Puerto Rico is a self-governing Caribbean archipelago and island, functioning as an unincorporated territory of the United States. Situated approximately 1,000 miles southeast of Miami, Florida, it lies between the Dominican Republic and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The archipelago comprises the main island and smaller islands like Vieques, Culebra, and Mona. Home to around 3.2 million residents, it's divided into 78 municipalities, with San Juan as the capital and most populous. Spanish and English are the official languages, with Spanish being the dominant language.
In 1900, the Foraker Act established a civil government in Puerto Rico, ending rule by American generals and the Department of War.
In 1901, after the U.S. government assumed control of Puerto Rico, it initiated legal reforms, adopting codes of criminal law, criminal procedure, and civil procedure modeled after those then in effect in California.
On March 12, 1903, the University of Puerto Rico was officially founded, branching out from the "Escuela Normal Industrial" that was founded three years earlier.
In 1906, the U.S. Supreme Court case Ortega v. Lara ruled that the U.S. Constitution applied within Puerto Rico's territory and that domestic laws not conflicting with it remained in force.
In 1907, Antonio Paoli became the first operatic artist in world history to record an entire opera, participating in a performance of Pagliacci by Ruggiero Leoncavallo in Milan, Italy.
In 1917, Puerto Ricans were collectively made U.S. citizens as a result of the Jones–Shafroth Act.
In 1917, the Jones Act granted U.S. citizenship to Puerto Ricans.
Since 1917, Puerto Ricans have been included in the U.S. compulsory draft when it has been in effect.
In 1918, the San Fermín earthquake occurred on October 11, with a magnitude of 7.5. It was accompanied by a tsunami, causing extensive property damage, widespread losses, and approximately 116 deaths.
By 1920, the Ponce Creole architectural style, developed in Ponce, Puerto Rico, between 1895 and 1920, was being utilized.
One of the most cited contributors to the high cost of living in Puerto Rico is the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, also known as the Jones Act, which prevents foreign-flagged ships from carrying cargo between two American ports, a practice known as cabotage.
In September 1928, the Lake Okeechobee Hurricane (also known as the San Felipe Segundo hurricane in Puerto Rico) made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane.
In 1930, the Baloncesto Superior Nacional, the top-level professional basketball league in Puerto Rico, began.
In 1931, the name of the island was officially changed back to Puerto Rico by a joint resolution in Congress, introduced by Félix Córdova Dávila, after having been changed to Porto Rico by the United States after the Treaty of Paris of 1898.
In 1937, Puerto Rico was honored on a U.S. postal stamp featuring 'La Fortaleza', the Spanish Governor's Palace.
In 1948, Juan Evangelista Venegas won the first Olympic medal for Puerto Rico in boxing.
On April 27, 1949, the first free election for governor of the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico was commemorated with a 3-cent stamp, referring to the election of Luis Muñoz Marín.
In 1950, the U.S. Congress oversaw Puerto Rico under the Puerto Rico Federal Relations Act. Puerto Rico sends a nonvoting representative to the U.S. Congress, called a Resident Commissioner, and participates in presidential primaries.
In 1951, the Puerto Rico national baseball team won a gold medal at the Baseball World Cup.
In 1951, the former independent municipality of Río Piedras was annexed to San Juan.
On July 25, 1952, the official Spanish name Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico (Free Associated State of Puerto Rico) was adopted by a constitutional assembly. The name was suggested by Luis Muñoz Marín.
In 1952, Congress approved a territorial constitution for Puerto Rico, enabling residents to elect a governor, a senate, and a house of representatives.
Since 1952, Puerto Rico has had three main political parties: the Popular Democratic Party (PPD), the New Progressive Party (PNP), and the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP), each advocating for a different political status for the island.
In 1957, the Puerto Rico national basketball team joined the International Basketball Federation.
On September 12, 1971, San Juan, Puerto Rico, was commemorated with an 8-cent stamp on its 450th anniversary, featuring a sentry box from Castillo San Felipe del Morro.
In 1971, the municipality of Florida was founded; it is the most recent municipality to be established in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico has been issuing bonds to balance its actual budget for four decades beginning in 1973.
In 1979, Puerto Rico hosted the Pan Am Games in San Juan.
Between 1984–2000 the San Juan PPQ station recorded 7.74% of all interceptions, #4 in the country, #2 for insects and #3 for pathogens. Most species are originally from South America or elsewhere in the Caribbean due to PR's position as an intermediary on the way to the mainland.
Pathogen interceptions were dramatically (17%) higher 1999–2000 than in 1985–1986 at the San Juan PPQ station.
Pathogen interceptions were dramatically (17%) higher 1999–2000 than in 1985–1986 at the San Juan PPQ station.
In 1991, per the Autonomous Municipalities Act, each municipality has a mayor and a municipal legislature elected for four-year terms.
In 1992, President George H. W. Bush issued a memorandum directing federal departments and agencies to treat Puerto Rico administratively as a state, provided it doesn't disrupt federal programs or operations.
In 1992, the FBI made armed carjacking a federal crime and rates decreased per statistics.
In 1993, The Central American and Caribbean Games were hosted in Ponce.
In 1993, U.S. Atlantic Command (LANTCOM after 1993 USACOM) had authority over all U.S. military operations that took place throughout the Atlantic.
In 1994, the Puerto Rico national basketball team won gold in the Goodwill Games.
As of 1998, the archipelago has 239 plants, 16 birds and 39 amphibians/reptiles that are endemic to the area.
In 1999, Orlando Cepeda was enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
In 1999, the U.S. Atlantic Command was renamed and given a new mission as U.S. Joint Forces Command. Puerto Rico is currently under the responsibility of U.S. Northern Command.
Pathogen interceptions were dramatically (17%) higher 1999–2000 than in 1985–1986 at the San Juan PPQ station.
According to the 2000 Census, 60.0% of the population attained a high school degree or higher, and 18.3% had a bachelor's degree or higher.
Between 1984-2000 the San Juan PPQ station recorded 7.74% of all interceptions, #4 in the country, #2 for insects and #3 for pathogens.
The practice of approving budgets with a structural deficit has been done for 25 consecutive years starting in 2000.
As of 2002, the literacy rate of the Puerto Rican population was 94.1%, with 93.9% for males and 94.4% for females.
In 2003, San Juan hosted the Montreal Expos for several series before they moved to Washington, D.C.
On August 8, 2004, the Puerto Rico national basketball team defeated the United States in an Olympic tournament, with a score of 92–73, during the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
In 2004, San Juan hosted the Montreal Expos for several series before they moved to Washington, D.C. and became the Washington Nationals.
In March 2006, San Juan's Hiram Bithorn Stadium hosted the opening and second rounds of the World Baseball Classic.
In 2006, Puerto Rico entered a recession that lasted until 2011.
After 2007, the Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Party was registered, aiming to address the island's issues from a status-neutral stance.
In 2008, the Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico Party ceased to be a registered party when it failed to obtain the required number of votes in the general election.
In 2008, the first unified league, the Puerto Rico Soccer League, was established.
In 2009, Puerto Rico contributed $3.742 billion to the U.S. Treasury. While residents pay into Social Security and are eligible for benefits, they are excluded from Supplemental Security Income, and the island receives less Medicaid funding than a U.S. state. Medicare providers also receive reduced reimbursements.
In 2009, the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization approved a draft resolution calling on the U.S. government to expedite a process for Puerto Rican self-determination and independence.
As of 2010, there were 1539 public schools and 806 private schools in Puerto Rico.
In 2010, The Central American and Caribbean Games were hosted in Mayagüez.
In 2010, the average life expectancy in Puerto Rico was 78.7 years.
In 2011, Puerto Rico experienced the end of a recession, which started in 2006, interrupted by four quarters of economic growth.
In 2011, median home value in Puerto Rico ranged from U.S.$100,000 to U.S.$214,000, while the national median home value was $119,600.
In 2011, the Puerto Rico Flag, illustrated by a bird, was featured on Forever stamps as part of the "Flags of our nation series".
In November 2012, a two-question referendum was held in Puerto Rico, with 54% voting against the current territorial status and 61.16% voting in favor of statehood.
The 2012 election saw the emergence of the Movimiento Unión Soberanista (Sovereign Union Movement) and the Partido del Pueblo Trabajador (Working People's Party), but none obtained more than 1% of the vote.
In 2013, Puerto Rico entered into recession again, following growing fiscal imbalance and the expiration of the IRS Section 936 corporate incentives that the U.S. Internal Revenue Code had applied to Puerto Rico.
In 2014, the 65th Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army, nicknamed The Borinqueneers, was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for its heroism during the Korean War.
In 2014, the homicide rate in Puerto Rico was 19.2 per 100,000 inhabitants, significantly higher than any U.S. state. Most homicide victims are gang members and drug traffickers with about 80% of homicides in Puerto Rico being drug related.
In the U.S. Census Bureau's 2015 update, the household median income is stated as $19,350 and the mean income as $30,463. The report also indicates that 45.5% of individuals are below the poverty level.
The Commonwealth had been defaulting on many debts, including bonds, since 2015.
In 2016, Jenniffer González-Colón was elected as the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico. She received more votes than any other official elected in Puerto Rico that year.
In 2016, Monica Puig won the first gold medal for Puerto Rico in the Olympic Games by winning the Women's Tennis singles title in Rio.
In 2016, President Barack Obama signed into law H.R. 5278: PROMESA, establishing a Control Board over the Puerto Rican government with significant federal control.
In 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a parallel accusation for a criminal act at the federal level and in a Commonwealth court in Puerto Rico would constitute double jeopardy.
With debt payments due, the governor was facing the risk of a government shutdown and failure to fund the managed health care system. A letter sent to Congress stated that "Without action before July 1, 2017 Puerto Rico's ability to execute contracts for Fiscal Year 2018 with its managed care organizations will be threatened, thereby putting at risk the health care of up to 900,000 impoverished U.S. citizens living in Puerto Rico."
In early July 2017, the PREPA power authority was effectively bankrupt after defaulting in a plan to restructure $9 billion in bond debt; the agency planned to seek Court protection.
In early August 2017, the island's financial oversight board (created by PROMESA) planned to institute two days off without pay per month for government employees, down from the original plan of four days per month.
On September 7, 2017, Puerto Rico was hit by Category 5 Hurricane Irma, causing significant damage.
On September 20, 2017, Puerto Rico was struck by Category 4 Hurricane Maria, causing catastrophic damage including widespread power outages and damage to infrastructure.
In 2017, Hurricane Maria caused severe damage to the island and its infrastructure, disrupting tourism for many months. The damage was estimated at $100 billion.
In 2017, Puerto Rico was affected by Category 5 Hurricane Irma and Category 4 Hurricane Maria, which caused widespread and devastating impacts, particularly to the electric grid.
In 2017, there was another referendum in Puerto Rico, in favor of statehood although it was boycotted by some political opponents of it. (see 2017 Puerto Rican status referendum)
In 2017, there were 69 hospitals in Puerto Rico.
In early 2017, the Puerto Rican government-debt crisis posed serious problems for the government which was saddled with outstanding bond debt that had climbed to $70 billion. The debt had been increasing during a decade-long recession.
In 2018, a tourism campaign was launched by Discover Puerto Rico intended to highlight the island's culture and history, branding it distinct, and different from other Caribbean destinations.
With debt payments due, the governor was facing the risk of a government shutdown and failure to fund the managed health care system. A letter sent to Congress stated that "Without action before April, Puerto Rico's ability to execute contracts for Fiscal Year 2018 with its managed care organizations will be threatened, thereby putting at risk beginning July 1, 2017 the health care of up to 900,000 impoverished U.S. citizens living in Puerto Rico."
An April 2019 report indicated that by that time, only a few hotels were still closed, that life for tourists in and around the capital had, for the most part, returned to normal after Hurricane Maria.
By October 2019, nearly all of the popular amenities for tourists, in the major destinations such as San Juan, Ponce and Arecibo, were in operation on the island and tourism was rebounding. This was important for the economy, since tourism provides up to 10% of Puerto Rico's GDP, according to Discover Puerto Rico.
In 2019, Discover Puerto Rico planned to continue a tourism campaign that was launched in 2018 intended to highlight the island's culture and history, branding it distinct, and different from other Caribbean destinations.
In January 2020, Puerto Rico experienced its largest earthquake since 1918, estimated at magnitude 6.4, resulting in economic losses of more than $3.1 billion.
In November 2020, Puerto Rico held a statehood referendum during the general elections, with 52% of voters answering yes to becoming a state.
According to World Bank, gross national income per capita in Puerto Rico in 2020 was $21,740.
As of 2021, the average life expectancy in Puerto Rico was approximately 82.1 years, according to the CIA World Factbook.
In 2022, the Puerto Rico Status Act (H.R. 8393) passed the House, though it did not pass the Senate. This bill would support Puerto Rico in making a binding referendum on its status.
On November 5, 2024, Jennifer Gonzalez, who is pro-statehood, won the office of Governor of Puerto Rico in the 2024 general election with nearly 40% of the vote.
On November 5, 2024, statehood won with 59% in a non-binding referendum.
In November 2024, the governor and legislators were elected by popular vote for a four-year term.
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