History of Maldives in Timeline
1932: Proclamation of the first Constitution
In 1932, the first Constitution was proclaimed in the Maldives, encouraged by Britain, leading to unrest and the Constitution being torn up.
1932: Sultanate becomes elective
In 1932, the sultanate in the Maldives became elective.
1953: First Republic declared
In 1953, the sultanate was suspended, and the First Republic was declared in the Maldives under President Mohamed Amin Didi.
1954: Restoration of the sultanate
In 1954, the sultanate was restored in the Maldives.
1957: Review of agreement with the UK
In 1957, Prime Minister Ibrahim Nasir called for a review of the agreement with the United Kingdom regarding their military presence.
1959: Secessionist movement and formation of the United Suvadive Republic
In 1959, a secessionist movement formed the independent United Suvadive Republic in the three southernmost atolls.
1960: Maldives allows UK to continue using facilities
In 1960, the Maldives allowed the United Kingdom to continue using the Gan and Hithadhoo facilities for thirty years, receiving £750,000 for economic development.
July 1965: Agreement signed to end British authority
On 26 July 1965, an agreement was signed, formally ending British authority on the defence and external affairs of the Maldives, leading to independence.
1965: Agreement for Gan and Hithadhoo facilities
From 1960 to 1965, the Maldives received £750,000 from the United Kingdom for economic development, in exchange for allowing them to use Gan and Hithadhoo facilities.
1965: Independence from the United Kingdom
In 1965, the Maldives gained independence from the United Kingdom.
1965: Formal Title of the Sultan
Until 1965, the formal title of the Sultan was, Sultan of Land and Sea, Lord of the twelve-thousand islands and Sultan of the Maldives which came with the style Highness.
November 1967: Parliament votes in favour of a republic
In November 1967, parliament voted in favour of the Maldives becoming a republic.
March 1968: National referendum favors establishing a republic
In March 1968, a national referendum was held, with 93.34% voting in favor of establishing a republic.
November 1968: Republic declared in the Maldives
On 11 November 1968, the republic was declared in the Maldives, ending the 853-year-old monarchy, with Ibrahim Nasir as president.
1968: Establishment of a presidential republic
In 1968, a presidential republic was established in the Maldives with an elected People's Majlis.
1968: Evacuation of Giraavaru Island
In 1968, the island of Giraavaru was evacuated due to heavy erosion.
1968: Republican constitution came into force
In 1968, the republican constitution came into force in Maldives.
1968: The Penal Code of 1968 was replaced
The Penal Code of 1968 was replaced on 16 July 2015.
1970: Constitution Amended
In 1970, the republican constitution was amended.
October 1972: First resort opens
On 3 October 1972, the first resort in the Maldives, Kurumba Maldives, welcomed its first guests.
1972: Emergence of tourism transformed the economy
According to the Ministry of Tourism, the emergence of tourism in 1972 transformed the economy, moving rapidly from dependence on fisheries to tourism.
1972: First tourist resorts opened
In 1972 the first tourist resorts were opened with Bandos Island Resort and Kurumba Village (the current name is Kurumba Maldives), which transformed the Maldives' economy.
1972: Constitution Amended
In 1972, the republican constitution was amended.
1972: Resort Increase
The number of resorts increased from 2 to 92 in 1972.
1973: Allied Health Services Training Centre established
In 1973, the Allied Health Services Training Centre was established by the Ministry of Health.
1974: Vocational Training Centre established
In 1974, the Vocational Training Centre was established, providing training for mechanical and electrical trades.
1974: Mechanisation of traditional fishing boat
In 1974, the mechanisation of the traditional fishing boat called dhoni marked a major milestone in the development of the fisheries industry.
1975: Arrest and exile of Ahmed Zaki
In 1975, elected prime minister Ahmed Zaki was arrested and exiled to a remote atoll.
1975: Constitution Amended
In 1975, the republican constitution was amended.
1976: Closure of British base
In 1976, the British base in the Maldives was closed as part of the larger British withdrawal of permanently-stationed forces 'East of Suez'.
December 1977: First accurate census held
In December 1977, the first accurate census was held, showing 142,832 people living in the Maldives.
1977: Fish canning plant installed on Felivaru
In 1977, a fish canning plant was installed on Felivaru as a joint venture with a Japanese firm.
1977: Infant mortality rate
In 1977, the infant mortality rate in the Maldives was 12.7%.
December 1978: Haveeru Daily News registered
On 28 December 1978, Haveeru Daily News was registered as the country's first daily newspaper.
1978: Population doubled
By 1978, the population of the Maldives had doubled, and life expectancy at birth stood at 46 years.
1978: Maumoon Abdul Gayoom begins his presidency
In 1978, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom began his 30-year role as president of Maldives.
1978: Nasir flees to Singapore
In 1978, Nasir fled to Singapore with millions of dollars from the treasury.
1979: Fisheries Advisory Board set up
In 1979, a Fisheries Advisory Board was established to advise the government on policy guidelines for the overall development of the fisheries sector.
1980: Coup attempt
In 1980, there was a coup attempt by Nasir supporters and business interests, that tried to topple the government without success.
July 1982: Maldives joins the Commonwealth of Nations
In July 1982, the Maldives became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
1982: Maldives joined the Commonwealth
In 1982, the Maldives joined the Commonwealth.
1983: Coup attempt
In 1983, there was a coup attempt by Nasir supporters and business interests, that tried to topple the government without success.
1984: Institute for Teacher Education created
In 1984, the Institute for Teacher Education was created.
1985: Peak in population growth rate
In 1985, the population growth rate in the Maldives peaked at 3.4%.
1987: School of Hotel and Catering Services established
In 1987, the School of Hotel and Catering Services was established to provide trained personnel for the tourist industry.
November 1988: Coup d'état and Operation Cactus
In November 1988, a coup d'état was headed by Ibrahim Lutfee and Sikka Ahmed Ismail Manik, and the Indian Air Force launched Operation Cactus to restore government rule.
1988: Authorities claimed sea rise would cover Maldives
In 1988, Maldivian authorities claimed that sea rise would "completely cover this Indian Ocean nation of 1,196 small islands within the next 30 years."
1988: Coup attempt
In 1988, a coup attempt involving a mercenary force of the PLOTE was stopped by the intervention of Indian troops.
1990: Infant mortality rate in Maldives
In 1990, infant mortality rate in Maldives was 34 per 1,000.
1991: Institute of Management and Administration created
In 1991, the Institute of Management and Administration was created to train staff for public and private services.
1996: Maldives is the official progress monitor of the Indian Ocean Commission
Since 1996, the Maldives has been the official progress monitor of the Indian Ocean Commission.
November 1997: New Constitution assented to
On 27 November 1997 a new Constitution was assented to by then-President Maumoon.
January 1998: Constitution came into force
This Constitution came into force on 1 January 1998.
1998: Coral bleaching due to El Niño
In 1998, sea-temperature warming of as much as 5 °C (9.0 °F) due to a single El Niño phenomenon event caused coral bleaching, killing two-thirds of the nation's coral reefs.
1998: Maldives College of Higher Education founded
In 1998, the Maldives College of Higher Education was founded.
1998: El Niño wake-up call
before 1998, we never thought that this reef would die. We had always taken for granted that these animals would be there, that this reef would be there forever. El Niño gave us a wake-up call that these things are not going to be there forever.
January 1999: Institute of Shar'ah and Law founded
In January 1999, the Institute of Shar'ah and Law was founded.
2000: College launched first-degree program
In 2000, the Maldives College of Higher Education launched its first-degree program, a Bachelor of Arts.
2000: Population growth rate declined
The census in 2000 showed that the population growth rate had declined to 1.9%.
2002: Maldives began to express interest in the commission
In 2002, the Maldives began to express interest in the commission.
2003: Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) founded
In 2003, Mohamed Nasheed founded the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and pressured Maumoon into allowing gradual political reforms.
December 2004: Tsunami devastates the Maldives
On 26 December 2004, a tsunami devastated the Maldives, causing widespread damage and resulting in numerous casualties.
2004: Infant mortality rate fell
In 2004, infant mortality rate fell from 34 per 1,000 in 1990 to 15 per 1,000.
2004: Corals Regenerating
In 2004, scientists witnessed corals regenerating. Corals began to eject pink-orange eggs and sperm.
2004: Economic downturn following the 2004 tsunami
In 2004, the Maldives experienced an economic downturn following the tsunami.
2006: Population reaches 298,968
By the 2006 census, the population of Maldives had reached 298,968.
2007: Tourists Visited Maldives
As of 2007, over 8,380,000 tourists had visited the Maldives.
2007: IPCC report predicted sea level rise
In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's report predicted the upper limit of the sea level rise will be 59 centimetres (23 in) by 2100.
August 2008: Current Constitution ratified
The current Constitution of Maldives was ratified by President Maumoon on 7 August 2008, and came into effect immediately, replacing and repealing the constitution of 1998.
2008: 89 resorts offered over 17,000 beds
As of 2008, 89 resorts in the Maldives offered over 17,000 beds and hosted over 600,000 tourists annually.
2008: Had not applied for membership
As of 2008, the Maldives had not applied for membership in the commission.
2008: New constitution approved and first direct presidential elections held
In 2008, a new constitution was approved in the Maldives, and the first direct presidential elections occurred, which were won by Nasheed.
2008: Adoption of constitution
Since the adoption of the 2008 constitution citizens are required by law to nominally follow Sunni Islam.
2008: New constitution based on principles of Islam
The 2008 constitution says that the republic "is based on the principles of Islam" and that "no law contrary to any principle of Islam can be applied".
2009: International Climate Talks
At the 2009 International Climate Talks, Nasheed stated that: [No specific details provided in the text]
2009: Underwater cabinet meeting
In 2009, Mohamed Nasheed hosted "the world's first underwater cabinet meeting" to raise awareness of the threats posed by climate change.
2009: Reform process made headway
In 2009, a reform process had made headway in Maldives.
2010: Reform process made headway
In 2010, a reform process had made headway in Maldives.
2010: Projected Population
In 2010, the population was projected to have reached 317,280.
January 2011: Maldives National University Act passed
On 17 January 2011, the Maldives National University Act was passed by the President of the Maldives.
February 2011: Maldives National University named
The Maldives National University was named on 15 February 2011.
2011: Life expectancy at birth
In 2011, life expectancy at birth in the Maldives was 77 years.
2011: Freedom House declared the Maldives "Partly Free"
In its 2011 Freedom in the World report, Freedom House declared the Maldives "Partly Free", claiming a reform process had stalled.
2011: Social and political unrest
In late 2011, the Maldives experienced growing social and political unrest.
February 2012: Nasheed resigns from office
In February 2012, Nasheed resigned from office after a mutiny by police and army personnel.
2012: Nasheed warned about rising sea levels
In 2012, former president Mohamed Nasheed said that "If carbon emissions continue at the rate they are climbing today, my country will be under water in seven years."
2012: Human Rights Practices in the country
In their 2012 report on human rights practices in the country that the most significant problems are corruption, lack of religious freedom, abuse, and unequal treatment of women.
2013: Merger of seaplane companies
In 2013, TMA (Trans Maldivian Airways) and Maldivian Air Taxi merged under the name TMA.
2013: Contested Elections
In 2013, former president Nasheed won the most votes in the first round, but the Supreme Court annulled it despite positive assessment of international election observers, Abdulla Yameen assumed the presidency.
2013: Estimated Christian population
In 2013, scholar Felix Wilfred of Oxford University estimated the number of Christians in Maldives as 1,400 or 0.4% of the country's population.
2014: Population and Housing Census
The 2014 Population and Housing Census listed the total population in the Maldives as 437,535, including resident Maldivians and resident foreigners.
July 2015: New penal code came into effect
On 16 July 2015, a new penal code came into effect, replacing the 1968 law.
2015: College of Islamic Studies changed
In 2015 under a Presidential decree the College of Islamic Studies was changed into the Islamic University of Maldives (IUM).
2015: Assassination attempt on president Yameen
In late 2015, President Yameen survived an assassination attempt.
October 2016: Maldives withdrew from the Commonwealth
In October 2016, the Maldives announced its withdrawal from the Commonwealth in protest at allegations of human rights abuse and failing democracy.
October 2016: Maldives withdraws from the Commonwealth of Nations
In October 2016, the Maldives withdrew from the Commonwealth of Nations due to allegations of human rights abuses and failing democracy.
2016: Dissolution of Haveeru Daily News
In 2016, Haveeru Daily News was dissolved.
2016: Severe Coral Bleaching
In 2016, the coral reefs of the Maldives experienced a severe bleaching incident. Up to 95% of coral around some islands have died.
May 2017: PSM News founded
On 3 May 2017, PSM News was founded in celebration of World Press Freedom Day.
November 2018: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih sworn in as president
In November 2018, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, having won the most votes in the election, was sworn in as the new president of the Maldives.
2018: Maldives decided to rejoin the Commonwealth
Following his election as president in 2018, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and his Cabinet decided that the Maldives would apply to rejoin the Commonwealth.
2018: Crackdown termed as an "assault on democracy"
In 2018, the then ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM-Y)'s tensions with opposition parties and subsequent crackdown was termed as an "assault on democracy" by the UN Human Rights chief.
April 2019: MDP won landslide victory in parliamentary election
In April 2019 parliamentary election The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) of president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won a landslide victory, taking 65 of 87 seats in the parliament.
July 2019: Adeeb freed and then placed under travel ban
In July 2019, Adeeb was freed by the courts after his conviction on terrorism and corruption charges was overruled, but he was then placed under a travel ban after the state prosecutor appealed the order in a corruption and money laundering case.
November 2019: Abdulla Yameen sentenced to prison
In November 2019, former president Abdulla Yameen was sentenced to five years in prison for money laundering.
2019: Manta Air began service
In 2019, Manta Air began its first scheduled seaplane service.
2019: Over 1.7 million visitors came to the islands
In 2019, over 1.7 million visitors came to the islands.
2019: Maldives signed the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
In 2019, the Maldives signed the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
February 2020: Maldives rejoins the Commonwealth of Nations
In February 2020, the Maldives rejoined the Commonwealth of Nations after demonstrating functioning democratic processes.
February 2020: Maldives readmitted to the Commonwealth
On 1 February 2020, Maldives' readmission to the Commonwealth occurred.
2020: Study on Maldives and Marshall Islands found that tides move sediment to create higher elevation
In 2020, a three-year study at the University of Plymouth which looked at the Maldives and the Marshall Islands, found that tides move sediment to create a higher elevation.
2020: Studies on Christian population
In 2020, studies found that 0.29% of the population is Christian.
January 2021: High Court upheld Yameen's jail sentence
In January 2021, the High Court upheld the jail sentence of former president Abdulla Yameen for money laundering.
May 2021: Expatriate Workers
As of May 2021, there were 281,000 expatriate workers in the Maldives, with an estimated 63,000 undocumented.
May 2021: COVID-19 outbreak
On 24 May 2021, the Maldives experienced the world's fastest-growing COVID-19 outbreak, with the highest number of infections per million people.
November 2021: Supreme Court overturned Yameen's conviction
In November 2021, the Supreme Court overturned former president Abdulla Yameen's conviction.
February 2022: Russian oligarchs sought refuge in the Maldives
As a result of sanctions imposed upon the Russian oligarchs by the West, in February 2022 many of them sought refuge for their mega-yachts in the Maldives.
2022: Maldives population in 2022
In 2022, the Maldives' population was 515,132, according to the census.
January 2023: Evidence Act takes effect
In January 2023, the Evidence Act came into effect, granting courts the authority to compel journalists to reveal their confidential sources.
October 2023: Mohamed Muizzu sworn in as President
On 17 October 2023, Mohamed Muizzu was sworn in as the eighth President of the Republic of Maldives.
November 2023: Mohamed Muizzu serving as president
The current president serving since 17 November 2023 is Mohamed Muizzu.
2023: World Press Freedom Index ranking
Maldives has been ranked one–hundred in the World Press Freedom Index 2023.
April 2024: PNC won 66 seats in parliamentary election
In April 2024, President Mohamed Muizzu's pro-China People's National Congress (PNC) won 66 seats in the 2024 Maldivian parliamentary election.
June 2024: Maldives banned Israeli passport holders
Following a cabinet meeting, in June 2024, the government of the Maldives decided to ban Israeli passport holders from entering the country.
2024: PNC won a super-majority over the 93 constituencies
At the 2024 parliamentary election, the People's National Congress (PNC) won a super-majority over the 93 constituencies.
2024: Ex-President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom freed from conviction
In 2024, ex-President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom was freed from his 11-year conviction and the High Court ordered a new trial.
2024: World Press Freedom Index ranking
Maldives has been ranked 106 in the World Press Freedom Index 2024.
Mentioned in this timeline
India officially the Republic of India is a South Asian...
China officially the People's Republic of China PRC is located...
Australia officially the Commonwealth of Australia encompasses the Australian mainland...
News encompasses current events disseminated through various media including oral...
A tsunami is a series of powerful waves caused by...
Trains are a connected series of vehicles traveling on railway...
Trending
40 minutes ago Justin Turner to start for Cubs in Arizona, Suzuki moves up.
41 minutes ago Anthony Banda: From Retirement Thoughts to Dodgers' Postseason Hero with Dazzling ERA
41 minutes ago Kei Nishikori faces Mitchell Krueger in ATP Houston's Clay Court Championship.
41 minutes ago Clipping Releases Cyberpunk Rap Album 'Dead Channel Sky', Inspired by Non-Musical Elements
41 minutes ago Bryan De La Cruz to make his first start of the 2025 season.
2 hours ago Michael King seeks rebound as Padres pitcher; contract predictions spark debate.
Popular
Bruce Pearl is an American college basketball coach currently head...
LeBron James nicknamed King James is a highly decorated American...
Jasmine Crockett is an American lawyer and politician currently serving...
Cristiano Ronaldo nicknamed CR is a Portuguese professional footballer widely...
Michael Jordan also known as MJ is a celebrated American...
Pamela Jo Bondi is an American attorney lobbyist and politician...