Puerto Rico History Timeline - Important Dates (2024)

Events in Puerto Rico History

Columbus Reaches Puerto Rico

1493-11-19 Christopher Columbus first reaches Puerto Rico, inhabited by the Taíno on his 2nd voyage to the Caribbean

Explorer of the New World Christopher Columbus

Caparra Founded

1508-08-08 Spaniard Juan Ponce de León founds Caparra the first European settlement in Puerto Rico

Explorer and Conquistador Juan Ponce de León

1607-04-10 The British colonial expedition that would found Jamestown departs Puerto Rico for the American mainland
1625-09-24 Dutch attack San Juan, Puerto Rico
1760-07-19 The formal request to found the later city of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico is filed by its founders
1760-08-21 The church (later cathedral) of "Our Lady of Candlemas of Mayagüez (Puerto Rico)" is founded, establishing the basis for the founding of the city.
1797-04-17 Sir Ralph Abercromby attacks San Juan, Puerto Rico, one of the largest invasions of Spanish territories in America
1836-05-07 The settlement of Mayagüez elevates Puerto Rico to the royal status of villa by the government of Spain
1841-01-30 A fire destroys two-thirds of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.
1868-09-23 Grito de Lares proclaims Puerto Rico's independence (crushed by Spain)
1873-03-22 Slavery is abolished in Puerto Rico, celebrated as Emancipation Day
1877-07-10 The then villa of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, formally receives its city charter from the Royal Crown of Spain
1891-06-11 Puerto Rican flag adopted
1897-11-25 Spain grants Puerto Rico autonomy
1898-07-25 1st US troops land & occupy Puerto Rico, at Guanica Bay
1898-07-28 Spanish American War: U.S. Army occupies Ponce and declares victory in Puerto Rico over Spanish forces
1898-10-18 American flag raised in Puerto Rico

Spain Declares War Against the United States

1898-12-10 Treaty of Paris which ended the Spanish–American War is signed by US President McKinley; US acquires Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam

Colonel ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt (centre, with glasses and holstered gun) with his ‘Rough Riders’ after victory at the Battle of San Juan Hill.

First Foreign Presidential Trip

1906-11-09 Theodore Roosevelt is 1st US President to visit another country (Puerto Rico and Panama)

26th US President Theodore Roosevelt

1917-03-02 Jones Act: Puerto Rico territory created, US citizenship granted
1919-06-20 150 die at the Teatro Yaguez fire, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
1928-10-22 Phi Sigma Alpha fraternity is founded at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus.
1932-05-17 US Congress changes name "Porto Rico" to "Puerto Rico"
1937-03-21 Ponce massacre, police kill 19 at Puerto Rican Nationalist parade
1946-07-21 Jesus T Pinerol becomes 1st native born Puerto Rican governor
1949-01-02 Luis Muñoz Marín becomes the first democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico
1950-07-04 Harry Truman signs public law 600 (Puerto Ricans write own constitution)

Assassination Attempt

1950-11-01 Puerto Rican nationalists Griselio Torresola and Oscar Collazo attempt to assassinate US President Harry Truman at Blair House in Washington D.C.; attack thwarted by White House Police, including Officer Leslie Coffelt who was killed in the line of duty [1]

33rd US President Harry Truman

1952-03-03 Puerto Rico approves its 1st self-written constitution
1952-07-03 Puerto Rico's constitution approved by US Congress
1952-07-25 Puerto Rico becomes a self-governing US commonwealth (Constitution Day)
1952-08-25 Puerto Rico becomes a US commonwealth
1954-03-01 4 Puerto Ricans open fire in US House of Representatives injuring 5 members

JFK Vists Puerto Rico

1961-12-15 US President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy visit Puerto Rico - last official sitting presidential visit until Barack Obama in 2011

Boxing Title Fight

1973-09-01 In his first title defense George Foreman retains his WBC & WBA heavyweight crowns when he KOs Jose "King" Roman of Puerto Rico in round 1 in Tokyo, Japan

Boxing Champion George Foreman

1974-08-04 Crawford-Butler Act allows Puerto Ricans to elect own governor

Ali KOs Coopman

1976-02-20 Muhammad Ali's bout against Belgian boxer Jean Pierre Coopman in San Juan, Puerto Rico is often regarded as a glorified sparring session; Ali wins by 5th round KO

Heavyweight Boxing Champion Muhammad Ali

Sports History

1976-03-06 In his 10th title defense, WBA light welterweight champion Antonio Cervantes of Colombia is beaten by 17-year-old Puerto Rican boxer Wilfred Benítez in a 15-round split decision in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Benitez youngest ever world champion

Boxer Wilfred Benítez

1977-06-04 Violence during Puerto Rican Day in Chicago kills 2
1978-03-22 Karl "The Great" Wallenda, German acrobat (The Flying Wallendas) dies after falling off a tight-rope between two hotels in San Juan, Puerto Rico, at 73
1979-01-14 Puerto Rican boxer Wilfred Benitez beats WBC welterweight champion Carlos Palomino of Mexico in a 15-round split decision in San Juan, Puerto Rico; becomes two-division champion at the age of 20
1979-09-10 3 Puerto Rican nationalists who attempted to kill Truman are freed
1981-05-23 Puerto Rican boxer Wilfred Benítez (22) becomes the youngest 3-division world champion in history by knocking out WBC World Super Welterweight champion Maurice Hope in 12 rounds in Las Vegas
1981-11-14 In the first world championship fight between 2 Puerto Ricans in boxing history, WBC Super Welterweight champion Wilfred Benitez beats Carlos Santos in a 15-round unanimous decision at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas
1982-01-30 WBC super welterweight champion Wilfred Benitez of Puerto Rico defeats boxing legend Roberto Durán of Panama in a 15-round unanimous decision at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas
1984-10-31 Puerto Rican tanker 'San Francisco' explodes spilling 2 million gallons of oil as ship caught fire
1985-07-15 Deborah Carthy-Deu, of Puerto Rico, crowned 34th Miss Universe
1986-12-31 Dupont Plaza Hotel fire in San Juan, Puerto Rico kills 97
1987-01-01 60 bodies recovered in Dupont Plaza Hotel fire in Puerto Rico
1988-11-08 Rafael Fernandez Colón re-elected Governor of Puerto Rico
1989-09-18 Hurricane Hugo causes extensive damage in Puerto Rico
1993-01-25 Puerto Rico adds English as its 2nd official language
1993-05-21 Dayanara Torres, 18, of Puerto Rico, crowned 42nd Miss Universe
1993-11-14 Puerto Rico votes against becoming the 51st US state
1996-11-21 A propane explosion at the Humberto Vidal shoe store and office building in San Juan, Puerto Rico kills 33.

Sports History

1997-03-01 Puerto Rican boxer Héctor Camacho stops Sugar Ray Leonard in 5th round in Atlantic City, NJ to retain IBC middleweight title; only time Leonard's is KO'ed and sends him into permanent retirement

Boxer Sugar Ray Leonard

2001-01-02 Sila Calderón becomes the first female Governor of Puerto Rico.
2005-09-23 FBI killing of Filiberto Ojeda on Plan Bonito Hormigueros, Puerto Rico.
2006-05-01 The Puerto Rican government closes the Department of Education and 42 other government agencies due to significant shortages in cash flow.
2007-11-29 A 7.4 magnitude earthquake occurs off the northern coast of Martinique. This affected the Eastern Caribbean as far north as Puerto Rico and as south as Trinidad.
2012-06-04 MLB Draft: Puerto Rico Academy & HS shortstop Carlos Correa first pick by Houston Astros
2012-06-11 US territory Puerto Rico votes to become a US State
2017-06-05 Puerto Rico declares its Zika virus epidemic over
2017-06-11 Puerto Rico votes overwhelming in favor of statehood in a status referendum with 97% in favor despite a low turnout of 23%
2017-09-20 Hurricane Maria makes landfall on Puerto Rico as a category 4 hurricane, knocking out all power and killing 25

Trump Visits Puerto Rico

2017-10-03 US President Donald Trump visits Puerto Rico after it was devastated by hurricane Maria

45th US President, Businessman and TV Personality Donald Trump

2018-05-29 Death toll on Puerto Rico 70 times higher than official figure, likely 4,600 died from Hurricane Maria according to Harvard University study
2018-08-28 Puerto Rico raises official death toll of 2017 Hurricane Maria from 64 to 2,975
2019-07-21 Puerto Rico's governor Ricardo Rosselló says he won't seek re-election after widespread protests over misogynistic and hom*ophobic comments in his leaked online chats
2019-07-25 Scandal-hit Governor of Puerto Rico Ricardo Rosselló resigns
2019-08-02 Pedro Pierluisi sworn in as new Governor of Puerto Rico replacing Ricardo A. Rosselló
2019-08-07 Wanda Vazquez becomes Puerto Rico's third governor in a week after her predecessor Pedro Pierluisi is removed by the supreme court
2020-01-07 6.4 magnitude earthquake in Puerto Rico, island's largest in a century, followed by many aftershocks kill 1 person and destroy 800 homes

Famous Puerto Ricans

Ángel Cordero Jr.
Bad Bunny
Chi-Chi Rodríguez
Daddy Yankee
José Ferrer
Luis Miguel

Puerto Rico History Timeline - Important Dates (2024)

References