1540-1542 Francisco Vásquez de Coronado explored New Mexico.
1598 Juan de Oñate founded the first permanent Spanish colony, at San Juan.

1610 Governor Pedro de Peralta established Santa Fe.
1680 The Pueblo Indians revolted and drove the Spaniards out of northern New Mexico.
1692 Diego de Vargas reconquered New Mexico for Spain.

1706 Francisco Cuervo y Valdes founded Albuquerque.

1821 New Mexico became a province of Mexico.
1821 William Becknell established the Santa Fe Trail.
1846 General Stephen W. Kearny took possession of New Mexico during the Mexican War.
1848 Mexico ceded New Mexico to the United States in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
1850 Congress created the Territory of New Mexico.
1853 New Mexico acquired part of the Gila Valley through the Gadsden Purchase.
1864 Colonel Kit Carson defeated the Mescalero Apache and Navajo Indians.
1876 Cattlemen began a 5-year series of fights called the Lincoln County War.
1886 The surrender of Geronimo ended the Apache Wars.

1912 New Mexico became the 47th state on January 6.
1916 Mexican bandits raided Columbus.
1916 Elephant Butte Dam was completed.
1922 Geologists discovered oil in the southeastern and northwestern regions of New Mexico.
1930 Carlsbad Caverns became a national park.
1945 The first atomic bomb was exploded at Trinity Site near Alamagordo.

1950 Paddy Martinez, a Navajo Indian, found uranium in the northwest region.
1964 Work started on the San Juan-Chama project to bring water through the Rocky Mountains to the Albuquerque area.

Questions or comments about this page?