History of Bermuda in Timeline

Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is relatively isolated, with its closest landmass being North Carolina in the United States, situated approximately 1,035 km (643 mi) to the west-northwest.

1901: Re-organisation of the Colonial Office

In 1901, the departments of the Colonial Office were re-organized to include the North American and Australasian department, of which Bermuda was a part.

June 1902: Captain Fritz Joubert Duquesne escapes

On the night of 25 June 1902, Captain Fritz Joubert Duquesne, a Boer prisoner of war, escaped from his tent, swam past patrol boats, and arrived ashore on the main island.

1902: Anglo-Boer War ends

In 1902, during the Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902), 5,000 Boer prisoners of war were housed on five islands of Bermuda based on their views of the war.

1907: Newfoundland Attains Dominion Status

In 1907, Newfoundland attained Dominion status, which left Bermuda as the nearest territory still within the British Realm to the British West Indies.

1907: Newfoundland Becomes a Dominion

In 1907, the Colony of Newfoundland became the Dominion of Newfoundland, leaving Bermuda as the sole remaining British North American colony.

1908: Colonial Office Departments

By 1908, the Colonial Office included two departments; The Crown Colonies Department oversaw the West Indian Division that included Bermuda.

1914: Emigration to Bermuda

In 1914, the parents and grandparents of Dame Lois Browne-Evans emigrated to Bermuda from Nevis and St. Kitts.

1918: Early Easter Lily bulb exports decreased

In 1918, early Easter Lily bulb exports to New York were low due to disease.

1919: Bermuda Receives its Own Bishop

In 1919, Bermuda became its own diocese with its own bishop, separated from the Diocese of Newfoundland, after previously being grouped under the Bishop of Newfoundland and Bermuda.

1920: Prohibition in the United States begins

In 1920, Bermuda became one of the centers for illegal alcohol smuggling during the era of Prohibition in the United States.

1922: Last recorded sweat bee species

In 1922, the sweat bee Lasioglossum semiviridie was last recorded in Bermuda.

1927: Easter Lily bulb exports showed marked improvement

In 1927, exports of Easter Lily bulbs showed a marked improvement, rising to 6,043 cases.

1930: First aeroplane to reach Bermuda

In 1930, after several failed attempts, a Stinson Detroiter seaplane flew to Bermuda from New York City and it was the first aeroplane ever to reach the islands.

1930: US Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act

In 1930, the US Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act led to the demise of Bermuda's agricultural export trade and encouraged tourism development.

1931: Publication of "The History of Mary Prince"

In 1931, "The History of Mary Prince", a slave narrative by Mary Prince, was published.

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1931: Bermuda Railway opens

In 1931, the Bermuda Railway opened.

1933: Prohibition ends in the United States

In 1933, the era of Prohibition ended in the United States, which affected illegal alcohol smuggling activities in Bermuda.

1936: Deutsche Luft Hansa seaplane flights

In 1936, Deutsche Luft Hansa began experimenting with seaplane flights from Berlin via the Azores with continuation flights to New York City.

1937: Airline Services begin

In 1937, Imperial Airways and Pan American Airways began operating scheduled flying boat airline services from New York and Baltimore to Darrell's Island, Bermuda.

May 1940: US Requests Base Rights in Bermuda

In May 1940, the United States requested base rights in Bermuda from the United Kingdom.

September 1940: Destroyers for Bases Agreement

In September 1940, the UK granted the US base rights in Bermuda as part of the Destroyers for Bases Agreement.

1941: Construction of Airbases Began

In 1941, construction began on two airbases in Bermuda, largely reclaimed from the sea.

1941: US Army Establishes Bermuda Base Command

In 1941, the US Army established the Bermuda Base Command to coordinate its air, anti-aircraft, and coast artillery assets.

1942: US Navy Operates Submarine Base

From 1942 through 1945, the US Navy operated a submarine base on Ordnance Island.

1942: Col. Duquesne arrested

In 1942, Col. Duquesne was arrested by the FBI for leading the Duquesne Spy Ring.

1943: RAF Transport Command Relocates

In 1943, RAF Transport Command relocated to the US Army built airfield from Darrell's Island.

1945: End of US Navy Submarine Base Operation

In 1945, the US Navy ceased operations at its submarine base on Ordnance Island.

1948: Commercial airline service begins

In 1948, a regularly scheduled commercial airline service began to operate, using land-based aeroplanes landing at Kindley Field (now L.F. Wade International Airport).

1948: Bermuda Railway abandoned

In 1948, the Bermuda Railway was abandoned.

1948: British Nationality Act

In 1948, the British Nationality Act replaced 'British Subject' with 'Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies'.

1950: Bermuda school system was racially segregated

Prior to 1950, the Bermuda school system was racially segregated.

1951: Rediscovery of the Bermuda petrel

In 1951, the Bermuda petrel or cahow, Bermuda's national bird, was rediscovered after having been thought extinct since the 1620s.

1952: British Realm Terminology

In 1952, the term Dominion was replaced by British Realm as the dominions and a number of colonies moved towards full political independence.

December 1953: First Summit Conference

The first summit conference in Bermuda was held in December 1953, at the insistence of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, to discuss relations with the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Participants included Churchill, US president Dwight D. Eisenhower and French premier Joseph Laniel.

1953: Bermuda Separated to Become Apostolic Prefecture

In 1953, Bermuda was separated from the Archdiocese of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and became the Apostolic Prefecture of Bermuda Islands.

1954: Naval Facility Bermuda Established

In 1954, Naval Facility Bermuda (NAVFAC Bermuda), a submarine-detecting SOSUS station, was converted from a US Army coast artillery bunker.

1957: Second Summit Conference

In 1957, a second summit conference was held in Bermuda. The British prime minister, Harold Macmillan, arrived earlier than President Eisenhower, to demonstrate they were meeting on British territory.

1961: Third Summit Conference

Harold Macmillan returned to Bermuda in 1961 for the third summit with President John F. Kennedy to discuss Cold War tensions.

1962: Amendment of the Commonwealth Immigrants Act

Although the 1968 Act was intended primarily to bar immigration of specific British passport holders from Commonwealth countries in Africa, it amended the wording of the Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962 in such a way as to apply to all Citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies who were not specifically excepted, including most colonials.

1962: Commonwealth Immigrants Act

In 1962, the Commonwealth Immigrants Act restricted the rights of Commonwealth nationals to enter, reside, and work in the United Kingdom.

1965: Desegregation of schools

In 1965, the desegregation of schools was enacted.

1966: Bermuda Police Force Recruitment

In 1966, the Bermuda Police Force started recruiting constables from British West Indian police forces, beginning with seven constables from Barbados, to address the racial imbalance within the force.

1967: Universal suffrage adopted

In 1967, universal suffrage was adopted as part of Bermuda's Constitution.

1968: Amendment of the Commonwealth Immigrants Act

1968: Stripping of citizens' birthrights

In 1968, the British Government began stripping of citizens' birthrights from Bermudians.

1968: Commonwealth Immigrants Act

In 1968, the Commonwealth Immigrants Act was rapidly passed, stripping British Subjects who were not born in the United Kingdom of the rights to freely enter, reside and work in the United Kingdom.

1968: Constitution of Bermuda

In 1968, the Constitution of Bermuda came into force and has been amended several times since then.

1968: Acts passed by the Parliament

In 1968, the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed a series of Acts that were to limit the rights and ultimately change the citizenship of British colonials.

1968: Start of UBP Government

In 1968, the UBP began its term in government.

1970: Currency switched to Bermudian dollar

In 1970, Bermuda switched its currency from the Bermudian pound to the Bermudian dollar, pegged at par with the US dollar.

1970: Kindley Air Force Base Transferred

In 1970, Kindley Air Force Base was transferred to the US Navy and redesignated Naval Air Station Bermuda.

1971: Stripping of citizens' birthrights

In 1971, the British Government continued stripping of citizens' birthrights from Bermudians.

1971: Immigration Act

In 1971, the Immigration Act effectively divided Citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies into two types: Patrials, and those born in the colonies.

1971: Bermuda Report for the year 1971

The "Bermuda Report for the year 1971" recorded the events of that year.

March 1973: Assassination of the governor of Bermuda

On 10 March 1973, the governor of Bermuda, Richard Sharples, was assassinated.

1973: Establishment of CARICOM

In 1973, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), a socio-economic bloc of nations, was established in or near the Caribbean Sea.

1976: West Indian Association Co-Founded

In 1976, John Evans, husband of Dame Lois Browne-Evans, co-founded the West Indian Association of Bermuda.

1981: British Nationality Act

In 1981, the British Nationality Act abolished British Subject status, and stripped colonials of their full British Citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies.

1982: Acts passed by the Parliament

In 1982, the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed a series of Acts that were to limit the rights and ultimately change the citizenship of British colonials.

January 1983: British Nationality Act in force

On January 1, 1983, the British Nationality Act came into force, replacing British citizenship for colonials with British Dependent Territories Citizenship.

1983: Change of Citizenship

In 1983, the citizenship of Bermudians was changed by the British Government.

1986: Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art founded

In 1986, Tom Butterfield founded the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art.

1987: Hurricane Emily strikes Bermuda

In 1987, Hurricane Emily struck Bermuda without warning.

August 1989: Highest recorded temperature

In August 1989, the highest recorded temperature in Bermuda was 34 °C (93 °F).

1990: Summit Conference

In 1990, British prime minister Margaret Thatcher met US president George H. W. Bush in Bermuda.

1990: Forest cover in Bermuda

In 1990, forest cover in Bermuda was around 20% of the total land area, equivalent to 1,000 hectares of forest.

1995: Independence Referendum

In 1995, Bermuda held an independence referendum, but a large majority voted against independence.

1995: Closure of HMS Malabar

In 1995, HMS Malabar, a Royal Navy supply base, was closed along with the American and Canadian bases.

1995: US Forces Withdraw

In 1995, as part of base closures following the end of the Cold War, US forces withdrew from Bermuda.

1995: American military presence ends

In 1995, the American military presence in Bermuda ended.

1996: Meeting between Premier and President

In 1996, Premier David Saul met with President Bill Clinton at the White House.

1996: Bermuda Education Act

In 1996, the Bermuda Education Act specified the categories of schools that could operate in the Bermuda Education system.

1997: Labour Party in Government

By 1997 the Labour Party was in Government and had declared prior to the election that the colonies had been ill-treated by the British Nationality Act 1981, and it had made a pledge to return to a single citizenship for the United Kingdom and the remaining territories part of its election manifesto.

1998: Bermuda established Basketball Association

In 1998, Bermuda established its own Basketball Association.

1998: End of UBP Government

In 1998, the UBP's term in government ended.

2000: Ancestry Identification

51% of the population identified themselves with Bermudian ancestry in the 2000 census.

July 2001: House of Lords debate

In July 2001, Lord Beaumont of Whitley spoke about citizenship rights in the House of Lords debate on the British Overseas Territories Bill, in regards to St. Helena.

2001: Uyghurs captured in Pakistan

In 2001 four Uyghurs who claimed to be refugees were captured in Pakistan after fleeing the American aerial bombardment of Afghanistan.

2001: House of Lords Passes Bill

In 2001, The House of Lords passed its own bill, then handed it down to the House of Commons to confirm.

2002: Changes to British Citizenship and Passports

In 2002, British Citizenship was made attainable by simply obtaining a second British passport. Prior to 2002, it had been illegal to possess two British Passports

2002: Renaming of British Dependent Territories

In 2002, the British Dependent Territories were renamed the British Overseas Territories.

June 2003: Average cost of a house

In June 2003, the average cost of a house in Bermuda was listed as $976,000.

July 2003: Bermuda Joins CARICOM

In July 2003, despite not being in the Caribbean region, Bermuda became an associate member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

September 2003: Hurricane Fabian hits Bermuda

On 5 September 2003, Hurricane Fabian, a major hurricane with wind speeds of over 120 mph, hit Bermuda directly.

2004: Bermuda competed in Summer Olympics

At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Bermuda competed in sailing, athletics, swimming, diving, triathlon and equestrian events.

2005: Housing affordability became prominent issue

In 2005, housing affordability became a prominent issue during Bermuda's business peak.

2005: Workforce Statistics

In 2005, the total workforce in Bermuda was 38,947 people, and 11,223 (29%) were non-Bermudians.

2005: Uyghurs cleared for release

The four Uyghurs held in Guantanamo Bay were cleared as safe for release from Guantánamo in 2005.

2006: Government announced financial support to Bermuda's cricket and football teams

In 2006, the Bermudian Government announced it would provide financial support to Bermuda's cricket and football teams. Also, the Bermuda Hogges were formed as the nation's first professional football team.

2006: Uyghurs cleared for release

The four Uyghurs held in Guantanamo Bay were cleared as safe for release from Guantánamo in 2006.

October 2007: 25th PGA Grand Slam of Golf hosted in Bermuda

In October 2007, Bermuda hosted the 25th PGA Grand Slam of Golf at the Mid Ocean Club.

2007: Average cost of a house increased

By 2007, real estate agencies claimed that the average cost of a house in Bermuda had risen to between $1.6 million and $1.845 million.

2007: 16th biennial Marion-Bermuda yacht race occurred

In 2007, the 16th biennial Marion-Bermuda yacht race occurred.

2007: US Virgin Islands Seeks Ties with CARICOM

In 2007, the United States Virgin Islands announced their intention to seek ties with CARICOM.

June 2008: Meeting between Premier and President

On June 23, 2008, Premier Ewart Brown met with President George W. Bush.

September 2008: Uyghurs cleared of all suspicion

In September 2008, the Uyghurs were cleared of all suspicion and Judge Ricardo Urbina in Washington ordered their release.

2008: Tourism vulnerable to external shocks

In 2008, Bermuda's tourism sector was impacted by external shocks such as the global recession.

2008: Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art opened its new building

In 2008, the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art opened its new building within the Botanical Gardens.

2008: PGA Grand Slam of Golf returned to Bermuda

In 2008, the PGA Grand Slam of Golf returned to Bermuda.

May 2009: Bermuda's application was approved to become a contributory member of the University of the West Indies (UWI)

In May 2009, the Bermudian Government's application was approved to become a contributory member of the University of the West Indies (UWI).

June 2009: Bermuda agrees to accept Uyghurs

In June 2009, Bermuda agreed to accept the four Uyghur men.

June 2009: Uyghurs transferred to Bermuda

On 11 June 2009, four Uyghurs who had been held in the United States Guantánamo Bay detention camp, in Cuba, were transferred to Bermuda.

2009: PGA Grand Slam of Golf returned to Bermuda

In 2009, the PGA Grand Slam of Golf returned to Bermuda.

2010: Ancestry Identification

About 64% of the population identified themselves with Bermudian ancestry in 2010.

2010: Unveiling of "We Arrive" sculpture

In 2010, Alfred Birdsey's sculpture "We Arrive" was unveiled in Barr's Bay Park to commemorate the freeing of slaves in 1835 from the American brig Enterprise.

2010: Bermuda to be an "associate contributing country" to UWI

In 2010, it was announced that Bermuda would be an "associate contributing country" to the University of the West Indies (UWI) due to local Bermudian laws.

2010: Death of Brian Burland

In 2010, novelist Brian Burland passed away.

2010: Religion Statistics

In 2010, statistics on religion in Bermuda were collected, showing that Christianity is the largest religion with various Protestant denominations dominant at 46.2%, Roman Catholics formed 14.5%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, and other Christians 9.1%.

2010: Portuguese taught as optional foreign language

Since 2010, Portuguese has been taught as an optional foreign language in the Bermudian school system.

2011: Google used Bermuda subsidiary for tax avoidance

In 2011, Google reportedly shifted over $10 billion in revenue to its Bermuda subsidiary, reducing its tax liability by $2 billion.

2013: Bermuda chaired the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association

In 2013 Bermuda chaired the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association.

2013: Bermuda hosted the Island Games

In 2013, Bermuda hosted the biennial Island Games.

2013: Bermuda Hogges folded

In 2013, the Bermuda Hogges folded.

March 2014: Consolidated total assets of four banks

As of March 2014, four banks operating in Bermuda had consolidated total assets of $24.3 billion.

October 2014: Hurricane Gonzalo hits Bermuda

In October 2014, Category 2 Hurricane Gonzalo directly struck Bermuda.

October 2016: Hurricane Nicole hits Bermuda

In October 2016, Category 3 Hurricane Nicole directly struck Bermuda.

2016: Bermuda census

According to the 2016 Bermuda census 5.6% of Bermuda residents were born in the US, representing over 18% of all foreign-born people.

2016: Approved healthcare providers

As of 2016, approved healthcare providers included the Bermudian government's Health Insurance Department, three other approved licensed health insurance companies, and three approved health insurance schemes.

2016: Racial Makeup based on census

Based on self-identification recorded by the 2016 census, the racial makeup of Bermuda was 52% Black, 31% White, 9% multiracial, 4% Asian, and 4% other races.

2017: Bermuda chaired the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association

In 2017 Bermuda chaired the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association.

2017: Hospital admissions, emergency attendances and outpatient procedures

In 2017, there were about 6,000 hospital admissions, 30,000 emergency department attendances and 6,300 outpatient procedures in Bermuda.

June 2018: Public Holiday Announcement

In June 2018, Premier Edward David Burt announced that 4 November 2019 'will be declared a public holiday to mark the 170th anniversary of the arrival of the first Portuguese immigrants in Bermuda'.

July 2018: Population estimate

As of July 2018, the population of Bermuda was estimated to be 71,176.

July 2018: Conscription Abolished

Conscription was abolished in the Royal Bermuda Regiment on 1 July 2018.

August 2018: Uyghurs granted limited citizenship

In August 2018, the four Uyghurs were granted limited citizenship in Bermuda, giving them the same rights as Bermudians except the right to vote.

2018: No paramedics on the island

In 2018, the Bermuda Hospitals Board stated that paramedics were not vital in Bermuda due to its small size.

November 2019: Public Holiday

November 4 2019 was declared a public holiday to mark the 170th anniversary of the arrival of the first Portuguese immigrants in Bermuda.

2019: Population figures

As of 2019, Bermuda had a population of around 64,000 people, making it the second-most populous of the British Overseas Territories.

2019: Bermuda GDP per capita

As of 2019, Bermuda has the 6th-highest GDP per capita in the world.

2019: Bermuda national football team qualified to the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup

In 2019, the Bermuda national football team managed to qualify to the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

October 2020: Parliament Elections

On October 1, 2020, elections for the Parliament of Bermuda took place. Following this election, the Progressive Labour Party retained power, and Edward David Burt was sworn in as Premier for the second time.

2020: Olympic gold medal

At the 2020 Summer Olympics, Flora Duffy won Bermuda's first ever Olympic gold medal in the women's triathlon.

2020: Hurricane Paulette hits Bermuda

In 2020, Category 2 Hurricane Paulette directly hit the island of Bermuda.

2020: Forest cover in Bermuda

In 2020, forest cover in Bermuda was around 20% of the total land area, equivalent to 1,000 hectares of forest.

2020: Formation of Bermuda Coast Guard

In early 2020, the Royal Bermuda Regiment formed the Bermuda Coast Guard.

March 2021: New Visa Policy

In March 2021, the government implemented a new visa policy towards foreigners, through which residency can be obtained by way of investing at least $2.5 million in "real estate, Bermuda government bonds, a contribution to the island's debt relief fund or the Bermuda Trust Fund, and charity", among other options.