HISTORY IN BRIEF 

1493

Christopher Columbus discovered the Virgin Islands on his second voyage to the Americas.

 Christopher Columbus named the islands for Saint Ursula and the other virgin martyrs associated with her. Columbus attempted to land at Saint Croix in November 1493 but was drive off by the Carib Native Americans. The Virgin Islands remained a Spanish possession throughout the 16th century.
   

1666

Denmark colonized Saint Thomas in 1666. The Danish West Indies Company controlled the group until 1755.
    

1671

Fort Christian was built on St Thomas.
     

1672

The Danes founded the first permanent settlement, naming it Amalienborg or Charlotte Amalia, after their queen.
     

1672

To harvest the sugar, the Danes began to depend on slavery and started importing slaves from Africa in 1672.
     

1685

Early governors gave their approval to use St Thomas as a pirate refuge.
     

1792

The Danish government prohibited the slave trade; however, it continued thrive.  During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Virgin Islands flourished as a center for the slave trade and as a producer of sugar.
     

1800

Frederick V, King of Denmark, bought the islands.
      

1801

During the Napoleonic Wars, Britain blockaded Saint Thomas and in 1801 occupied the island.
      

1802

Saint Thomas was returned to Denmark
      

1807-1815

Britain again occupies the Danish West Indies
     

1815

The islands were restored to Denmark.
     

1848

A slave revolt on Saint Croix led to the immediate emancipation of slaves. The slaves had the support of the Danish governor of the islands, Peter von Scholten, who was opposed to slavery. After the emancipation of the slaves, the economy of the Virgin Islands disintegrated.
     

1861-1865

During the American Civil War (1861-1865), the USA began to negotiate with Denmark for the purchase of the Virgin Islands in order to establish naval bases in the Caribbean.
      

1917

United States bought the Virgin Islands from Denmark for $25 million. The United States relinquished its claim to land in northern Greenland when it purchased the Virgin Islands from Denmark in 1917.

A naval base was built on the islands to protect the Panama Canal and to prevent Germany's seizure of the islands during World War I.
     

1927

US Citizenship was granted to Virgin Islanders
     

1939-1945

After World War II, the Virgin Islands began to prosper. Federal aid, local industry, and the growth of tourism helped improve the islands' economy.
     

1946

William Henry Hastie became the first appointed black governor of the islands
     

1954

The Organic Act was passed creating a 15-member Virgin Islands Senate.
       

1968

The Congress of the United States passed a law granting the people of the Virgin Islands the right to elect their own governor.
      

1969 – 1975

Melvin Evans was the first native-born black appointed governor of the territory.  In 1971 he became its first elected governor; serving until 1975.
      

1975

Cyril E. King became governor and served until his death in 1978. King was succeeded by his lieutenant governor, Juan Luis.
      

1978 – 1990

Juan Luis was elected governor in the 1978 and 1982 elections.  Alexander Farrelly was elected in 1986 and again in 1990. Roy Schneider became governor after the 1994 elections.
      

1989-1995

In September 1989, Hurricane Hugo caused at least $500 million in damage, and 1000 U.S. troops were sent in to suppress looting and unrest. The islands were damaged again when Hurricane Marilyn struck Saint Thomas and Saint John in 1995.