History of Saint Lucia in Timeline

Saint Lucia is a Caribbean island nation situated in the Windward Islands, part of the Lesser Antilles. It's located near Saint Vincent, Barbados, and Martinique. The island covers 617 square kilometers and had an estimated population of over 184,100 in mid-2023. Castries is the capital and largest city.

1924: First representative government was introduced

In 1924, Saint Lucia's first representative government was introduced.

1924: Introduction of representative government

In 1924, representative government was introduced in Saint Lucia.

1925: First election taking place

In 1925, the first election took place in Saint Lucia.

March 1942: German U-boat attack on British ships

During the Battle of the Caribbean on 9 March 1942, a German U-boat attacked and sank two British ships in Castries harbour.

1951: Establishment of universal suffrage

In 1951, universal suffrage was established in Saint Lucia.

1951: Introduction of Universal Suffrage and Elections

In 1951, universal suffrage was introduced in Saint Lucia and elections were held in the same year.

1958: Saint Lucia becomes a member of the West Indies Federation

From 1958, Saint Lucia was a member of the West Indies Federation.

1958: Saint Lucia joins the West Indies Federation

In 1958, Saint Lucia joined the West Indies Federation.

1959: Peak birth rate

In 1959, the birth rate in Saint Lucia peaked at 6.98 children per woman.

1962: Dissolution of the West Indies Federation

In 1962, the West Indies Federation was dissolved.

1962: Saint Lucia ceases to be a member of the West Indies Federation

Until 1962, Saint Lucia was a member of the West Indies Federation.

1967: Saint Lucia becomes a member of the West Indies Associated States

In 1967, Saint Lucia became one of the six members of the West Indies Associated States, gaining internal self-government.

February 1979: Saint Lucia becomes an independent state

On February 1979, Saint Lucia became an independent state, remaining a Commonwealth realm.

September 1979: Saint Lucia becomes a member of the United Nations

On 18 September 1979, Saint Lucia became the 152nd member of the United Nations.

1979: Saint Lucia Labour Party defeats Compton

In 1979, Compton was defeated by the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) under Allan Louisy in the Saint Lucian general election.

1979: Saint Lucia gains independence

In 1979, Saint Lucia peacefully gained independence under Sir John Compton, remaining within the British Commonwealth.

1979: Sir Arthur Lewis wins the Nobel Prize in Economics

In 1979, Sir Arthur Lewis from Saint Lucia won the Nobel Prize in Economics.

1980: Hurricane Allen strikes the island

In 1980, Hurricane Allen struck Saint Lucia, causing widespread destruction and economic setbacks.

1982: Compton returns to power

In 1982, Compton returned to power after the Saint Lucian general election.

1983: Saint Lucia's involvement in the US invasion of Grenada

In 1983, Saint Lucia was key to the US invasion of Grenada and voted against condemning the invasion.

1990: Fertility rate

In 1990, Saint Lucia had a fertility rate of 3.4 children per woman.

1992: Derek Walcott receives the Nobel Prize in Literature

In 1992, the poet Derek Walcott from Saint Lucia received the Nobel Prize in Literature.

2000: Seismic activity

Recent seismic activity occurred in 2000 at the Soufriere Volcanic Centre.

2001: Population recorded at the previous census

In 2001, the population of Saint Lucia was recorded at 157,490 in the previous census.

2001: Seismic activity

Recent seismic activity occurred in 2001 at the Soufriere Volcanic Centre.

2001: 9/11 attacks and economic slowdown

The 9/11 attacks in the United States in 2001 caused an economic slowdown in Saint Lucia.

2007: Daren Sammy's Debut

In 2007, Daren Sammy became the first Saint Lucian to represent the West Indies cricket team upon his debut.

2010: Population demographics

As of 2010, 85.3% of Saint Lucia's population are black and 10.9% are of multiracial descent.

2010: Daren Sammy Made Captain

In 2010, Daren Sammy was made captain of the West Indies cricket team.

2010: Hurricane Tomas causes economic issues

In 2010, the landfall of Hurricane Tomas led to slow economic growth in Saint Lucia.

2010: Population in Saint Lucia

In the 2010 census, Saint Lucia reported a population of 165,595 in 58,920 households.

2011: Census of population claiming no religion

In the 2011 Census, 5.9% of residents claimed no religion.

2012: ICC Men's T20 World Cup Title

In 2012, Daren Sammy captained the West Indies cricket team to their first ICC Men's T20 World Cup title.

June 2016: United Workers Party wins general election

In June 2016, the United Workers Party (UWP), led by Allen Michael Chastanet, won the general election.

2016: Second ICC Men's T20 World Cup Title

In 2016, Daren Sammy captained the team to their second ICC Men's T20 World Cup title.

2018: Signing of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

In 2018, Saint Lucia signed the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

2019: Visitor arrivals in Saint Lucia

In 2019, Saint Lucia received 1.29 million visitors, highlighting its popularity as a tourist destination.

2019: Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score

In 2019, The country had a Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 6.17/10, ranking it 84th globally out of 172 countries.

2019: Life expectancy

In 2019, life expectancy in Saint Lucia was at 73.4 years.

2019: Public expenditure on healthcare

In 2019, public expenditure on healthcare in Saint Lucia stood at 2.1%.

2020: Homicides in Saint Lucia

In 2020, Saint Lucia recorded 55 homicides.

2020: Public spending on education

In 2020, public spending on education in Saint Lucia was at 3.6%.

2020: COVID-19 pandemic causes major economic issues

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused major economic issues globally, impacting Saint Lucia.

2020: Service sector accounts for 86.9% of GDP

In 2020, the service sector was the largest sector of Saint Lucia's economy, accounting for 86.9% of GDP.

July 2021: Saint Lucia Labour Party wins election

In July 2021, the Saint Lucia Labour Party won the election, making Philip J Pierre the Prime Minister.

2021: Record high homicide rate

In 2021, Saint Lucia experienced a record high homicide rate, with 75 homicides.

2021: Lowest fertility rate in the Americas

In 2021, Saint Lucia had a fertility rate of 1.4 children per woman, the lowest in the Americas. The median age of Saint Lucians was 33.1 years.

2021: Contribution of agriculture to the economy

In 2021, agriculture provided 7.9% of jobs and contributed 2.2% of the GDP in Saint Lucia.

2021: Life expectancy

In 2021, life expectancy in Saint Lucia was at 71.1 years, dropping largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2022: Majority of Saint Lucians identified as Christians

In the 2022 census, a majority of Saint Lucians identified as Christians. Also, 14.1% of the population identified as having no religion.

2023: Estimated population of over 184,100 people

As of mid-2023, Saint Lucia's population was officially estimated to be over 184,100 people.

2023: Final court of appeal transferred to the Caribbean Court of Justice

Until 2023, The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council was Saint Lucia's final court of appeal. In 2023, a constitutional amendment transferred this to the Caribbean Court of Justice.

2024: Julien Alfred Wins Olympic Medal

In 2024, Julien Alfred secured Saint Lucia's first-ever Olympic medal by winning the women's 100 meters event at the Summer Olympics held in Paris, France, with a time of 10.72 seconds.

2025: St Lucia Labour Party keeps its majority in the election

In 2025, St Lucia Labour party (SLP) of prime minister Philip Pierre kept its majority in the election.

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