Chronology

Timor-Leste’s history at a glance

1250 • Oldest written reference of the island of Timor from the Chinese text Chu Fan Chi (Records of Foreign Peoples)

1515 • Portuguese explorers first arrive in Timor

1652 • Portuguese settle in Timor at Oecusse in the western part of the island

1859 • Portugal and the Netherlands sign a border treaty dividing the island into East (Portuguese) Timor and West (Dutch) Timor

1912 • Portuguese suppress revolt by local chiefs led by Dom Boaventura

1974 • Portugal’s Carnation Revolution overthrows Portuguese Government, which opens the way for independence for its colonies

1975 • East Timor declares independence from Portugal and is invaded by Indonesian forces one week later; a 24-year struggle for independence begins

1996 • Nobel Peace Prize awarded to José Ramos-Horta, the overseas representative of the East Timorese Resistance, and Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo for bringing attention to East Timor’s struggle for independence

1999 • People of East Timor reject special autonomy within Indonesia, paving the way for full independence; a wave of arson and terror spreads throughout the country

2002 • The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste becomes the first new sovereign state of the millennium on 20 May

2012 • Timor-Leste celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Restoration of Independence; UN peacekeepers depart

The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.