Timeline of Haitian history
This is a timeline of Haitian history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Haiti and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see History of Haiti. See also the list of heads of state of Haïti.
15th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1492 | Christopher Columbus came to the first Spanish community near Cap-Haïtien. |
16th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1503 | The first Africans were brought to Hispaniola as people in the u.s . | |
| 1504 | Queen Anacaona, leader of the last Taino kingdom in Haiti, is executed by Spanish governor. | |
| 1508 | Ferdinand II of Aragon officially established Spain's African slave trade. | |
| 1528 | Don Sebastián Ramirez de Fuente became the first Catholic bishop of the island. | |
17th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1625 | The French settled Tortuga Island and northwestern Hispaniola, naming their colony Saint-Domingue. | |
| 1670 | The city of Cap-Francais was founded on the north coast by French settlers. | |
| 1670 | Louis XIV of France authorized the African slave trade in Saint-Dominque. | |
| 1685 | Louis XIV enacted the Code Noir, regulating slavery in Saint-Domingue and the rest of the French colonial empire. | |
| 1697 | Spain signed the Treaty of Ryswick, under whose terms she ceded the western third of Hispaniola to France. |
18th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1749 | The city of Port-au-Prince was founded by Charles Burnier, Marquis of Larnage and named the capital of Saint-Domingue. | |
| 1751 | Slave rebellions in northern Saint-Domingue, led by François Mackandal, began. | |
| 1758 | Mackandal was captured and publicly executed in Cap-Français. | |
| 1778 | Volunteer Haitian slaves, led by French admiral Count d'Estaing, left for Savannah, Georgia to fight against the British in the American Revolutionary War. | |
| 1791 | 25 February | Vincent Ogé and Jean-Baptiste Chavannes, proponents of equal rights for free blacks and mulattos and leaders of an armed rebellion, were publicly executed in Cap-Français. |
| 7 August | The Conseil des Représentants de la Commune was founded by affranchis to demand equal rights. Pinchinat was named president of the council. | |
| 14 August | Haitian Revolution: Dutty Boukman and Cécile Fatiman held a Vodou ceremony in Bois-Caïman, where hundreds of slaves vowed to die for liberty. | |
| 20 August | A force of Africans and slaves defeated the Europeans near Port-au-Prince. | |
| 22 August | Rebel leader Dutty Boukman was killed in a major revolt led by himself, Jean François, Georges Biassou, and Jeannot. | |
| 24 September | The Concordat de Damiens was signed, granting political rights to the affranchis. | |
| November | The First Civil Commission, comprising Roume, Mirbeck, and Saint-Léger, arrived in Cap-Français to restore order. | |
| 1792 | 4 April | France's Legislative Assembly voted to give full citizenship and equal rights to all free people of color. |
| 18 September | The Second Civil Commission, comprising Léger-Félicité Sonthonax, Étienne Polverel and Ailhaud, arrived in Cap-Français to execute the law of 4 April. | |
| 1793 | 12 April | A force led by the Second Civil Commission and affranchis defeated white colonists in a fight to enforce the law of 4 April. |
| Toussaint Louverture offered his services as a military commander to the Spanish. | ||
| 20 June | French colonial forces, under the authority of the Second Civil Commission, put down a revolt led by François-Thomas Galbaud du Fort. | |
| Henri Christophe was promoted to the captaincy of the French colonial forces, but soon removed when accused of adultery. | ||
| British troops landed in Saint-Domingue. | ||
| June | Toussaint, fighting for Spain, captured the city of Dondon. | |
| 13 August | Toussaint defeated the French general Desfourneaux at Ennery. | |
| 29 August | Sonthonax, without prior approval from the French government, declared the abolition of slavery by decree in northern Saint-Domingue. Polverel soon after does the same for the southern part of Saint-Domingue. | |
| 6 December | Toussaint captured Gonaïves for Spain. | |
| 1794 | 4 February | The French National Convention declared the abolition of slavery in all French colonies, so making the abolition of slavery legal and applying to all of France and its colonies. |
| May | Toussaint left the Spanish and joined the French forces. | |
| 1 June | The British captured Port-au-Prince from Colonel Montbrun of France. | |
| 21 October | Toussaint captured the cities of Saint-Michel and Saint-Raphaël for the French. | |
| 1795 | 13 October | Toussaint captured the city of Dondon a second time, this time for France. |
| 14 October | The Treaty of Bâle was ratified, ending Spain's involvement in the conflict and surrendering the eastern part of Hispaniola to France. | |
| 1796 | 30 March | Toussaint rescued French commander Laveaux from mulatto rebel Villatte; Laveaux appointed Toussaint the Lieutenant-Governor of Saint-Domingue. |
| 11 May | The Third Civil Commission, comprising Sonthonax, Roume, Giraud, Leblanc, and Julien Raymond, arrived in Saint-Domingue to establish diplomatic relations between France and the colony. | |
| 1797 | 1 May | Sonthonax appointed Toussaint the commander-in-chief of the French colonial forces. |
| 1798 | 20 April | General Hédouville arrived in Cap-Français on the orders of the French government in order to oppose the ambition of Toussaint Louverture. |
| 31 August | British general Maitland agreed to evacuate Môle Saint-Nicolas and surrender his troops to Toussaint. | |
| 1799 | 12 January | The generals of the colony – Toussaint, André Rigaud, Bauvais, and Laplume – met in Port-au-Prince and named Toussaint the lead commander. Rigaud surrendered control of the southern cities of Léogâne, Grand-Goâve, Petit-Goâve, and Miragoâne. |
19th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1801 | 27 January | Toussaint invaded the eastern part of Hispaniola and captured Santo Domingo, declaring freedom for all slaves and appointing a ten-member Central Assembly to issue a constitution. |
| 8 July | The Constitution of 1801 was promulgated, under which Toussaint Louverture was to be Governor General for life. | |
| 1802 | 29 January | A French expeditionary force, sent by Napoleon Bonaparte and led by his brother-in-law Charles Leclerc, arrived in Samana Bay. |
| 1 February | French vessels arrived at Cap-Français. | |
| 4 February | Henri Christophe burned Cap-Français to resist the French troops. | |
| 23 February | Battle of Ravine-à-Couleuvres: French forces defeated Toussaint. | |
| March | Toussaint was defeated by French forces. | |
| 4 April | Battle of Crête-à-Pierrot: The battle began. | |
| 24 March | Battle of Crête-à-Pierrot: The battle ended with a French victory over Jean-Jacques Dessalines. | |
| 6 May | Toussaint arrived in Cap-Français to negotiate his surrender to the French. | |
| 7 June | Toussaint was arrested by General Leclerc and shipped to France, where he was imprisoned. | |
| 13 October | Dessalines, now Commander-in-Chief of the revolutionary forces, met with Alexandre Pétion in Haut-du-Cap to plan further military action. | |
| 1 November | Commander of the French forces General Leclerc died of yellow fever. He was succeeded by Donatien-Marie-Joseph de Vimeur, vicomte de Rochambeau. | |
| 1803 | 7 April | Toussaint died in the French prison of Fort de Joux. |
| 18 May | The flag of Haiti was created during a meeting between Dessalines and Pétion in l'Arcahaie and sewn by Catherine Flon. | |
| 18 November | Battle of Vertières: During the last major battle of the revolution, Haitian forces under Dessalines and Pétion defeated the French. | |
| 19 November | French general Rochambeau signs a document of surrender and agrees to evacuate French troops from Saint-Domingue; Rochambeau is later given as a prisoner to the British | |
| 29 November | Dessalines' army arrives in Cap-Français; Christophe and Clerveaux issue a preliminary declaration of independence | |
| 4 December | French forces surrender Môle Saint-Nicolas to Dessalines' army, officially ending French presence on the island | |
| 1804 | 1 January | Dessalines, in Gonaïves, declares Haiti an independent nation and becomes Governor-General |
| February | On the order of Dessalines, the 1804 Haiti Massacre eradicates the white minority of Haiti; the massacre is finally stopped the 22 April. | |
| 22 September | Dessalines proclaims himself Emperor of Haiti | |
| 6 October | Dessalines becomes Emperor Jacques I in a coronation ceremony at Cap-Français | |
| 1805 | 20 May | Dessalines formulates the first constitution of Haiti as an independent country, the Imperial Constitution of 1805 |
| 1806 | 17 October | Dessalines is assassinated at Pont-Rouge by disaffected leaders of his administration |
| 27 December | During a meeting at a cathedral in Port-au-Prince, the Constituent Assembly creates a new constitution and appoints Henri Christophe to a four-year term as President of the Republic of Haiti | |
| 1807 | 1 January | The Battle of Sibert ends with the division of Haiti into the southern Republic of Haiti under Alexandre Pétion and the northern State of Haiti under Christophe |
| 17 February | Henri Christophe names himself President of the State of Haiti; a state council (7 generals and 2 civilians) appointed by Christophe meets in Cap-Haïtien and votes the Constitutional Act of Haiti | |
| 9 March | Pétion is elected President of the Republic of Haiti by the Constituent Assembly under the Constitution of 1806 | |
| 1809 | Napoleon sends a delegation to negotiate France's recognition of Haitian independence; Pétion meets with a French delegate, Dauxion-Lavaysse, and agrees to an indemnity payable to dispossessed French planters | |
| 1811 | 9 March | Pétion is elected to a second four-year term as President of the Republic of Haiti |
| 26 March | Christophe proclaims himself King Henri I of the northern Haitian state, now known as the Kingdom of Haiti | |
| 28 May | The Kingdom of Haiti promulgates the Royal Constitution of Henri I | |
| 2 June | Christophe is crowned as King Henri I in Cap-Haïtien | |
| 1812 | 24 February | The Kingdom of Haiti establishes a civil code, the Henri Code |
| 1814 | November | Christophe refuses to negotiate with French delegate Franco de Medina concerning France's recognition of Haitian independence |
| 1816 | 2 June | Pétion promulgates the Republican Constitution |
| 8 October | Louis XVIII of France sends another delegation to negotiate France's recognition of Haitian independence; Pétion cuts off negotiation, Christophe declines to meet the delegates | |
| 1818 | 29 March | Pétion, President of the Republic of Haiti, dies of fever |
| 30 March | Jean-Pierre Boyer, Chief of the Presidential Guard, is appointed President-for-Life of the Republic of Haiti | |
| 1820 | 8 October | Christophe, King of the northern Haitian state, commits suicide |
| 26 October | Boyer promulgates the Republican Constitution in Christophe's northern state; northern and southern Haiti are unified | |
| 1822 | 9 February | Boyer arrives in Santo Domingo and declares control over the entire island of Hispaniola |
| 1825 | 17 April | King Charles X of France signs an ordinance which conditionally recognizes the independence of Haiti and imposes a 150 million franc indemnity on the Haitian government |
| 3 July | A squadron of French ships arrives in Haiti to deliver the news of Charles X's ordinance of 17 April to President Boyer | |
| 1831 | 22 September | The city of Pétion-Ville, a suburb of Port-au-Prince named for Alexandre Pétion, is founded by Boyer |
| 1838 | Haiti's remaining debt to France, 120 million francs, is reduced to 60 million francs | |
| 1842 | 7 May | An earthquake strikes northern Haiti, destroying the city of Cap-Haïtien |
| 1843 | 13 March | President Boyer is overthrown and flees to Paris in exile |
| 18 September | The Constituent Assembly begins formulating the Constitution of 1843; it will take more than three months to finish | |
| 31 December | The Constitution of 1843 is released and Charles Riviere-Hérard is appointed President of Haiti | |
| 1844 | 28 February | The Dominican Republic declares its independence from Haiti |
| 4 April | The Piquets, peasants of southern Haiti led by Jean-Jacques Acaau, revolt against the government | |
| 3 May | The Piquets force Riviere-Hérard into exile; Philippe Guerrier is appointed President of Haiti | |
| 1845 | 15 April | President Guerrier dies in office; the State Council appoints Jean-Louis Pierrot President of Haiti |
| 1846 | 1 March | President Pierrot is overthrown; Jean-Baptiste Riché becomes President of Haiti |
| 1847 | Haitian historian Thomas Madiou publishes the first volume of his seminal work Histoire d'Haïti ("History of Haiti") | |
| 27 February | President Riché dies in office | |
| 1 March | Faustin Élie Soulouque is elected President of Haiti | |
| 1852 | 18 April | President Faustin Soulouque is crowned Emperor Faustin I of Haiti |
| 1858 | December | Forces led by Fabre Geffrard defeat Emperor Faustin's Imperial Army |
| 1859 | 13 January | Fabre Geffrard is elected President of Haiti |
| 1860 | 28 March | Haiti and the Vatican sign an agreement which divides Haiti into five dioceses |
| 1862 | The United States recognizes Haiti | |
| 15 December | Rhum Barbancourt is first produced | |
| 1865 | Céligny Ardouin's eleven-volume work on the history of Haiti, Essais sur l'Histoire d'Haïti, is published | |
| 1867 | President Geffrard is forced to flee the country | |
| Sylvain Salnave is elected President of Haiti | ||
| The Constitution of 1867 is voted | ||
| 1869 | The National Assembly elects Nissage Saget to a four-year term as President of Haiti after the overthrow of Salnave | |
| 1870 | Haitian writer Demesvar Delorme publishes the essay "Les Théoriciens au Pouvoir", which maintains that political power should be in the hands of the intellectual elite | |
| 1874 | Saget relinquishes the Presidency; the Constituent Assembly elects Michel Domingue as President | |
| President Domingue promulgates the Constitution of 1874 | ||
| 1875 | President Domingue signs a treaty of peace and friendship with the Dominican Republic | |
| 1876 | President Domingue is overthrown; the Constituent Assembly elects Pierre Théoma Boisrond-Canal to a four-year term as President | |
| 1879 | The Constituent Assembly elects Lysius Salomon as President; President Salomon would institute many reforms and pay off Haiti's remaining debt to France for independence | |
| 1880 | The National Bank of Haiti (or Haitian Central Bank) is founded by President Salomon | |
| 1882 | Port-au-Prince and Haiti are dedicated to Our Lady of Perpetual Help during a mass in Bel Air | |
| 1883 | Haitian poet Oswald Durand composes his most famous work, Choucoune | |
| 1884 | Haitian writer Louis-Joseph Janvier publishes the article "L'Egalité des Races", which proclaims the equality of the races | |
| 1885 | Haitian writer Anténor Firmin publishes the book De l'Égalité des Races Humaines, which proclaims the equality of the races | |
| 1888 | President Salomon is overthrown; the Constituent Assembly installs a provisional government | |
| The Constituent Assembly elects François Denys Légitime to the presidency | ||
| 1889 | President Légitime is overthrown; the Constituent Assembly installs a provisional government | |
| The Constituent Assembly elects Florvil Hyppolite to a seven-year term as president | ||
| 1893 | Haitian writer Hannibal Price publishes De la Réhabilitation de la Race Noire par la République d'Haïti ("On the Rehabilitation of the Black Race by the Republic of Haiti") in response to Spenser St. John's Hayti or the Black Republic | |
| 1896 | President Hyppolite dies of a heart attack; Tirésias Simon Sam is elected to a seven-year term as president |
20th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1902 | President Simon Sam resigns; Pierre Nord Alexis becomes president | |
| 1904 | 1 January | Haiti celebrates 100 years of independence |
| The Haitian Football Federation is created | ||
| 1908 | Pierre Nord Alexis withdraws from the presidency; the Constituent Assembly appoints François C. Antoine Simon president | |
| 1911 | President Antoine Simon cedes the presidency to Cincinnatus Leconte | |
| 1912 | 5 August | The Haitian American Sugar Company is founded |
| 8 August | President Leconte and 300 soldiers are killed in an explosion at the National Palace; the Constituent Assembly appoints Tancrède Auguste president | |
| 1913 | President Auguste dies during a visit to northern Haiti | |
| Senator Michel Oreste is elected president by the Constituent Assembly | ||
| 1914 | President Oreste is overthrown and succeeded by Oreste Zamor | |
| President Zamor is overthrown and lost by Joseph Davilmar Théodore | ||
| 1915 | President Théodore resigns and is succeeded by Vilbrun Guillaume Sam. Sam executed 167 political prisoners (including the previous president, Zamor) who were being held in the Port-au-Prince jail. President Sam sought refuge in the French Embassy. He was found by mulatto leaders, dragged out to the street, murdered and cut into small pieces. The parts were paraded throughout the capital. | |
| 28 July | Three thousand United States Marines, led by Admiral William B. Caperton, enter Port-au-Prince; beginning of the 19-year United States occupation of Haiti | |
| 12 August | Senator Philippe Sudré Dartiguenave is elected by the Constituent Assembly to a seven-year term as president | |
| 1919 | 12 April | The Haitian government undertakes a monetary reform with the National Bank of Haiti |
| 31 October | Charlemagne Péralte, leader of the resistance against U.S. occupation, is assassinated | |
| 1920 | Haitian writer Leon Laleau publishes his first compilation of poems, A Voix Basse | |
| 1921 | 24 January | President Dartiguenave addresses United States President Warren G. Harding concerning the needs of the Haitian people |
| 12 April | United States President Harding responds to President Dartiguenave | |
| 1922 | 10 April | Louis Bornó is elected to a four-year term as president by the State Council |
| 15 May | President Dartiguenave's term ends; Louis Bornó is sworn into office | |
| 28 December | The Central School of Agriculture (Ecole Centrale d'Agriculture) is founded in Damien | |
| 1926 | President Bornó is re-elected by the State Council and makes a diplomatic trip to the United States | |
| Haitian writer Leon Laleau publishes his second compilation of poems, La Flèche au Cœur | ||
| 1928 | Haitian writer Jean Price-Mars publishes his acclaimed novel Ainsi Parla l'Oncle ("So spoke the Uncle") | |
| Leon Laleau publishes two more compilations of poems, Le Rayon des Jupes and Abréviations | ||
| 1929 | 21 January | Haiti and the Dominican Republic sign an agreement settling the border between the two countries |
| 1930 | 28 February | The Forbes Commission, sent by U.S. president Herbert Hoover to investigate Haiti's political situation, arrives in the country |
| 21 April | Louis Eugène Roy is designated temporary president by state decree | |
| 18 November | Senator Sténio Vincent is elected to a six-year term as president | |
| 10 December | Fietta, the first Apostolic Nuncio (diplomatic representative of the Roman Catholic Church) to Haiti, arrives in Port-au-Prince | |
| 1931 | Jacques Roumain publishes his acclaimed novel Gouverneurs de la Rosée ("Masters of the Dew") | |
| 5 August | The U.S. agrees to hand over control of the Offices of Public Works, Health, Agriculture and Education to the Haitian government | |
| 15 December | The ceremony commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the dedication of Port-au-Prince to the Virgin Mary, led by Archbishop Joseph Legouaze, began. | |
| 17 December | The anniversary ceremony ended. | |
| 1933 | 7 August | The governments of Haiti and the United States sign an agreement on the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country and the end of the U.S. occupation |
| 18 October | President Vincent of Haiti and President Rafael Leónidas Trujillo of the Dominican Republic meet for diplomatic talks in Ouanaminthe in northeastern Haiti, near the Dominican border | |
| 1934 | 5 July | President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt visits Cap-Haïtien |
| 14 August | Last American forces withdraw from Haiti, ending the U.S. occupation | |
| 21 August | The flag of Haiti is raised at Casernes Dessalines, where it was lowered nineteen years earlier at the start of the U.S. occupation | |
| 1935 | 16 May | A new constitution is released, reinforcing the authority of the executive branch of government and renewing President Sténio Vincent's mandate for five more years |
| 1937 | Between 20,000 and 35,000 Haitians living in the Dominican Republic are massacred by the Dominican armed forces on the orders of President Rafael Trujillo. | |
| 1938 | 18 May | The 135th anniversary of the flag of Haiti is celebrated with athletic festivities at the Champs-de-Mars in Port-au-Prince |
| 1940 | Haiti's national library, the Bibliothèque Nationale d'Haïti is organized | |
| 1941 | 14 April | Élie Lescot is elected to a five-year term as president |
| 15 May | President Vincent's term ends; Élie Lescot takes office | |
| 1944 | 7 May | The Cathedral of Cap-Haïtien is consecrated after 100 years of restoration work |
| 14 May | The Centre d'Art is founded; it exhibits important Haitian art works | |
| 1946 | A military coup forces President Lescot to resign; the newly created Executive Military Committee appoints Dumarsais Estimé president and the 8.1 Ms Dominican Republic earthquake. | |
| 1948 | 16 February | The government-owned tobacco company Régie du Tabac et des Allumettes is founded |
| 1949 | 8 December | The bicentennial of Port-au-Prince's founding is celebrated; a World's Fair, the Exposition internationale du bicentenaire de Port-au-Prince, is held |
| 1950 | 10 May | Dumarsais Estimé relinquishes the presidency and is replaced by a provisional government |
| 8 October | Presidential and legislative elections are held; Colonel Paul Magloire becomes the first president of Haiti to be elected directly by the people, the Delegates, and the Senators | |
| 6 December | Paul Magloire is sworn in as president | |
| 1951 | President Magloire of Haiti and President Trujillo of the Dominican Republic meet for diplomatic talks | |
| The Haitian Institute of Statistics (Institut Haïtien de Statistique) and the Haitian Institute of Farming and Industrial Credit (Institut Haïtien de Crédit Agricole et Industriel) are established by the government | ||
| 1953 | 31 May | Father Rémy Augustin, the first native Haitian bishop, is consecrated at the Cathedral of Port-au-Prince |
| 1954 | 1 January | A celebration commemorating the 150th anniversary of Haiti's independence from France, during which monuments to the "heroes of independence" are inaugurated in Port-au-Prince, began. |
| 4 January | The celebration ended. | |
| 8 October | Hurricane Hazel kills an estimated 1,000 Haitians and desimates the coffee and cocoa crops, affecting the economy for years to come. | |
| 1955 | 26 January | President Magloire and his wife began a trip to the United States, Canada, and Jamaica. |
| 17 February | Magloire's trip ended. | |
| 3 March | Vice-President of the United States Richard Nixon and his wife began a visit to Haiti. | |
| 5 March | Nixon's trip ended. | |
| 1956 | President Magloire relinquishes the presidency; President of the Supreme Court Joseph Nemours Pierre-Louis becomes provisional president of Haiti | |
| 1957 | Franck Sylvain is elected President of Haiti, but is succeeded by a thirteen-member Executive Council of Government | |
| Daniel Fignolé is elected President of Haiti, but is replaced by a Military Council of Government | ||
| 22 October | Dr. François "Papa Doc" Duvalier is elected President of Haiti | |
| 1958 | Duvalier began to attack his opponents violently, driving many of them into exile. | |
| 1964 | Duvalier's reign of terror ended. | |
| The National Assembly votes to accept the Duvalieriste Constitution, establishing Duvalier as President for Life of Haiti | ||
| 1968 | 28 October | François Wolf Ligondé, the first Haitian archbishop, is consecrated at the Cathedral of Port-au-Prince |
| 1970 | Thousands of Haitians began to flee poverty and repression in Haiti by boat, often arriving in south Florida. | |
| 1971 | February | The National Assembly approves an amendment to the constitution, allowing President For Life Duvalier to name his son, Jean-Claude Duvalier, as his successor |
| 21 April | President for Life François Duvalier dies in Port-au-Prince | |
| 22 April | Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier succeeds his father as President for Life | |
| 1974 | The Haiti national football team participates in the FIFA World Cup for the first time | |
| 1977 | 15 August | The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations commission arrives in Haiti; the commission meets with the Haitian government to discuss civil rights in Haiti |
| 1980 | 27 May | President for Life Jean-Claude Duvalier marries Michèle Bennett |
| 1983 | March | Pope John Paul II arrives in Haiti, becoming the first Pope to visit the country |
| 27 August | The constitution is amended, creating the post of State Minister and allowing the President to name his successor | |
| 1985 | 6 June | President for Life Duvalier amends the constitution to allow the creation of the post of Prime Minister of Haiti |
| July | A referendum is approved by 99.48% of voters, allowing political parties to participate in the government and recognizing the Presidency for Life of Jean-Claude Duvalier | |
| July | A constitutional amendment on the Presidency for Life is passed | |
| 28 November | Three schoolboys (Jean-Robert Cius, Daniel Israël, and Mackenson Michel) are killed during an anti-government demonstration in Gonaïves | |
| 1986 | 31 January | Rumors spread through Port-au-Prince that President Duvalier has fled the country |
| 3 February | President Duvalier and members of his cabinet visit commercial and residential areas of Port-au-Prince as a show of power | |
| 7 February | President Jean-Claude Duvalier flees Haiti for Talloires, France; the National Council of Government (Conseil National de Gouvernement, CNG) is established, led by General Henri Namphy; the Legislative Chamber and Duvalier's armed forces, Volontaire Sécurité Nationale, are dissolved | |
| 25 February | The original blue and red flag of Haiti is raised at the National Palace, replacing the black and red flag of the Duvalier regime | |
| March | Former President of Haiti Daniel Fignolé returns to Haiti; a second version of the CNG is formed, consisting of Henri Namphy, Williams Régala, and Jacques François | |
| 20 March | More than two thousand students and public transportation drivers of Carrefour demonstrate against the CNG | |
| 26 April | Eight people are killed in an attack by armed groups on Fort-Dimanche | |
| 19 October | Forty-one people are elected to a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution, the CNG appoints twenty more constituents for a total of sixty-one | |
| 1987 | 10 March | The constituent assembly presents the new constitution, written in both French and Haitian Creole, to President of the CNG Henri Namphy |
| 29 March | The new constitution is ratified by referendum; the results of 215 voting places show an approximately 99.81% approval rate | |
| 13 May | The CNG publishes a decree electing the members of the Provisional Electoral Council (Conseil Electoral Provisoire, CEP) | |
| 22 May | The CEP proclaims itself independent from the CNG | |
| 5 June | The CEP delivers the text of the electoral law to the Minister of Justice | |
| July | Large landowners (grandons) massacre hundreds of peasants demanding land in Jean-Rabel | |
| 17 July | During a ceremony at the Military Academy, the Armed Forces of Haiti swear allegiance to the new 1987 constitution | |
| 29 November | At the Haitian presidential election, 1987 a massacre of voters takes place; the elections are suspended and General Namphy dissolves the CEP | |
| 10 December | General Namphy sets 17 January 1988 as the new election date; the CNG elects a new Provisional Electoral Council (Conseil Electoral Provisoire, CEP) | |
| 1988 | January | Christian Democrat Leslie Manigat is elected in military-run elections boycotted by the Haitian people and most candidates. In June he is overthrown in a military coup by Gen. Henri Namphy. In September, shortly after the St Jean Bosco massacre, Namphy is overthrown by Gen. Prosper Avril. |
| 1990 | January | President/General Prosper Avril declares a state of siege in January. |
| March | Rising protests convince Avril to resign. A Provisional Government led by Supreme Court Justice Ertha Pascal-Trouillot is formed. | |
| 16 December | Democratic elections take place. Father Jean-Bertrand Aristide, well known throughout the country for his support of the poor, is elected President with 67.5% of the counted popular vote. The "U.S. favorite" Marc Bazin finishes a distant second with 14.2% . | |
| 1991 | January | A coup by former Tonton Macoutes head Roger Lafontant is foiled after tens of thousands pour into the streets of the capital, surrounding the National Palace. |
| 7 February | Aristide is sworn in as president. | |
| 30 September | A military coup deposes Aristide, who goes into exile first in Venezuela, then in the United States. | |
| Thousands of Haitians begin to flee violence and repression in Haiti by boat. Although most are repatriated to Haiti by the U.S. government, many enter the United States as refugees. | ||
| 1994 | September | The de facto military government resigns at the request of the United States in September, which then sends in troops to occupy Haiti. This occupation is sanctioned by the United Nations. |
| 15 October | The U.S. returns Aristide as president. | |
| 1995 | The U.S. nominally hands over military authority to the United Nations but maintains effective control of the occupation. Aristide dissolves the Haitian army. | |
| December | Former prime minister René Préval is elected president. | |
| 1996 | 7 February | Aristide leaves office and is succeeded by René Préval. |
| 2000 | May | Legislative, municipal and local elections are held. The OAS disputes how the sovereign electoral council calculates the run-offs for eight Senate seats. |
| November | Aristide is reelected for a second five-year term with 92% of the vote in elections boycotted by the opposition. The last UN peacekeeping forces withdraw from Haiti. |
21st century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Aristide succeeds Préval for a second five-year term. For the next two years, and with Washington's support, Aristide's opponents use the OAS challenge to the 2000 elections to increase economic and political instability. Former Haitian soldiers carry out guerrilla attacks, primarily along the Dominican border and in the capital. | |
| 2004 | Haiti's 200th anniversary of independence. | |
| 4 February | A revolt breaks out in the city of Gonaïves, with a local militia hostile to Aristide capturing the city and driving out the police force. | |
| 22 February | Rebels capture Haiti's second-largest city, Cap-Haïtien, after just a few hours of fighting, claiming their biggest prize in a two-week uprising that has driven government forces from most of the country's north. | |
| 29 February | Aristide resigns from office and flees Haiti aboard a U.S. military aircraft to South Africa. Boniface Alexandre is inaugurated as interim president. Aristide later claims that he was forced from office and kidnapped by the U.S. government. | |
| March | UN Resolution 1529 authorizes a three-month multinational interim peacekeeping force. It consists of troops from France, Canada, Chile and the U.S. | |
| September | Hurricane Jeanne kills over 1,900 people. | |
| 2006 | February | René Préval is elected president, defeating U.S.-backed and other candidates in an election overseen by U.N. peacekeepers |
| 2008 | April | Riots break out in Les Cayes and Port-au-Prince over high food prices, forcing the ouster of Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis. |
| August | Tropical Storm Fay, Hurricane Gustav, Tropical Storm Hanna and Hurricane Ike strike within a month, leaving nearly 800 people dead and wiping out a quarter of the economy. (to September) | |
| November | The Pétion-Ville school collapse and the Grace Divine School collapse. | |
| 2009 | May | Former U.S. President Bill Clinton is appointed U.N. special envoy to Haiti. He is tasked with reinvigorating the country's moribund economy after the 2008 storms. |
| 2010 | 12 January | A major earthquake, 7.0 on the moment magnitude scale, kills over 230,000 and causes massive damage to buildings and infrastructure in Port-au-Prince. |
| 2016 | 4 October | Hurricane Matthew makes landfall on the peninsula of the nation as a category 4, killing over 700 (although estimates place the toll at ~1,600) and causing massive damage in its wake |
See also
References
- Schutt-Ainé, Patricia (1994). Haiti: A Basic Reference Book. Miami, Florida: Librairie Au Service de la Culture. pp. 25–58. ISBN 0-9638599-0-0.
 Years in Haiti (1804–present) | |
|---|---|
| 19th century |
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| 20th century |
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| 21st century | |
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