1494    Christopher Columbus lands in Jamaica.

1494    Christopher Columbus lands on the island of Jamaica and claims it for Spain.

1655    England, with troops under the command of Admiral William Penn and General Robert Venables, annexes Jamaica from Spain.

1692    Port Royal, Jamaica, is hit by a catastrophic earthquake; in just three minutes, 1,600 people are killed and 3,000 are seriously injured.

1865    Paul Bogle led hundreds of black men and women in a march in Jamaica, starting the Morant Bay rebellion.

1962    Jamaica becomes independent.

1962    Burundi, Jamaica, Rwanda and Trinidad and Tobago are admitted to the United Nations.

1966    Rastafari movement: Haile Selassie of Ethiopia visits Jamaica, an event now celebrated as Grounation Day.

1988    Hurricane Gilbert devastates Jamaica; it turns towards Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula 2 days later, causing an estimated $5 billion in damage.