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1717: Captain Woods Rogers was named first Royal Governor of the Bahama Islands and restored order by ending the rule of pirates.

1741: Construction of Fort Montagu begins at the eastern entrance to Nassau Harbor. Completed in 1742, it stands today as a tourist site.

1776: During the American War for Independence from Great Britain, eight colonial warships captured Fort Montague and Fort Nassau.

1783: The Bahamas is restored to Great Britain by treaty with Spain; the immigration of American Loyalists begins as they bring slaves to set up a plantation economy.

1789: Completion of the main portion of Fort Charlotte overlooking the western entrance to Nassau Harbor.

1838: Slavery is abolished in the Bahamas. Wrecking, controlled by licenses, flourished until lighthouses are built on the major islands.

1861-1865: The American Civil War brought great wealth to Nassau, a major supply base for the Confederacy.

1904: The first car arrives in Nassau – a 4 hp. 1902 model Oldsmobile, the first mass-produced U.S. car, owned by U.S. Vice-Consul Henry Mostyn.

1906: The first telephone system is installed. There were 150 subscribers, 147 of which were businesses located around central Bay Street.

1908: The Royal Bank of Canada opens its first branch on Bay Street, marking the coming of foreign financial centers to The Bahamas, a trend which has grown into a most significant local industry.

1909: Electricity becomes available in The Bahamas when a gas generator is installed which produced a weak current. By 1916, there were still only 443 subscribers and 276 streetlights. Electric current to private homes was cut off at 1 am.

1911: The first movie is shown in Nassau. By 1913, two motion picture theatres were in business – the Royal and Imperial Theatres. The first twin cinemas, located on Blue Hill Road, would not open until 1976.

1913: Ice begins to be produced locally. Before then, it was imported from Maine during the winter and stored in an ice-house.

1930s: Famous writers come to live and work in the Bahamas, such as Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck.

1938: The sponge blight: A mysterious fungus sweeps sponge beds, bringing on a sudden in economy. After much hardship, what was once a very lucrative local industry eventually died.

1940: The Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VII of England, arrives in Nassau to preside as Governor of The Bahamas.

1942: Construction of the Nassau International Airport begins, during which riots erupt over wages. Following the "Burma Road Riot", the Duke of Windsor organized ‘the Contract’ which allowed for up to 5,000 Bahamians to obtain work (mostly on farms) in the U.S. from 1943-1963.

1943: Sir Harry Oakes is mysteriously murdered; Mike Mckinney is the first Bahamian to die in action during WWII.

1949: The Hotels Encouragement Act is passed, designed to give a boost to the tourism industry.

1952: The People’s Penny Savings Bank, the first formal black-owned bank, opens in Grant’s Town. The dream of founder Leon Mckinney, the bank’s purpose was to allow any man, woman and child to take a step towards self-sufficiency by being able to open an account with 1 cent. The bank was eventually liquidated in the 1980’s.

1955: The Hawksbill Creek Agreement is signed, allowing American Wallace Groves to build Freeport.

1957: Nassau International Airport opens. One hundred protesting taxi drivers block access to the new airport for 24 hours.

1958: In support of 1957’s protests, a 16-day General Strike brings Nassau to a screeching halt. Unionized or not, just about every worker participated, and the strike was quite peaceful. The result was the Trade Union and Industrial Conciliation Act and the setting up of a Labor Department.

1959: The Bahamas National Trust is created with the aim of protecting the Bahamian environment.

1961: Women are granted the right to vote. They would first exercise that right during the General Election in November of 1962.

1967: The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) wins the majority of House of Assembly seats as Lynden O. Pindling became the new Premier; majority rule comes into effect with the change of government; the first Paradise Island bridge opens.

1969: The Bahamian Constitution is revised. The Colony of the Bahama Islands became the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, and the Premier becomes the Prime Minister.

1973: The Bahama Islands gain independence from Great Britain, and became a sovereign nation on July 10, ending 325 years of British rule(143rd member of the United Nations); Bahamasair’s first plane arrives in Nassau, providing domestic service.

1974: The Central Bank of The Bahamas (http ://www .centralbankbahamas .com /) is established, this marks the beginning of a new phase in the monetary history of The Bahamas the College of The Bahamas and National Insurance are established.

1980: The Bahamas Defense Force arrests two Cuban fishing boats in Bahamian waters. While towing the Cuban boats to port, the BDF vessels are attacked by Cuban MIG Fighters who destroy the HMBS Flamingo and kill four Bahamian marines.

1981: The Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) stage an unprecedented 3-week strike for improved pay and conditions.

1983: An archeological dig at Long Bay Site in San Salvador uncovers green and yellow glass beads pointing to Columbus’ first landing. International debate erupts over this theory; Lynden O. Pindling is knighted by her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II , Bahamas head of state.

1989: Cable television comes to The Bahamas on Grand Bahama. In 1995, a more elaborate cable system, which would cover most of the islands, is activated.

1992: The FNM wins the General Election and becomes only the second governing administration since 1967. The Free National Movement (FNM) was voted in as the new government August 19, ending the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP)'s 25-year rule. Hubert A. Ingraham became Prime Minister; Bahamian Frank Rutherford wins a bronze medal at the Olympics for the triple jump; The Bahamas celebrates the 500th anniversary of the landing of Christopher Columbus at San Salvador.

1993: The Bahamas celebrates 20 years of independence from Great Britain; for the first time, three private radio stations are granted licenses: 100 Jamz, LOVE 97 and another in Freeport.

1995: The Securities Commission of the Bahamas (http ://www .scb .gov .bs /) is established as a statutory body ; Sun Intl. Hotels Ltd., of South Africa, opens the Atlantis-Paradise Island resort and casino, featuring the world's largest outdoor aquarium.

1996: Huchinson Whampoa plans to develop Freeport Harbor into a major world transshipment hub with development of the multi-million dollar container port; at the Olympics held in Atlanta, The Bahamas track and field team wins the silver medal in the women's 4x100 meter relay.

1998: A second bridge connecting Paradise Island to New Providence opens, coinciding with a major downtown traffic reversal and the grand opening of Sun International’s Atlantis resort.

According to Caribbean Travel Organization and the Ministry of Tourism, The Islands Of The Bahamas is recognized as "The Most Popular Destination Among All Caribbean Islands."

2000: At the Olympics held in Sydney, The Bahamas women's track and field team wins the gold medal in the women's 4x100 meter relay. "Father of independence" Sir Lynden Pindling dies. He was head of government from 1967-92.

2002: Veteran politician Perry Christie leads his Progressive Liberal Party to a landslide victory, unseating the Free National Movement, which has been in power for 10 years.

2004: Hurricane Frances sweeps through, causing widespread damage. Weeks later Hurricane Jeanne batters the Bahamas.

2006: UK-based final appeals court rules that the mandatory death sentence for murder breaches the Bahamian constitution. It was last used in 2000.

2007: Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham's Free National Movement wins parliamentary elections.

2012: Perry Christie returns to power as the Progressive Liberal Party wins parliamentary elections. Defeated Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham announces his retirement from politics. The Bahamas claimes a track and field Olympic medal storming to gold in the 4x400m relay ahead of Team USA.