In 25,000 B.C. the first known inhabitants were the Negritos or Aeta. They arrived on the Asian mainland by crossing the shallow seas and land bridges. Around 3,000 B.C. new inhabitants from Indonesia arrived. In 200 B.C. the first of several waves of Malayan settlers arrived from South China. In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan explored the islands the Philippines. In 1542, a Spanish military party claimed the islands for Spain. It was named the Philippines after King Philip II of Spain. At this time the Philippines became part of the Spanish Empire. In 1886, José Rizal published the first anti-Spanish novel to popularize the independence sentiment. In 1896, the Spanish executed Rizal for instigating insurrection. A public outrage creates a rebellion of the Filipino people. In 1899, the Treaty of Paris ended the Spanish-American War, seceding the Philippines to the United States. In this same year the Filipinos declare their independence and Emilio Aquinaldo leads the guerrilla war against the United States. In 1901 the United States captured Aquinaldo. William Howard Taft arrived as the first United States governor of the Philippines. The following year insurrection ended. Taft had improved economic conditions, settled disputes over church ownership of land, established pensionado program, and allowed the Filipino people to study in the United States. This helped to modernize and westernize the country. In 1916, the U.S. government passed the Jones Law establishing elected Filipino legislature with House and Senate. In 1934, the United States approved the Tydings-McDuffie Act. This promised the Filipino independence in 1946. This act led to the transition to independence. In 1935, the Filipino people approve the constitution creating Commonwealth of the Philippines with Manuel Quezon y Molina as president of the country. In 1941, the Japanese invaded the Philippines and defeated General Douglas MacArthur at Bataan and Corregidor. Manuel Quezon establishes the government in exile. In the year 1944, Quezon died and Vice President Sergio Osmeña takes over the presidency. This same year MacArthur reinvades the Philippines. The next year MacArthur liberates Manila and Osmeña establishes the new government. In 1946 the Philippines are finally an independent nation. Manuel Roxas y Acuña is elected as the first president. In 1965, Ferdinand E. Marcos becomes the president. He established the martial law in 1972. Aquino is defeated in a presidential election by Marcos amid charges of fraud, Marcos flees into exile. Aquino formed a new government in 1986. In 1992 General Fidel Ramos wins the presidential election with the support of Aquinos. The U.S. turns Subic Bay naval base over to the Philippine government; this ended the American military presence in the country. In 1997, the Filipino people escape the Asian financial crisis despite a series of currency devaluations. The former movie star, Joseph Estrada, was elected president in 1998. In 2001 a public outrage forces Estrada to step down. The Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo takes over the presidency. In the year 2002, the United States government provides a training of Philippine troops fighting the guerrilla group Abu Sayyaf. This group was believed to have ties to Osama bin Laden, the group’s leader, Abu Sabaya, was killed. A mudslide in 2006 levels the town of Guinsaugon and killed about 1,800 of 1,857 residents. On June 24th of this same year, President Arroyo announced an abolition of the death penalty. In September of 2007, the former president Joseph Estrada was convicted of corruption. He was sentences to a lifetime in prison. In May of 2010, Benigno S. Aquino III was elected president. This presidency was announced during the first automated national election in the Philippines.
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/philippinestime1.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuel_Roxas
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