Cuba: Historial Timeline
| Ca. 1000 BCE: | Ciboney migrate to Cuba from Florida, Central America, or South America. |
| Ca. 900 CE: | Arawak (Sub-Talno) first arrive from South America by way of Greater Antilles. |
| Ca. 1450 CE: | Second migration of Arawak (Taíno) to Cuba, again from South America. |
| 1492: | Columbus's fleet arrives in Cuba; departs without forming a permanent settlement. |
| 1511: | Diego Velasquez leads Spanish settlers from Hispaniola to settle Cuba. |
| 1526: | First African slaves imported. |
| 1530s: | French initiate attacks against Spanish ships and Cuban coastal cities. |
| 1555: | Havana captured by French. |
| 1560s: | British also begin campaign against ships and ports; Spanish develop fleet system. |
| Ca. 1600: | Indigenous population drops; African slave imports expanded to meet labor needs. |
| 1762: | British occupy Havana for ten months during the Seven Years' War. |
| 1783: | English North American colonies (except Canada) gain freedom. |
| 1789: | The French Revolution begins. |
| 1791: | Successful slave rebellion in Dominique establishes Haiti as a free republic. |
| Ca. 1792: | Cuban sugar production and importation of slaves begins to increase dramatically. |
| 1808-1860: | Various attempts by U.S. Government to purchase Cuba. |
| 1853: | José Marti Perez born. |
| 1865: | Conclusion of Civil War in the U.S. ends attempts to purchase Cuba. |
| 1868-1878: | Ten Years' War for liberation of Cuba (first war for independence) ends with Zanjon Treaty. |
| 1871: | First Protestant clergy person allowed to minister to Protestant expatriates. |
| 1883: | Cuban preachers begin first Protestant congregations. |
| 1886: | Slavery abolished in Cuba. |
| 1895: | Marí leaves the U.S. to go to the Dominican Republic and join Máximo Gómez. Both land in eastern Cuba and join Antonio Maceo, who arrives from Costa Rica. Martí killed in battle on May 19. |
| 1895-1898: | Second war for independence fought with much loss of life and destruction of property. Maceo killed in July 1896. |
| 1898: | U.S. Battleship Maine explodes in Havana Harbor on January 15, 1898. Congress declares war on April 25. On August 12 an armistice is signed between the U.S. and Spain. The Treaty of Paris is signed December 10 with no Cuban present. |
| 1899: | U.S. military government formally begins rule under General John R. Brooke. First missionaries sent to Cuba by U.S. churches. |
| 1901: | Cuban Constitutional Convention appends Platt Amendment to new Cuban constitution after heavy U.S. pressure. National election held. |
| 1902: | U.S. troops leave as Tomás Estrada Palma takes office as president. |
| 1906: | Estrada requests U.S. troops to maintain order following disturbances because of election fraud. After initial refusal, marines are sent when Estrada resigns. Charles Magoon is named military governor of the provisional government. |
| 1908: | José Miguel Gómez elected president in November. |
| 1909: | Gómez takes reigns of government from Magoon in January. |
| 1912: | President William Howard Taft has U.S. Marines land in eastern Cuba for a short occupation after a revolt by African-Cubans. |
| 1917: | Election fraud causes Liberal Party insurrection. President Woodrow Wilson sends marines to support beleaguered President Menocal. After Cuba follows U.S. in declaring war against Germany, it becomes a training ground for U.S. Marines. Not until 1922 are all marines withdrawn. |
| 1925: | Gen. Gerardo Machado Morales becomes president after a fair election in 1924. He gradually accumulates dictatorial powers. |
| 1928: | Machado changes the presidential term to six years and eliminates opposition so that he wins an uncontested election. |
| 1929: | Stock market collapse leads to serious economic crisis in Cuba. Labor unrest and student opposition leads to turmoil. |
| 1933: | Newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt sends Sumner Welles to resolve the revolutionary situation. His solution is to have Machado resign and have Carlos Manuel de Céspedes replace him. Students, revolutionary groups, and army refuse to accept Céspedes, who on September 5 quietly resigns after just over three weeks in office. Grau San Martin chosen president. Radical legislation is passed, but the U.S. refuses to recognize the new government. |
| 1934: | Col. Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar overthrows President Grau San Martin and takes power for himself, ruling through puppet presidents. U.S. abrogates the Platt Amendment, giving up its right to intervene in Cuba's internal affairs, revises its sugar quota and changes tariffs to favor Cuba. |
| 1935-1936: | Several presidents are replaced by Batista. |
| 1940: | Batista is elected to a four-year term as president. New constitution published. |
| 1942: | Cuba enters World War II supporting the Allies. |
| 1944: | Batista defeated in election by Ramon Grau San Martin, leaves for U.S. |
| 1948: | Carlos Prío Socarrás is elected for four-year term as president. |
| 1952: | Batista seizes power by military coup. |
| 1953: | Fidel Castro leads a near-suicidal attack on the Moncada Barracks in Santiago, which fails. Survivors sentenced to fifteen-year prison terms |
| 1954: | Running opposed, Batista receives 40 percent of the electorate's votes for a new term. |
| 1955 : | A general amnesty frees Castro and his coconspirators. They go to Mexico. |
| 1956: | Castro with 85 companions leaves Mexico on the overloaded yacht Granma for Oriente Province. Only twelve make it to safety in the Sierra Maestra. |
| 1959: | Batista flees in the early morning of January 1 after his military failure and the loss of U.S. support. |
| 1959: | Fidel Castro enters Havana on January 8 after a triumphant march across Cuba.The Agrarian Reform bill is enacted in May. |
| 1960: | January-70,000 acres of land owned by U.S. sugar companies expropriated. May-diplomatic relations re-established with the Soviet Union. June-U.S. refineries nationalized by Cuba. July-Sugar quota cut by U.S. August to October-more U.S. properties nationalized. October-Trade embargo imposed on Cuba by U.S., the Urban Reform Law nationalizes all commercially owned real estate. |
| 1961: | January-Diplomatic relations between U.S. and Cuba cut. National campaign to end illiteracy begins as 1961 is proclaimed the Year of Education. April-The Bay of Pigs invasion. |
| 1962: | October 22-28 - the missile crisis. |
| 1965: | The Communist Party of Cuba is reorganized. |
| 1968: | The "revolutionary offensive" is launched. Remaining small businesses nationalized. |
| 1970: | Ten-million-ton sugar harvest target not met. Only 8.5 million tons harvested. |
| 1974: | Local elections for municipal assemblies inaugurated in Matanzas (Poder Popular). |
| 1975: | Family Code promulgated; First Party Congress meets. |
| 1976: | The new socialist constitution promulgated. |
| 1977: | Cuba and the U.S. open Interest Sections in their respective capitals. |
| 1978: | Family reunification program initiated in which Cuban exiles are permitted to make brief family visits. |
| 1980: | 125,000 Cubans emigrate to the U.S. in the Marie! boat lift. Second Party Congress convenes. |
| 1985: | Radio MartI initiates broadcasts to Cuba. Family visits to Cuba suspended. |
| 1986: | Family visits reinstated. Third Party Congress held. |
| 1987: | Pact signed in which Cuba agrees to accept 2,000 "undesirables" in U.S. as a result of the Mariel exodus. The U.S. agrees to accept 20,000 Cuban immigrants annually. |
| 1990: | The Soviet Union proposes to change trade arrangements so that trade will be on the basis of hard currency and at real market value. Cuba announces austerity measures for the "Special Period." |
| 1991: | Soviet military advisers leave Cuba following collapse of USSR. Fourth Party Congress. |
| 1992: | The Torricelli bill passes, prohibiting U.S. subsidiaries in third countries from trading with Cuba. |
| 1993: | Dollar transactions and limited self-employment legalized in Cuba. Many state farms made semiautonomous cooperatives. |
| 1994: | Immigration agreement signed in which Cuba agrees to control illegal immigration to the U.S. and the U.S. authorizes 20,000 annual immigrants. |
| 1996: | Two Brothers to the Rescue airplanes shot down by Cuban air force; U.S. makes trade embargo permanent. |
| 1998: | Pope John Paul II visits Cuba; restrictions on exiles sending money to Cuba relaxed. |
| 1999: | November-A Cuban child, Elián Gonzalez, is picked up off the coast of Florida. |
| 2000: | January-June -- court battles regarding return of Elián to father in Cuba. June; Elián returns to Cuba. |
| 2001: | Russia shuts down radar base near Havana to save $200 million annually. October - Cuba angrily criticizes the decision. November - U.S. exports food to Cuba for first time in forty years after the Cuban government requests aid following the devastation from Hurricane Michelle. |
| 2002: | January - Afghan captives interned in Guantánamo Base. May - Jimmy Carter visits Cuba, speaks live on Cuban television. He is critical of the embargo, says U.S. should take first step in improving relations, praises the Varela Project led by Cuban dissidents, and expresses concerns about human rights in Cuba. |
| 2003: | March-April - Dissidents arrested, tried and sentenced to terms of up to 28 years. Three men are executed for hijacking a ferry in an attempt to go to the U.S. July - First U.S. ship in 45 years docks in Cuba. August - Fidel Castro celebrates 77th birthday. |
Source: U.S. Department of State Background Notes: Cuba. |