Côte d'Ivoire Timeline
A chronology of key events in Côte d'Ivoire's history
| 1300s | Mandinka (or Dyuola) people arrive in region, having migrated from the Niger basin. |
| Mali Empire extends into northwest corner of Côte d'Ivoire, around present day Odienné. | |
| 1600s | Portuguese are the first Europeans to arrive along coast -- trading in gold, ivory and pepper. Slave trade starts up in small scale by local chiefs bring Africans from the interior. |
| 1637 | First French missionaries arrive in region. |
| 1750s | Baoulé kingdom established around Sakasso by Akan group fleeing the Asante Empire. |
| 1830s | French trading posts begin to develop along coast. |
| 1842 | Trading rights along coast are negotiated by French admiral, Bouët-Willaumez, with local chiefs -- coastal regions now under French protectorate. |
| 1871 | Following defeat in the Franco-Prussion war, France withdraws much of its military from Côte d'Ivoire, leaving it open to commercial exploitation. |
| 1881 | Samouri Touré's Wassoulou Empire extends into northern Côte d'Ivoire. |
| 1885 | France's interest in Côte d'Ivoire acknowledged by the Berlin Conference. |
| 1886 | France takes direct control of costal trading posts. |
| 1887 | Protectorate agreement reached between Lieutenant Louis Gustave Binger, for France, and local chiefs. |
| 1889 | Lieutenant Louis Gustave Binger completes a two year journey through the interior of Côte d'Ivoire . Additional protectorate agreements are reached with local chiefs. |
| 1892 | Border agreement reached with Liberia. |
| 1893 | Border agreement reached with British colony Gold Coast (now Ghana). |
| 10 March 1893 | France creates colony of Côte d'Ivoire. Captain Louis Gustave Binger appointed governor. |
| 1895 | Samouri Touré's forces destroy the city of Kong, in north Côte d'Ivoire. |
| 1898 | Present borders of Côte d'Ivoire fixed. |
| 29 September 1898 | Samouri Touré captured and exiled to Gabon. |
| 1903-36 | Development of plantations and cash crops. |
| 1904 | Côte d'Ivoire is now part of the Federation of French West Africa (Afrique Occidentale Française). |
| 1908 | French military occupation of Côte d'Ivoire finalized. |
| 1910 | Abe people, in southern Côte d'Ivoire, rebel. |
| 1914-18 | Indigenous peoples rebel when France attempts to conscript them for WWI. |
| 1934 | Significant parts of French colony of Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) are added to Côte d'Ivoire. |
| 1944 | Félix Houphouët-Boigny, along with August Denise, form the Syndicat Agricole Africain (SAA, African Agricultural Syndicate). |
| 1946 | Rassemblement Démocratique Africain (RDA, African Democratic Rally) formed |
| 1946 | Côte d'Ivoire and Upper Volta once again separated. |
| 1958 | Côte d'Ivoire begins internal self-government as a republic within the French Community. |
| 1 May 1959 | Houphouët-Boigny became prime minister of Côte d'Ivoire. |
| 7 August 1960 | Independence from France, Félix Houphouët-Boigny becomes president. |
| 1963 | Attempted military coup is put down. |
| 1970 | Côte d'Ivoire develops oil extraction industry. |
| 1973 | Military coup is put down. |
| 1980 | Military coup is put down. |
| 1981 | Agricultural recession has significant affect on economy -- national debt begins to grow. |
| 1983 | Félix Houphouët-Boigny declares capital to move from Abidjan to his home city of Yamoussoukro. |
| 1987 | Price of cocoa falls internationally by 50%, economy once again hit badly. |
| 1989 | Félix Houphouët-Boigny has world's largest Catholic basilica built at Yamoussoukro. |
| March 1990 | New constitution introduced. |
| Oct 1990 | First multi-party national elections held, Félix Houphouët-Boigny wins comfortably against Laurent Gbagbo of the Front Populaire Ivoirien(FPI, Ivorian Popular Front). |
| 1993 | Félix Houphouët-Boigny dies. Succeded by Henri Konan Bédié. |
| 1995 | Henri Konan Bédié wins general elections, but some opposition parties were barred from taking part, others boycotted the election. |
| 1999 | Henri Konan Bédié overthrown by military coup led by General Robert Guéi. Bédié flees to France. |
| October 2000 | Laurent Gbagbo (FPI) elected president, defeating incumbent Guéi who had proclaimed himself president after 'winning' the presidential election. Alassane Ouattara, an opposition leader who was barred form running for the presidency calls for fresh elections. Fighting erupts between followers of Ouattara (mostly from the Muslim north) and Gbagbo (from the Christian south). Quattara goes into exile in France. |
| 2001 | International media reveal stories of Côte d'Ivoire cocoa farmers using migrant child laborers as slaves labor. |
| Coup attempt against Laurent Gbagbo fails. | |
| Talks begin between Gbagbo and Quattara's parties.They agree to work for reconciliation. | |
| November 2001 | Alassane Ouattara returns from France. |
| As part of the reconciliation, four ministerial posts are given to members of Quattara's Rassemblement des Républicains (RDR, Rally of the Republicans) party. | |
| 19 September 2002 | Military mutiny in Abidjan. Mouvement Patriotique de Côte d'Ivoire (MPCI, Patriotic Movement of Côte d'Ivoire) rebels seize control in north of country. |
| 2002-3 | Major rebellion develops out of military uprising. |
| January 2003 | Peace finally agreed between President Gbagbo and rebel groups in Paris. |
| July 2003 | Ceremony at Presidential palace declares war is over. |
| August 2003 | Mercenary team detained in France, said to be planning to assassinate President Gbagbo. |
| March 2004 | Opposition rally against President Gbagbo is met with violence. First UN peacekeepers arrive. |
| November 2004 | Ivorian air force attacks rebel bases. Nine French soldiers are killed in an attack. Anti-French protests erupt around the country. Arms embargo imposed by UN. |
| April 2005 | Peacekeeping talks held in South Africa between government and rebels. |
| October 2005 | Gbagbo applies a new law which allows him to stay in power, thus halting plans for an election. The UN backs him up, extending his mandate for another year. |
| 7 December 2005 | Charles Konan Banny, an economist, it is hoped that he will negotiate disarmament with the rebels and arrange new elections for 2006. |
| June 2006 | President Gbagbo's own militias fail to disarm according to schedule. |
| September 2006 | Toxic waste dumped in Abidjan. |
| November 2006 | Transitional government's mandate extended for yet another year by the UN. |
| March 2007 | Power sharing deal signed between President Gbagbo and rebels. |
| 4 April 2007 | Guillaume Kigbafori Soro, formally of the MPCI, now leader of the Forces Nouvelles de Côte d'Ivoire (FN, Côte d'Ivoire New Forces) made prime minister. |
| May 2007 | Militia's finally begin to disarm. |
| June 2007 | Rocket attack on plane carrying Prime Minister Soro. |
| October 2007 | Sanctions to continue for at least one more year say UN. |
| January 2008 | 8,000 UN peacekeepers to watch over Côte d'Ivoire until new elections. |
| Ten are arrested for suspected coup attempt. | |
| May 2008 | Rebels in northern Côte d'Ivoire begin to disarm. |
| October 2008 | UN sanctions and arms embargo extended yet again. UN says it will review once presidential elections have taken place. |
| November 2008 | President Gbagbo and Prime Minister Soro postpone presidential elections once more. |
| May 2009 | Election date of 29 November is announced. |
| November 2009 | Presidential elections postponed yet again. |
More on the History of Côte d'Ivoire
• A Very Short History of Côte d'Ivoire
Important People from Côte d'Ivoire's History
• Leaders of Côte d'Ivoire Since Independence
• Félix Houphouët-Boigny
