Time Line
- 160 million years ago - Madagascar is born as it separates from the African mainland
- 80 million years ago - Madagascar breaks away from India
- 800-900 AD - Arab merchants begin trading along the northern coast
- August 10, 1500 - Portuguese sea captain Diogo Dias becomes first European to land on Madagascar after he is blown off course on the way to India. He named the island St. Lawrence.
- late 1600s through the early 1700s - pirates ruled the eastern coast of the island
- 1700s - the Sakalava of the western coast establish the first kingdom which extended from Tulear in the south to Diego Suarez in the north.
- 1810-1828 - Radama I, a Merina king who has help from the British, unifies most of the country save for the Sakalava kingdom in the far west and far south. Radama opens the country to English missionaries who spread Christianity throughout the island and transcribed Malagasy to a written language. Under his reign, a miniature Industrial Revolution brings induatry to the island.
- 1828-1861 - Radama I is succeeded by his widow Ranavalona I, who terrorizes the country for 33 years by persecuting Christians, evicting foreigners, executing political rivals, and reviving the custom of killing babies born un unlucky days.
- 1863 - Radama II is assassinated
- 1865 & 1868 - treaties are signed with England and France respectively
- December 1894 - France invades Madagascar and takes the captial Tana on October 1, 1895. France loses only 20 men in battle during the campaign but more than 6,000 to disease.
- 1896 - France annexes Madagascar as a colony and later unifies the country under a single government.
- 1947 - The French crush rebellion lead by Jean Ralaimongo. Up to 80,000 Malagasy are killed.
- June 26, 1960 - Madagascar gains independence
- 1991 - After an economic collapse, Malagasy take to the streets and demand a new government
- 1997 - Ratsiraka is voted back into power and is successful in restoring some of his dictatorial powers.
- 2001 - Marc Ravalomanana, mayor of Tana, is elected president with 52% of the vote. Ratsiraka refuses to accept the result and a political snafu ensues. Ratsiraka sets up a a rival government in his home town of Toasmasina and his supporters lay seige to Antananarivo, blocking roads and dynamiting bridges. The population in Tana suffered greatly -- prices for food and vital supplies soared, thousands of jobs were lost, businesses went under, the poor starved. After a court monitored recount reaffirmed that Ravalomanana was indeed the victor, the army lent its support and other nations recognized the elected president's government. Ratsiraka fled in exile to France in July 2002.
- 2006 - Marc Ravalomanana was re-elected for a second term.
- 2009 - President Marc Ravalomanana was ousted in March 2009 during an uprising led by Andry Rajoelina, then-mayor of Antananarivo. Rajoelina has since ushered in a Fourth Republic and rules Madagascar as the President of the High Transitional Authority without recognition from the international community.