History of Easter Island

History of Easter Island

Key Dates

• 13th century: estimated start of the island's settlement by, presumably, Polynesians.

• 1772: arrival of the first Europeans (Dutch) on Easter Day and first contact with the local population.

• 1870: beginning of the controversy over the origin of the Rapa Nui people.

• 1888: Easter Island is annexed by Chile.

• 1897-1950: the island becomes the property of an Anglo-Chilean private company.

• 1947: by sailing from Polynesia to Easter Island and Peru on the Kon-Tiki (his balsa raft), explorer Thor Heyerdahl attempts to prove the possibility of South American origins for settlement in this part of the Pacific.

• 1953-65: the island is managed by the military.

• 1967: first commercial links with the South American continent and Tahiti.

• 1990: protests against increased airfares and a desire for a certain degree of autonomy from the population.

• 2007: the island obtains the status of a "special territory of Chile", although this is still not effective, and Easter Island continues to function as a province under the Valparaíso region.

• 2010-11: several local demonstrations for the respect of Rapa Nui rights vis-à-vis their "metropolis".