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"MAIN EVENTS OF THE LAST CENTURY IN MAURITIUS"
1900
- Birth of Seewoosagur Ramgoolam in the village of Belle Rive.
1901
- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi visits Mauritius.
1906
- Telecommunications : Cable link with
Reunion and Madagascar.
- Break of
influenza epidemic in Mauritius :- 4000 dead.
1913
- First co-operative society founded in
Mauritius at Montagne Longue following recommendations of a Royal Commission
Report.
1917
- Break of plague epidemic in Mauritius.
1920
- Last batch of indian immigrants land in Port Louis.
1930
- Mauritius faces economic recession with low
prices of sugar on world market.
1936 - Mauritius Labour Party
founded with Dr. Maurice as first president.
1937
- Social unrest starts at Union
Flacq Estate owned by R.Gujadhur. Workers claim higher wages and march on the
sugar estate. Gunshots fired. Four killed and six injured.
-Violence spreads
throughout the country with trade union activists.
- Pandit Sahadeo
put under house arrest and Emmanuel Anquetil exiled to Rodrigues.
- Sir Bede Hugh
Clifford nominated new Governor of the Colony of Mauritius.
1938
- A Department of Electricity and Telephone is established to control the use of
telephones in Mauritius.
- Commission of Enquiry set
up to look into social unrests. The Report published in April 1938.
- Dockers' strike in the
port. All activities related to sugar loading paralysed.
1939
- Recognition of Trade Unions in Mauritius through he adoption of a Labour
Ordinance.
1940
- Dr Seewoosagur Ramgoolam nominated by
Governor Bede Clifford to represent one of the two indians who represented
indian interests in the Council of Government.
1943
-
Sugar workers claim more increase of wages.
- Social unrest followed by
march in Belle Vue Sugar Estate ends up with gunshots. Three workers killed
and 16 injured. Amongst one pregnant woman named Anjalay.
- The Bissoondoyal Brothers
- Basdeo and Sookdeo, launch the Jan Andolan Movement aimed at defending
the cause of people of indian origin.
1944
- Three successive severe cyclones hit
Mauritius causing heavy damages to plantations and houses.
- First commercial
flight between Mauritius and France. An aircraft belonging to Air France
inaugurates this new era of civil aviation.
1947
- Governor Mankenzie-Kennedy's
constitutional proposals for Mauritius accepted y the Colonial office, London.
- Last " Les
Courses Malbar" at Champ de Mars boycott by sugar industry workers.
1948
- New Constitution granted to Mauriius and
ultimately adult suffrage.
- Elections held. Number of
voters: 71,236.
- Mauritius Co-operative
Central Bank founded with funds from planting community.
1951
- Commonwealth Sugar Agreement
signed. Mauritius sells 60% of its production to Great Britain under this
Agreement.
1953
- Representations made by the Mauritius
Labour Party for (1) universal suffrage, (2) increase of number of elected
members in the Legislative Council, (3) institution of ministerial
responsibility to replace the Executive Council.
- Royal
Commission instituted by London Colonial Office to consider these
representations and its recommendations made public.
1958
- Mauritius Transfer of location of Cable
and Wireless from Edith Cavell Street to Cassis.
1959
- Emergence of new political parties. The
Ralliement Mauricien changes into Parti Mauricien Social Democrate under
leadership of Jule Koenig; Muslim Committee of Action Razack Mohamed; and
Independent Forward Block under the leadership of Sookdeo Bissoondoyal.
- First general
election under universal suffrage held. Results: Labour Party (24 seats);
IFB (6 seats; MCA (5 seats); PMSD (3 seats) and 2 independents elected.
1960
- Two intense tropical cyclones, Alix and Carol, hit Mauritius causing severe damages following which the country
had to undergo a reconstruction program.
- Charles Gaetan Duval,
young barrister, elected in Curepipe by election under PMSD banner.
- Professor Titmuss and Dr.
Abel-Smith of the London School of Economic, present report on "social
policies and the population growth in Mauritius".
- Family planning introduced
to curb growth of birth rate in Mauritius.
1961
- Constitutional Conference in London. The
PMSD opposes independence and favours integration or association with Great
Britain.
1962
- Dr. Ramgoolam becomes Chief
Minister in the first phase of self-government rule.
- Two
stronger automatic exchanges replaced the manual exchanges in Port Louis and
Rose Hill.
1963
- General elections in
Mauritius. Results: labour Party (19 seats); PMSD (8 seats); IFB (7 seats); CAM
(4 seats) and two independent.
1964 -
Dr. Ramgoolam becomes Premier and
Council of Ministers replaces Executive Council.
1965
- Constitutional Conference in
London. Labour Party's delegation plead for independence. PMSD favour
association with Great Britain. British side reluctant to grant independence and
persuade Dr. Ramgoolam to cede Chagos Islands and evcuation of its inhabitants
against Independence.
1966
- 50 year lease of Chagos Archipelago
signed with Great Britain and United States with option for another 20 years.
- Relocation of
Ilois from Diego already on.
1967
- General elections held in
Mauritius. 54% of the electorate vote for independence with a Labour led
coalition with Labour electing 24 members, IFB 11 and MCA 4, PMSD wins 43% of
votes and elects 23 members.
- Mass immigration
to Australia and Great Britain.
1968
- Mauritius accedes independence on the 12th of March. Sir
Seewoosagur Ramgoolam sworn in as first Mauritian Prime Minister.
1969
- Foundation of the Mouvement
Militant Mauricien under the leadership of Paul Berenger.
1970
- Indian Prime Minister, Indira
Gandhi on state visit to Mauritius, lays foundation stone of the Mahatma Gandhi
Institute.
- Opposition Party, PMSD,
joins government.
- Dev Virahsawmy becomes the
first member of the Movement Militant Mauritian to be elected in a
by-election in Triolet.
1971
- First National Development Plan for Mauritius made public (1971-1976).
- Mauritius paralysed y a
general strike affecting the port, the transport industry and the
electricity supply.
- State of emergency
proclaimed by government.
- Political activist Azor
Adelaide murdered in Curepipe.
1972
- University of Mauritius
inaugurated with Princess Alexandra as Chancellor and Dr. Octave Wiehe as
Vice-Chancellor.
- Egyptian ship s.s Tayeb
wrecked on Barkly Island off Pointe aux Sables during passage of cyclone
Dolly.
- Queen Elizabeth and Prince
Philip on state visit to Mauritius (March 26).
- Death of Mauritian
Governor, Sir Leonard Williams. He is succeeded by Sir Raman Osman.
1973
- OSCAM summit meeting held in
Mauritius. African figurehead, Leopold Sedar Senghor participates.
- Mauritius becomes first
Commonweath member-state to adhere to the Yaounde Convention.(May)
- Commonwealth Sugar
Agreement expires. Yaounde Convention is succeeded by Lome Convention.
- PMSD revoked from
Government.
1974
- Sugar boom. Prices attain world
record level to reach the �600/ton.
1975
- Mauritius joins the space age
with installation of a 10-metre diameter satellite antenna.
- Colour television is
introduced in Mauritius followed by colour video.
- Cyclone Gervaise hits the
island causing heavy damages.
- Students strike in
Mauritius. All schools closed (May).
- Right to vote at 18 voted
by Government of Mauritius.
- After sugar shortage on
the world market, Sugar Protocol signed between ACP-member states and the
EEC. Mauritius benefits from the largest sugar quota of 507,000 tons.
1976
- World soccer star Pele visits
Mauritius.
- OAU summit held in
Mauritius. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam elected chairman.
- Second state visit by
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
- Free secondary education
introduced for all Mauritians.
- General Elections held.
Labour Party loses but forms coalition government with PMSD.
1977
- Telecommunications: first data transmission to London from Mauritius.
- Founder of Labour
Party, Dr. Maurice Cure dies.
1978
- State of Emergency lifted after
seven years in Mauritius.
1980
- Coalition between the newly
formed Parti Socialiste Mauricien and the MMM.
1982
- Sweeping 60-0 victory of the PSM-MMM. Sir Anerood Jugnauth sworn in as Prime
Minister.
1983
- Collapse of PSM-MMM alliance.
Newly formed alliance between the MSM-Labour Party-PMSD wins general elections.
1984
- Libyans diplomats expelled from
Mauritius.
1985
- Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam dies
at the age of 85. National funeral for the former Prime Minister.
- OTS takes
over from Cable and Wireless Ltd.
1986
- Four Mauritians MLA's arrested in
Amsterdam in connection with drug trafficking.
- Indian
Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi on state visit to Mauritius.
1987
- Three-party alliance - MSM-LP-PMSD win general election.
1988
- PMSD quits coalition
government.
1989
- Pope John Paul II on state visit to
Mauritius ( October14).
1990
- Sir Satcam Boolell, Labour Party leader is revoked as minister.
1991
- MSM-MMM alliance wins sweeping victory in General Elections (57-3)
1992
- Mauritius becomes Republic but stays member of
the Commonwealth.
- Merger MTS & OTS.
Mauritius Telecom is born.
1993
- Mrs Vidya Narayan becomes the
first woman-Judge of the Supreme Court of Mauritius.
- Mgr J. Margeot
retires as Bishop in Port Louis.
- Francophone Summit
held in Port Louis presided over by French President Francois Mitterand.
1995
- New alliance MMM-Labour Party wins a
60-0 victory in general elections. Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam sworn in as third
Prime Minister of Mauritius.
1996
- Death of Sir Gaetan duval.
Popular tribute to the former leader of PMSD.
1997
- Paul Berenger revoked as Deputy-Prime Minister. The MMM quits government.
- Death of former
mauritian minister Gian Nath.
1998
- By-election in Constituency No.20 won by
Labour Supported candidate, Xavier-Luc duval of PMXD.
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1999 by Mauritius
UK Connection
