1848 Slavery is abolished in Martinique.
1891 Major hurricane strikes Martinique, leaving 700 dead.
1902 In Martinique, Mount Pelée erupts, destroying the town of Saint-Pierre and killing over 30,000 people. Only a handful of residents survive the blast.
1946 French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion become overseas ''départements'' of France.
2007 A 7.4 magnitude earthquake occurs off the northern coast of Martinique. This affected the Eastern Caribbean as far north as Puerto Rico and as far south as Trinidad.