Assassination of President Jovenel Moïse
President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated at his residence during the night of July 6–7, 2021, deepening Haiti’s already severe political and institutional crisis.
Landmark Democratic Election
Haiti held a widely observed national election on December 16, 1990. Jean-Bertrand Aristide won the presidency by a large margin after years of unstable political transition following the fall of the Duvalier dynasty.
François Duvalier Elected
François Duvalier won Haiti’s 1957 presidential election and subsequently consolidated an authoritarian state. His son Jean-Claude Duvalier succeeded him in 1971, extending the family’s rule until 1986.
The January Earthquake
At 4:53 p.m. local time on January 12, 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck near Léogâne, west of Port-au-Prince. Strong shaking affected the densely populated capital region and surrounding communities.
End of the Duvalier Dynasty
François Duvalier ruled Haiti from 1957 until his death in 1971, building an authoritarian state supported by the militia commonly known as the Tonton Macoute. His son Jean-Claude succeeded him at age nineteen and continued dynastic rule.
Occupation Ends
Negotiations under President Sténio Vincent and the United States’ Good Neighbor policy accelerated the withdrawal of American forces. In August 1934, the final U.S. Marines departed Haiti.
Charlemagne Péralte and Resistance
Charlemagne Péralte, a former Haitian military officer, became one of the leading commanders of armed resistance to the U.S. occupation. He rejected occupation authority and mobilized Cacos fighters across central and northern regions.
United States Occupation Begins
United States Marines landed at Port-au-Prince on July 28, 1915, after the killing of President Vilbrun Guillaume Sam amid prolonged political instability and foreign financial intervention.
French Recognition and Indemnity
In 1825, King Charles X issued an ordinance recognizing Haiti’s independence on the condition that Haiti pay 150 million francs as compensation to former French colonists. A French naval squadron accompanied the demand, giving the negotiations a coercive…
National Reunification
After Dessalines’s death in 1806, Haiti divided between a northern state led by Henri Christophe and a southern republic led first by Alexandre Pétion. The two governments developed different political systems and competed for legitimacy.