History of Dominican Republic in Timeline

The Dominican Republic is a nation located on the eastern portion of Hispaniola, sharing the island with Haiti. It's the second-largest Caribbean nation by both area (48,671 sq km) and population (approximately 11.4 million in 2024). Santo Domingo serves as its capital, housing 3.6 million people. The Dominican Republic shares a maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east. Hispaniola is one of two Caribbean islands shared by two sovereign states.

1902: Jimenes presidency

From 1899 to 1902, Juan Isidro Jimenes Pereyra served as president.

1902: Short-Lived Governments

From 1902, short-lived governments were again the norm in the Dominican Republic, with caudillos usurping power.

1905: Dominican Agreement for U.S. Administration

In 1905, United States President Theodore Roosevelt obtained the Dominican agreement for U.S. administration of Dominican customs.

1906: Agreement for U.S. Administration Lasts 50 Years

In 1906, an agreement provided for the U.S. administration of Dominican customs to last 50 years.

1907: Missionaries Begin Work

From 1896 to 1907, missionaries from the Episcopal, Free Methodist, Seventh-day Adventist and Moravian churches began work in the Dominican Republic.

1911: Assassination of Ramón Cáceres

In 1911, President Ramón Cáceres was assassinated, leading to political instability and civil war.

1914: Political Deadlock

In 1914, a political deadlock was broken after an ultimatum by Wilson telling the Dominicans to choose a president or see the U.S. impose one.

May 7, 1916: Jimenes Resigns

On May 7, 1916, President Jimenes resigned, prompting Wilson to order the U.S. occupation of the Dominican Republic.

May 16, 1916: U.S. Marines Land

On May 16, 1916, U.S. Marines landed in the Dominican Republic and seized the capital and other ports.

1916: U.S. Occupation

During the U.S. occupation of 1916, Dominican peasants attacked and killed Arab vendors traveling through the countryside, in addition to U.S. Marines.

1916: Volleyball introduced

In 1916, volleyball was introduced to the Dominican Republic by U.S. Marines.

1918: School Establishment

Between 1918, more than three hundred schools were established nationwide.

1920: Influence of Realism and Impressionism in Art

Between 1920 and 1940 the art scene in Dominican Republic was influenced by styles of realism and impressionism.

1920: School Establishment

Until 1920, more than three hundred schools were established nationwide.

October 1922: End of U.S. Government Rule

In October 1922, the U.S. government's rule ended in the Dominican Republic.

March 1924: Elections Held

In March 1924, elections were held in the Dominican Republic.

July 13, 1924: Inauguration of Horacio Vásquez

On July 13, 1924, Horacio Vásquez was inaugurated as president.

September 1930: Hurricane San Zenón

In September 1930, Hurricane San Zenón devastated Santo Domingo, killing 8,000 people.

November 1930: Defeat of General Cipriano Bencosme

In November 1930, General Cipriano Bencosme's uprising was defeated, and he was killed in a confrontation with the army near Puerto Plata.

1930: Trujillo Seizes Power

In 1930, General Rafael Trujillo seized power following a military revolt.

1930: Trujillo's Dictatorship Begins

In 1930, Rafael Trujillo began his dictatorship after a military revolt against the government of Vásquez.

1932: Birth of Oscar de la Renta

In 1932, fashion designer Oscar de la Renta was born in the Dominican Republic.

1935: Border Agreement with Haiti

In 1935, Trujillo negotiated an undisputed border with Haiti.

1935: Assassinations in New York City

Starting in 1935, several Dominicans were assassinated in New York City for anti-Trujillo activities.

1936: Creation of the Distrito Nacional

In 1936, the Distrito Nacional was created.

October 1937: Massacre on Haitian-Dominican Border

In October 1937, Dominican troops, under Trujillo's orders, killed tens of thousands of Haitian men, women, and children on the Haitian-Dominican border.

1937: Merengue promoted internationally

In 1937, merengue music began to be promoted internationally by Dominican groups like Billo's Caracas Boys, contributing to its global recognition.

1940: Immigration to Dominican Republic

Before and during World War II until about 1940, 800 Jewish refugees moved to the Dominican Republic.

1940: Influence of Realism and Impressionism in Art

Between 1920 and 1940 the art scene in Dominican Republic was influenced by styles of realism and impressionism.

1941: End of Customs Agreement

In 1941, Trujillo achieved the end of the 50-year customs agreement with the U.S.

1942: World War II

During the Battle of the Caribbean in 1942, German U-boats torpedoed and sank the Dominican-flagged merchant vessel San Rafael off the coast of Jamaica and the Presidente Trujillo off Fort-de-France.

1947: Country Becomes Debt-Free

In 1947, the Dominican Republic became debt-free under Trujillo.

1950: Merengue promoted internationally

By 1950, merengue music had gained further international popularity through Dominican groups and media exposure.

1950: Population of the Dominican Republic

In 1950, the Dominican Republic's population was 2,380,000.

September 23, 1956: Ozzie Virgil Sr. debuts in MLB

On September 23, 1956, Ozzie Virgil Sr. became the first Dominican-born player in Major League Baseball (MLB).

1956: End of customs agreement

The 50-year customs agreement with the U.S. was supposed to end in 1956.

August 13, 1959: Aircraft Seized by Castro

On August 13, 1959, a C-47 transport flying from the Dominican Republic carrying military advisors and supplies landed at Trinidad airport, where Castro seized the aircraft and its ten occupants.

August 26, 1960: U.S. Severs Diplomatic Relations

On August 26, 1960, the United States severed diplomatic relations with the Dominican Republic.

November 25, 1960: Assassination of the Mirabal Sisters

On November 25, 1960, Trujillo's henchmen killed three of the four Mirabal sisters, known as Las Mariposas, who were conspiring to overthrow him.

1960: U.S. Breaks with Trujillo

In 1960, the U.S. broke with Trujillo after his agents attempted to assassinate the Venezuelan president Rómulo Betancourt.

January 1961: U.S. Suspends Exports

In January 1961, the U.S. suspended the export of trucks, parts, crude oil, gasoline and other petroleum products to the Dominican Republic.

May 30, 1961: Assassination of Trujillo

On May 30, 1961, Rafael Trujillo was shot and killed by Dominican dissidents during a car chase.

May 31, 1961: Arrests in Venezuela

On May 31, 1961, Venezuela arrested several individuals plotting to overthrow the government, armed with weapons traced to the Dominican Republic.

November 18, 1961: U.S. Warning Against Trujillo Reassertion

On November 18, 1961, U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk warned that the United States would not remain idle if the Trujillos attempted to reassert dictatorial domination.

1961: Trujillo's Assassination

In 1961, the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo ended with his assassination.

1961: First Emigration Wave Begins

In 1961, the first of three late-20th century emigration waves began after the assassination of dictator Trujillo, due to fear of retaliation and political uncertainty.

January 4, 1962: OAS Lifts Sanctions

On January 4, 1962, the OAS lifted its sanctions on Dominican Republic.

1962: Election of Juan Bosch

In 1962, Juan Bosch was elected president of the Dominican Republic.

February 1963: Democratically Elected Government Takes Office

In February 1963, a democratically elected government under leftist Juan Bosch took office.

1963: Oscar de la Renta designs his own label

By 1963, Oscar de la Renta had designs bearing his own label, marking the beginning of his established fashion career.

1963: Military Coup

In 1963, Juan Bosch was deposed in a military coup.

1963: Bosch Ousted in Coup

In 1963, the government of Juan Bosch was ousted in a coup.

1963: Dominican Revolutionary Party in power

The social democratic Dominican Revolutionary Party was in power in 1963.

April 24, 1965: Second Military Coup

On April 24, 1965, a second military coup ousted the military-installed president Donald Reid Cabral.

1965: Dominican Civil War

In 1965, the Dominican Civil War took place.

1965: US Military Occupation

In 1965, the United States began a military occupation of the Dominican Republic to end a civil war and eased travel restrictions, making it easier for Dominicans to obtain U.S. visas.

1966: Exodus Continues

From 1966 to 1978, the exodus continued, fueled by high unemployment and political repression.

1966: Balaguer's Authoritarian Rule Begins

In 1966, Joaquín Balaguer began his authoritarian rule.

1966: Balaguer Wins Elections

In 1966, Joaquín Balaguer won the elections.

1966: Social Christian Reformist Party in power

The conservative Social Christian Reformist Party was in power from 1966–78 and 1986–96.

1971: Oscar de la Renta becomes a US citizen

In 1971, Oscar de la Renta became a US citizen.

1973: Bosch Founds PLD

In 1973, Juan Bosch founded the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) after leaving the PRD.

1978: Exodus Continues

From 1966 to 1978, the exodus continued, fueled by high unemployment and political repression.

1978: Guzmán Fernández Succeeds Balaguer

In 1978, Antonio Guzmán Fernández of the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) succeeded Balaguer to the presidency.

1978: End of Balaguer's First Term

In 1978, the first term of Joaquín Balaguer's authoritarian rule came to an end.

1978: Dominican Revolutionary Party in power

The social democratic Dominican Revolutionary Party was in power from 1978–86.

August 1979: Hurricane David Hits

In August 1979, Hurricane David hit the Dominican Republic, causing significant damage and loss of life.

1982: Another PRD Win

In 1982, there was another win for the Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) under Salvador Jorge Blanco.

1985: Liberalized Exchange Rate

By 1985, the exchange rate to the U.S. dollar had been liberalized.

August 1986: Exchange Rate

In August 1986, the exchange rate to the U.S. dollar stood at 2.70 pesos per dollar.

1986: Balaguer Regains Presidency

In 1986, Balaguer regained the presidency.

1986: Balaguer's Return to Power

In 1986, Joaquín Balaguer returned to power for another term.

1986: Social Christian Reformist Party in power

The conservative Social Christian Reformist Party was in power from 1986–96.

1990: Economic Turmoil

During economic turmoil in the late 1980s and 1990, around 1990, the gross domestic product (GDP) fell and consumer price inflation reached 100%.

1990: Balaguer Re-elected

In 1990, Balaguer was re-elected as president.

1992: Economic Growth

From 1992, The Dominican Republic experienced rapid economic growth.

1992: Columbus Lighthouse completed

In 1992, the massive Columbus Lighthouse was completed during a later tenure of Balaguer.

1993: Exchange Rate

In 1993, the exchange rate to the U.S. dollar stood at 14.00 pesos.

1994: Flawed Elections

In 1994, Balaguer was re-elected, defeating PRD candidate José Francisco Peña Gómez, but the elections were flawed.

1996: Fernández Wins Presidency

In 1996, Leonel Fernández achieved the first-ever win for the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD).

1996: Presidential contest scheduled

In 1996, another presidential contest was scheduled due to international pressure.

1996: Generally free and fair elections

Since 1996, presidential and congressional elections have been generally free and fair.

1996: Move Towards Democracy

Since 1996, the Dominican Republic has moved towards representative democracy.

1996: Dominican Liberation Party in power

The Dominican Liberation Party was in power from 1996–2000.

1998: Hurricane Georges

In 1998, Hurricane Georges struck the Dominican Republic.

2000: Mejía Wins Election

In 2000, Hipólito Mejía of the PRD won the election.

2000: Exchange Rate

In 2000, the exchange rate to the U.S. dollar stood at 16.00 pesos.

2000: Urban Population Growth Rate

Per the United Nations, the urban population growth rate for 2000-2005 was 2.3%.

2000: Dominican Revolutionary Party in power

The social democratic Dominican Revolutionary Party was in power from 2000–04.

2000: Phone Line Subscribers

The year 2000 there were 1.6 million phone line subscribers.

2001: Split of Santo Domingo Province

In 2001, the new Santo Domingo Province split off from the Distrito Nacional.

2002: Economy Enters Recession

Until 2002, the Dominican Republic entered a period of growth and declining inflation, after which the economy entered a recession.

2003: Poverty and Illiteracy in Haiti

In 2003, 80% of all Haitians were poor (54% living in abject poverty) and 47.1% were illiterate.

2003: Economic Impact of Baninter Collapse

In 2003, the collapse of Baninter led to a drop in GDP and ballooning inflation.

2003: Participation in Iraq Invasion

In 2003, under Mejía, the Dominican Republic participated in the US-led coalition during the invasion of Iraq.

2004: Drug Trans-shipment

In 2004, it was estimated that 8% of all cocaine smuggled into the United States had come through the Dominican Republic.

2004: Dominican Liberation Party in power

The Dominican Liberation Party was in power from 2004–2020.

2005: United Nations Subcommittee on Human Development Report

According to the 2005 Annual Report of the United Nations Subcommittee on Human Development in the Dominican Republic, the country is ranked No. 71 in the world for resource availability, No. 79 for human development, and No. 14 in the world for resource mismanagement.

2005: Criticism of Collective Expulsions

In 2005, Dominican President Leonel Fernández criticized collective expulsions of Haitians as having taken place "in an abusive and inhuman way".

2005: Urban Population Growth Rate

Per the United Nations, the urban population growth rate for 2000-2005 was 2.3%.

2006: Frank Báez wins Santo Domingo Book Fair First Prize

In 2006, Frank Báez won the Santo Domingo Book Fair First Prize, marking a significant achievement in Dominican literature.

2006: Annual Population Growth Rate

The annual population growth rate for 2006-2007 was 1.5% in Dominican Republic.

2007: Population Density

In 2007, the population density in Dominican Republic was 192 per km (498 per sq mi), with 63% of the population living in urban areas.

2007: Annual Population Growth Rate

The annual population growth rate for 2006-2007 was 1.5% in Dominican Republic.

2008: Gabriel Mercedes wins Olympic silver medal

In 2008, Gabriel Mercedes won an Olympic silver medal in taekwondo.

2008: Junot Díaz wins Pulitzer Prize for Fiction

In 2008, Junot Díaz won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel, 'The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao', solidifying his place as a leading figure in Dominican literature.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Pulitzer Prize Winner)

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2008: Fernández Elected for Third Term

In 2008, Leonel Fernández was elected for a third term as president.

March 2009: Internet Users

There were 2,439,997 Internet users in March 2009.

June 2009: Phone Line Subscribers

In June 2009 there were more than 8 million phone line subscribers (land and cell users) in the D.R..

November 2009: Gender Perspective in ICT

In November 2009, the Dominican Republic pledged to include a "gender perspective" in every information and communications technology (ICT) initiative and policy.

April 2010: Teenagers Commit Violent Crimes

In April 2010, five teenagers in Dominican Republic, aged 15 to 17, shot and killed two taxi drivers and killed another five by forcing them to drink drain-cleaning acid.

September 24, 2010: Sentencing of Teen Criminals

On September 24, 2010, the teens were sentenced to prison terms of three to five years for the April 2010 murders, despite protests from the taxi drivers' families.

2010: Dominican Immigration to Puerto Rico

As of 2010, There was a growing Dominican immigration to Puerto Rico, with nearly 70,000 Dominicans living there.

2010: Population Demographics

In 2010, 31.2% of the Dominican Republic's population was under 15 years of age, and 6% was over 65 years of age.

2010: Population of Santo Domingo

In 2010, the capital city Santo Domingo had a population of 2,907,100.

2010: Census

The 2010 Census registered 311,969 Haitians; 24,457 Americans; 6,691 Spaniards; 5,763 Puerto Ricans; and 5,132 Venezuelans.

2012: Metro Passengers

In 2012, 30,856,515 passengers rode the Santo Domingo Metro.

2012: Medina Elected President

In 2012, Danilo Medina of the PLD was elected president.

2012: Survey of Immigrants

In 2012, a survey of immigrants in the Dominican Republic found 329,281 Haitian-born, 25,814 U.S.-born, 7,062 Spanish-born, 6,083 Puerto Rican-born, and 5,417 Venezuelan-born.

2012: Murder Rate

In 2012, the Dominican Republic had a murder rate of 22.1 per 100,000 population, with a total of 2,268 murders.

2012: Dominican Descent in the U.S.

In 2012, there were approximately 1.7 million people of Dominican descent in the U.S., counting both native- and foreign-born.

April 2013: Opening of Second Line of Santo Domingo Metro

The second line of the Santo Domingo Metro opened in April 2013.

August 2013: Metro Length

The current length of the Santo Domingo Metro, with the sections of the two lines open as of August 2013, is 27.35 kilometres (16.99 mi).

2013: Remittances amount

In 2013, remittances in Dominican Republic amounted to US$3333 million.

2013: Dominican Republic wins World Baseball Classic

In 2013, the Dominican Republic team went undefeated to win the World Baseball Classic.

2013: Investment in Health Services

In 2013–2016, the Dominican Republic invested a total of $16 billion pesos in health services offered to foreign patients.

October 20, 2014: Death of Oscar de la Renta

On October 20, 2014, fashion designer Oscar de la Renta died from complications of cancer.

2014: Religious Affiliations

As of 2014, 57% of the population in Dominican Republic (5.7 million) identified themselves as Roman Catholics and 23% (2.3 million) as Protestants.

2014: Increase in Remittances

In 2014, remittances in Dominican Republic increased to US$4571.30 million.

2014: Metro Passengers

In 2014, ridership of the Santo Domingo Metro increased to 61,270,054 passengers.

2014: GDP Growth in 2014

In 2014, the GDP growth of the Dominican Republic reached 7.3%, the highest in the Western Hemisphere.

2015: GDP Growth and Gold Production in 2015

In 2015, the GDP growth of the Dominican Republic was 7.0%, and the country's gold production was 31 metric tonnes.

2015: Projected Population

The projected population for the year 2015 in Dominican Republic was 10,121,000.

2016: Global Slavery Index Findings

According to the 2016 Global Slavery Index, an estimated 104,800 people are enslaved in the modern day Dominican Republic, or 1% of the population.

2016: Economic Crisis in Puerto Rico

As of 2016, immigration trends have reversed because of Puerto Rico's economic crisis.

2016: Investment in Health Services

In 2013–2016, the Dominican Republic invested a total of $16 billion pesos in health services offered to foreign patients.

2016: Medina Re-elected

In 2016, Danilo Medina was re-elected as president.

2016: Joint elections after constitutional reform

Starting in 2016, elections are held jointly, after a constitutional reform.

2017: Population Estimate

According to a 2017 estimate from the Dominican government, the Dominican Republic had a population of 10,189,895, of which 847,979 were immigrants or descendants of recent immigrants and 9,341,916 were ethnic Dominicans.

2017: Haiti's Per Capita GDP

In 2017, Haiti's per capita GDP (PPP) was $1,800, or just over one-tenth of the Dominican figure.

2017: Survey of Foreign Population

In the second half of 2017, a survey estimated the total population in the Dominican Republic at 10,189,895, with 9,341,916 Dominicans with no foreign background and 751,080 people of Haitian origin.

September 2018: Exchange Rate

As of September 2018 the exchange rate was 50.08 pesos per dollar.

2018: Santo Domingo named Culinary Capital

In 2018, Santo Domingo was named a Culinary Capital of the Caribbean by the Ibero-American Academy of Gastronomy.

2018: Signing of UN Treaty

In 2018, the Dominican Republic signed the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

2018: Economic Growth

Until 2018, The Dominican Republic experienced rapid economic growth.

2019: Santo Domingo named Culinary Capital

In 2019, Santo Domingo was again named a Culinary Capital of the Caribbean by the Ibero-American Academy of Gastronomy, reinforcing its culinary status.

2019: Global Innovation Index Ranking

In 2019, the Dominican Republic was ranked 87th in the Global Innovation Index.

2020: Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado wins championships

In 2020, Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado won the World and European Cyclo-cross championships.

2020: Abinader Wins Election

In 2020, Luis Abinader won the election, marking the end to 16 years in power of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD).

2020: Opposition Modern Revolutionary Party wins election

In 2020, The presidential candidate for the opposition Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM), Luis Abinader, won the election, defeating the PLD.

2020: Gender Ratio

In 2020, the Dominican Republic had an estimated 102.3 males for every 100 females.

2020: Birth and Death Rates

In 2020, the Dominican Republic had an estimated birth rate of 18.5 per 1000 and a death rate of 6.3 per 1000.

2021: Population of the Dominican Republic

In 2021, the Dominican Republic's population was 11,117,873.

2022: Population Survey

In a 2022 population survey, 71.7% of the population in Dominican Republic self-identified as Mixed (Indio 34.2%, Moreno 26.1%, Mestizo 7.7%, Mulatto 3.8%), 18.7% as White, 7.4% as Black, and 0.3% as "Other".

2023: Tuberculosis Incidence Rate

According to the WHO, the estimated incidence rate of tuberculosis (TB) in the Dominican Republic (42 cases per 100,000 people in 2023) is one of the highest in the Caribbean (after Haiti).

2023: Deportations to Haiti

In 2023, the Dominican Republic deported over 185,000 Haitian men, women, and children.

May 2024: Abinader Wins Second Term

In May 2024, President Luis Abinader won a second term in the elections.

2024: Five Dominicans in Baseball Hall of Fame

As of 2024, five Dominican-born players, including Adrián Beltré, Vladimir Guerrero, Juan Marichal, Pedro Martínez, and David Ortiz, have been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

2024: Abinader Re-elected as President

In 2024, Luis Abinader was re-elected to a second term as president.

2024: Deportations to Haiti and Famine

In 2024, the Dominican Republic deported more than 230,000 Haitian people, and over 5.7 million people in Haiti faced famine.

2024: Dominican Republic Population in 2024

In 2024, the Dominican Republic's population was approximately 11.4 million, with 3.6 million residing in the metropolitan area of Santo Domingo.

2024: Global Hunger Index

In the 2024 Global Hunger Index (GHI), the Dominican Republic ranks 41st out of 127 countries with sufficient data, with a GHI score of 7.8, indicating a low level of hunger.