Timeline Madagascar
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Madagascar is an island a little larger than
California.
(WSJ, 5/6/05, p.A1)
c230 Mil BP It
was reported in 1999 that Madagascar dinosaur fossils, found in 1995
might be the oldest known. The creatures were long-necked prosauropods
from about this time.
(SFC, 10/22/99, p.A1)
165 Million BP Madagascar broke away from the
continent of Africa. [see 160 mil BP]
(SFC, 1/15/98, p.A10)
160 Million BP Madagascar broke away from the
continent of Africa. [see 165 mil BP]
(WSJ, 9/8/00, p.W6)
c75 Million BP The 30-foot dinosaur Majungatholus
atopus lived here. Its fossils were discovered in 1996. It was similar
to creatures whose fossils were found in Argentina and India. The
horned dinosaur was a remote cousin of T. rex and had sharp serrated
teeth. In 2003 scientists determined that 2-ton, 30-foot creatures were
cannibals.
(SFC, 5/15/98, p.A2)(SFC, 4/3/03, p.A2)
70Mil BC In Madagascar A frog lived in Madagascar
about this time that grew to 16 inches in length and weighed 10 pounds.
In 1993 paleontologist David Krause began to find fossils of the frog.
(SFC, 2/19/08, p.A8)
~0AD Settlers began arriving from
Polynesia
(SFC, 6/23/96, zone 1 p.5)
1000 AD Large portions of the island fauna of
Madagascar, that once included a lemur the size of bear and the
ostrich-like Elephant Bird, was eliminated by the Malagash people of
Madagascar.
(NOHY, 3/90, p.188)
1500 Aug 10, Diego Diaz discovered
Madagascar.
(MC, 8/10/02)
1828-1861 Queen Ranavalona I ruled over Madagascar.
(WSJ, 10/10/06, p.A1)(www.gasikara.net/Historama.htm)
1835 Madagascar’s Queen Ranavalona
I persecuted and expelled foreigners, including the island's
missionaries and extended her rule all over the island with her
20,000-man army.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranavalona_I_Rabodoandrianampoinimerina)
1861 Radama II (1829-1863), the
son of Queen Ranavalona I, succeeded her to rule Madagascar. During his
2 year rule he reopened the country to Christian missionaries.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radama_II_of_Madagascar)
1863 Radama II, ruler of
Madagascar, was assassinated. He was succeeded by his wife Rasoherina,
who was later succeeded by another of Radama's wives, Ranavalona II.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radama_II_of_Madagascar)
1942 Sep 10, British troops landed
on Madagascar.
(MC, 9/10/01)
1943 Jan 8, The British handed
Madagascar over to the Free French.
(Historynet, 1/8/99)
1960 Jun 26, The Malagasy Republic
(Madagascar) gained independence from France.
(SFC, 8/19/96, p.A10)(PC, 1992, p.973)
1975 Dec 21, Didier Ratsiraka,
Madagascar military commander, was elected to a seven-year term as
president in a national referendum. He published a "red book" of
Marxist principles and nationalized much of the economy. In the 1980s
with severe economic decline Ratsiraka changed course and established
ties with the world Bank and the IMF.
(SFC, 8/19/96,
p.A10)(www.wildmadagascar.org/overview/loc/16-history_1975-1992.html)
1975-1992 Didier Ratsiraka led a Socialist regime.
(SFC, 6/9/99, p.C3)
1975 A major cyclone hit the
island.
(NPR, 1/27/96)
1976 A crystal of beryl, 59 feet
long and almost 12 feet across, was found in Madagascar. It weighed 187
tons.
(SFEC, 9/15/96, Z1 p.5)
1986 The Quebec Iron and Titanium
(QIT) subsidiary of Rio Tinto, an int’l. mining concern, began pursuing
rights in Madagascar to extract high-grade ilmenite, a form of titanium
dioxide used to whiten toothpaste, paint and cleansing powders. A
15,000 acre site at Fort Dauphin was expected to yield 750,000 tons a
year over 60 years for an investment of $400 million. The Malagasy
government would receive about $40 million per year plus $10 million in
taxes and fees. A decision was expected in 2005.
(SFC, 1/15/98, p.A10)(WSJ, 11/17/04, p.A1)
1990 In Madagascar the Malagasy
government agreed to an environmental action plan that called for the
creation of national parks and protected areas.
(SFC, 6/23/96, Z1 p.5)
1991 A man from the United Arab
Emirates found a large black rock that in 1996 was found to contain the
world’s largest emerald cluster. Bangkok geologists spent a week
removing a thick layer of black mica before finding a group of 127
medium green emeralds weighing 167 pounds.
(SFC, 10/5/96, p.C1)
1992 Mass demonstrations and civil
service strikes led to a march on the palace by 100,000 people. The
elite guard killed an estimated 100. Didier Rastiraka soon agreed to
new elections that were won by Albert Zafy, a heart surgeon. Zafy
reversed the economic reforms begun by Rastiraka.
(SFC, 8/19/96, p.A8,10)(SFC, 6/9/99, p.C3)
1992-1997 The US Agency for International Development
has committed $85 mil for environmental programs here.
(SFC, 6/23/96, zone 1 p.5)
1993 In Madagascar Albert Zafy
defeated Didier Ratsiraka to become president. He was impeached three
years later amid accusations of corruption. Zafy ran again in November
1996, losing this time to Ratsiraka.
(AP, 12/10/06)
1994 Pres. Albert Zafy and Prime
Minister Francisque Ravony balked at an economic overhaul ordered by
the Int’l. Monetary Fund and World Bank.
(SFC, 9/6.96, p.A14)
1995 Madagascar signed the
Convention on Biological Diversity.
(SFC, 1/19/00, p.A12)
1996 Apr 4, In the capital city of
Antananarivo, Madagascar, thousands of people demonstrated against the
president amid calls for a military coup.
(SFC, 5/5/96, p.T-9)
1996 Jun 5, On World Environment
Day 210,000 hectares on the Masoala Peninsula were proclaimed a
national park, the 6th on the island.
(SFC, 6/23/96, zone 1 p.5)
1996 Aug 19, The per capita income
stands at $240 per year.
(SFC, 8/19/96, p.A10)
1996 Aug, Pres. Albert Zafy was
impeached for corruption.
(SFC, 2/1/97, p.C1)
1996 Didier Ratsiraka was elected
president as a democrat.
(SFC, 6/9/99, p.C3)
1997 Jan 24, In Madagascar a
cyclone struck and that some 200 were killed. It was later reported
that 520,000 people were affected.
(WSJ, 1/27/97, p.A1)(SFC, 2/8/97, p.A11)
1997 Jan 31, A constitutional
court said that Didier Ratsiraka edged out Albert Zafy in last year’s
elections.
(SFC, 2/1/97, p.C1)
1997 Apr 12, It was reported that
a plague of locusts was poised to sweep over the 5 million acres of
rich farmland in the south of the nation.
(SFC, 4/12/97, p.A12)
1998 Mar 28, A locust swarm was
reported to have covered an estimated 24 million acres in the south of
the country.
(SFC, 3/28/98, p.A5)
1998 Jun 13, The grasshopper
swarm, 7 miles long, flew into the capital city of Antananarivo.
(SFC, 6/13/98, p.A7)
1998 Major sapphire deposits were
discovered in Madagascar.
(Econ, 7/30/05, p.42)(SSFC, 12/23/07, p.A26)
1999 Oct 21, It was reported that
only some 4,000 diademed sifakas, the largest living lemurs, were left
in Madagascar.
(SFC, 10/21/99, p.AA7)
1999 Oct 22, It was reported that
dinosaur fossils, found 4 years ago in Madagascar, may be the oldest
known. The creatures were long-necked prosauropods from about 230
million years ago.
(SFC, 10/22/99, p.A1)
2000 Mar 3, In Madagascar an
estimated 600,000 people were affected by flooding from tropical storm
Gloria and at least 55 people were reported killed.
(SFC, 3/4/00, p.A12)
2000 Mar 8, In Madagascar tropical
storm Gloria left over 100 people dead just weeks after Cyclone Eline
left 54 dead.
(SFC, 3/9/00, p.A10)
2000 Mar 15, It was reported that
some 500 new cases of cholera had broken out following a year long
epidemic that had killed 1,350 people.
(SFC, 3/15/00, p.A10)
2000 Apr 3, A cyclone left 2
people dead and nearly flattened the town of Antalaha.
(WSJ, 4/4/00, p.A1)
2000 Apr 16, The winners of the
Goldman Environmental Prize included: Nat Quansah (46), an
ethnobotanist in Madagascar.
(SFC, 4/17/00, p.A2)
2000 Jun, The US government passed
the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. It gave 23 sub-Saharan countries
the opportunity to ship a range of textile products to the US duty-free.
(WSJ, 1/2/02, p.A1)
2000 In Antananarivo, capital of
Madagascar, Marc Ravalomanana, dairy mogul, took office as the mayor
and instituted a cleanup campaign.
(SFC, 8/21/00, p.A8)
2001 Dec 16, Elections were held
but no candidate won a majority. The results were annulled Apr 17, 2002.
(SSFC, 1/13/02, p.C12)(SFC, 4/18/02, p.A11)
2001 Mauritius textile worker
wages reached $1.47 cents an hour compared with 37 cents in Madagascar.
(WSJ, 1/2/02, p.A4)
2002 Jan 7, In Antananarivo some
30,000 protested the presidential election results.
(SSFC, 1/13/02, p.C12)
2002 Jan 25, The High
Constitutional Court certified Marc Ravalomanana with 46.2% of the
votes and Pres. Didier Ratsiraka with 40.8%. A runoff was set within 2
months as tens of thousands of opposition supporters protested the
result.
(SSFC, 1/27/02, p.A19)
2002 Feb 22, Madagascar declared a
3-month state of emergency after the main opposition leader, Marc
Ravalomanana, declared himself president following a 2-month dispute.
(SFC, 2/23/02, p.A11)
2002 Feb 28, Pres. Didier
Ratsiraka declared martial law following 2 months of strikes and mass
protests.
(SFC, 3/1/02, p.A17)
2002 Mar 8, The opposition seized
the defense ministry in a bid to install Marc Ravalomanana as president.
(WSJ, 3/11/02, p.A1)
2002 Mar 25, Opposition supporters
thwarted an attempt by the military to seize control of Parliament.
(SFC, 3/26/02, p.A6)
2002 cMar 31, In Madagascar a
bridge linking the capital to a southern port was blown up.
(WSJ, 4/1/02, p.A1)
2002 Apr 17, The Supreme Court
annulled the disputed results of the Dec 16 presidential elections.
(SFC, 4/18/02, p.A11)
2002 Apr 29, The High Court ruled
that opposition leader Marc Ravalomanana received over 51% of the vote
in December elections and that Pres. Ratsiraka won close to 36%.
Ratsiraka said he would not abide by the vote.
(SFC, 5/1/02, p.A13)
2002 May 6, Marc Ravalomanana was
sworn in as president. Talks with Ratsiraka were set for May 13-14.
(SFC, 5/7/02, p.A12)
2002 Jun 26, The United States
became the first country to take a formal stand on the leadership
battle for control of Madagascar, recognizing Marc Ravalomanana as the
legitimate president.
(AP, 6/26/02)
2002 Jul 5, Former Madagascar
President Didier Ratsiraka fled to the Seychelles with his family,
apparently ending more than six months of turmoil in his island nation.
(AP, 7/5/02)
2003 Dec 24, Madagascar's former
PM Didier Ratsiraka was sentenced to 12 years of hard labor and ordered
to pay $7.6 million in damages for his role in last year's election
crisis that led to the formation of two governments.
(AP, 12/24/03)(Econ, 1/1/05, p.34)
2004 Mar 7, The Samson, a ferry
carrying 113 people, vanished after it was caught in a cyclone as it
sailed between the Indian Ocean islands of Comoros and Madagascar.
There were 2 survivors. The drownings brought the death toll from
Cyclone Gafilo to 154.
(AP, 3/10/04)(AP, 3/11/04)
2004 Steven M. Goodman and
Jonathan P. Benstead co-edited “The Natural History of Madagascar.”
(Econ, 4/24/04, p.87)
2004 Alison Jolly authored “Lords
& Lemurs: Mad Scientists, Kings with Spears, and the Survival of
Diversity in Madagascar.”
(Econ, 4/24/04, p.87)
2005 Apr 18, Madagascar’s Pres.
Ravalomanana signed a $110 million, 4-year aid package in Washington,
designed to fix problems with corruption and local bank loans. The
grant was from the Millennium Challenge Account, unveiled by Pres. Bush
in 2002 to fund honest governments pursuing sound economic policies
(WSJ, 4/18/05, p.A1)(Econ, 4/23/05, p.75)
2005 In Madagascar rising
commodity prices prompted Rio Tinto to begin investing $650 million in
operations to mine ilmenite, a mineral that contains titanium oxide,
which is used to make pigments and sunscreen.
(Econ, 3/17/07, p.73)
2006 Sep 9, The ship Moubarak
heading from Madagascar to the Comoros Islands sank in the Indian Ocean
this weekend in bad weather. Of the 76 people on board, 43 people were
rescued after the boat sank. 33 people were missing.
(AP, 9/11/06)
2006 Dec 3, Madagascar's president
faced 13 challengers in the first elections since voting five years ago
led to a six-month power struggle that split the Indian Ocean nation
between two governments. President Marc Ravalomanana, a charismatic
dairy tycoon known as the "The Milkman," won 55 percent of the vote to
beat 13 challengers.
(AP, 12/3/06)
2006 Dec 8, In Madagascar police
searched the property of former President Albert Zafy as part of an
ongoing investigation into the whereabouts of Gen. Randrianafidisoa and
opposition politician Pety Rakotoniaina.
(AP, 12/9/06)
2006 Dec, In Madagascar laws came
into effect requiring gold panners and collectors to register with the
government and pay for permits.
(SSFC, 7/8/07, p.C4)
2006 The GDP per person in
Madagascar stood at about $300 per year. Most of the nearly 19 million
population survived on tiny plots of land for which they held no title.
(Econ, 12/9/06, p.53)
2007 Jan 30, Jamal Khalifa, a
Saudi citizen married to a sister of Osama bin Laden, was killed when
gunmen broke into his house in village in Madagascar in an apparent
robbery.
(AP, 1/31/07)
2007 The population of Madagascar
was about 18.6 million, with an average income of $290 per year.
(Econ, 7/30/05, p.42)
2008 Feb 17, Madagascar was hit by
Cyclone Ivan. At least 44 people were killed and some 145,000 left
homeless.
(Reuters, 2/18/08)(SFC, 2/26/08, p.A3)
2008 Apr 12, It was reported that
an international team of scientists had completed an inventory of life
on Madagascar, one of Earth’s largest and most diverse islands.
(SFC, 4/12/08, p.A4)
2008 Jul 11, A fishing boat,
carrying eight Taiwanese, one Chinese and six crew members from
Madagascar, sank after reporting engine problems.
(AP, 7/14/08)
2008 Dec 9, A South African man
accused of attempting to smuggle hundreds of rare chameleons, snakes,
lizards and frogs out of Madagascar inside his jacket and luggage was
convicted and sentenced to a year in jail.
(AP, 12/9/08)
2009 Jan 26, In Madagascar
thousands of demonstrators demanding a new government in Madagascar
took to the streets and set the country's state TV complex on fire to
protest the apparent shutdown of the opposition's radio station.
(AP, 1/26/09)
2009 Jan 28, In Madagascar
thousands of opposition supporters demanded the resignation of Pres.
Marc Ravalomanana. The director of the main hospital said 43 people had
burned to death as protesters set fires in political violence earlier
in the week.
(AP, 1/28/09)
2009 Jan 29, Madagascar's
president made a conciliatory gesture, promising to put a radio station
back on air after its closure sparked anti-government rioting that left
at least 43 dead. A US envoy later estimated over 100 dead while police
said 76 had died in the rioting.
(AP, 1/29/09)(WSJ, 2/4/09, p.A10)
2009 Jan, The population of
Madagascar numbered some 20 million. It was estimated that 70% of the
people lived on less than $1 per day.
(SSFC, 1/4/09, p.E4)
2009 Feb 3, In Madagascar the
government fired opposition leader Andry Rajoelina from his post as
mayor of the capital city, Antananarivo, after he led two weeks of
protests demanding that the president step down.
(WSJ, 2/4/09, p.A10)
2009 Feb 7, In Antananarivo,
Madagascar, at least 28 people were killed by security forces during
anti-government protests. Arrest warrants were issued the next day for
those deemed responsible for the political violence. A week of violence
left up to 100 people dead.
(SFC, 2/9/09, p.A2)(Econ, 3/21/09, p.50)
2009 Feb 9, In Madagascar defense
minister Cecile Manorohanta said she has resigned because civilians
were killed when security forces fired on anti-government protesters on
Feb 7.
(AP, 2/9/09)
2009 Feb 16, In Madagascar
anti-government protesters threw stones and police responded with tear
gas. Opposition leader Andry Rajoelina (34) continued his attempts to
force out the president. No casualties were immediately reported
(AP, 2/16/09)
2009 Feb 20, Madagascar security
forces regained control of four government ministries overnight from
opposition activists. Police arrested 50 people and no injuries were
reported.
(AP, 2/20/09)
2009 Mar 11, In Madagascar Col.
Andre Ndrianarijaona, the leader of a group of mutinous soldiers,
declared himself head of the army, raising questions about the
president's hold on power on this impoverished Indian Ocean island.
(AP, 3/11/09)
2009 Mar 16, Madagascar's
opposition leader called on the military to arrest the nation's
president as a power struggle between the two appeared to be reaching a
decisive moment.
(AP, 3/16/09)
2009 Mar 17, Madagascar's Pres.
Marc Ravalomanana ceded power to the military, instead of rival Andry
Rajoelina, who plunged the island nation into weeks of turmoil with his
bid for power.
(AP, 3/17/09)
2009 Mar 17, Madagascar's Pres.
Marc Ravalomanana ceded power to the military, instead of rival Andry
Rajoelina, who plunged the island nation into weeks of turmoil with his
bid for power. The military installed opposition leader Andry Rajoelina.
(AP, 3/17/09)(SFC, 3/18/09, p.A4)
2009 Mar 19, Southern African
nations declared they will not recognize Madagascar's new leader, an
army-backed politician who ousted an elected president. The US said it
would reconsider aid to the island nation.
(AP, 3/19/09)
2009 Mar 20, The African Union
suspended Madagascar, the strongest condemnation by the international
community since opposition leader Andry Rajoelina took power with the
support of the army.
(Reuters, 3/20/09)
2009 Mar 21, In Madagascar Andry
Rajoelina was sworn in as the new president in a ceremony shunned by
the international community after the ousting of the elected president,
Marc Ravalomanana. Rajoelina promised new elections within two years.
(AP, 3/21/09)
2009 Mar 31, Madagascar's
neighbors suspended the impoverished nation from their regional
development and democracy club, and threatened to take further steps if
the Indian Ocean island's ousted president is not restored to power.
(AP, 3/31/09)
2009 Apr 21, Madagascar’s
military-backed Pres. Andry Rajoelina banned demonstrations one day
after a policeman was killed.
(SFC, 4/25/09, p.A2)
2009 Apr 23, In Madagascar armed
forces fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators loyal to the island
nation's ousted president, as looters rampaged through the streets of
the capital.
(AP, 4/23/09)
2009 Apr 24, In Madagascar police
clashed with supporters of the ousted president leaving 2 people dead.
(SFC, 4/25/09, p.A2)
2009 Aug 9, Madagascar's bitter
political rivals signed a power-sharing deal, agreeing to create an
interim government to end months of violence.
(AP, 8/9/09)
2009 Aug 28, In Mozambique talks
aimed at determining who should lead Madagascar in a new interim
government ended in failure with the ousted president and the man who
replaced him in a military coup both claiming the right to do so. The
parties set a deadline of Sept. 4 to arrive at a compromise.
(AP, 8/28/09)
2009 Aug 29, The EU signed a
temporary trade pact with Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe and
Madagascar calling for tariffs on European goods to be removed over the
next 15 years.
(AP, 8/29/09)
2009 Sep 10, The African Union
joined international condemnation of a new "unity" government named by
Madagascar leader Andry Rajoelina who overthrew the recognized
president this year.
(AP, 9/11/09)
2009 Oct 7, Madagascar's opposing
political factions agreed to retain the coup leader as head of the
transitional government, but will not allow him to run in presidential
elections.
(AP, 10/7/09)
2009 Oct 10, Madagascar's outgoing
prime minister refused to quit, endangering a power-sharing agreement
brokered by mediators to keep peace on the island. Monja Roindefo said
he does not acknowledge the mediators' appointment on Oct 6 of Eugene
Mangalaza as a prime minister in the transitional government. Members
of the transitional government confirmed Eugene Mangalaza.
(AP, 10/10/09)(AP, 10/11/09)
2009 Nov 6, Madagascar's political
rivals agreed on posts within a transitional government that will hold
power until next year's elections following a power struggle that
brought months of volatility to the country.
(AP, 11/7/09)
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