Timeline of the history of the Falkland Islands
Encyclopedia
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
have a complex history stretching over five hundred years. Active exploration and colonisation began in the 18th century but a self-supporting colony was not established till the latter part of the 19th century. Nonetheless, the islands have been a matter of controversy, as due to their strategic position in the 18th century their sovereignty was claimed by the French, Spaniards, British and Argentines at various points.
The strategic importance of the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
was negated by the opening of the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
in 1914. Nevertheless, the continued sovereignty dispute
Sovereignty of the Falkland Islands
Sovereignty over the Falkland Islands is disputed between Argentina and the United Kingdom.The British claim to de jure sovereignty dates from 1690, and the United Kingdom has exercised de facto sovereignty over the archipelago almost constantly since 1833...
between the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
led to the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
in 1982.
15th century
- 1493: Pope Alexander VIPope Alexander VIPope Alexander VI , born Roderic Llançol i Borja was Pope from 1492 until his death on 18 August 1503. He is one of the most controversial of the Renaissance popes, and his Italianized surname—Borgia—became a byword for the debased standards of the Papacy of that era, most notoriously the Banquet...
issues a Papal bullPapal bullA Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
, the Inter caeteraInter caeteraInter caetera was a papal bull issued by Pope Alexander VI on , which granted to Spain all lands to the "west and south" of a pole-to-pole line 100 leagues west and south of any of the islands of the Azores or the Cape Verde Islands.It remains unclear to the present whether the pope was issuing a...
, that divides the New WorldNew WorldThe New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
between SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. - 1494: Treaty of TordesillasTreaty of TordesillasThe Treaty of Tordesillas , signed at Tordesillas , , divided the newly discovered lands outside Europe between Spain and Portugal along a meridian 370 leagueswest of the Cape Verde islands...
between SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
agree the terms of the Papal BullInter caeteraInter caetera was a papal bull issued by Pope Alexander VI on , which granted to Spain all lands to the "west and south" of a pole-to-pole line 100 leagues west and south of any of the islands of the Azores or the Cape Verde Islands.It remains unclear to the present whether the pope was issuing a...
modifying the dividing line.
16th Century
- 1504: Binot Paulmier de GonnevilleBinot Paulmier de GonnevilleBinot Paulmier, sieur de Gonneville, French navigator of the early 16th century, was widely believed in 17th and 18th century France to have been the true discoverer of the Terra Australis...
(France) sights islands that may have been the Falklands. - 1520: Esteban GómezEsteban GómezEsteban Gómez, also known as Estevan Gómez, and born Estêvão Gomes, , was a Portuguese cartographer and explorer. He sailed at the service of Spain in the fleet of Ferdinand Magellan, but deserted the expedition before reaching the Strait of Magellan, and returned to Spain in May 1521...
(Spain) with the ship San Antonio of Magellan's Spanish expedition, sights islands that may have been the Falkland Islands. Islands are shown in the cartography of the epoch; possibly the most remarkable of these are those of Turkish AdmiralAdmiralAdmiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Piri ReisPiri ReisPiri Reis was an Turkish Ottoman admiral, geographer and cartographer born between 1465 and 1470 and died in 1554 or 1555....
which show Antarctica in remarkable detail (some 300 years before the official discovery). - 1525: Pedro Vega (Spain) Captain of the Anunciada, part of Frey Garcia Jofre de LoaysaGarcía Jofre de LoaísaGarcía Jofre de Loaísa was a 16th century Spanish explorer ordered by king Charles I of Spain to command an expedition to Asia, known as the Loaísa expedition, which in 1525 was sent by the western route to colonize the Spice Islands in the East Indies, thus crossing the Atlantic and Pacific oceans...
's expedition, possible sighting. - 1529: Diego de Ribero produces a map indicating islands in the position of the Falklands. Information this is based on is likely to have come from Esteban GómezEsteban GómezEsteban Gómez, also known as Estevan Gómez, and born Estêvão Gomes, , was a Portuguese cartographer and explorer. He sailed at the service of Spain in the fleet of Ferdinand Magellan, but deserted the expedition before reaching the Strait of Magellan, and returned to Spain in May 1521...
. - 1535: Simon de Alcazaba (Spain) sights islands that may have been the Falklands.
- 1540: Ferdinand Camargo (Spain) shelters in islands that may have been the Falklands.
- 1541: The "Sanson" islands are indicated on the Map XV del Islario (atlas) de Alonso de Santa Cruz in a position corresponding to the Falklands.
- 1543: Juan Bautista Agnese produces a nautical chart indicating the "Sanson" Islands in a position corresponding to the Falklands.
- 1562: A map showing the "Sanson" islands is produced. Original author may be either Diego Gutiérrez or Bartholome Olives.
- 1571: A map produced by Fernao Vaz Dourado shows islands in the correct position of the Falklands.
- 1577: The "Sanson" Islands are indicated on the Martinez nautical chart.
- 1580: The "Sanson" Islands are indicated on the Olives nautical chart. Possible circumnavigation by Sir Francis DrakeFrancis DrakeSir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth I of England awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He also carried out the...
. - 1583: Pedro Sarmiento de GamboaPedro Sarmiento de GamboaPedro Sarmiento de Gamboa was a Spanish explorer, author, historian, astronomer, and scientist. His birthplace is not certain and may have been Pontevedra, in Galicia, where his paternal family originated or Alcalá de Henares in Castile, where he later is known to have studied...
(Spain) sights islands that may have been the Falklands. - 1590: Islands are shown on contemporary Spanish and Italian charts.
- 1592: John DavisJohn Davis (English explorer)John Davis , was one of the chief English navigators and explorers under Elizabeth I, especially in Polar regions and in the Far East.-Early life:...
(EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
), member of the second English expedition of Cavendish, shelters among islands that may have been the Falklands. The Falklands motto Desire the right is in part based on Davis' ship Desire - 1593: Richard HawkinsRichard Hawkinsthumb|250px|right|Sir Richard HawkinsAdmiral Sir Richard Hawkins was a 17th century English seaman, explorer and Elizabethan "Sea Dog", and was the son of Admiral Sir John Hawkins....
(England) maps the northern coastline, naming the islands Hawkins Maydenlande after himself and Queen ElizabethElizabeth I of EnglandElizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
. Whether the islands were in fact the Falklands is disputed.
17th century
- 1600: Sebald de WeertSebald de WeertSebald or Sebalt de Weert was a Dutch captain and vice-admiral of the Dutch East India Company...
(NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
) sights the islands. This is widely accredited as the first sighting of the islands. - 1604: Treaty of London between Spain and England. Terms largely favourable to Spain set aside "what had been able to acquire previously to its signature".
- 1670: Treaty of MadridTreaty of Madrid (1670)The Treaty of Madrid adopted in 1670 was a treaty between England and Spain. Under the terms of the treaty, Spain recognized English possessions in the Caribbean Sea: "all those lands, islands, colonies and places whatsoever situated in the West Indies." England took formal control of Jamaica and...
. Spain recognised English possessions in the Caribbean Sea, and each country agreed to refrain from trading in the other's territory. - 1675: Anthony de la RochéAnthony de la RochéAnthony de la Roché, born sometime in the 17th century, was an English merchant born in London to a French Huguenot father and an English mother...
(England) discovers South GeorgiaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands, known as the South Sandwich...
. - 1684: William DampierWilliam DampierWilliam Dampier was an English buccaneer, sea captain, author and scientific observer...
and Ambrose CowleyAmbrose CowleyWilliam Ambrosia Cowley was a 17th century English buccaneer who surveyed the Galápagos Islands during his circumnavigation of the world, and published the first chart of the islands in 1684...
(England). Dampier publishes an accurate position for the islands but Cowley's account contains an inaccurate position 230 miles (370.1 km) North leading to the legend of Pepys IslandPepys IslandPepys Island is a phantom island, said to lie about north of the Falkland Islands in 47°S. It was first described by Ambrose Cowley in 1684, presumably mistaking the coordinates of one of the Falkland Islands, and named by him for Samuel Pepys, Secretary of the Admiralty. Other observers on the...
. - 1690: John StrongJohn Strong (mariner)John Strong was an English mariner.During an expedition from London to South America in 1689–91, commanding the HMS Welfare, he discovered the sound between the two main islands in the Falkland Islands. He named it Falkland Sound for Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount of Falkland, a part-owner in the Welfare...
(England) landed, and named the sound and eventually the entire island group after Viscount Falkland, Admiralty Commissioner. - 1696: Dampier returns to circumnavigate the islands.
18th century
- 1701: Gouin de BeauchesneJacques Gouin de BeaucheneJacques Gouin de Beauchêne was a French explorer. His name is also spelled as Beauchesne. He was born in Saint-Malo in Brittany, and died there at 78 years of age....
(FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) - 1708: Woodes RogersWoodes RogersWoodes Rogers was an English sea captain, privateer, and, later, the first Royal Governor of the Bahamas. He is known as the captain of the vessel that rescued the marooned Alexander Selkirk, whose plight is generally believed to have inspired Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe.Rogers came from an...
(Great BritainKingdom of Great BritainThe former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
) - 1713: Treaty of UtrechtTreaty of UtrechtThe Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht, comprises a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the War of Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713...
between Spain, France and Great Britain. Spain later claims this granted Spain sovereignty over the islands based on the Treaty of Tordesillas, a claim rejected by Great Britain. - 1740: George AnsonGeorge Anson, 1st Baron AnsonAdmiral of the Fleet George Anson, 1st Baron Anson PC, FRS, RN was a British admiral and a wealthy aristocrat, noted for his circumnavigation of the globe and his role overseeing the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War...
(Great Britain) - 1749: Anson proposes an expedition to find Pepys Island and establish a base on the Falkland Islands. Expedition is abandoned following pressure from the Spanish but with Great Britain formally rejecting the Spanish claim.
- 1764: Louis de Bougainville (France) founded a naval base at Port LouisPort Louis, Falkland IslandsPort Louis is a settlement on northeastern East Falkland. It was established by Louis de Bougainville in 1764 as the first French settlement on the islands, but was then transferred to Spain in 1767 and renamed Puerto Soledad .-History:The settlement has seen several name changes...
, East Falkland. The French named them the Îles Malouines, so-called from when the islands were briefly occupied by fishermen from St Malo. Many of the settlers were Acadians left homeless by the Great Expulsion in Nova ScotiaNova ScotiaNova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. - 1765: Ignorant of de Bougainville's presence, John ByronJohn ByronVice Admiral The Hon. John Byron, RN was a Royal Navy officer. He was known as Foul-weather Jack because of his frequent bad luck with weather.-Early career:...
(Great Britain) claims Saunders Island and other islands for Britain. Britain builds a settlement on Saunders Island the following year. - 1766: France and Spain reach agreement: French forces are to leave, and Spain agrees to pay for the installations built by de Bougainville.
- 1767: Fort St LouisPort Louis, Falkland IslandsPort Louis is a settlement on northeastern East Falkland. It was established by Louis de Bougainville in 1764 as the first French settlement on the islands, but was then transferred to Spain in 1767 and renamed Puerto Soledad .-History:The settlement has seen several name changes...
is formally transferred to the Spanish Crown and renamed Puerto Soledad. Bougainville receives compensation for his efforts in establishing the colony. The first Spanish Governor, Don Felipe Ruiz Puente, is appointed. - 1769: British and Spanish ships encounter one another whilst surveying the island. Each accuse the other of having no lawful reason for being in the islands.
- 1770: Falkland Crisis: Five Spanish ships arrive at Port Egmont with over 1400 troops under the command of General Madariaga. The British are forced to abandon Port Egmont and threaten war.
- 1771: That dispute was settled, with Spain retaining Puerto Soledad and Great Britain Port Egmont. Spain returns all goods and chattels seized and makes restitution. The Spanish later claim a secret agreement was reached whereby the British would leave the island, this is denied by the British and no documentary proof of the agreement has ever been produced.
- 1774: The British decide to abandon many overseas settlements due to the economic pressures of the American War of IndependenceAmerican Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. - 1775: Captain James CookJames CookCaptain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
rediscovers South GeorgiaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands, known as the South Sandwich...
and takes formal possession on behalf of King George IIIGeorge III of the United KingdomGeorge III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
. - 1776: The British finally depart the islands but leave behind a plaque re-asserting British dominion. Spain ruled the islands as part of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la PlataViceroyalty of the Río de la PlataThe Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, , was the last and most short-lived Viceroyalty of the Spanish Empire in America.The Viceroyalty was established in 1776 out of several former Viceroyalty of Perú dependencies that mainly extended over the Río de la Plata basin, roughly the present day...
after 1776. - 1790: Nootka ConventionNootka ConventionThe Nootka Conventions were a series of three agreements between the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Great Britain, signed in the 1790s which averted a war between the two empires over overlapping claims to portions of the Pacific Northwest coast of North America.The claims of Spain dated back...
. Britain conceded Spanish sovereignty over all Spain's traditional territories in the Americas. Whether or not the islands were included is disputed.
19th century
- 1806: Spain recalls Governor Juan Crisostomo Martinez from the islands but leaves behind a plaque re-asserting Spanish dominion.
- 1807: Settlers on the Island face near starvation after the British occupy Montevideo and enforce a blockade.
- 1811: The Spanish evacuate Puerto Soledad, the islands become the domain of sealers and whalers.
- 1813: Isabella under Captain Higton is wrecked on Eagle Island (now known as Speedwell Island)Speedwell IslandSpeedwell Island is one of the Falkland Islands, lying in the Falkland Sound, southwest of Lafonia, East Falkland....
. 6 sailors undertake the hazardous voyage to the River Plate in an open longboat. The remaining crew are rescued by the American sealer Nanina under Captain BarnardCharles BarnardCaptain Charles Barnard was a famous castaway.In 1812, the British ship Isabella, captained by George Higton, was shipwrecked off Eagle Island . Most of the crew were rescued by the American sealer Nanina, commanded by Captain Charles Barnard...
. Whilst Barnard seeks additional supplies, the British crew seize Nanina and maroon the Americans. - 1814: After being marooned for 18 months BarnardCharles BarnardCaptain Charles Barnard was a famous castaway.In 1812, the British ship Isabella, captained by George Higton, was shipwrecked off Eagle Island . Most of the crew were rescued by the American sealer Nanina, commanded by Captain Charles Barnard...
is rescued by the British whalerWhalerA whaler is a specialized ship, designed for whaling, the catching and/or processing of whales. The former included the whale catcher, a steam or diesel-driven vessel with a harpoon gun mounted at its bows. The latter included such vessels as the sail or steam-driven whaleship of the 16th to early...
s Asp and Indispensible. - 1816: The United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, later called ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, claimed independence from Spain. - 1819: The South Shetland IslandsSouth Shetland IslandsThe South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...
are discovered by Captain William Smith who claims possession for King George IIIGeorge III of the United KingdomGeorge III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
. - 1820: After an 8 month voyage, and with the ship in a poor state, the Argentine frigate, HeroínaHeroinaThe Heroína was a privately owned frigate that was operated as a privateer under a license issued by the United Provinces of the River Plate . It was under the command of American-born Colonel David Jewett and has become linked with the Argentine claim to sovereignty of the Falkland Islands...
, puts into the islands in October. On 6 November Captain JewettDavid JewettColonel David Jewett is a notable figure in the history of the sovereignty dispute between Great Britain and Argentina as he commanded the Frigate Heroína that visited the Falkland Islands in 1820 and raised the first Argentine flag on the islands....
raises the flag and claims the islands for the United Provinces of the River Plate. - 1821: South Orkney IslandsSouth Orkney IslandsThe South Orkney Islands are a group of islands in the Southern Ocean, about north-east of the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. They have a total area of about ....
are discovered by Captain George Powell who claims possession for King George IVGeorge IV of the United KingdomGeorge IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
. - 1823: The United Provinces of the River Plate appoints Don Pablo Areguati as Commandant of Puerto Soledad. An appointment in name only as he never sets foot on the islands.
- 1824: Luis VernetLuis VernetLuis Vernet was a merchant from Hamburg of Huguenot descent. Vernet established a settlement on East Falkland in 1828, after first seeking approval from both the British and Argentine authorities. As such, Vernet is a controversial figure in the history of the Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute...
and his partner Pachego attempt an expedition to the islands. The venture is a failure. - 1825: The United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
recognised Argentina's independence from Spain. - 1826: Vernet's first attempt to establish a settlement. Expeditions fails due to Brazilian blockade and conditions encountered on the islands.
- 1828: Vernet's settlement established.
- 1829: Buenos Aires issues decree setting up "Political and Military command of the Malvinas". Britain protests.
- 1831: Vernet seizes three US vessels and imprisons their crews. The US sends the USS Lexington and arrests seven of Vernets men. The Captain of the Lexington offers to take the settlers off the island. Most accept, however 24 remain and continue working for Vernet. The US declares the islands free from Government.
- 1832: Argentina sends a garrison commanded by Captain Jean Etienne Mestivier. Mestivier is murdered following a mutiny.
- 1833: Britain re-establishes control of the islands. (See Re-establishment of British rule on the Falklands (1833).) William Dixon is named as the British representative and Matthew Brisbane returns to take over Vernet's settlement at Port LouisPort Louis, Falkland IslandsPort Louis is a settlement on northeastern East Falkland. It was established by Louis de Bougainville in 1764 as the first French settlement on the islands, but was then transferred to Spain in 1767 and renamed Puerto Soledad .-History:The settlement has seen several name changes...
. Charles Darwin's first visit to the islands. In August, Antonio RiveroAntonio RiveroAntonio “El Gaucho" Rivero was a Gaucho who murdered the five leading members of the settlement of Port Louis on the Falkland Islands on 26 August 1833.-Biography:...
leads a gang of creoles and GauchoGauchoGaucho is a term commonly used to describe residents of the South American pampas, chacos, or Patagonian grasslands, found principally in parts of Argentina, Uruguay, Southern Chile, and Southern Brazil...
s who murder key members of the settlement. - 1834: Installation of the first British resident, Lt Henry Smith. Smith arrests Rivero's gang, restores the settlement and renames it Ansons Harbour. Charles Darwin's second visit.
- 1838: Lt Lowcay replaces Lt Smith.
- 1839: Lt Lowcay is replaced by Lt Robinson, in December Robinson is relieved by Lt Tyssen. VernetLuis VernetLuis Vernet was a merchant from Hamburg of Huguenot descent. Vernet established a settlement on East Falkland in 1828, after first seeking approval from both the British and Argentine authorities. As such, Vernet is a controversial figure in the history of the Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute...
is refused permission to return to the islands. G.T.Whittington forms a company to exploit fishery and agriculture, petitions the British Government to colonise the islands. - 1840: The British approve the formation of a colony on the islands.
- 1841: General RosasJuan Manuel de RosasJuan Manuel de Rosas , was an argentine militar and politician, who was elected governor of the province of Buenos Aires in 1829 to 1835, and then of the Argentine Confederation from 1835 until 1852...
offers to relinquish any claim to sovereignty over the Falkland Islands in return for the relief of the Argentine debt to City of LondonCity of LondonThe City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
interests. The British decline the offer. Lt Governor Moody is appointed as the first British Governor of the Islands, a Letters PatentLetters patentLetters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
establishes the legal framework for the colony. - 1843: Work begins on the new town of Port StanleyStanley, Falkland IslandsStanley is the capital and only true cityin the Falkland Islands. It is located on the isle of East Falkland, on a north-facing slope in one of the wettest parts of the islands. At the 2006 census, the city had a population of 2,115...
, at Jackson's HarbourStanley HarbourStanley Harbour is a large inlet on the east coast of East Falkland island. A strait called "the Narrows" leads into Port William.It serves the town of the same name - Stanley - as a harbour. Stanley has sprawled along the south shore of the harbour, to gain shelter from the low hill of Stanley...
. South GeorgiaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands, known as the South Sandwich...
is placed under the administration of the Falkland Islands by the Letters PatentLetters patentLetters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
of 1843. - 1845: In July, Stanley becomes new capital of the Falkland Islands.
- 1846: Samuel Lafone is awarded a contract to exploit feral cattle on East FalklandEast FalklandEast Falkland the largest of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, has an area of and a coastline long. Most of the population of the Falklands live in East Falkland, almost all of them living in the northern half of the island...
. He names the peninsular south of East Falkland LafoniaLafoniaLafonia is a peninsula forming the southern part of East Falkland, the largest of the Falkland Islands.-Geography and geology:Shaped like the letter "E", it is joined to the northern part of the island by a 1.5-mile narrow isthmus; were this isthmus to be severed, Lafonia would be the third...
. - 1847: Land is made available for sale or lease in the Falkland IslandsFalkland IslandsThe Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
. Ship repair trade in the islands is boosted by large number of ships rounding Cape HornCape HornCape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
en-route to the California Gold RushGold rushA gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
. - 1849: 30 married Chelsea PensionersChelsea pensionerA Chelsea pensioner is an in-pensioner at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, a retirement home and nursing home for former members of the British Army located in Chelsea, London...
and their families arrive in the islands. Population in the islands reaches 200. - 1850: Britain and Argentina sign the “Convention between Great Britain and the Argentine Confederation, for the Settlement of existing Differences and the re-establishment of Friendship”.
- 1851: Falkland Islands CompanyFalkland Islands HoldingsFalkland Islands Holdings plc or FIH is a British conglomerate which plays a key role in the economy of the Falkland Islands through the Falklands Islands Company...
is established by Royal Charter. - 1852: Cheviot sheep are first introduced to the islands. Sheep farming later becomes the dominant agriculture on the islands.
- 1854: A defence force is formed on the islands in response to the Crimean WarCrimean WarThe Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
. - 1859: Establishment of DarwinDarwin, Falkland IslandsDarwin is a settlement in Lafonia on East Falkland, lying on Choiseul Sound, on the east side of the island's central isthmus, north of Goose Green...
- 1861: San CarlosSan Carlos WaterNot to be confused with the San Carlos River.San Carlos Water is a bay/fjord on the west coast of East Falkland, facing onto the Falkland Sound.-Name:...
Farm established. - 1866: Establishment of Port HowardPort HowardPort Howard is the largest settlement on West Falkland . it is in the east of the island, on an inlet of Falkland Sound...
. - 1875: Establishment of Goose GreenGoose GreenGoose Green is a settlement in Lafonia on East Falkland in the Falkland Islands. It lies on Choiseul Sound, on the east side of the island's central isthmus, south-southwest of Darwin. With a population of about 70, it is the second largest settlement of the Falkland Islands.Goose Green has a shop...
. - 1876: The last WarrahFalkland Island FoxThe Falkland Islands Wolf , also known as the Warrah and occasionally as the Falkland Islands Dog, Falkland Islands Fox or Antarctic Wolf, was the only native land mammal of the Falkland Islands. This endemic canid became extinct in 1876 , the first known canid to have gone extinct in historical...
is killed at Shallow Bay. - 1878: The first peat slide destroys several houses in Port StanleyStanley, Falkland IslandsStanley is the capital and only true cityin the Falkland Islands. It is located on the isle of East Falkland, on a north-facing slope in one of the wettest parts of the islands. At the 2006 census, the city had a population of 2,115...
. - 1880s: The "forest" at Hill CoveHill CoveHill Cove is the third largest settlement on West Falkland, in the Falkland Islands, in the north west. It is on the north coast, on the shore of Byron Sound, and overlooks Port Egmont on Saunders Island, the first British settlement in the islands...
is planted. - 1881: The Falkland Islands became financially independent.
- 1884: Argentina request that the sovereignty dispute is submitted to independent arbitration, Britain refuses. The first mention of the Falkland Islands by Argentina for 34 years.
- 1886: Second peat slide destroys the exchange building and two women are killed.
- 1892: Consecration of Christchurch CathedralChrist Church Cathedral (Falkland Islands)Christ Church Cathedral on Ross Road, in Stanley, Falkland Islands, is the southernmost Anglican cathedral in the world, consecrated in 1892. It is known for its whalebone arch, made from the jaws of two blue whales, which was raised in 1933....
. - 1899: St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church is consecrated.
20th century
- 1903: Christ Church CathedralChrist Church Cathedral (Falkland Islands)Christ Church Cathedral on Ross Road, in Stanley, Falkland Islands, is the southernmost Anglican cathedral in the world, consecrated in 1892. It is known for its whalebone arch, made from the jaws of two blue whales, which was raised in 1933....
is completed. - 1914: Battle of CoronelBattle of CoronelThe First World War naval Battle of Coronel took place on 1 November 1914 off the coast of central Chile near the city of Coronel. German Kaiserliche Marine forces led by Vice-Admiral Graf Maximilian von Spee met and defeated a Royal Navy squadron commanded by Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher...
and Battle of the Falkland IslandsBattle of the Falkland IslandsThe Battle of the Falkland Islands was a British naval victory over the Imperial German Navy on 8 December 1914 during the First World War in the South Atlantic...
. - 1920: Falkland Islands Defence ForceFalkland Islands Defence ForceThe Falkland Islands Defence Force is the locally maintained volunteer defence unit in the Falkland Islands. The FIDF works alongside the military units supplied by the United Kingdom to ensure the security of the islands.-History:...
is formed following the First World War - 1921: The killing of fur sealFur sealFur seals are any of nine species of pinnipeds in the Otariidae family. One species, the northern fur seal inhabits the North Pacific, while seven species in the Arctocephalus genus are found primarily in the Southern hemisphere...
s is banned. - 1925: The "forest" at Hill CoveHill CoveHill Cove is the third largest settlement on West Falkland, in the Falkland Islands, in the north west. It is on the north coast, on the shore of Byron Sound, and overlooks Port Egmont on Saunders Island, the first British settlement in the islands...
is enlarged, producing the most substantial stand of trees in the islands. - 1933: The famous whaleboneBaleenBaleen or whalebone is a filter-feeder system inside the mouths of baleen whales. The baleen system works when a whale opens its mouth underwater and then water pours into the whale's mouth. The whale then pushes the water out, and animals such as krill are filtered by the baleen and remain as food...
arch is constructed outside of Christchurch CathedralChrist Church Cathedral (Falkland Islands)Christ Church Cathedral on Ross Road, in Stanley, Falkland Islands, is the southernmost Anglican cathedral in the world, consecrated in 1892. It is known for its whalebone arch, made from the jaws of two blue whales, which was raised in 1933....
to celebrate the centenary of the British administration. - 1939: Battle of the River PlateBattle of the River PlateThe Battle of the River Plate was the first naval battle in the Second World War. The German pocket battleship had been commerce raiding since the start of the war in September 1939...
. HMS ExeterHMS Exeter (68)HMS Exeter was a York class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy that served in World War II. She was laid down on 1 August 1928 at the Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth, Devon. She was launched on 18 July 1929 and completed on 27 July 1931...
shelters in the islands after suffering major damage in the battle. - 1945: Formation of the United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, Argentina states its claim to the islands in its opening address. - 1946: Britain includes the Falkland Islands among the non-autonomous territories subject to its administration, under Chapter XI of the UN charter.
- 1947: Britain first offers to take the sovereignty dispute to the ICJInternational Court of JusticeThe International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
. Argentina does not accept. - 1948: Britain again offers to take the sovereignty dispute to the ICJInternational Court of JusticeThe International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
. Argentina declines. - 1955: Britain unilaterally refers the sovereignty dispute to the ICJInternational Court of JusticeThe International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
. Argentina indicates that it will not accept any judgement. - 1960s: Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
expands interests in Antarctica and South Shetlands, and maintains "research vessels" in the South Atlantic until the 1990s. - 1960: UN Resolution 1514 (XV) calls for an end to colonisation. Britains lists the islands as a colony, Argentina protests.
- 1961: Antarctic TreatyAntarctic Treaty SystemThe Antarctic Treaty and related agreements, collectively called the Antarctic Treaty System or ATS, regulate international relations with respect to Antarctica, Earth's only continent without a native human population. For the purposes of the treaty system, Antarctica is defined as all of the land...
comes into force, all sovereignty claims in the Antarctic region are suspended. - 1962: Britain transfers administration of the South Orkney IslandsSouth Orkney IslandsThe South Orkney Islands are a group of islands in the Southern Ocean, about north-east of the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. They have a total area of about ....
, South Shetland IslandsSouth Shetland IslandsThe South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...
and Graham LandGraham LandGraham Land is that portion of the Antarctic Peninsula which lies north of a line joining Cape Jeremy and Cape Agassiz. This description of Graham Land is consistent with the 1964 agreement between the British Antarctic Place-names Committee and the US Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names, in...
from the Falklands to the British Antarctic TerritoryBritish Antarctic TerritoryThe British Antarctic Territory is a sector of Antarctica claimed by the United Kingdom as one of its 14 British Overseas Territories. It comprises the region south of 60°S latitude and between longitudes and , forming a wedge shape that extends to the South Pole...
. - 1964: A Cessna 172Cessna 172The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing fixed-wing aircraft. First flown in 1955 and still in production, more Cessna 172s have been built than any other aircraft.-Design and development:...
piloted by Miguel Fitzgerald lands on Stanley racecourse, plants the Argentine flagFlag of ArgentinaThe national flag of Argentina is a triband, composed of three equally wide horizontal bands coloured light blue, white and light blue. There are multiple interpretations on the reasons for those colors...
and hands over a letter claiming sovereignty to bemused residents . - 1965: December United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Resolution 2065United Nations resolutionA United Nations resolution is a formal text adopted by a United Nations body. Although any UN body can issue resolutions, in practice most resolutions are issued by the Security Council or the General Assembly.-Legal status:...
called upon Britain and Argentina to "proceed without delay with negotiations [...] with a view to finding a peaceful solution to the problem [...] bearing in mind [...] the interests of the population of the Falkland Islands (Las Islas Malvinas)."
- 1966: An Aerolíneas Argentinas DC-4Douglas DC-4The Douglas DC-4 is a four-engined propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960s in a military role...
hijacked by 20 terrorists calling themselves 'Condors' crash lands on Stanley race course. Islanders assuming the aircraft was in trouble rush to assist and are taken hostage. Subjected to Country and Western music for 24 hrs the terrorists surrender and are repatriated to ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. Argentine tactical diversTactical Divers GroupThe Tactical Divers Group is the premier special operations force of the Argentine Navy. The Buzos Tácticos are based at Base Naval Mar del Plata on the Atlantic coast of Argentina. Its men are highly qualified combat divers, EOD/demolition technicians, and parachutists.The APBT was the first...
are landed by submarine ARA Santiago del EsteroUSS Lamprey (SS-372)USS Lamprey , a Balao-class submarine, was a ship of the United States Navy named for the lamprey, any of certain eel-like aquatic vertebrates....
to conduct covert reconnaissance of suitable landing sites. - 1967: Britain opens negotiations with Argentina and indicates willingness to transfer sovereignty.
- 1968: Falkland Islands Emergency Committee is formed to lobby on the Islanders behalf to remain British. A small private plane piloted by Miguel Fitzgerald crash lands on Eliza Cove Road during the visit of Lord ChalfontAlun Jones, Baron ChalfontAlun Arthur Gwynne Jones, Baron Chalfont, OBE, MC, PC is a British politician.Jones was educated at West Monmouth School, and subsequently at the School of Slavonic Studies in the University of London. He was a Minister in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from 1964 to 1970 and appointed to the...
. Islanders reiterate their determination to remain British and reject suggestions of sovereignty transfer. - 1970: SS Great BritainSS Great BritainSS Great Britain was an advanced passenger steamship designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the Great Western Steamship Company's transatlantic service between Bristol and New York. While other ships had previously been built of iron or equipped with a screw propeller, Great Britain was the first...
is returned to BristolBristol HarbourBristol Harbour is the harbour in the city of Bristol, England. The harbour covers an area of . It has existed since the 13th century but was developed into its current form in the early 19th century by installing lock gates on a tidal stretch of the River Avon in the centre of the city and...
for restoration. - 1971: Communications agreement signed between Britain and Argentina. Air links to the islands are established by LADELadeLade may refer to:People* Brendon Lade , Australian rules footballer* Sir John Lade , baronet and Regency horse-breeder* Heinrich Eduard von Lade , German banker and amateur astronomer...
, Argentina's military airline, Britain promises a supply ship from MontevideoMontevideoMontevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
but later reneges. Islanders travelling through Argentina are forced to carry Argentine Identity Cards rather than a British passport. Argentine Government agrees to suspend sovereignty claims whilst attempting to win the islanders over. - 1972: Work starts on a temporary airfield at Port StanleyStanley, Falkland IslandsStanley is the capital and only true cityin the Falkland Islands. It is located on the isle of East Falkland, on a north-facing slope in one of the wettest parts of the islands. At the 2006 census, the city had a population of 2,115...
.
- 1973: Newly elected President Juan PerónJuan PerónJuan Domingo Perón was an Argentine military officer, and politician. Perón was three times elected as President of Argentina though he only managed to serve one full term, after serving in several government positions, including the Secretary of Labor and the Vice Presidency...
renews sovereignty claim in the UNUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, resolution 3160United Nations resolutionA United Nations resolution is a formal text adopted by a United Nations body. Although any UN body can issue resolutions, in practice most resolutions are issued by the Security Council or the General Assembly.-Legal status:...
urges negotiations but Britain refuses. - 1974: YPFRepsol YPFRepsol YPF, S.A. is an integrated Spanish oil and gas company with operations in 29 countries...
becomes the exclusive supplier of oil and gas company to the islands. Britain proposes a condominium solution to the sovereignty dispute but this is rejected by the islanders. - 1975: Construction of a paved runway at Port Stanley commences. Lord ShackletonEdward Shackleton, Baron ShackletonEdward Arthur Alexander Shackleton, Baron Shackleton, KG AC OBE PC FRS , was a British geographer and Labour Party politician....
is asked to undertake an economic survey of the islands. Diplomatic relations between the UK and Argentina are broken. - 1976: RRS ShackletonRRS ShackletonRRS Shackleton was a Royal Research Ship operating in the Antarctic from 1955 to 1992. She is now a seismic survey vessel, MV Sea Profiler.-History:...
is fired upon by the Argentine destroyerDestroyerIn naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
ARA Almirante StorniUSS Cowell (DD-547)USS Cowell , a , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for John G. Cowell .Cowell was launched 18 March 1943 by Bethlehem Steel Co., San Pedro, California, sponsored by Mrs. R. Hepburn; and commissioned 23 August 1943, Commander C. W...
during Lord Shackleton'sEdward Shackleton, Baron ShackletonEdward Arthur Alexander Shackleton, Baron Shackleton, KG AC OBE PC FRS , was a British geographer and Labour Party politician....
mission. Argentina establishes a military baseCorbeta UruguayCorbeta Uruguay was an Argentine military outpost established in November 1976 on the island of Thule, Southern Thule, in the South Sandwich Islands. The base was established by order of the then-military junta governing Argentina as a way to back up its territorial claims on British territory in...
on Southern ThuleSouthern ThuleSouthern Thule is a collection of the three southernmost islands in the South Sandwich Islands: Bellingshausen, Cook, and Thule . Southern Thule is British territory, though claimed by Argentina. The island group is barren, windswept, bitterly cold, and uninhabited. It has an extenzive EEZ rich...
. Britain protests but seeks a diplomatic solution. - 1977: Operation JourneymanOperation JourneymanOperation Journeyman was a Royal Navy operation in which a naval taskforce was sent to the Falkland Islands in November 1977 to prevent an Argentine invasion....
: in response to increasing tension with Argentina, the CallaghanJames CallaghanLeonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC , was a British Labour politician, who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980...
Government sends a Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
task force to the South AtlanticAtlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. Negotiations are re-opened with Argentina over the islands. Stanley airport opens. - 1978: Falkland Islands Association opens a LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
office to lobby ParliamentPalace of WestminsterThe Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
on the islanders behalf. - 1979: Nicholas RidleyNicholas Ridley, Baron Ridley of LiddesdaleNicholas Ridley, Baron Ridley of Liddesdale, PC was a British Conservative Party politician and government minister.-Personal life:...
visits the Falkland IslandsFalkland IslandsThe Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
to canvassCanvassingCanvassing is the systematic initiation of direct contact with a target group of individuals commonly used during political campaigns. A campaign team will knock on doors of private residences within a particular geographic area, engaging in face-to-face personal interaction with voters...
islanders views. - 1980: Nicholas RidleyNicholas Ridley, Baron Ridley of LiddesdaleNicholas Ridley, Baron Ridley of Liddesdale, PC was a British Conservative Party politician and government minister.-Personal life:...
proposes leaseback solution, it is rejected by the islanders. - 1981: British Nationality ActBritish Nationality Act 1981The British Nationality Act 1981 was an Act of Parliament passed by the British Parliament concerning British nationality. It has been the basis of British nationality law since 1 January 1983.-History:...
strips many islanders of British citizenship. It is announced that HMS EnduranceHMS Endurance (1967)HMS Endurance was a Royal Navy ice patrol vessel that served from 1967 to 1991. She came to public notice when she was involved in the Falklands War of 1982.-Service history:...
is to be withdrawn and the British Antarctic SurveyBritish Antarctic SurveyThe British Antarctic Survey is the United Kingdom's national Antarctic operation and has an active role in Antarctic affairs. BAS is part of the Natural Environment Research Council and has over 400 staff. It operates five research stations, two ships and five aircraft in and around Antarctica....
base in GrytvikenGrytvikenGrytviken is the principal settlement in the British territory of South Georgia in the South Atlantic. It was so named in 1902 by the Swedish surveyor Johan Gunnar Andersson who found old English try pots used to render seal oil at the site. It is the best harbour on the island, consisting of a...
is to close. Argentine scrap dealer Constantino Davidoff visits South GeorgiaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands, known as the South Sandwich...
without permission, setting of a chain of events resulting in the Falklands WarFalklands WarThe Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands... - 1982: Various tensions, but mainly the desire of the Argentine military juntaLeopoldo GaltieriLeopoldo Fortunato Galtieri Castelli was an Argentine general and President of Argentina from December 22, 1981 to June 18, 1982, during the last military dictatorship . The death squad Intelligence Battalion 601 directly reported to him...
to distract attention from domestic economic and political ills, led to an Argentine invasion1982 invasion of the Falkland IslandsOn 2 April 1982, Argentine forces mounted amphibious landings of the Falkland Islands . The invasion involved an initial defence force organised by the Falkland Islands' Governor Sir Rex Hunt giving command to Major Mike Norman of the Royal Marines, the landing of Lieutenant-Commander Guillermo...
. The islands were later retaken by the UK. (See Falklands WarFalklands WarThe Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
.) In November, the United Nations General AssemblyUnited Nations General AssemblyFor two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
called on the UK and Argentina to resume sovereignty negotiations, but the UK refuses to discuss sovereignty unless it has the consent of the Islanders. An updated Shackleton report on the economic prospects for the islands is published following the conflict. - 1983: Franks Report into the causes of the Falklands WarFalklands WarThe Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
is published. British citizenshipBritish Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983The British Nationality Act 1983 was an Act of Parliament passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom on 28 March 1983...
is restored to the islanders. - 1984: Britain and Argentina enter into talks in Berne, Britain refuses to discuss sovereignty without the consent of the islanders. The Falklands war memorial is dedicated on Liberation Day (June 14).
- 1985: New Falkland Islands constitution is adopted. The Falkland Islands become a parliamentary representative democratic dependency. Falkland Islands GovernmentPolitics of the Falkland IslandsThe politics of the Falkland Islands takes place in a framework of a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary representative democratic dependency as set out by the constitution, whereby the Governor exercises the duties of head of state in the absence of the monarch and the Chief Executive acts...
assumes responsibility for all domestic matters. Mount Pleasant AirfieldRAF Mount PleasantRAF Mount Pleasant is a military base for the Royal Air Force in the British Overseas Territory of the Falkland Islands. The facility is part of the British Forces South Atlantic Islands...
opens.
- 1986: UNUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
adopts an Argentine resolution calling for Britain to resume negotiations including sovereignty. - 1987: Establishment of the Falkland Islands Fishery regime, this becomes the major source of income for the islands.
- 1989: Newly elected Argentine president Carlos MenemCarlos MenemCarlos Saúl Menem is an Argentine politician who was President of Argentina from 1989 to 1999. He is currently an Argentine National Senator for La Rioja Province.-Early life:...
embarks on talks with Britain under the sovereignty umbrella. - 1990: Britain and Argentina resume diplomatic relations. A Chilean airline begins charter flights to Mount Pleasant AirfieldRAF Mount PleasantRAF Mount Pleasant is a military base for the Royal Air Force in the British Overseas Territory of the Falkland Islands. The facility is part of the British Forces South Atlantic Islands...
- 1991: Argentine next of kin visit the Argentine cemetery in DarwinArgentine Military CemeteryThe Argentine Military Cemetery, , is a military cemetery on East Falkland that holds the remains of 237 Argentine combatants killed during the 1982 Falklands War...
. - 1994: Argentina enshrines its claim to the Falkland Islands in its constitution.
- 1995: British and Argentine Governments sign an agreement concerning exploitation of oil deposits surrounding the islands. The Argentine warship ARA Granville harasses fishing vessels in Falkland Waters and threatens RFA DiligenceRFA Diligence (A132)RFA Diligence is a fleet repair ship of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. She was built by Oesundsvarvet AB Landskrona in Sweden and launched in 1981 as a civilian oil rig support ship,. Diligence first served the RFA during the Falklands War as a civilian owned ship taken up from the trade . As MV Stena...
. Regular visits by Argentine next of kin commences. - 1997: Constitutional amendment balances the number of elected officials between StanleyStanley, Falkland IslandsStanley is the capital and only true cityin the Falkland Islands. It is located on the isle of East Falkland, on a north-facing slope in one of the wettest parts of the islands. At the 2006 census, the city had a population of 2,115...
and CampCamp (Falkland Islands)The camp is the term used in the Falkland Islands to refer to any part of the islands outside of the islands' only significant town, Stanley, and often the large RAF base at Mount Pleasant...
. - 1998: UK arms embargoArms embargoAn arms embargo is an embargo that applies to weaponry. It may also include "dual use" items. An arms embargo may serve one or more purposes:# to signal disapproval of behavior by a certain actor,# to maintain neutral standing in an ongoing conflict, or...
on sales to Argentina is relaxed. - 1999: The Chilean government requests that its airlines stop flying to the Falklands in response to the arrest of Augusto PinochetAugusto PinochetAugusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte, more commonly known as Augusto Pinochet , was a Chilean army general and dictator who assumed power in a coup d'état on 11 September 1973...
in London, prompting the Falkland Islanders to allow the British Government to enter negotiations with Argentina. An agreement between the British and Argentine Governments ends the ban on visits by Argentine nationals. Passenger flights over Argentine airspace are permitted in return.
21st century
- 2000: British Antarctic SurveyBritish Antarctic SurveyThe British Antarctic Survey is the United Kingdom's national Antarctic operation and has an active role in Antarctic affairs. BAS is part of the Natural Environment Research Council and has over 400 staff. It operates five research stations, two ships and five aircraft in and around Antarctica....
base at GrytvikenGrytvikenGrytviken is the principal settlement in the British territory of South Georgia in the South Atlantic. It was so named in 1902 by the Swedish surveyor Johan Gunnar Andersson who found old English try pots used to render seal oil at the site. It is the best harbour on the island, consisting of a...
, South GeorgiaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands, known as the South Sandwich...
reopened.
- 2001: British military garrison is withdrawn from South GeorgiaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands, known as the South Sandwich...
. - 2002: First SAMA 82 pilgrimage to the islands. 200 British veterans of the conflict return to the islands.
- 2003: Several yachts competing in a solo round the world race are forced into StanleyStanley, Falkland IslandsStanley is the capital and only true cityin the Falkland Islands. It is located on the isle of East Falkland, on a north-facing slope in one of the wettest parts of the islands. At the 2006 census, the city had a population of 2,115...
for repairs. - 2004: A permanent memorial to Argentine war dead is dedicated in DarwinDarwin, Falkland IslandsDarwin is a settlement in Lafonia on East Falkland, lying on Choiseul Sound, on the east side of the island's central isthmus, north of Goose Green...
. Argentine icebreaker Almirante IrízarARA Almirante Irízar (Q-5)The ARA Almirante Irízar is a large icebreaker of the Argentine Navy. The ship is currently out of service since 2007, when a fire broke out in the auxiliary generator compartment...
harasses shipping in Falkland waters. - 2005: Falklands Gold and Minerals prospect for GoldGoldGold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
in LafoniaLafoniaLafonia is a peninsula forming the southern part of East Falkland, the largest of the Falkland Islands.-Geography and geology:Shaped like the letter "E", it is joined to the northern part of the island by a 1.5-mile narrow isthmus; were this isthmus to be severed, Lafonia would be the third... - 2007: 25th Anniversary of the Falklands WarFalklands WarThe Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
is commemorated in services in StanleyStanley, Falkland IslandsStanley is the capital and only true cityin the Falkland Islands. It is located on the isle of East Falkland, on a north-facing slope in one of the wettest parts of the islands. At the 2006 census, the city had a population of 2,115...
and LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Argentine president Néstor KirchnerNéstor KirchnerNéstor Carlos Kirchner was an Argentine politician who served as the 54th President of Argentina from 25 May 2003 until 10 December 2007. Previously, he was Governor of Santa Cruz Province since 10 December 1991. He briefly served as Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations ...
renews sovereignty claim and renounces agreements over oil exploration. UK renews claims to Antarctic territory before the expiry of the deadline for territorial claims following Britains ratification of the 1982 Law of the Sea ConventionUnited Nations Convention on the Law of the SeaThe United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea , also called the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea treaty, is the international agreement that resulted from the third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea , which took place from 1973 through 1982...
. Major General Sir John Jeremy MooreJeremy MooreMajor General Sir John Jeremy Moore KCB, OBE, MC & Bar was the commander of the British land forces during the Falklands War in 1982. Moore received the surrender of the Argentine forces on the islands.-Military career:...
, commander of the BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
land forces during the Falklands WarFalklands WarThe Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
, dies. - 2008: The British Government announces that it is considering action on clearing the 20,000 mines left in the islands by Argentine forces during the Falklands WarFalklands WarThe Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
in 1982. Remains of an Argentine airman killed during the Falklands War were identified using DNA testing, the remains had been unidentified since discovery in 1986. - 2009: Preliminary clearance of some of the mine fields left over from the Falklands War begins. Argentina creates a diplomatic incident over the presence of Falkland Islands Government representatives at a conference on sustainable fishing in Spain. After years of delay, the Argentine memorial at the Darwin cemeteryArgentine Military CemeteryThe Argentine Military Cemetery, , is a military cemetery on East Falkland that holds the remains of 237 Argentine combatants killed during the 1982 Falklands War...
was finally inaugurated. Argentina submitted a claim for large areas of the South Atlantic, including the Falkland Islands, under the 1982 Law of the Sea ConventionUnited Nations Convention on the Law of the SeaThe United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea , also called the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea treaty, is the international agreement that resulted from the third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea , which took place from 1973 through 1982...
..
See also
- History of the Falkland IslandsHistory of the Falkland IslandsThe history of the Falkland Islands goes back at least five hundred years, with active exploration and colonisation only taking place in the 18th century...
- Origins of Falkland IslandersOrigins of Falkland IslandersFalkland Islanders derive from various origins. Chief among these are the numerically small but internationally diverse early 19th century inhabitants of the Falkland Islands, comprising and descended in part from settlers brought by Luis Vernet, and English and American sealers; South American...
- Puerto SoledadPuerto SoledadPuerto Soledad was a Spanish military outpost and penal colony on the Falkland Islands, situated at an inner cove of Berkeley Sound .-Port St...
- History of South Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsHistory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsThe history of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is relatively recent. When European explorers found the islands, they were uninhabited, and their hostile climate, mountainous terrain, and remoteness made subsequent settlement difficult...
- Falklands WarFalklands WarThe Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
External links
- Falkland Islands History Early history adapted from the ninth edition of an encyclopedia (1879) and other sources.
- Falklands Islands History - timeline
- 1987 American report by Richard D. Chenette, Lieutenant Commander, USN, laying out the history and background of the disputed claims
- The History of the Falkland Islands - Chronology
- Silas Duncan and the Falkland Islands' Incident
- History of Falkland Islands
- Graham Pascoe and Peter Pepper. Getting it right: The real history of the Falklands/Malvinas. May 2008.