History of Sierra Leone
Significant Dates
| ca. 2500 B.C. | Beginnings of agriculture, settled life, pottery making. |
| ca. 600 A.D. | Introduction of iron making. |
| ca. 1450-1700 | Mande migrations into Sierra Leone. |
| 1462 | Portuguese navigator visits the coast, names the peninsula "Serra Lyoa" (Lion Mountain) |
| ca. 1540 | Mane Invasion. |
| 1727 | Futa
Jallon Jihad. Expansion of Islam. |
| 1787 | Province of Freedom established. |
| 1789 | Koya Temne destroy colony. |
| 1792 | Freetown
established. Arrival of the Nova Scotians. |
| 1800 | Arrival of the Maroons |
| 1808 | British
declare the Crown Colony of Sierra Leone. Recaptive slaves begin to arrive. |
| 1827 | Fourah Bay Institution established. |
| 1845 | CMS
Grammar School established. First secondary school in West Africa. |
| 1863 | New
constitution adopted. John Ezzidio becomes first African elected to the Legislative Council. |
| 1876 | Fourah Bay College affiliated with Durham University. |
| 1884 | Samori invasions begin in northern interior. |
| 1896 | British declare the Sierra Leone Protectorate. |
| 1898 | The 1898 Rebellion ("Hut Tax War") (begins in the South on April 27). |
| 1906 | Bo School opens for "the sons and nominees of chiefs." |
| 1908 | Railway reaches Pendembu. |
| 1914-1918 | World
War I Sierra Leonean troops fight in Cameroon. |
| 1924 | New
constitution adopted. Chiefs sit for the first time in the Legislative Council. |
| 1937 | Native Administration system established. |
| 1939-1945 | World
War II Sierra Leonean troops fight in Burma. |
| 1946 | District Councils and Protectorate Assembly established. |
| 1951 | New
constitution adopted. Unified governmental system. Protectorate representatives in the majority. |
| 1961 | Sierra
Leone achieves independence (April 27). Sir Milton Margai—1st Prime Minister. |
| 1964 | Sir Albert Margai—2nd Prime Minister. |
| 1967 | Siaka Stevens appointed Prime Minister. Military coup. |
| 1968 | Siaka Stevens—3rd Prime Minister. |
| 1971 | Sierra
Leone becomes a republic. Siaka Stevens - 1st Executive President. |
| 1978 | Sierra Leone becomes a one-party state under the banner of the All People's Congress. |
| 1985 | Major-General J. S. Momoh - 2nd Executive President. |