History of Curaçao in Timeline
Curaçao is a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, situated in the southern Caribbean Sea, approximately 65 kilometers (40 miles) north of Venezuela. It is an island with a unique blend of Dutch and Caribbean influences.
1905: First published work in Papiamentu
In 1905, the first published work in Papiamentu, a poem by Joseph Sickman Corsen entitled Atardi, was published in the La Cruz newspaper.
1911: Punda tramway rebuilt
In 1911, the Punda line was rebuilt, regauged to metre gauge, and the horse-drawn trams replaced by petrol engined ones.
1914: Oil Discovery in Venezuela Alters Curaçao's Economy
In 1914, the discovery of oil in Mene Grande, Venezuela, dramatically altered Curaçao's economy, leading Shell and Exxon to establish refineries on the island to process the inexpensive crude oil.
1914: Discovery of Oil
In 1914, the discovery of oil in the Maracaibo Basin transformed Curaçao into a critical refinery location, significantly altering its economic landscape.
1925: Curaçao Districts Reduced
In 1925, Curaçao was divided into five districts from 1863 to 1925, after which it was reduced to the two outer districts of Bandabou and Bandariba and the city district of Willemstad.
1926: White-Tailed Deer Protected
Since 1926, the white-tailed deer has been a protected species on Curaçao, with an estimated 200 deer living on the island.
1929: Attack by Venezuelan Rebels
In 1929, Curaçao was attacked by Venezuelan rebel commander Rafael Simón Urbina, who captured the fort, plundered weapons, ammunition, and the island's treasury, and kidnapped the Governor of the island, Leonardus Albertus Fruytier.
1936: Oil Fire in Schottegat
In 1936, a burning bale of cotton caused an oil fire in the Schottegat harbor, requiring evacuation of houses, but there were no casualties.
1939: Queen Emma Bridge installation
The current Queen Emma Bridge was installed in 1939.
1940: British Occupation
In 1940, before the invasion of the Netherlands by Germany, the British occupied Curaçao and the French Aruba during the Second World War to secure the island's oil supply for the Allied forces.
1941: US Troops Occupy Curaçao
In 1941, US troops occupied Curaçao and built the military airport "Hato" to combat potential Axis submarine and bomber attacks during World War II.
August 1942: German Submarine Attack
In August 1942, German submarines attacked a tanker near Curaçao before being driven away by Dutch shore battery fire; the United States Navy established the Fourth Fleet and sent aircraft and personnel to protect the oil refineries.
1954: Joining the Netherlands Antilles
In 1954, Curaçao and other Dutch Caribbean colonies were joined to form the Netherlands Antilles.
1957: Hotel Construction
In 1957, the hotel Van der Valk Plaza Curaçao was built on top of the Waterfort.
1969: Hurricane Francelia
In 1969, Curaçao was affected by Hurricane Francelia.
1969: Riots in Curaçao
In 1969, riots broke out in Curaçao due to discontent with the Netherlands, racial discrimination, and unemployment, resulting in deaths, injuries, property damage, and subsequent reforms by the Dutch government.
1971: Hurricanes Edith and Irene
In 1971, Curaçao was affected by hurricanes Edith and Irene.
1972: Death of Leonardus Albertus Fruytier
In 1972, Leonardus Albertus Fruytier, the former governor of Curaçao who was kidnapped in 1929, died.
1974: Queen Juliana Bridge opening
In 1974, the Queen Juliana Bridge opened, allowing the Queen Emma Bridge to become a pedestrian-only bridge.
1975: Shell Refinery Losses
From 1975 to 1979 and again from 1982 to 1985, Shell's refinery on Curaçao operated with significant losses, contributing to an economic downturn.
1978: Hurricanes Cora and Greta
In 1978, Curaçao was affected by hurricanes Cora and Greta.
1979: Shell Refinery Losses
From 1975 to 1979 and again from 1982 to 1985, Shell's refinery on Curaçao operated with significant losses, contributing to an economic downturn.
1982: Shell Refinery Losses
From 1975 to 1979 and again from 1982 to 1985, Shell's refinery on Curaçao operated with significant losses, contributing to an economic downturn.
1985: Shell Ends Activities on Curaçao
In 1985, after 70 years, Royal Dutch Shell decided to end its activities on Curaçao, exacerbating the island's fragile economy.
1992: New public education law
In 1992, a new public education law was introduced, making primary education compulsory at age six for six years, followed by four years of secondary education.
1993: Papiamentu Introduced in Education
In 1993, Papiamentu was introduced as a language of primary school education in Curaçao, making it one of a few places using a creole language for basic literacy.
1997: End of Military Conscription
Since 1997, there has been no military conscription in Curaçao; a form of civil conscription has replaced it, compelling underprivileged young Antilleans to undertake professional training.
1999: USAF F-16 Fleet Operated
Until 1999, the USAF operated a small fleet of F-16 fighter aircraft from the Forward Operating Location (FOL) in Curaçao.
2000: Jewish population
As of the year 2000, there were approximately 300 Jewish people living on the island of Curaçao.
April 2002: Tax Information Exchange Agreement signed
In April 2002, a Tax Information Exchange Agreement was signed in Washington, D.C. between the U.S. and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, including Curaçao.
2004: Little League World Series win
In 2004, the Little League Baseball team from Willemstad, Curaçao, won the world title against the United States champion from Thousand Oaks, California. The Willemstad lineup included Jurickson Profar and Jonathan Schoop.
November 2006: Delay of Independence
In November 2006, Curaçao's planned transition to a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands was delayed when the island council rejected a clarification memorandum on the process.
July 2007: Curaçao's Independence Delayed
On 1 July 2007, Curaçao's planned transition to a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands was delayed after the island council rejected a clarification memorandum.
2007: End of Naval Air Base
Until 2007, the site west of Curaçao International Airport was a Royal Netherlands Navy air base, but it closed after the political decision to sell off all Orions.
December 2008: New Independence Schedule
On 15 December 2008, Curaçao was again scheduled to become a separate country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
2008: Curaçao's Pabao Little League All-Stars Championship
In 2008, Curaçao's Pabao Little League All-Stars won their country's eighth straight championship at the Little League World Series.
May 2009: Referendum on Independence
In May 2009, a non-binding referendum on Curaçao's move to become a separate country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands resulted in 52% of voters supporting it.
2009: Resort and Casino Opening
In 2009, the Renaissance Curaçao Resort and Casino opened next to the Rif Fort.
October 2010: Dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles
In October 2010, the Netherlands Antilles dissolved, and Curaçao became a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with Gerrit Schotte as its first prime minister.
2010: Autonomy Achieved
In 2010, Curaçao achieved autonomy, becoming a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
2010: Hurricane Tomas
In 2010, Curaçao was affected by Hurricane Tomas, which caused severe flooding and damages.
2010: Island Territory of Curaçao
In 2010, Curaçao was the Island Territory of Curaçao.
2010: Boys of Summer documentary
In 2010, the documentary film Boys of Summer detailed Curaçao's Pabao Little League All-Stars winning their country's eighth straight championship at the 2008 Little League World Series, then going on to defeat other teams and earning a spot in Williamsport.
2011: Religious breakdown of the population
In 2011, the religious breakdown of the population of Curaçao was estimated.
December 2012: Daniel Hodge Becomes Prime Minister
On 31 December 2012, Daniel Hodge became the third prime minister of Curaçao, leading a demissionary cabinet.
2012: NuCuraçao opened wind farms
In 2012, the power generation company NuCuraçao opened wind farms in Tera Kora and Playa Kanoa.
June 2013: Ivar Asjes Sworn In
On 7 June 2013, a new cabinet under the leadership of Ivar Asjes was sworn in as the new government of Curaçao.
2013: Cruise ship tourism growth
In 2013, Curaçao experienced significant growth in cruise ship tourism, welcoming 610,186 cruise passengers, marking a 41.4% increase from the previous year.
2013: CARIFTA Games participation
In 2013, Curaçao participated in the CARIFTA Games where Kevin Philbert stood third in the under-20 male Long Jump and Vanessa Philbert stood second in the under-17 female 1,500 metres.
June 2014: Inter-Governmental Agreement with the USA
In June 2014, Curaçao was deemed to have an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) with the United States of America with respect to the "Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act" of the United States of America.
2015: NuCuraçao wind farms expansion
In 2015, NuCuraçao expanded its wind farms in Tera Kora.
2016: Unemployment rate
In 2016, a Labour Force Survey (LFS) indicated that the unemployment rate was 13.3%.
2016: Updated Tax Information Exchange Agreement
In 2016, an update to the Tax Information Exchange Agreement between the U.S. and the Kingdom of the Netherlands (including Curaçao) from April 2002 took effect for Curaçao.
2016: Economic stagnation due to decreased exports and increased domestic demand
Since 2016, Curaçao has experienced economic stagnation due to reduced foreign demand for goods stemming from unrest and political uncertainty in Venezuela. This led to decreased exports and increased domestic demand for goods and services, although some sectors like construction, financial intermediation, and utilities saw expansion.
June 2017: Curaçao named Top Cruise Destination
In June 2017, Curaçao was named the Top Cruise Destination in the Southern Caribbean by Cruise Critic, based on cruise passenger ratings of Willemstad's downtown area as "amazing" and the food and shopping as "excellent".
July 2017: Prime Minister Seeks Cooperation
In July 2017, Curaçaoan Prime Minister Eugene Rhuggenaath sought more cooperation and assistance from the Netherlands while desiring Curaçao to take full responsibility for its affairs.
2017: Caribbean Cup win
In 2017, the Curaçao national football team won the Caribbean Cup by defeating Jamaica in the final, qualifying for the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
2018: Hato International Airport regional hub plans
By 2018, Hato International Airport had planned capital investments totaling US$48 million, aimed at transforming the airport into a regional hub.
2018: High Carbon Dioxide Emissions
In 2018, average carbon dioxide emissions per person on Curaçao were 52 tonnes, the second highest in the world.
January 2019: Curaçao Population Estimate
In January 2019, the estimated population of Curaçao was 158,665, with an area of 444 square kilometers.
2019: PDVSA lease on island's oil refinery expired
In 2019, Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA's lease on the island's oil refinery expired. The facility employs 1,000 people, refining oil from Venezuela for export to the United States and Asia.
June 2020: Riots in Willemstad
On 24 June 2020, a riot broke out in Willemstad after civil servants protested a 12.5% cut in benefits, leading to looting, arrests, and a curfew during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020: Closure of Campo Alegre
In 2020, Campo Alegre, Curaçao's largest open-air brothel, closed after 71 years of operation.
2022: Curacao male to female ratio
According to 2022 data from the CIA, Curacao has a total of only 92 men for every 100 women.
2023: Language Most Used at Home
According to the 2023 census by language most used at home by Curaçao's population; 78% speak Papiamentu, 8.4% speak Spanish, 7.9% speak Dutch, 3.8% speak English and 2% speak other languages.
2023: Government purchased Campo Alegre property
In 2023, the Curaçao government purchased the Campo Alegre property at auction, aiming to have more control over its future use.
2024: Government evaluating scenarios for Campo Alegre
As of 2024, the government is evaluating scenarios to ensure that the chosen path for Campo Alegre will benefit the local economy and social landscape.
July 2025: Netherlands Antillean guilder to be withdrawn
In July 2025, the Netherlands Antillean guilder is scheduled to be withdrawn as legal tender, with the Caribbean guilder remaining in use.
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