Argentina Timeline and History Highlights

Argentina Timeline Highlights

B.C.

1000 – Argentina is sparsely populated by various small tribes. This would continue until the arrival of Europeans in the 15th century.

CE

1438 – The Inca Empire rises in Peru and extends into parts of northwestern Argentina.

1502 – Amerigo Vespucci arrives in South America.

1516 – The first European to visit Argentina is the Spanish explorer Juan Diaz de Solis. He is killed by native tribesmen.

1536 – Argentina’s first settlement is founded by Pedro de Mendoza. It later became Buenos Aires.

1573 – Jeronimo Ruiz de Cabrera founded the city of Cordoba in central Argentina. At the moment Argentina is part of the Spanish colony of the Viceroyalty of Peru.

1776 – Argentina becomes part of a new Spanish colony called the Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata.

1806 – British forces attempt to invade Buenos Aires but are defeated by local soldiers led by Santiago de Liniers.

1810 – May Revolution takes place in Buenos Aires. Argentine War of Independence begins.

1812 – Military leader José de San Martín joins the Argentine army and participates in the War of Independence.

1816 – Argentina declares independence from Spain.

1825 – Britain formally recognizes Argentina as an independent country through the Treaty of Amity, Trade and Navigation.

1828 – Argentina has been in a long civil war between Federalists and Unitarians.

1853 – The country becomes a republic with the passage of the Argentine Constitution.

1864 – Argentina joins Brazil and Uruguay in the Triple Alliance War against Paraguay.

1880 – Buenos Aires attempts to secede from the Republic. The army occupies the city and federates it, making it the government capital.

1880 – War hero Julio Roca is elected president.

1929 – The Great Depression hits Argentina.

1939 – World War II begins. Argentina is neutral.

1943 – The military takes over the government. One of the leaders is Juan Perón.

1944 – Argentina joins the Allies and declares war on Japan and Germany.

1945 – World War II ends. Juan Perón and Eva Marie Duarte, also known as Evita, are married.

1946 – Juan Peron is elected president. He strengthens presidential powers, censors the media, establishes government plans, and imprisons his rivals.

1952 – Evita is named “Spiritual Leader of the Nation”. She died of cancer later that year.

1954 – Isolationism and high inflation ruin the Argentine economy.

1955 – Juan Perón is ousted from the presidency and goes into exile in Spain. Argentina has experienced a period of military rule and weak government.

1973 – Juan Perón returns to Argentina and is elected president. His new wife Isabel is Vice President.

1974 – Juan Perón dies and Isabel becomes president.

1976 – The military takes control of the government and removes Isabel from public office. A dirty war begins, in which suspected government opponents are imprisoned or killed.

1982 – Argentina invades the British Falkland Islands, starting the Falklands War. By order of Margaret Thatcher, the British quickly regained control.

1983 – A new president is elected in popular elections and civilian rule returns to the country. 1989 – Carlos Menem is elected president.

1992 – The official currency is the peso pegged to the US dollar.

2007 – Christina Kirchner becomes president. She is the widow of former President Nestor Kirchner.

2013 – Pope Francis is elected America’s first pope.

Argentina History Highlights:

Argentina was originally settled by many different tribes. The first great empire emerged with his 1480 Inca invasion. Parts of what is now Argentina became part of the Inca Empire, while others resisted.

In 1516 the Spaniards arrived by the explorer and navigator Juan Diaz de Sorias. Spain then established its first colony in Buenos Aires. As Buenos Aires grew in importance as a port city, the Spaniards continued to incorporate Buenos Aires into their empire. In 1776 he founded the Rio de la Plata royal family. However, it was not long before Argentina sought independence. Led by José de San Martín, it declared independence on July 9, 1816.

Although they defeated the Spaniards, civil war continued in Argentina for many years. They eventually introduced a constitution in 1853 and a formal national government in 1861. In the early 20th century, Argentina prospered and became one of the richest countries in the world.

However, riots later erupted as lower-class workers felt they were being treated unfairly and had no say in the government. Juan Domingo Peron seized power and created a populist movement called Peronism. In 1946 Peron was elected president. His famous wife, Eva Perón, contributed to his rise to power and to women’s suffrage in the country.