Historical Timeline of Guyana's History

4000BC Approximate date of the earliest petroglyphs found in central Guyana

1498 Christopher Columbus sights the Guianas

1570's Non-Spanish Europeans begin to explore the Guianas

1581 Dutch begin settling on the Pomeroon River

1595 Sir Walter Raleigh explores Guyana in search of El Dorado, a prince who wore gold dust in a city of incredible gold riches

1613 Dutch establish Kyk-over-al at the confluence of Essequibo, Mazaruni and Cuyuni rivers

1621 Establishment of the Dutch West Indian Company. Abraham Van Pere starts Dutch colonisation of Berbice.

1630's-40's Establishment of Dutch outposts for trading indigenous items like cotton, tobacco, annatto, hammocks in exchange for European manufactured goods; Dutch extend economic activity to include tobacco, coffee and cotton cultivation; slave trade emerges under the Dutch West India Company

1650's Dutch officially permit private persons distinct from the Company to settle in Essequibo, leading to an influx of Dutch settlers and sugar cultivation for export

1665-67 English attack the Dutch settlements of Kyk-over-al (See Over All) and the Pomeroon

1689 French attack Berbice and Pomeroon

1708-12 French attack Dutch settlements and demand heavy ransom

1718 Emergence of Council of Policy and Justice; becomes the most important political institution

1730's More cultivation of coastal areas for sugar, cotton and coffee

1744-45 Dutch colonization of Demerara under Commander Laurens Storm van Gravesande.

1750's Influx of Englishmen from Barbados and Antigua into Demerara; Demerara industries of sugar, coffee and cotton dominate.

1763 Major slave up-rising in Berbice led by Cuffy

1774 Stabroek emerges as the capital of Demerara

1781 British temporarily seize all 3 of the Dutch colonies - Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice

1783 French temporarily seize the colonies

1796 British temporarily seize the colonies

1803 Final British conquest of colonies

1814 Formal Dutch cession of the colonies to the British at the Treaty of Paris

1831 British unification of the three colonies - British Guiana is established; Stabroek renamed Georgetown and becomes the colonial capital; Sir Benjamin Durban named first Governor of British Guiana

1834 Abolition of Slavery in British colonies (Apprenticeship Period 1834-1838)

1835 Portuguese indentured labourers start arriving

1838 Asian Indian indentured labourers start arriving; termination of the Apprenticeship System

1840's Movement of ex-slaves from the plantations; emergence of villages and rise of peasantry

1853 Chinese indentured labourers start arriving

1856 The Angel Gabriel Riots (Portuguese).

1870 The "discovery" of Kaieteur Falls by Mr. Barrington Browne

1870's Gold found in interior and riverain areas; modernization of the sugar industry.

1876 Compulsory Education Bill

1890's Gradual emergence of Indian village settlements; emergence of rice industry

1891 Constitutional change

1899 British Guiana / Venezuela boundary arbitration

1917 Award (Boundary Settlement); termination of the First Trade Union in Guyana - the British Labour Union; union was headed by Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow, who became known as the Father of the Trade Union Movement in Guyana

1928 Emergence of the Crown Colony Form of Government of Policy and Combined Court that replaced Legislative and Executive Councils

1930's Working class protests in Guyana.

1939 Moyne Commission of Inquiry

1946 Formation of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC)

1948 Five sugar workers, killed by colonial police; they become known as the "Enmore Martyrs".

1950 Formation of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) under Dr. Cheddi Jagan and Mr. Forbes Burnham

1953 PPP wins the General Elections; British Government suspends the Constitution and effectively overthrows the legally elected government

1955 The PPP splits into two groups - one led by Jagan, the other by Burnham

1957 Burnham's PPP splinter group renamed the Peoples National Congress (PNC)

1961 PPP wins the elections

1964-68 Social and political instability; racial unrests etc. due to Kaldor Budget and Labour Relations Bill; new system of elections established - proportional representation

26 May 1966 Independence from the United Kingdom

1970 Guyana becomes Co-Operative Republic of Guyana

1973 PNC returns to office

1976 Nationalization of Bookers Holdings in Guyana

1978 Jonestown Massacre, the suicide/murder of more than 900 members of Jim Jones' People's Temple and murder of members of US inspection team investigating the cult

1980 PNC returned to Office; Forbes Burnham becomes the First Executive President of Guyana

1980's Country begins severe and economic crisis; icreased migration to Caribbean, Venezuela and North America; beginning of heavy dependence on international lending agencies, such as International Monetary Fund and World Bank

1985 President Burnham dies while undergoing surgery; Hugh Desmond Hoyte succeeds Burnham as President; PNC returned to office in highly controversial elections

1989 Economic crisis worsens; President Hoyte embarks on an Economic Recovery Programme

1991 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grows after 15 years of decline

1992 International observers led by former US President Jimmy Carter witness the first "truly democratic" elections in Guyana; PPP/CIVIC (party coalition) wins and Dr. Cheddi Jagan is elected President

1990's New government embarks upon a programme of rebuilding

1997 President Jagan dies and Prime Minister Samuel Hinds becomes President in accordance with constitution; in December elections. Janet Jagan, US-born wife of Jagan, elected as President

1999 Janet Jagan resigns due to poor health, and is succeeded by Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo

2001 President Jagdeo re-elected