During his second voyage to the New World, Christopher Columbus claims Puerto Rico for Spain. The island is inhabited by thousands of native Taínos, who will all but become extinct in the coming centuries due to disease, war, and persecution by the Spaniards.

African slaves are first introduced to Puerto Rico by the Spanish. Today almost all Puerto Ricans have some mixture of African, Native American, and European blood.

A group of Puerto Ricans takes over the town of Lares and demands independence from Spain. The revolt is crushed by the Spanish government. Today, Puerto Ricans celebrate September 23 as "El Grito de Lares" (the shout of Lares) in remembrance of the rebellion.

Slavery is abolished by the Spanish crown.

The United States invades Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War. When the war ends three months later, Puerto Rico, along with Cuba, Guam, and the Philippines, is ceded to the United States.

All Puerto Ricans are granted U.S. Citizenship.

A large wave of emigration begins, as thousands of Puerto Ricans leave for the United States in search of better jobs and economic stability.

Puerto Rico becomes a self-governing Commonwealth under Luis Muñoz Marín, who helped draft Puerto Rico's constitution.

Fleeing Castro's revolution , 155,000 Cubans leave their homeland. A large number of these Cuban "exiles" settle in an area of Miami known as "Little Havana" because of its overwhelmingly Cuban population. Today, more than 60 percent of Miami's population is Latino, and more than 700,000 Cubans live in the Miami area.

Spanish and English are declared the official languages of Puerto Rico. Previously, Spanish had been Puerto Rico's only official language.