Timeline of Santo Domingo

16th century

1492- First Viceroyalty in the New World is established in Santo Domingo (Viceroyalty of the Indies)

1496 - Spanish colony of Santo Domingo, first colony in the New World, is established.

1501- Calle Las Damas, first street in the New World, is constructed

1502- Santo Domingo becomes the home of all the future conquistadors (Hernan Cortes, Francisco Pizarro, Vasco Núñez de Balboa, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, Juan Ponce de León, Rodrigo de Bastidas, Pedro de Alvarado, among others)

1503- Santo Domingo becomes the official headquarters for the exploration and conquest of the New World

1505 - Fortaleza Ozama, first fortress in America, is built.

1509- Reales Atarazanas, first warehouse complex in the New World, is built

1510- Church of the Convent of the Dominican Order, first church in the New World, is built

1511

Roman Catholic diocese of Santo Domingo established.

Alcázar de Colón (Columbus Alcazar), first castle or viceroyal residence in America, is built

The Royal Audiencia of Santo Domingo, first court in the New World, is established

1538 - Universidad de Santo Tomas de Aquino, first university in the New World, is founded.

1539- Santo Domingo is named the "Athens of the New World"; Intellectuals such as Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo and Bartolome de las Casas reside in the island and write their works there. Later figures like humanist Alessandro Geraldini, writer Gerolamo Benzoni and dramatist Tirso de Molina reside there as well.

1540 - Cathedral Primate of Americas, first cathedral in America, is built.

1543 - Fort San Genaro, today La Puerta del Conde (The Count's Gate), construction begins.

1552 - Hospital San Nicolás de Bari, first hospital in America, is built.

1574- Leonor de Ovando writes the first sonnets in the New World

1585- Cristobal de Llerena writes the first theatrical play in the New World

1586- Francis Drake captures Santo Domingo in the Battle of Santo Domingo

17th century

1600- After the gold mines were exhausted most colonists had decided to become conquistadors and explorers and had left for the mines of Mexico and Peru. Others decide to settle and become hateros (herders), farmers and merchants.

1602- Colony of Santo Domingo is bypassed by immigrants from Spain and enters decline due to depopulation

1605- Devastaciones de Osorio take place in the North Coast to prevent illicit trade with colonies other than Spain

1630- The fight against the buccaneers and filibusters begins (Piracy in the Caribbean)

1655- English invasion of Penn and Venables is defeated by the criollos

1691- Battle of Sabana Real is won against the French

1697 - Island of Hispaniola divided into Spanish Santo Domingo and French Saint-Domingue (Haiti) per Treaty of Ryswick.

18th Century

1716- Privateers corsairs from the colony of Santo Domingo take action during the Golden Age of Piracy

1724- Guadalupe and Tolosa Shipwreck in Samana

1741- Battle of Cartagena de Indias- Santo Domingo participates in the Spanish victory against the English Navy

1760- Population is bolstered by immigration from the Canary Islands resettling the northern part of the island. Population grows from 6,000 to 125,000 by 1790.

1775- Saint-Domingue becomes one of the richest colonies in the world in the 18th-century French empire

1791- Haitian Revolution takes place in Saint-Domingue

1795 - Era de Francia begins after Treaty of Basel where Spain ceded the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola to France in exchange for keeping Gipuzkoa.

1796- Massive emigration of the colonial families to Cuba, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and Mexico where they become cultural pioneers and intellectual figures Famous figures and descendants of the Treaty of Basel diaspora include Jose Maria Heredia, Jose-Maria de Heredia Girard, Domingo del Monte, Esteban Pichardo, Francisco Javier Caro, Angulo Guridi brothers, Jacobo de Villaurrutia, Juan Vicente Moscoso, Manuel Márquez Sterling, Rafael Maria Baralt, Emilio Portes Gil, among others.

1797- The University of Santo Tomas de Aquino closes which, along with the emigration of the intellectual class, causes a big "brain drain"

19th century

1808- Battle of Palo Hincado. Criollos from the Island beat the French Napoleonic troops and make Santo Domingo a Spanish colony again.

1809 - 2nd Spanish colony or España Boba ("Foolish Spain") after La Reconquista takes place.

1821- Ephemeral Independence from Spain takes place

1822 - Unification of the island. Haitians in power. Further emigration takes place

1838- La Trinitaria is created

1844- Dominican War of Independence from Haiti starts

February: La Trinitaria take Ozama Fortress.

July: Pedro Santana in power.

City becomes capital of newly independent Dominican Republic

1845- El Dominicano, first political newspaper, begins circulation

1854- First cultural society "Los Amantes de las Letras" ("Lovers of the Letters") is created

1854- First cultural newspapers El Progreso and El Oasis appear

1860- First Dominican theater is established by society "Los Amantes de las Letras"

1861 - 3rd Spanish Colony begins to prevent further Haitian occupation. Spanish in power again.

1862- First printing press company, Garcia Hermanos, is established

1863- Dominican Restoration War.

1865- 2nd Republic begins

1866- The University Instituto Profesional (later University of Santo Domingo) is established

1875- Sugar mills emerge and urban development takes place

1889 - Listín Diario newspaper begins publication.

20th century

1907 - Licey baseball club formed.

1914 - El Placer de los Estudios built.

1916 - United States occupation of the Dominican Republic begins.

1921 - Escogido baseball club formed.

1924 - United States occupation of the Dominican Republic ends.

1930 - September: Hurricane San Zenon.

1930- Era of Trujillo begins

1935 - Population: 71,297.

1936

City renamed "Trujillo City".

Colombina avenue built.

1938 - Breakwater built in harbour.

1941 - La Jaragua hotel built.

1942 - National School of Fine Arts and Teatro Olimpia (cinema) open.

1944 - National Palace built.

1948 - El Caribe newspaper in publication.

1953 - Base Aérea Trujillo (airbase) in operation near city.

1955

December: Fair of Peace and Fraternity of the Free World opens.

Estadio Quisqueya (baseball stadium) opens.

1956 - National Pantheon of the Dominican Republic (mausoleum) established.

1961 - May 30: Trujillo assassinated near city.

1961- November 19: Rebellion of the Pilots. Trujillo family flees the country

1965: April 24: Dominican Civil War

1965 - April 28: United States occupation of the Dominican Republic begins.

1966

July 1: United States occupation of the Dominican Republic ends.

El Nacional newspaper begins publication.

1970 - Population: 671,402.

1972 - Santo Domingo Institute of Technology founded.

1973 - Museo de las Casas Reales (museum) established.

1974

City hosts 1974 Central American and Caribbean Games.

Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez, Palacio de los Deportes Virgilio Travieso Soto, and Centro Olímpico Juan Pablo Duarte (sports venues) open.

1976 - Moscoso National Botanical Garden founded.

1979 - August: Hurricane David.

1986 - Latin American Social Sciences Institute established in city.

1992- Faro a Colon (The Columbus Lighthouse) is erected in honor of the 500th anniversary of the Discovery of America

1997 - Internet exchange point installed.

1998

Autodrómo Internacional de Las Américas opens near city.

Johnny Ventura becomes mayor.

1999 - Museo Bellapart founded.

21st century

2001 - November 12: Crash in New York of Santo Domingo-bound airplane.

2002 - Roberto Salcedo becomes mayor.

2003

August: City hosts 2003 Pan American Games.

Malecon towers built.

2009 - Santo Domingo Metro begins operating.

2010 - Population: 965,040; metro 2,907,100.