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
Caparra Founded
1508-08-08 Spaniard Juan Ponce de León founds Caparra the first European settlement in Puerto Rico
- 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
- 1899-04-11 Treaty of Paris ratifies ends war; Spain cedes Puerto Rico to US
- 1900-04-12 The US Congress passes the Foraker Act, establishing Puerto Rico as an unincorporated territory (effective 1 May)
- 1904-01-04 In 'Gonzales v Williams', the US Supreme Court rules that Puerto Ricans are not aliens and may not be refused admission into continental United States; not until 1917 will citizenship rights be granted
First Foreign Presidential Trip
1906-11-09 Theodore Roosevelt is 1st US President to visit another country (Puerto Rico and Panama)
- 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)
Attempt to Assassinate US President
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]
- 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
- 1964-02-03 Black & Puerto Rican students boycott NYC public schools
- 1966-08-15 Puerto Rican champion José Torres beats American Eddie Cotton on points in Las Vegas to retain the WBC/WBA light-heavyweight boxing title
- 1967-11-25 Puerto Rico placed on Atlantic Standard Time
- 1969-01-02 Luis Ferré becomes the first statehooder Governor of Puerto Rico
- 1972-04-01 30,000 attend Mar Y Sol rock concert, Vega Baja, Puerto Rico
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
- 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
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
- 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
- 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
- 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 homophobic 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