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 km north of Venezuela. It is officially known as the Country of Curaçao.

1905: First published work in Papiamentu

In 1905, the first published work in Papiamentu was a poem by Joseph Sickman Corsen entitled Atardi, published in the La Cruz newspaper.

1911: Rebuilding of Punda tramway

In 1911, the Punda tramway 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. Shell and Exxon secured drilling concessions, ensuring a consistent crude oil supply to Aruba and Curaçao refineries. The vertical integration of Shell and Exxon controlled the entire industry from pumping to sales, enabling profitable refinery operations due to the margin between crude oil production costs and oil product revenues.

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.

1920: Closure of Punda tramway

In 1920, the Punda tramway closed.

1925: Division of Curaçao into districts

From 1863 to 1925, Curaçao was divided into five districts, after which it was reduced to the two outer districts of Bandabou and Bandariba and the city district of Willemstad.

1926: White-Tailed Deer Protection

Since 1926, the white-tailed deer has been a protected species on Curaçao, with an estimated 200 living on the island.

1929: Attack by Venezuelan Rebels

In 1929, Curaçao was attacked by Venezuelan rebel commander Rafael Simón Urbina, who, with 250 soldiers, captured the fort, plundered weapons and ammunition and captured the island's governor.

1936: Fire in the Schottegat

In 1936, a burning bale of cotton caused oil on the water in the Schottegat to catch fire, leading to evacuations but no casualties.

1939: Installation of current Queen Emma Bridge

In 1939, the current Queen Emma Bridge was installed, replacing the original bridge. The Queen Emma Bridge is a 168-metre-long pontoon bridge that allows pedestrians to walk between the Punda and Otrobanda districts.

1940: British Occupation of Curaçao

In 1940, before the German invasion of the Netherlands, British forces occupied Curaçao.

1941: US Troops Occupy Curaçao

In 1941, US troops occupied Curaçao and built the military airport "Hato" to combat potential Axis attacks.

August 1942: German Submarine Attacks

In August 1942, German submarines attacked a tanker off the port of Willemstad. The U.S. Navy established the Fourth Fleet and the U.S. Army sent aircraft to protect the oil refineries.

1954: Part of Netherlands Antilles

In 1954, Curaçao became part of the Netherlands Antilles, joining other Dutch Caribbean colonies.

1954: Hurricane Hazel

In 1954, Curaçao was affected by Hurricane Hazel.

1957: Hotel Construction

In 1957, the hotel Van der Valk Plaza Curaçao was built on top of the Waterfort.

1961: Hurricane Anna

In 1961, Curaçao was affected by Hurricane Anna.

1969: Tropical Storm Francelia

In 1969, Curaçao was directly affected by pre-hurricane tropical storm Francelia.

1969: Riots in Curaçao

In 1969, discontent over Curaçao's relationship with the Netherlands and rising unemployment led to riots. The Dutch Navy quelled the rebellion, resulting in deaths, injuries, and property damage. The Dutch government then introduced reforms to increase Afro-Curaçaoan influence.

1971: Tropical Storms Edith and Irene

In 1971, Curaçao was directly affected by pre-hurricane tropical storms Edith and Irene.

1972: Death of Leonardus Albertus Fruytier

In 1972, Leonardus Albertus Fruytier, the governor who was captured during the 1929 attack, died.

1974: Opening of Queen Juliana Bridge

The Queen Juliana Bridge opened in 1974, allowing the Queen Emma Bridge to become a pedestrian-only bridge.

1975: Shell Refinery Losses

From 1975, Shell's refinery on the island operated with significant losses.

1978: Tropical Storms Cora and Greta

In 1978, Curaçao was directly affected by pre-hurricane tropical storms Cora and Greta.

1979: Shell Refinery Losses

Until 1979, Shell's refinery on the island operated with significant losses.

1982: Shell Refinery Losses

From 1982, Shell's refinery on the island operated with significant losses.

1985: Royal Dutch Shell Ends Activities

In 1985, Royal Dutch Shell decided to end its activities on Curaçao after 70 years due to persistent losses and global overproduction.

1988: Tropical Storm Joan

In 1988, Curaçao was directly affected by pre-hurricane tropical storm Joan.

1992: New public education law

In 1992, a new public education law was introduced. This law mandated that compulsory primary education starts at age six and continues for six years, with secondary education lasting for another four years.

1993: Papiamentu introduced as language of primary school education

In 1993, Papiamentu was introduced as a language of primary school education in Curaçao, making it one of the few places where a creole language is used as a medium to acquire basic literacy.

1996: Tropical Storm Cesar

In 1996, Curaçao was directly affected by pre-hurricane tropical storm Cesar.

1997: End of Military Conscription

Since 1997, there has been no military conscription in Curaçao; a form of civil conscription has replaced it.

1999: F-16 Fighter Aircraft Operations

Until 1999, the USAF operated a small fleet of F-16 fighter aircraft from the FOL.

2000: Jewish population on the island

As of the year 2000, there were approximately 300 Jewish people living on the island of Curaçao.

April 2002: Tax Information Exchange Agreement

In April 2002, the 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: Island Council Rejects Memorandum

On 28 November 2006, the island council rejected a clarification memorandum on the process of Curaçao becoming a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, delaying the change.

July 2007: Curaçao Status Change Delayed

On 1 July 2007, Curaçao was scheduled to become a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but the change was delayed. On 9 July 2007, a new island council ratified this agreement.

2007: Hurricane Felix

In 2007, Curaçao was affected by Hurricane Felix.

2007: End of Naval Air Base Operations

Until 2007, the site next to Curaçao International Airport was a Royal Netherlands Navy air base operating for 55 years. After the political decision to sell off all Orions, the air base was not needed anymore.

December 2008: New Schedule for Separate Country Status

On 15 December 2008, Curaçao was again scheduled to become a separate country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

2008: Hurricane Omar

In 2008, Curaçao was affected by Hurricane Omar.

2008: Pabao Little League All-Stars win championship

In 2008, Curaçao's Pabao Little League All-Stars won their country's eighth straight championship.

May 2009: Non-Binding Referendum

On 15 May 2009, a non-binding referendum was held in Curaçao, with 52% of voters supporting the move to become a separate country.

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

On 10 October 2010, the Netherlands Antilles was dissolved. Curaçao became a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with the kingdom retaining responsibility for defence and foreign policy. Gerrit Schotte was appointed as Curaçao's first prime minister.

2010: Autonomy Achieved

In 2010, Curaçao achieved autonomy, becoming a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

2010: Island Territory of Curaçao

In 2010, Curaçao was the Island Territory of Curaçao in the Netherlands Antilles.

2010: Hurricane Tomas

In 2010, Hurricane Tomas brushed past Curaçao as a tropical storm, dropping nearly half its annual precipitation and causing significant damage.

2010: Release of documentary 'Boys of Summer'

The 2010 documentary film 'Boys of Summer' details Curaçao's Pabao Little League All-Stars winning their country's eighth straight championship at the 2008 Little League World Series.

Loading Video...

2011: Religious breakdown estimate

The religious breakdown of the population of Curaçao according to a 2011 estimate was recorded.

December 2012: Daniel Hodge Becomes Prime Minister

On 31 December 2012, Daniel Hodge became the third prime minister of Curaçao after the 2012 elections.

2012: Opening of 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, Ivar Asjes was sworn in as the new prime minister of Curaçao, leading a new cabinet.

2013: Participation in CARIFTA Games

In 2013, Curaçao participated in the CARIFTA Games. Kevin Philbert stood third in the under-20 male Long Jump, and Vanessa Philbert stood second the under-17 female 1,500 metres.

2013: Cruise ship tourism growth and airport passengers

In 2013, Curaçao saw significant growth in cruise ship tourism, with 610,186 cruise passengers, a 41.4% increase over the previous year. Hato International Airport received 1,772,501 passengers in 2013.

June 2014: Inter-Governmental Agreement with the U.S.

On June 30, 2014, Curaçao was deemed to have an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) with the United States of America regarding the "Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act".

2015: Expansion of wind farms

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: Tax Information Exchange Agreement took effect

In 2016, the Tax Information Exchange Agreement that was updated with respect to Curaçao in 2014 took effect.

2016: Economic stagnation due to decreased exports and increased domestic demand

Since 2016, reduced foreign demand for goods due to unrest and political uncertainty in Venezuela has led to decreased exports and increased domestic demand for goods and services, resulting in economic stagnation.

June 2017: Curaçao named Top Cruise Destination

In June 2017, Curaçao was named the Top Cruise Destination in the Southern Caribbean by Cruise Critic. The winners were selected based on cruise passenger comments who rated 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 expressed a desire for Curaçao to take full responsibility over its affairs, while seeking more cooperation and assistance from the Netherlands.

2017: Caribbean Cup win and CONCACAF Gold Cup qualification

The Curaçao national football team won the 2017 Caribbean Cup by defeating Jamaica in the final, qualifying for the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

2018: High Carbon Dioxide Emissions

According to the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research, average carbon dioxide emissions per person on the island were 52 tonnes in 2018, the second highest in the world.

2018: Airport transformation target date

By 2018, Hato International Airport aimed to transform into a regional hub with capital investments totaling US$48 million, announced in 2013.

January 2019: Curaçao Population Estimate

In January 2019, the estimated population of Curaçao was 158,665, with the island covering an area of 444 square kilometers.

2019: PDVSA's lease expired

In 2019, Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA's lease on the island's oil refinery expired. This facility employed 1,000 people, refining oil from Venezuela for export to the United States and Asia.

2019: King's Cup win

In 2019, the Curaçao national football team won the King's Cup tournament in Thailand by beating Vietnam in the final.

June 2020: Civil Servant Protests Turn Violent

On 24 June 2020, civil servants protested a 12.5% cut in benefits. The demonstration escalated into a riot, with police using tear gas. Willemstad's city center experienced looting, leading to arrests and curfews.

2020: Closure of Campo Alegre

In 2020, Campo Alegre, Curaçao's largest open-air brothel, closed after 71 years of operation.

2022: Gender ratio

According to 2022 data from the CIA, Curacao has a total of only 92 men for every 100 women.

2023: Census by language

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 purchase of Campo Alegre property

In 2023, the Curaçao government purchased the Campo Alegre property, aiming to have more control over its future use.

2024: Evaluation of Campo Alegre scenarios

As of 2024, the government is evaluating scenarios for Campo Alegre to ensure that the chosen path will benefit the local economy and social landscape.