History of Barbados in Timeline

Barbados is a Caribbean island country situated in the Atlantic Ocean, marking the easternmost point of the Caribbean region within the Lesser Antilles. Geologically, it rests on the boundary between the South American and Caribbean plates. Bridgetown serves as its capital and largest city, making it the central hub of the nation.

1938: Founding of the Barbados Labour Party

In 1938, Grantley Herbert Adams helped found the Barbados Labour Party (BLP).

1938: West Indies Royal Commission

In 1938, amidst growing unrest due to dissatisfaction with conditions in Barbados, the British government sent the West Indies Royal Commission, also known as the Moyne Commission, which recommended enacting several reforms on the island.

1950: Introduction of Universal Suffrage

In 1950, universal suffrage was introduced in Barbados, allowing Afro-Barbadians to play a more significant role in the colony's politics.

1953: Grantley Herbert Adams becomes Premier

In 1953, Grantley Herbert Adams became the first Premier of Barbados.

1955: Hurricane Janet

In 1955, Hurricane Janet caused severe damage to Barbados.

1955: Founding of the Democratic Labour Party

In 1955, a group of left-leaning politicians broke off from the BLP and founded the Democratic Labour Party (DLP).

1958: Barbados joins British West Indies Federation

In 1958, Barbados joined the short-lived British West Indies Federation.

1958: Hugh Gordon Cummins becomes Premier

In 1958, Hugh Gordon Cummins, a fellow BLP-founder, succeeded Adams as Premier of Barbados, serving until 1961.

1961: Enactment of Full Internal Self-Government

In 1961, Barbados enacted full internal self-government.

1961: DLP Wins General Election, Errol Barrow becomes Premier

In 1961, the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) won the Barbadian general election, and their leader Errol Barrow became premier.

1962: End of British West Indies Federation

In 1962, the British West Indies Federation was dissolved.

November 1966: Independence

Barbados has been an independent country since November 30, 1966.

November 1966: Political Independence and Commonwealth Realm Status

In November 1966, Barbados achieved political independence, becoming a Commonwealth realm with Elizabeth II as Queen of Barbados.

November 1966: First Government of Democratic Labour Party

Since independence on November 30, 1966, the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) governed from 1966 to 1976.

1974: Reintroduction of Crop Over festival

In 1974, the Crop Over festival was reintroduced in Barbados.

1976: BLP Wins General Election

In 1976, the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) lost the Barbadian general election to the BLP under Tom Adams.

1976: Barbados Labour Party Governance

Since independence on November 30, 1966, the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) has governed from 1976 to 1986.

1983: US Invasion of Grenada

In 1983, Tom Adams allowed the Americans to use Barbados as the launchpad for their invasion of Grenada.

1985: Death of Tom Adams

In 1985, Tom Adams died in office and was replaced by Harold Bernard St. John.

1986: DLP Returns to Power

In 1986, Harold Bernard St. John lost the Barbadian general election, and the DLP returned to power under Errol Barrow.

1986: Democratic Labour Party Governance

Since independence on November 30, 1966, the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) governed from 1986 to 1994.

1990: Forest Cover in Barbados

In 1990, forest cover in Barbados was 6,300 hectares.

1992: Membership in The Forum of Small States

Barbados has been a member of The Forum of Small States (FOSS) since the group's founding in 1992.

1994: Lloyd Erskine Sandiford leaves Office

In 1994, Lloyd Erskine Sandiford remained Prime Minister.

1994: Owen Arthur Wins General Election

In 1994, Owen Arthur of the BLP won the Barbadian general election.

1994: Barbados Labour Party Governance

Since independence on November 30, 1966, the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) has governed from 1994 to 2008.

1995: Original Member of the WTO

Barbados is an original member (1995) of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

1999: Strong economy

In 1999, Barbados experienced a strong economy.

2000: Obadele Thompson wins Olympic bronze medal

At the 2000 Summer Olympic Games, Obadele Thompson won a bronze medal in the 100m.

2000: Barbados Open on European Seniors Tour

From 2000, The Barbados Open, played at Royal Westmoreland Golf Club, was an annual stop on the European Seniors Tour.

2000: Strong economy

In 2000, Barbados experienced a strong economy.

September 2001: Recession due to tourism decline and 9/11 attacks

In September 2001, the Barbadian economy entered a recession due to a decrease in tourism and consumer spending, exacerbated by the impact of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.

2002: Recession

In 2002, Barbados remained in a recession due to decreased tourism and consumer spending.

2003: Upgrade and expansion of airport

From 2003, the Grantley Adams International Airport underwent a US$100 million upgrade and expansion.

2003: Economic rebound

In 2003, the economy of Barbados rebounded after a period of recession.

2003: Unemployment drops to 10.7%

In 2003, unemployment in Barbados dropped to 10.7%.

2004: Economic growth

From 2004, Barbados experienced a period of economic growth.

July 2005: Recession due to London Bombings

In July 2005, the Barbadian economy was impacted by the London bombings in the United Kingdom, contributing to the ongoing recession.

2005: Replacement of Judicial Committee of the Privy Council

In 2005, Barbados replaced the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council with the Caribbean Court of Justice as its final court of appeal.

December 2006: WGC-World Cup at Sandy Lane

In December 2006, the WGC-World Cup took place at the Sandy Lane resort on the Country Club course in Barbados.

2006: Fifth-place finish in Commonwealth Games

In 2006, the Barbados men's national basketball team finished fifth in the Commonwealth Games.

2006: Upgrade and expansion of airport completed

Until 2006, the Grantley Adams International Airport underwent a US$100 million upgrade and expansion.

December 2007: Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Commission

As of December 2007, Barbados is linked by an Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Commission through the Cotonou Agreement.

2007: Construction boom due to Cricket World Cup

In 2007, Barbados experienced a construction boom with the development and redevelopment of hotels, office complexes, and homes, partly due to hosting the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

2007: Hosted final of Cricket World Cup

In 2007, Barbados hosted the final of the Cricket World Cup, in addition to several warm-up, group stage and few "Super Eight" matches.

2008: Economic Recession

In 2008, the Barbadian economy entered another recession.

2008: DLP Wins General Election

In 2008, the DLP won the Barbadian general election.

2008: Slowdown due to world economic crisis

In 2008, the construction boom in Barbados slowed down due to the global economic crisis.

2008: Government spending on education

In 2008, the government of Barbados spent 6.7% of its GDP on education.

2008: Democratic Labour Party Governance

Since independence on November 30, 1966, the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) governed from 2008 to 2018.

2009: Consideration of International Securities Market

As of 2009, officials at the Barbados stock exchange were investigating the possibility of augmenting the local exchange with an International Securities Market (ISM) venture.

2009: First brewed 10 Saints beer

In 2009, 10 Saints beer was first brewed in Speightstown, St. Peter in Barbados and aged for 90 days in Mount Gay 'Special Reserve' Rum casks. It is available in certain Caricom nations.

2009: Bajan Helicopter closed doors

Until 2009, Bajan Helicopter offered helicopter shuttle services, before closing their doors.

2009: Barbados Open on European Seniors Tour

Until 2009, The Barbados Open, played at Royal Westmoreland Golf Club, was an annual stop on the European Seniors Tour.

2010: Hurricane Tomas

In 2010, Barbados was struck by Hurricane Tomas, but it caused only minor damage.

2010: Death of David Thompson

In 2010, David Thompson died and was replaced by Freundel Stuart.

2010: National Census

The 2010 national census reported a resident population of 277,821, with 144,803 females and 133,018 males.

2012: Self-Study on Poverty

According to a 2012 self-study, 20% of Barbadians live in poverty and nearly 10% cannot meet their basic daily food needs.

2012: Slowdown due to world economic crisis

In 2012, the construction boom in Barbados remained slow due to the global economic crisis.

2013: Economic Recession

In 2013, the Barbadian economy was still in recession.

2014: Economic Growth

From 2014, the Barbadian economy experienced a period of growth.

2014: Bushy Park Circuit hosted Race of Champions

In 2014, the Bushy Park Circuit in Barbados hosted the Race of Champions.

2015: Forest Ownership

In 2015, 1% of the forest area was reported to be under public ownership, 0% private ownership and 99% with ownership listed as other or unknown.

2015: Unemployment increases to 11.9%

In the second quarter of 2015, unemployment in Barbados increased to 11.9%.

2016: Downgrades by Standard & Poor's and Moody's

In 2016, Barbados experienced 23 downgrades by both Standard & Poor's and Moody's.

2016: Biocapacity and Ecological Footprint

In 2016, Barbados had 0.17 global hectares of biocapacity per person, while using 0.84 global hectares of biocapacity per person, resulting in a biocapacity deficit.

2016: Played in Summer Olympics

In 2016, Darian King played in the Summer Olympics.

May 2017: Darian King Career-High Ranking

In May 2017, Darian King achieved a career-high ranking of 106.

2017: Economic Decline

From 2017, the Barbadian economy declined into another recession during the world economic crisis.

May 2018: Debt climbs to US$7.5 billion

By May 2018, Barbados's outstanding debt had climbed to US$7.5 billion, more than 1.7 times the country's GDP.

June 2018: Government defaults on sovereign debt

In June 2018, the Barbadian government defaulted on its sovereign debt by failing to make a coupon payment on Eurobonds maturing in 2035. Outstanding bond debt reached US$4.4 billion.

2018: Downgrades by Standard & Poor's and Moody's

In 2018, Barbados experienced 23 downgrades by both Standard & Poor's and Moody's.

2018: BLP Returns to Power

In 2018, the BLP returned to power under Mia Mottley, who became Barbados's first female prime minister.

2018: Barbados Labour Party Governance

Since independence on November 30, 1966, the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) has governed from 2018 to present.

October 2019: Debt Restructuring Negotiations Concluded

In October 2019, Barbados concluded restructuring negotiations with a creditor group. Creditors will exchange existing bonds for a new debt series maturing in 2029, with a principal haircut and a clause for deferment in case of natural disasters.

2019: Religion in Barbados

In 2019, Christianity was the largest religion in Barbados, with the largest denomination being Anglican (23.9% of the population).

2019: Signs of recovery with upgrades

In 2019, the Barbadian economy showed signs of recovery with 3 upgrades from Standard and Poor's and Moody's.

March 2020: Economic decline due to COVID-19 recession

From January 1 to March 31, 2020, the Barbadian economy initially grew, but then declined due to the COVID-19 economic recession.

July 2020: BYD electric buses received by Barbados Transport Board

In July 2020, the Barbados Transport Board received 33 BYD electric buses to add to the fleet and assist in the government's goal of eliminating fossil fuels by 2030.

September 2020: Announcement of Intent to Become a Republic

On September 15, 2020, the Government of Barbados announced its intention to become a republic by November 30, 2021.

2020: Life Expectancy

As of 2020, the life expectancy for Barbados residents is 80 years, with 83 years for females and 79 years for males.

2020: Forest Cover in Barbados

In 2020, forest cover in Barbados was around 15% of the total land area, equivalent to 6,300 hectares.

September 2021: Introduction of Constitution Amendment Bill

On September 20, 2021, the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2021 was introduced in the Parliament of Barbados.

October 2021: Survey on Transition to Republic

A survey conducted between October 23, 2021, and November 10, 2021, by the University of the West Indies showed that 34% of respondents were in favor of transitioning to a republic.

October 2021: Passage of Constitution Amendment Bill and Nomination of First President

In October 2021, the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2021 was passed, introducing the office of the president. Sandra Mason was nominated as the first president and subsequently elected on October 20.

November 2021: Survey on Transition to Republic

A survey conducted between October 23, 2021, and November 10, 2021, by the University of the West Indies showed that 34% of respondents were in favor of transitioning to a republic.

November 2021: Sandra Mason Takes Office as First President

In November 2021, Sandra Mason took office as the first president of Barbados, with Prince Charles attending the swearing-in ceremony.

2021: Rihanna appointed as National Hero

In 2021, Rihanna was appointed as a National Hero of Barbados by Prime Minister Mia Mottley during the country's presidential inauguration.

2021: Infant Mortality Rate

In 2021, according to UNICEF, the infant mortality rate was 11.057 infant deaths per 1,000 live births.

2021: Religious Affiliation

Nearly half (45.5%) of all Barbadians reported no religious affiliation whatsoever in the 2021 Census.

June 2022: Formation of Constitutional Review Commission

On June 20, 2022, a Constitutional Review Commission was formed and sworn in to review the Constitution of Barbados.

August 2022: First Olympics medalist

As of August 2022, Obadele Thompson was the first Olympics medalist in Barbados.

August 2023: CRC Report Delayed

The Constitutional Review Commission's report was announced delayed in August 2023.

December 2023: Negotiations for additional airport development

In December 2023, Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced the negotiations for a US$300 million for additional airport development.

June 2024: Submission of the CRC Final Report

The final report from the Constitutional Review Commission was submitted June 30, 2024.

2024: Global Innovation Index Ranking

Barbados was ranked 77th in the Global Innovation Index in 2024.

2024: Hosted ICC Men's T20 World Cup

In 2024, Barbados hosted the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

2025: Global Innovation Index Ranking

Barbados's ranking dropped to the 84th rank in the Global Innovation Index in 2025.

February 2026: Mia Mottley's Third Consecutive Election Victory

In February 2026, Prime Minister Mia Mottley won her third consecutive election victory by landslide, meaning her Barbados Labour Party won all 30 seats in the House of Assembly.

2029: New debt series maturity

2030: Goal of eliminating fossil fuels

In July 2020, the Barbados Transport Board received 33 BYD electric buses which were obtained to assist the Government in their goal of eliminating the use of fossil fuels by 2030.