| Cayman Islands Timeline |
| A
chronology of key historical events from 1503 to the present
day |
| 1503 |
Navigator Christopher Columbus sights the islands. |
| 1670 |
Spain cedes the islands, along with Jamaica, to the English under the terms of the Treaty of Madrid. |
| Early 1700s |
First permanent settlers arrive. |
| 1794 |
Legendary "Wreck of the Ten Sails": A ship hits a reef off Grand Cayman, closely followed by its convoy of nine vessels. |
| 1832 |
Legislative assembly set up. |
| 1863 |
Caymans become a Jamaican dependency, administered by an appointed commissioner. |
| 1877 |
Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman come under common administration. |
| 1932 |
Hurricane kills scores of people on Cayman Brac. |
| 1959 |
Caymans join short-lived Federation of the West Indies. |
| JAMAICA TIES CUT |
| 1962 |
Federation of the West Indies dissolves. Jamaica declares independence. Caymans stays under British rule; a separate administrator is appointed. |
| 1971 |
Title of administrator is changed to governor. |
| NEW CONSTITUTION |
| 1972 |
New constitution provides for a greater autonomy. |
| 1976 Nov |
General election held. |
| 1980 Nov |
Unity Team wins majority (8 of 12 seats) in general election. |
| 1984 Nov |
General election held. |
| 1988 Nov |
General election held. |
| 1992 Nov |
National Team wins majority (12 of 15 seats) in general election. Thomas Jefferson becomes Leader of Government Business. |
| 1994 |
Constitution modified. |
| 1994 Nov |
Truman Bodden becomes Leader of Government Business. |
| 1996 Nov |
National Team wins majority (9 of 15 seats) in general election. |
| 2000 Nov |
Democratic Alliance wins majority in general election. Kurt Tibbets becomes Leader of Government Business. |
| 2001 |
Constitutional review launched but later put on hold. |
| EMERGENCE OF POLITICAL PARTIES |
| 2001 Nov |
United Democratic Party (UDP) is formed. Leader of Government Business, Kurt Tibbetts, ousted after vote of no-confidence. UDP's McKeeva Bush assumes the role. |
| 2002 May |
British Overseas Territories Act grants British citizenship to all Caymanians. |
| 2004 Sep |
Hurricane Ivan, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record, causes widespread destruction on Grand Cayman. |
| PPM ADMINISTRATION |
| 2005 May |
Opposition People's Progressive Movement, led by Kurt Tibbetts, wins general election with 9 of 15 seats. Tibbets becomes Leader of Government Business. |
| 2007 Mar |
New constitutional review launched. |
| 2009 May |
US President Barack Obama singles out Cayman Islands in an attack on tax havens. |
| UDP ADMINISTRATION |
| 2009 May |
United Democratic Party wins elections with 9 of 15 seats. McKeeva becomes Leader of Government Business for second time. |
| 2009 Aug |
Territory joins OECD's global "white list" of countries using internationally recognised tax standards. |
| 2009 Sep |
Britain refuses to allow territory to take out loans to plug a budget deficit, suggesting it raise funds in other ways. |
| 2009 Nov |
McKeeva Bush becomes first Premier of the Cayman Islands. |
| 2010 Apr |
British police brought in to help tackle gang-related crime and preserve territory's reputation for safety. |
| 2012 Dec |
Julianna O'Connor-Connolly becomes first woman Premier of the Cayman Islands following the ouster of Premier Bush in a no-confidence vote of the legislature on Tuesday, a week after his arrest on suspicion of corruption.. |
| PPM RETURNS TO OFFICE |
| 2013 May |
Opposition People's Progressive Movement, led by Alden McLaughin wins general election with 9 of 15 seats.. |
| 2017 May |
People's Progressive Movement, led by Alden McLaughin wins general election with 7 of 15 seats, forms coalition government with Cayman Democratic Party of McKeeva Bush. |
