabela, off northern coast.
1498 After La Isabela folds, Bartholomew Columbus (Christopher's brother) founds Santo Domingo on south coast.
1500 Christopher Columbus is led back to Spain in shackles.
1502 Nicolas de Ovando appointed governor of colony, Founds Puerto Plata on the north coast.
1503 First city walls rise in Santo Domingo and first African slaves arrive on the island.
1504 Azua de Compostela founded.
1506 Christopher Columbus dies.
1508 Explorer Ponce de Leon constructs house in southeastern part of the island.
1509 Christopher Columbus' son Diego named governor of colony.
early 1560s Earthquakes damage Santo Domingo and Santiago.
1586 Sir Francis Drake pillages Santo Domingo.
1605 Spain torches north coast settlements of Puerto Plata and Montecristi.
1655 English force led by William Penn invades Santo Domingo.
1697 Treaty of Ryswick, Spain cedes western one-third of Hispaniola (modern-day Haiti) to France.
1737 Spanish import Canary Islanders to resettle Puerto Plata.
1756 Santa Barbara de Samana founded, also with Canary Islanders.
1780's 150,000 settlers now populate colony.
1791 Slave uprising in French Saint-Domingue (Haiti) led by Toussaint L'Ouverture.
1794 France abolishes slavery in Saint-Domingue.
1801 L'Ouverture takes Santo Domingo, mostly unopposed; frees slaves in Spanish colony.
1802 Spain cedes territory to France and France drives Haitians back into the west.
1804 L'Ouverture declares Haitian Independence.
1809 Eastern colony reincorporates with Spain, reinstates slavery.
1822 Haiti again invades Spanish colony, abolishes slavery, rules for next 22 years.
1820's Freed American slaves settle Samana.
1844 Juan Pablo Duarte and Trinitarians revolt against Haitians, establish independent Dominican Republic on February 27 (national Independence Day); first constitution signed.
1861 General Pedro Santana invites Spanish to annex the country.
1863 Rebellion against Spain leads to civil war.
1865 Independence restored in War of Restoration.
1870 US Senate defeats plans of President Grant to annex the country.
1882 General Heureux overthrows government.
1899 General Heureux assassinated.
1916-1924 US Marines occupy DR
1930 Rafael Trujillo stages coup and wins rigged election; later renames Santo Domingo Ciudad Trujillo.
1937 Trujillo orders massacre of Haitians on Dominican side of border; an estimated 20,000 are slaughtered.
1961 Trujillo assassinated.
1962 Juan Bosh, a leftist, elected president in first free election in 38 years.
1963 Military coup overthrows Bosch.
1965 Bosch supporters launch counter-coup; US Marines land again.
1966, 1970, 1974 Joaquin Balaguer elected president in tainted votes.
1978 Balaguer defeated by Antonio Guzman.
1986 Balaguer reelected.
1989 Nationwide workers' strike paralyzes country.
1990 Balaguer again re-elected.
1992 Commemoration of 500 years since Columbus' arrival.
1994 Balaguer re-elected.
1996 Balaguer steps down amid fraud charges.
1996 Leonel Fernandez Reyna elected.
1998 Hurricane Georges rips through island, causing massive damage.
2000 Hipolito Mejia elected.
2004 Fernandez defeats Mejia; Hurricane Jeanne ravages island.
2007 Glenda, Stephanie, and Gloria visit the island.