madagascar

European Sailors

1500

European sailors and pirates visited the island often to trade guns and clothing for food and spices.

Britain and France Disagree

1896

Great Britain and France had varying degrees of influence on Merina rulers until France finally took control of the island.

70 year Revolt

1947

After World War II, the Malagasy revolted against French rule. French troops brutally suppressed the insurrection at a cost of as many as 80,000 lives

Independence

1960

Independence was granted, though France maintained a strong influence over politics and the economy.

First President

1972

Philibert Tsiranana was elected the first president of the Malagasy Republic. His close ties with France and a lack of political reform incited a rebellion in 1972.

Military Rule

1975

Tsiranana left office, and a period of military rule followed until 1975, when Didier Ratsiraka came to power after a coup and was then elected president.

Plague outbrack

2016

Plague, though terrifying, is nothing new in Madagascar, where around 600 cases are reported annually. But there was something different about a suspected plague outbreak reported last December. The outbreak’s location was far away from recent outbreaks and implied plague had spread to new parts of the island nation, but health officials couldn’t explain it.

Plague

2017

As of October 2017, plague had killed dozens of people in Madagascar in an outbreak that began last December. Most of the cases are pneumonic plague, which is considered more serious than the bubonic strain.