TURKS AND CAICOS TIMELINE OF SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL EVENTS
First collated and published by Ad Vantage Ltd. in 1994. Updated January 2007 by 'Where When How - Turks & Caicos Islands' staff |
|
| First evidence of Lucayan ceremonial and trading center activities on the Caicos Islands, particularly Middle Caicos and on Grand Turk. |
|
750-1500 AD |
| Pottery shards, evidence of bead making and round holed conch are discovered on Grand Turk in 1989, in the remants of a Lucayan village. The Tainos are said to be the earliest inhabitants of the Islands and were eventually replaced by another Indian people, the Lucayans. |
1300s |
| Christopher Columbus lands at Guanahani Beach, Grand Turk. He finds a settlement of Lucayan Indians. He anchors off the west end of Provo at Malcolm Roads and briefly explores. |
1492 |
| Ponce de Leon, (of "Fountain of Youth" fame) passes by the Caicos Islands on his way to Bimini. |
1512 |
| The Ship, “Nuestra Senora” sunk north of Puerto Plata. An estimated 1,000 shipwrecks surround the Turks and Caicos Islands. Only two shipwrecks are recorded, the Molasses Reef Shipwreck and the Endymion. |
1641 |
| Bermuda freely enjoyed raking salt from the Turks Islands. |
1670s |
| Treasure of gemstones, gold and silver in excess of $600,000 is recovered from the Silver Shoals by Sir William Phipps. |
1687 |
| Turks Islands captured by the French and Spanish. |
1706 |
| Turks Islands recaptured by Bermuda. |
1710 |
| Anne Bonny and Mary Read capture Spanish treasure ship and settle on Parrot Cay. |
1718 |
| Francoise L’Olonnois occasionally used French Cay as his pirate base for raiding passing ships. |
1720s |
| Grand Turk is seasonally occupied by 1,000 men raking salt, fishing for turtle and wreck diving. In 1967, Andrew Symmer, who was appointed as the first King's Agent on Grand Turk, set up a code of regulations around salt raking. |
1725 |
| Bermudian sloops ignore Royal Navy blockade and ship salt to Washington’s army. |
1776 |
| French seize Grand Turk. Horatio Nelson tries unsuccessfully to capture Grand Turk. Islands are restored to Britain by the Treaty of Versailles. |
1783 |
Loyalist refugees begin to arrive in the Caicos Islands.
 |
1789 |
| Land on Providenciales, Middle Caicos, North Caicos and Parrot Cay granted to British Loyalists. |
1790 |
| Grand Turk becomes Port of Entry and Customs are set up here instead of Nassau. |
1792 |
| Haitian revolution. |
1797 |
| Britain decides in favor of Bahama rule for the TCI. Most residents are Bermudian and resist rule from the Bahamas. |
1799 |
Settlers set up cannons at Fort George Cay in anticipation of attack by pirate and American ships. War in America led to suspension of trade and famine in the Islands.  |
1812 |
| Hurricane forced Loyalists to other British Islands and Canada, a few took their slaves to Grand Turk. |
1813 |
| Hundreds of slaves from the TCI flee to freedom in Haiti. |
1821 |
| All British Colony slaves are granted freedom. |
1834 |
| Bambarra on Middle Caicos settled by survivors of a Spanish slave shipwreck the “Gambia.” |
1842 |
| First newspaper published, “Turks Island Gazette & Commercial Reporter.” |
1845 |
| Turks Island Whaling Company is formed and harpoons first whale off East Ambergris Cay. |
1846 - 1883 |
| Queen Victoria grants a royal charter. The TCI becomes independent colony. |
1848 - 1873 |
| English Captain Delaney recovers $130,000 in pirate treasure at Sand Cay. |
1850 |
| Grand Turk Lighthouse constructed. |
1852 |
“Waterloo” built in 1815, was acquired for the Governor’s residence.  |
1857 |
| “The Great Bahama Hurricane” devastates TCI and entire Bahama chain. |
1866 |
| TCI annexed to Jamaica who provided medical and technical assistance and substantial grants following hurricanes. |
1874 |
| First telegraph cable, Bermuda to Grand Turk to Jamaica. First fire engine. |
1898 |
| Theodore DeBooy of the Heye Museum of American Indians visited and collected archeological specimens. |
1911 |
| “Bahama Passage” starring Madeleine Carrol and Sterling Hayden filmed at Salt Cay. |
1941 |
| US Coast Guard installs submarine tracking base on South Caicos. |
WWII |
| First commercial flight to TCI. |
1948 |
| US missile tracking station established on Grand Turk. Closed down 1981. |
1950 |
| Hurricane Donna devastates all agriculture. |
1960 |
| Jamaica became independent but TCI wished to remain a British Crown Colony. |
1962 |
| Astronaut John Glenn first touched land on Grand Turk after his first space flight. |
1962 |
| In exchange for 4,000 acres, Provident Ltd. begins to develop Providenciales. They construct an airstrip, build link roads between the three settlements and build a 10 room hotel, the Third Turtle. The first car arrives on Providenciales. |
1966 |
| Airport opens on Provo. |
1968 |
| Meridian Club on Pine Cay is established. |
1973 |
| Burt Webber discovers millions in treasure on the Silver Shoals. |
1978 |
| Treasure hunting company located remains of 16th century wreck on Molasses Reef. |
1980 |
| Barclays opens bank on Provo. |
1981 |
| Scotiabank opens on Grand Turk, opens on Provo in 1988. |
1982 |
| Club Med Turkoise opens. |
1984 |
| The Conch Farm begins commercial farming of conch. |
1984 |
| Cable television introduced to Providenciales. |
1985 |
| Bi-Weekly newspaper "The Free Press" begins publication. |
1990 |
| Rocky, Missie and Silver, captive Bottlenose Dolphins, are released off West Caicos. |
1991 |
| Coralie site, oldest archeological site in the Bahama archipelago, discovered. |
1992 |
| Provo Golf Club opens. |
1992 |
| First Turks and Caicos Monthly tourist destination guide book Where When How - Turks and Caicos Islands begins publication. |
1994 |
| Taino canoe paddle found in North Creek, Grand Turk. One of only two found in Bahama chain, dated @ 1150AD. |
1997 |
| Grand Turk Cruise Centre opens on Grand Turk welcoming Carnival Cruise Lines, Radisson Seven Seas, Crystal, Silverseas and Oceania Cruises. |
2006 |