| 1501 |
Arrival of Rodrigo de Bastidas (Spanish) to the Isthmus of Panama |
| 1513 |
Discovery of Pacific Ocean by Vasco Nuñez de Balboa, a few kilometers east from present-day Panama City |
| 1519 |
Foundation of Panama City (First Spanish city on the Pacific) |
| 1821 |
Independence from Spain. Panama joins Simon Bolivar’s the Gran Colombia (an alliance comprised by Panama, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador) |
| 1903 |
Secession from Colombia |
| 1904-1914 |
Construction of the Panama Canal by U.S.A. |
| 1968-1989 |
Period of Military Rule |
| 1979 |
Torrijos - Carter Treaty (Panama - U.S.A. treaty over the return of the Panama Canal to Panama) |
| 1989 |
U.S. Invasion of Panama to remove military dictator Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega. |
| 1990 |
Return to Democratic Government.
President Guillermo Endara is democratically elected and becomes head of government |
| 1994 |
General Elections
President Ernesto Pérez Balladares was inaugurated |
| 1999 |
General Elections
President Mireya Moscoso Rodríguez was inaugurated
The U.S. transfer total jurisdiction of the Panama Canal to the Republic of Panama |
| 2003 |
The 100th Anniversary of Founding of the Republic of Panama |
| 2004 |
| Jan. |
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The 100th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations among Panama and Japan |
| May |
General Elections, Martín Torrijos Espino won the presidential elections and was inaugurated on September 1st. |
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