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Apr 24, 1000
Native People Arrived in Aruba
The Caquetio Indians were the first inhabitants of Aruba. They were part of the Arawak tribe who were originally from South America. They fished along the coast, hunted, and gathered plants around Aruba. They made tools out of stones and shells. They lived in small family groups along beaches now called Palm and Malmok Beaches. This is an important event because if the Caquetio wouldn't have settled in Aruba, it may have never been discovered. -
Apr 24, 1499
Colonized by Spanish
Claimed for the Spanish crown by Alonso de Ojeda in 1499, he named the island ‘island of the giants’ (la isla de los gigantes). In 1513, the Spanish forced the natives to be slaves for the Spanish on plantations in present day Haiti and Dominican Republic.This is a significant event in Aruban history because this it the first time the western world learned about Aruba. -
Dutch Colonized Aruba
The Dutch originally was on the island to set up a naval base in the Caribbean and to protect their salt supply. The Dutch now occupy Aruba as well. This is an important event in the history of Aruba because the Dutch then recognized the importance of Aruba for their country. -
Gold is Discovered
A twelve-year-old boy, Willem Rasmijn was the first to find gold. The golden news spread like wildfire around the island. The Bushiribana Gold Smelter was built and the gold fever lasted for over 10 years. In the time, Aruba mined 3 million pounds of gold. This is a significant event for Aruba because it became a major industry for the island. -
Aruba Joins the Netherland Antilles
Aruba, along with six other countries including Curacao and Bonaire, formed the Netherland Antilles in 1954. They were all Dutch colonies in the Dutch Caribbean. This is a significant event because the countries were dependent on each other and learned from each other. Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao are known as the ABC islands in the Netherland Antilles. -
Political Party MEP Formed
Betico Croes founded MEP (Movimiento Electoral di Pueblo) or the People’s Electoral Movement in 1971. He was first part of AVP, the other popular political party, but he then wanted to be the leader of the party and never was. Croes formed his own party and lead it until he died. The party was very successful until 2009 when AVP won more chairs in the election. This is a significant event because MEP is one of the main political parties on the island. -
Aruba Adopts an Anthem and Flag
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toEWbd2RoIg'
The flag and the anthem, “Aruba Dushi Tera” were both adopted in 1976. The four colors on the flag each represents something significant about the island. This is a significant event in history because Aruba was a country without a flag and anthem for many years. This is a way for the people of Aruba to celebrate their love of their country. -
Aruba Becomes a Country
Once Aruba seceded from the Netherland Antilles, it became a country. Aruba then became part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but it was recognized as a country. This was a huge step because Aruba became a country and was recognized as a country. -
Natural Bridge Collapes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p_ak56tsfk'
The natural bridge was created from a cave that collapsed. It was about 100 feet long and 25 feet high. It connected two parts of the island together. Cars were able to drive across to get to the other side of the island. This was a significant disaster because it was a major tourist attraction on the island and many people went to see it each year. -
Netherland Antilles Disands
The Netherland Antilles split up in 2010, some even disbanded from the Netherlands all together. Aruba is controlled by the Dutch today, but they still control many aspects of their government. This is a significant event because it helped Aruba become less dependent on the Dutch.
