Haiti Timeline

1492 Dec 5 Christopher Columbus Arrives at, and Names, Island of Hispaniola
The recorded history of Haiti began on December 5, 1492 when the European navigator Christopher Columbus happened upon a large island in the region of the western Atlantic Ocean that late...
1496 Founding of Santo Domingo, First European Settlement in Western Hemisphere
Before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492, the Taíno people populated the island they called Quisqueya (mother of all lands) and Ayiti (land of high mountains), which Columbus na...
1697 Sep 20 Signing of the Treaty of Ryswick
The Treaty of Ryswick or Ryswyck was signed on 20 September 1697 and named after Ryswick (now known as Rijswijk) in the Dutch Republic. The treaty settled the Nine Years' War, which pitte...
1743 May 20 Toussaint L'ouverture Is Born
François-Dominique Toussaint L'ouverture Fr-François-Dominique Toussaint L'Ouverture.ogg pronunciation (help·info), also Toussaint Bréda, Toussaint-Louverture (May 20, 1743–April 8, 1803)...
1791 Aug 22 Haitian Revolution Begins with Uprising by Slaves of Saint-Domingue
Guillaume Raynal attacked slavery in the 1780 edition of his history of European colonization. He also predicted a general slave revolt in the colonies, saying that there were signs of “t...
1801 Jul 8 L'ouverture Promulgates the Haitian Constitution of 1801
The great hero of the Haitian Revolution and a man considered one of the great revolutionaries and generals in his own time throughout America and Europe, was François Dominique Toussain...
1802 Oct After Initially Fighting with France Against the Rebellion, Dessalines and Pétion Switch Sides and Fight for Haiti's Freedom
For a few months the island was quiet under Napoleonic rule. But when it became apparent that the French intended to re-establish slavery (because they did so on Guadeloupe), Dessalines a...
1803 Apr 8 Toussaint L'ouverture Dies
François-Dominique Toussaint L'ouverture Fr-François-Dominique Toussaint L'Ouverture.ogg pronunciation (help·info), also Toussaint Bréda, Toussaint-Louverture (May 20, 1743–April 8, 1803)...
1804 Jan 1 Jean Jacques Dessalines Declares Haiti's Independence with Himself as Emperor
On January 1, 1804 Dessalines then declared independence, reclaiming the indigenous Taíno name of Haiti ("Land of Mountains") for the new nation. Most of the remaining French colonists fl...
1806 Oct 17 Assassination of Jean Jacques Dessalines
In January 1804, Dessalines, preferring Napoleon’s style rather than the more liberal yet vulnerable type of political government of the French Republican Radicals (see liberalism and rad...
1822 Feb 9 Jean-Pierre Boyer Invades Dominican Republic and Succeeds in Uniting Island of Hispaniola
After promising protection to several Dominican frontier governors and securing their allegiance, Boyer invaded the Dominican Republic with a force of 50,000 soldiers in February 1822. Th...
1825 Jul 11 Jean-Pierre Boyer Agrees to Payment of Crippling Financial Indemnities to France in Exchange for Haiti's Recognition as an Independent Country
Boyer was anxious to remove the threat of France and opened negotiations. An agreement was reached on July 11, 1825, when (with fourteen French warships off Port-au-Prince) Boyer signed a...
1844 Feb 27 Trinitarios Declare the Independence of the Dominican Republic from Haiti
In 1838 Juan Pablo Duarte founded a secret society called La Trinitaria, which sought the complete independence of Santo Domingo without any foreign intervention. Ramón Matías Mella and F...
1889 Jul 1 Douglass is Appointed U.S. Minister Resident and Consul General, Republic of Haiti
Frederick Douglass arrived in Port-au-Prince on this day to serve as U.S. Minister to Haiti. Appointed by President William Henry Harrison, Douglass was minister to Haiti until 1891. Dou...
1893 Jan 2 Douglass Delivers Speech at the World's Fair
"We should not forget that the freedom you and I enjoy to-day… is largely due to the brave stand taken by the black sons, of Haiti ninety years ago…striking for their freedom, they struck ..." —Frederick Douglass, "Lecture on Haiti" address delivered at the dedication of the Haitian Pavilion at the World's Fair
1915 Jul
to 1934 Aug
United States Occupation of Haiti
In an effort to limit German influence, in 1910-11 the State Department backed a consortium of American investors, assembled by the National City Bank of New York, in acquiring control of...
1915 Jul 28 United States Begins Occupation of Haiti
American President Woodrow Wilson sent 330 U.S. Marines to Port-au-Prince on July 28, 1915. The specific order from the Secretary of the Navy to the invasion commander, Admiral William De...
1918 Jul 12 Haiti Declares War on Germany
A month after the United States declared war Haitian President Sudre Dartiguenave asked the Haitian Congress for a declaration of war because of the destruction by a German submarine of a...
1934 Aug 15 US Ends Occupation of Haiti, but Retains Control of Its External Finances
In 1930, Sténio Vincent, a long-time critic of the occupation, was elected President. By 1930, President Herbert Hoover had become concerned about the effects of the occupation, partic...
1954 Oct 5
to 1954 Oct 18
 Hurricane Hazel
Leaving a death toll in Hati of more than 200 and an injured list of at least 500, according to unofficial reports reaching here, Hurricane Hazel moved toward the island of Mayaguana in t...
1957 Oct 22 François "Papa Doc" Duvalier is Elected President of Haiti by a Vote of 1,320,748 to Zero
Magloire resigned the presidency in December, 1956, leaving Haiti to be ruled by a succession of provisional governments. Through an election viewed as rigged by the Army (FADH), Duvalier...
1964 Jun 14 "Papa Doc" Duvalier Declares Himself President for Life
On June 14, 1964, a referendum was held on whether Duvalier should be made President for Life; 2.8 million people voted "yes," and only 3,234 voted "no." His government was soon accused o...
1971 Apr 21 "Papa Doc" Duvalier Dies, and is Immediately Succeeded by His Son, Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier
The first few years after Jean-Claude Duvalier's installation as Haiti's ninth president-for-life were a largely uneventful extension of his father's rule. Jean-Claude was a feckless, d...
1986 Feb 7 Jean-Claude Duvalier Leaves Haiti for France to Live in Forced Exile
In January 1986, the Reagan administration began to pressure Duvalier to renounce his rule and to leave Haiti. Representatives appointed by Jamaican prime minister Edward Seaga served as ...
1988 Feb 7 Leslie Manigat Elected President of Haiti in Military-Run Elections
Leslie François Manigat (born August 13, 1930 in Port-au-Prince) was elected president of Haiti by a tightly controlled military held election in January 1988. According to the Provisi...
1988 Jun 20 Leslie Manigat Overthrown in Military Coup Months After Being Elected
Mr Manigat is an international affairs expert who graduated from the Political Studies Institute of Paris and studied history at Sorbonne University. He became president in 1988, but w...
1991 Feb 7 Jean-Bertrand Aristide Becomes President of Haiti
Following the violence at the abortive national elections of 1987, the 1990 elections were approached with caution. Aristide announced his candidacy for the presidency and following a six...
1991 Sep 30 Jean-Bertrand Aristide Ousted from Presidency in Military Coup
On September 30, 1991, after his own government, led by Prime Minister René Préval, failed a non-confidence vote by the FNCD-controlled parliament, Aristide attempted to rule alone. The a...
1994 Sep 18 President Bill Clinton Announces Haitian Military Regime's Decision to Surrender Power in the Face of Imminent US Invasion
In December 1990, the former priest Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected President in the Haitian general election, winning by more than two thirds of the vote. His 5 year mandate began on ...
1994 Sep 19
to 1995 Mar 31
 Operation Uphold Democracy
Operation Uphold Democracy (September 19, 1994 – March 31, 1995) was a response to the overthrow and expulsion of the duly elected government of Haiti by a military coup. The operation...
1999 Jan 11 President René Préval Dissolves Haitian Parliament
"On January 11th, I said that we recognized that the term of some of the Parliamentarians was finished. Some of you were in shock. Many citizens of good faith did not understand and were a..." —René Préval
2000 Nov 26 Jean-Bertrand Aristide Re-elected President of Haiti
Haiti's general elections of 2000 featured elections for the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate on May 21, as well as a presidential race in November. Although the legislative elections i...
2003 Apr 4 Voodoo Recognized as an Official National Religion of Haiti
Vodou is henceforth to be fully recognised as a religion, empowered to fulfil its mission throughout the country consistent with the constitution and the laws of the Republic, pending the...
2004 Feb 29 Jean-Bertrand Aristide is Ousted from Power in Coup d'État
The 2004 Haiti rebellion was a coup d'etat that happened after conflicts that occurred for several weeks in Haiti during February 2004. It resulted in the premature end of President Jean-...
2006 Sep 11 Haitian Gang Members Begin Surrender of Guns in Exchange for Grants and Job Training through U.N.-Led Program
Three gang members surrendered their guns Monday in the first handover of weapons in a U.N.-led effort to disarm hundreds of Haitian criminals. The men held the guns above their heads...
2008 Apr 12 Haitian Senators Fire Prime Minister after a Weeklong Food Riots
Sixteen of 17 senators at a special session voted against Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis, an ally President Rene Preval placed at the head of a coalition cabinet in June 2006 that ...
2008 Aug 15
to 2008 Aug 27
 Tropical Storm Fay
Tropical Storm Fay was a tropical storm and the sixth named storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. Fay formed from a vigorous tropical wave on August 15 over the Dominican Republic....
2008 Aug 25
to 2009 Sep 4
 Hurricane Gustav
Hurricane Gustav was the second most destructive hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm was the seventh tropical cyclone, third hurricane, and second major hurricane o...
2008 Aug 28
to 2008 Sep 7
 Hurricane Hanna (2008)
Hurricane Hanna was the deadliest storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm was the eighth tropical cyclone and fourth hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. It for...
2008 Nov 7 Pétionville School Collapse
About 50 schoolchildren and teachers were killed when a shantytown grade school packed with hundreds of students collapsed during classes, a government official said. The three-story L...
2010 Jan 12
4:53PM
 A 7.0 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Haiti, Causing Severe Damage
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake that occurred approximately 10 miles (16 km) from Port-au-Prince, Haiti at 4:53:09 PM local time (21:53:09 UTC) on Tuesday 12 J...
2010 Jan 13 Commentator Keith Olbermann Slams Conservative Talk Show Hosts for Haiti Comments
TV preacher Pat Robertson’s recent callous comments about Haiti have attracted quite a bit of attention. Once again, Robertson has stuck his foot firmly into his mouth. Americans Unite...
2010 Jan 13 Haitian Prime Minister Jean Max Bellerive Estimates Over 100,000 Dead from Earthquake
As he toured the devastated capital Port-au-Prince overnight Prime Minister Jean Max Bellerive said the death toll could be enormous. "I believe that we are well over 100,000," he said...
2010 Jan 13 Pat Robertson Claims Haiti's Problems Divine Retribution for Pact with Devil
Evangelical broadcaster Pat Robertson says Haiti has been "cursed" because of what he called a "pact with the devil" in its history. His spokesman said the Wednesday comments were bas...
2010 Jan 13 Rush Limbaugh Accuses Obama of Political Opportunism in Sending Aid to Haiti Following Devastating Earthquake
The radio-man Rush Limbaugh makes harsh and racial comments about affected people of Haiti earthquake. He went on-air to criticize American President Barack Obama for his quick response t...
2010 Jan 14 Massive International Relief Begins to Arrive in Haiti Following Devastating Earthquake
International aid agencies report emergency operations for earthquake victims in Haiti are slowly gathering steam. But, they say they are working under severe constraints and it will tak...
2010 Jan 14 MTV Networks Anounces Star-Studded 'Hope for Haiti' Telethon
Hollywood superstar George Clooney is organising a marathon for Haitian earthquake relied and is calling on his A-list colleagues to join him, MTV Networks said Thursday. MTV gave no d...
2010 Jan 15 Exiled Former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide States Desire to Return Home to Help with Earthquake Relief
Controversial former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide says he would like to return home to assist in rebuilding Haiti in the wake of this week's earthquake. The former Haitian le...
2010 Jan 15 US Red Cross Cell Phone Campaign Donations Reach 8 Million Dollar Mark
A mobile phone campaign initiated by the U.S. Red Cross to raise money for victims of Haiti's devastating 7.0 earthquake has netted $8 million. The White House on Friday confirmed the new...
2010 Jan 16 Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush Launch the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund
Reporting from Washington -- Three presidents from opposing parties stood united outside the White House this morning to signal the launch of an aggressive private fundraising drive for t...