1483 |
Portuguese sailing caravels reach the west coast of Central Africa |
1506 |
Afonso gains the throne of Kongo as a Christian king |
1560 |
The first Jesuit mission established in Angola in the Luanda hinterland |
1571 |
A donation charter for Angola assigned to Paulo, grandson of Bartholomew Dias |
1617 |
Benguela established as the second colonial city on the Angola coast |
1648 |
A Brazilian navy expels the Dutch from Luanda Bay |
1665 |
Portuguese conquistadores defeat the king of Kongo |
1770 |
Pombal, dictator of Portugal, confiscates the Jesuit plantations |
1820 |
The Portuguese monarchy is restored in Lisbon after the Peninsular Wars |
1822 |
Brazil proclaims its independence under Emperor Pedro I |
1834 |
Portuguese revolutionaries limit the powers of the church and the crown |
1842 |
An Anglo-Portuguese treaty outlaws inter-continental slave trading |
1850 |
The Brazilian slave markets close under British pressure |
1884 |
The Congress of Berlin restricts Portuguese influence in northern Angola |
1890 |
A British ‘ultimatum’ bars Angola’s road to the east |
1902 |
The Bailundu War brings permanent colonial domination to the highland |
1910 |
Portuguese republicans overthrow the monarchy |
1912 |
The railway town of Huambo, later New Lisbon, founded on the highland |
1917 |
North-eastern Angola granted to the Diamang diamond company |
1926 |
Roman Catholic generals seize power in Lisbon |
1930 |
Salazar’s dictatorship plans a new colonial charter |
1961 |
Three rebellions break out in Angola |
1974 |
Salazar’s New State is overthrown by army captains in Lisbon |
1975 |
Angola’s independence is declared on 11 November |
1977 |
Young radicals led by Nito Alves attempt a coup in Luanda |
1987 |
One of the longest battles in Africa’s history begins at Cuito Cuanavale |
1992 |
A civil war truce allowed a general election to be held in Angola |
2002 |
Jonas Savimbi killed and the civil wars end |