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Galapagos

Timeline

1535

The Galapagos Islands were discovered by Fray Tomás de Berlanga, Bishop of Panama.

1570

The islands first appeared on a map, one by Abraham Ortelius, another by Mercator.

17th C

Pirates used the islands as a base for raids on spanish colonial ports.

1684

First navigation charts of the islands were made by buccaneer Ambrose Crowley.

1708

Alexander Selkirk visited the islands after being picked up from the Juan Fernandez Islands by captain Woodes Rogers.

1790

The first scientific mission was sent to the Galapagos by the King of Spain under Sicilian captain Alessandro Malaspina.

1793

English Capitan James Colnett came the the Galapagos to investigate whaling opportunities.

1795

Captain George Vancouver visited the Islands and wrote about them as "the most dreary barren and desolate country I ever beheld".

1807

The first resident of the Galapagos, Patrick Watkins was thought to be marooned on Floreana Island.

1811-1844

Over 100 thousand tortoises are estimated to have been taken from the islands mostly by whalers for food.

1813

U.S. Warship, Essex, came to the Islands to destroy a British whaling fleet. Goats were accidentally released on Santiago Island in the process.

1832

The Galapagos Islands were officially annexed by Ecuador. A penal colony was created on Floreana where political and other prisoners were sent.

1835

Charles Darwin visited the islands.

1892

The islands were officially renamed "Archipiélago de Colón" in honor of the 400 year anniversery of Christopher Columbus' discovery of the Americas. Official Spanish names were also given to each of the islands.

1893

The Settlement Villamil on Isabela Island was created.

1926

Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz was started by a group of Norwegians.

1930's

A strange series of deaths and disappearances occurred on Floreana involving a German philosopher and his mistress, Heinz and Margaret Wittmer, and the Baroness and her three lovers.

1934

The first legislation to protect the islands were enacted.

1942 - 1947

Baltra was used as a US Naval Base.

1959

The Ecuadorian Government declared 97% of the land area in the Galapagos as National Park land. The Galapagos National Park and Charles Darwin Research Foundation were founded.

1968

1971

The National Park Service began trying to eradicate the introduced guava and quinine trees.

1971-1975

1979

The Galapagos Islands were included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

1985

The Galapagos Islands were declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.

1986

The Marine Resources Reserve of Galapagos was created by the Ecuadorian government.

1990

The Islands were declared a Whale Sanctuary.

1998

2001

The Galapagos Marine Reserve was included as part of the Galapagos World Heritage Site.

2009

The Galapagos National Park celebrated 50 years of conservation efforts.

June 2012

Lonesome George, the last giant tortoise of his subspecies, and iconic figure in the Galapagos passed away.