Timeline of the Dominican Republic

2600 BC Chr .: Settlement of the island by Arawak Indians (Taino, Marcories)
1492: Columbus lands on the north coast
1496: Founding of Santo Domingo
1512: Founding of Santo Tomás, the first university in the New World
1586: Occupation of the city by Francis Drake
1673: Destruction of Santo Domingo by an earthquake
1821: Santo Domingo declares its independence from Spain
1844: Declaration of Independence of the Republic by Pablo Duarte
1905: The US will take over customs administration.
1907: Financial control by the USA
1930: Rafael Trujillo came to power through a coup d'état.
1965: US intervention
1979: Severe cyclones devastate the country
1982: The death of the still-serving President Autovio Guzman Fernandez raises several questions. He died under mysterious circumstances – car accident or suicide?
1986: Joaquin Balaguer (PR) wins the election for the fifth time. He is subsequently re-elected as President of the Republic.
1996: The Joaquin Balaguer era has come to an end. Leonel Fernandes (PLD) will govern from August 16th.
2000: Hipolito Mejia (PRD party) will be president.
2004 and 2008: New elections – Leonel Fernandez will be president again
2012-2020: President Danilo Medina
Since 2020: President Luis Abinader