-
1512 - The Portuguese seafarer Pedro Mascarenhas discovers the island.
-
1598 - First Dutch Landing. They name the island ‘Mauritius’ after their Prince Mauritz (Maurice) of Nassau.
-
1638-1710 - Dutch colonisation. Deforestation of the Ebony Forests. Extinction of the Dodo.
-
1715 - The French annex the island and rename it ‘Isle de France’.
-
1735-1746 - François Mahé de Labourdonnais governs the island and decisively shapes the future of the colony.
-
1767-1772 - Pierre Poivre administrates the island together with “Gouverneur Dumas”. He improves the infrastructure and starts the Botanical Garden of Pamplemousses.
-
1794 - France abolishes slavery. Mauritius experiences a very strong resistance by the local sugar planters.
-
1810 - The British conquer the island and rename it ‘Mauritius’.
-
1835 - Slavery is abolished. Indentured labour for the sugar estates is imported from India.
-
1847 - The ‘Blue Penny’ stamp is printed.
-
1864 - The first railway goes into service. It operates for 100 years - until 1964.
-
1866-1868 - Malaria epidemic – 50,000 deaths.
-
1892 - The worst ‘cyclone’ recorded yet devastates the island.
-
1946 - First flights take off for Europe and Africa.
-
1968 - Mauritius gains independence from Great Britain.
-
1976 - First free elections. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam becomes the first Prime Minister of an independent Mauritius.
-
1992 - March 12: Mauritius becomes a Republic.
