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Spanish adventurer, Pedro de Alvarado,conquered El Salvador.
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El Salvador gained independence from Spain.
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El Salvador becomes part of the United Provinces of Central America, which also includes Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.
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El Salvador becomes fully independent following the dissolution of the United Provinces of Central America.
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Right-wing National Conciliation Party (PCN) comes to power after a military coup, starting a civil war.
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Archbishop of San Salvador and human rights campaigner Oscar Romero assassinated; Jose Napoleon Duarte becomes first civilian president since 1931.
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Massive earthquakes kill 1,200 people and render another one million homeless.
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Thousands flee as the Ilamatepec volcano, also known as Santa Ana, erupts. Days later scores of people are killed as Tropical Storm Stan sweeps through.
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El Salvador is the first Central American country to implement a regional free trade agreement with the US.
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Human Rights Court for the Americas finds El Salvador guilty over the civil war massacre at El Mozote in 1981.
