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1596 - Spaniard Alvaro de Mendana is the first European to sight the islands.
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people first arrived at the cook island in the 1821
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1901 - Islands are annexed to New Zealand.
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1979 - Albert Henry is found guilty of electoral fraud and is stripped of his knighthood.
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1981 - Constitution is amended. Parliament grows from 22 to 24 seats and the parliamentary term is extended from four to five years.
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1985 - Agreement on creating a South Pacific nuclear-free zone - the Rarotonga Treaty - is opened for signing on the main island.
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2002 - Prime Minister Terepai Maoate is ousted from government following second vote of no-confidence in his leadership
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2004 December - Recount reveals tie between Prime Minister Robert Woonton and his challenger in September's election. High Court orders by-election. Jim Marurai is sworn in as new premier.