History Time Line
Pre-Columbian - Human footprints found near Lake Managua
are evidence of habitation 10,000 years ago.
10th-15th Century AD - Migration of indigenous people
from Mexico to Pacific lowlands.
1502 - Columbus sails along the eastern Caribbean coast
making contact with natives.
1522 - The first Spanish explorer Gil Gonzalez de Avila
arrives in Nicaragua from Panama. Peace is made with Indian Chief
Nicarao, whom the land was named after.
1524 - Conquistador Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba
establishes the city of Granada (oldest city in North America)
and later that year Leon is founded.
1821 - Gains independence from Spain along with the
rest of Central America.
1838 - Gains full independence after briefly being
part of Mexico and the Central American Federation.
1848-50 - California gold rush brings prospectors to
San Juan del Norte on Caribbean seeking shortest and fastest
route across the continent. Cornelius Vanderbilt starts transportation
service utilizing boats on the Rio San Juan, Lago Nicaragua and
stagecoaches to San Juan del Sur on the Pacific.
1855 - City of Leon hires US carpetbagger William Walker
to fight conservatives in Granada. After defeating the latter
he declares himself President of Nicaragua with the intention
of taking over all of Central America.
1857 - Walker defeated at Rivas by a coalition of CA
countries. Capital is moved from Granada to Managua. Conservatives
rule the country until 1893.
1893 - Jose Santos Zelaya liberal nationalist ousts
conservatives.
1909-11 - US forces dictator Zelaya to resign by sending
Marines establishes administrations favoring US polices.
1914 - Bryan-Chamorro Treaty gave US rights to establish
navy bases and exclusive rights to a canal.
 1926 - Liberal rebels Juan
Bautista Sacasa, General Jose Maria Moncada and Augosto C. Sandino,
'General of Free Men' achieve power with US support. Before final
withdrawal of Marines in 1931 they establish and train Nicaraguan
National Guard headed by Anastasio Somoza Garcia.
1934 Somoza has Sandino killed and a few years
later has Sacasa overthrown. The former is who the Sandinistas
are named after.
1937 - Somoza elected president. He rules Nicaragua
for the next twenty years as president or through puppets.
Sept. 21, 1956 - Somoza shot in Leon and dies 8 days
later in Panama. His son Luis Somoza Debayle, who ruled with
the aid of the National Guard, succeeded him.
1961 - Student leader Carlos Fonseca Amador, Colonel
Santos Lopez and others found the FSLN (Sandinista National Liberation
Front) in opposition to the Somoza regime.
1967 - Younger brother Anastasio Somoza Debayle replaces
brother Luis as president after his death.
Dec. 23, 1972 - Massive earthquake hits Managua killing
6000, leveling 250 city blocks and leaves over 300,000 homeless.
Somoza as head of the relief committee steals nearly all of the
monies.
1974 - Constitution was changed for the 10th time allowing
Somoza to run for president again and win the election. La Prensa,
Managua newspaper writes articles critical of Somoza. FSLN kidnaps
many Somoza officials forcing release of political prisoners.
Somoza responds by rounding up FSLN members and killing them
including the assassination of Carlos Fonesca.
Jan. 1978 - Joaquin Pedro Chamorro popular publisher
of the La Prensa assassinated followed by violence and general
strikes. Moderates join FLSN in fight against Somoza.
Aug. 1978 - FSLN occupies National Palace for 2 days-taking
1000 hostages. Revolution spreads after another general strike.
June-July 1979 - FSLN victorious throughout Nicaragua.
July 17, 1979 - Somoza resigns and flees the country.
(A year later Sept. 17th, 1980 Somoza was assassinated in Asuncion,
Paraguay.)
July 19, 1979 - Sandinistas march into Managua.
May 1980 - 47 member Council of State acts as interim
congress.
1981 - Daniel Ortega Saavedra appointed coordinator.
President Ronald Reagan suspends aid to Nicaragua. US allocate
10 million to Contras (counter revolutionary military groups).
1984 - Ortega elected president with 67 % of the vote.
May 1985 - US implements five-year trade embargo with
Nicaragua. Boland Amendment passed by US Congress calling for
end of US funding to Contras. US involvement continues through
CIA (Iran/Contra Affair)
August 1988 - Peace plan designed by Costa Rican President
Oscar Arias signed by 5 CA countries.
1990 - Violeta Barrios de Chamorro widow of Joaquin
Pedro Chamorro elected President with 55%. Uniting the country,
ending the fighting with the Contras, and establishing peace.
US lifts 5-year trade embargo.
Oct. 1996 - Arnoldo Aleman, mayor of Managua, anti-Communist
Liberal Alliance party elected President. Under his administration
massive government and private construction projects are being
implemented through out the country. Blue and yellow billboards
"OBRAS...NO PALABRAS" (Works, Not Words) are seen everywhere.
Nov. 1998 - Hurricane Mitch sweeps through CA causing
heavy rains, floods and mudslides. 10,000 deaths and many left
homeless.
May 18, 1999 - Tourism industry incentive law and decree
announced by government encouraging and promoting tourism throughout
the country.
1999-2000 - First regularly scheduled cruise ships
arrive in Nicaragua using San Juan del Sur as a port of call.
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