Timeline

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

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