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Christopher Columbus sails to Puerto Rico and claims the land for Spain. Twenty years later little Spanish settlement starts. Juan Ponce de Leon (a Spanish explorer) arrives from a nearby island to explore and starts the colonization.

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Under the Treaty of Paris, Puerto Rico is surrendered by the Spanish to the US.  this happens at the end of the Spanish-American War. US Congress then institutes civil government in Puerto Rico. The US keeps strict control over island affairs, encouraging demands for more local control.  And in 1917 the Jones Act is established to grants US citizenship to Puerto Ricans.

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The US appoints Jesus T Pinero as Puerto Rico's first governor. Later partial self-government is granted, allowing Puerto Ricans to elect their governor. Munoz Marin is elected as governor by popular vote. And he serves four terms.

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In October President Truman signs the Puerto Rico Commonwealth Bill paving the way for a Puerto Rican constitution. The nationalists oppose the new law and resort to violence. On November second US-based nationalists attempt to assassinate President Truman in Washington DC.

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Puerto Ricans vote in favor of US commonwealth status in a referendum. Puerto Rico's constitution is proclaimed, establishing a commonwealth with freedom in internal affairs. Nationalists open fire in the US House of Representatives, injuring five congressmen.

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The world's largest radio telescope is installed at the Arecibo Observatory. In the election on the island, 60% of voters continued commonwealth status.

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A landslide in Ponce kills 129 people. Then Spanish and English declared as official languages in Puerto Rico. Nearly 49% of voters continued the US commonwealth status. Later Hurricane George sweeps across the territory causing serious damage. President Clinton declares Puerto Rico a disaster zone. An off-target bomb kills a security guard on Vieques (an island which is home to a US Navy bombing range).  This triggered large-scale protests.

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Sila Calderon is elected as the first female governor.  President George W Bush agrees to halt the use of the Vieques bombing range by May 2003 and US Navy closes its bombing range on Vieques.  Ruling party's Anibal Acevedo Vila is the territory's next governor.  Voters in an election back the idea of replacing the island's Senate and House of Representatives with a one-house legislature. Fugitive pro-independence rebel leader Filiberto Ojeda Rios is killed in a shoot-out with US federal agents. The handling of the incident causes anger on the island.

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The US Supreme Court rejects an appeal calling for Puerto Ricans to have the right to vote in US presidential elections. The budget shortfall leads to the closure of schools and many government agencies. Thousands of people take to the streets in protest. Puerto Rico adopts its first sales tax, aiming to address major budget deficits.

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Tens of thousands of workers march through San Juan in protest at possible job layoffs after Governor Fortuno announced a major program of public spending cuts in March. Former governor Anibal Acevedo Vila found not guilty on all counts in a corruption trial linked to allegations of raising and hiding thousands of dollars in illegal election campaign contributions. The whole neighborhood near San Juan is evacuated after an explosion at an oil refinery causing a major fire. The blast was measured to a strength of a 2.8-magnitude earthquake.