Dominican Republic Timeline of Events

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Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...

Timeline of Events

1492

12.5.1492

Christopher Columbus becomes the first European to set foot on the island of Hispaniola, now Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

1844

2.27.1844

The Dominican Republic gains independence from Haiti.

11.6.1844

The first constitution of the Dominican Republic is adopted.

1865

8.16.1865

Restoration Day in the Dominican Republic: The Dominican Republic regains its independence after 4 years of fighting against the Spanish Annexation.

1883

8.17.1883

The first public performance of the Dominican Republic's national anthem, ''Himno Nacional''.

1922

9.23.1922

In Washington D. C., Charles Evans Hughes signs the Hughes-Peynado agreement, that ends the occupation of Dominican Republic by the United States.

1924

6.26.1924

American occupying forces leave the Dominican Republic.

1946

8.4.1946

An earthquake of magnitude 8.0 hits northern Dominican Republic. 100 are killed and 20,000 are left homeless.

1959

6.14.1959

A group of Dominican exiles with leftist tendencies that departed from Cuba land in the Dominican Republic with the intent of deposing Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina. Save for four of them, all are killed and/or executed by Trujillo's army.

1960

11.25.1960

The Mirabal sisters of the Dominican Republic are assassinated.

1961

5.30.1961

Long time Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo is assassinated in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

1963

2.27.1963

The Dominican Republic receives its first democratically elected president, Juan Bosch, since the end of the dictatorship led by Rafael Trujillo.

1965

4.24.1965

Civil war breaks out in the Dominican Republic when Colonel Francisco Caamaño, overthrows the triumvirate that had been in power since the coup d'état against Juan Bosch.

4.28.1965

United States occupation of the Dominican Republic: American troops land in the Dominican Republic to "forestall establishment of a Communist dictatorship" and to evacuate U.S. Army troops.

1970

2.15.1970

A Dominican DC-9 crashes into the sea during takeoff from Santo Domingo, killing 102.

1997

12.24.1997

The Dominican Republic becomes a member of the Berne Convention copyright treaty.

1999

11.25.1999

The United Nations establishes the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women to commemorate the murder of three Mirabal Sisters for resistance against the Rafael Trujillo dictatorship in Dominican Republic.

2001

11.12.2001

In New York City, American Airlines Flight 587, an Airbus A300 ''en route'' to the Dominican Republic, crashes minutes after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport, killing all 260 on board and five on the ground.