CHRONOLOGICAL RECORD OF EVENTS

986 --- Biorn (or Bjarn), a Norseman, first European to visit America, lands at Cape Cod.
1000 --- Lief and Norsemen, investigating Biorn's story, spend the winter near present site of Fall River and name the place Vinland.
1002 --- Lief's brother, Thorvald (Thorwald) visits Vinland and remains three winters.
1008 --- Thorfinn and his wife, Gudrida (Gudrid) also spend three years in Vinland. (Their son, Snorri Thorfinnson, was the first white person born on the American continent).
1121 --- Bishop Eirik (Erik, Erick) visits Vinland as a missionary.
1492 --- Christopher Columbus discovers America.
1497 --- John Cabot, first English explorer to New England coast.
1498 --- Sebastian Cabot explores entire New England coast. (On this voyage England based her claim of the New World from Atlantic to Pacific).
1500 --- Gasper Cortereal, for Portugal, searching for Northwest Passage, sails along Maine coast.
1524 --- Giovanni da Verrazano (Verrazini), for Francis I of France, makes extended examination of Maine shores.
1525 --- Estevan Gomez, for Charles V of Spain, seeking Northwest Pass-age enters many New England harbors.
1527 --- John Rut, for England, explores interior of Maine.
1556 --- Andre Thevet, for France, visits Maine and explores Penobscot.
1583 --- Sir Humphrey Gilbert, for England, explores Maine coast.
1602 --- Coast of Maine visited by Bartholomew Gosnold.
1603 --- Martin Pring makes survey of coast and larger rivers.
1604-5 --- Expedition of De Monts.
1605 --- Captain Weymouth kidnaps natives.
1606 --- First Virginia charter. Southern part of Maine included in grant to the Plymouth Company.
1607 --- Unsuccessful Popham colony at mouth of Kennebec. Building of first ship on American soil.
1613 --- Jesuit mission established on Mount Desert Island.
1614 --- Coast visited by Captain John Smith.
1615-18 --- Destructive war and pestilence among the eastern Indians.
1616-17 --- Richard Vines winters at mouth of Saco River.
1620 --- Patent of the Council for New England. The whole of Maine included.
1622 --- Grant to Gorges and Mason of the region between the Merrimac and Sagadahoc, under the name of Laconia.
1623 --- Permanent settlement made at Saco. Other settlements by this time at Sheepscot, Damariscotta, Pemaquid, Monhegan and a few other points.
1625 --- Trading post established on the Kennebec by Plymouth colonists.
1627 --- First Kennebec patent.
1628 --- First charter of Massachusetts.
1629 --- Comnock's patent (Scarboro and vicinity). Second Kennebec, or Plymouth, patent.
1630 --- Two Saco patents: Lygonia patent (region of Casco Bay), Muscongus patent (east of Penobscot), later known as Waldo patent.
1631 --- Pemaquid patent.
1635 --- Division of the territory of the Council for New England. Encroachments of the French, under d'Aulney, on the Penobscot.
1636 --- First organized government in Maine set up at Saco by William Gorges, nephew of Sir Ferdinando Gorges.
1639 --- Sir Ferdinando Gorges' charter of "The Province of Maine."
1639 --- Pejepscot tract (Brunswick and vicinity) ceded to Massachusetts.
1641 --- First chartered city in America-Gorgeana.
1651 --- Massachusetts asserts its claim to Maine under the charter of 1628.
1652-53 --- Settlements in western Maine submitted to Massachusetts. County of Yorkshire established. Gradual absorption of other settlements.
1653 --- First representation of Maine, then county of Yorkshire, in the Massachusetts General Court.
1661 --- Plymouth, or Kennebec, patent sold to John Winslow and others.
1664 --- Royal order directing Massachusetts to restore Maine to Ferdinando Gorges (grandson of original proprietor). Eastern Maine included in grant to Duke of York, and known as "Newcastle," or the "County of Cornwall."
1665 --- Royal commissioners set up independent government in Maine.
1668 --- Massachusetts government resumes control.
1674 --- County of Devonshire (east of Kennebec) established. 1675-77 King Philip's war.
1677 --- Purchase of Maine by Massachusetts from Gorges for 1250 pounds.
1678 --- Andros becomes governor, under the Duke of York, of New York and Sagadahoc.
1680 --- Government of Maine reorganized by the General Court.
1684 --- Massachusetts charter vacated.
1687 --- Andros governor of New England.
1688-99 --- King William's War. Settlements in Maine ravaged.
1689 --- Andros deposed and provisional government set up.
1691 --- Second charter of Massachusetts, including whole of Maine.
1697 --- Treaty of Ryswick. France and England both claim Sagadahoc (territory between Kennebec and St. Croix).
1703-11 --- Queen Anne's, or Third Indian War. Settlements again ravaged.
1722-25 --- Lovewell's, or the Fourth Indian War.
1739 --- Line between Maine and New Hampshire fixed, after long dispute, by the king in council.
1741 --- George Whitfield visits Maine. A second visit in 1744-45.
1745 --- Capture of Louisburg by New England troops commanded by William Pepperell.
1745-56 --- Renewed Indian war.
1754-63 --- Seven Years' War, the last of the French and Indian Wars.
1760 --- Cumberland and Lincoln counties established.
1775 --- Capture of British schooner Margranetto at Machias. Falmouth burned by British. Arnold's expedition to Quebec.
1778 --- Maine constituted a district by the Continental Congress, and a maritime court established.
1779 --- Unsuccessful attempt to drive the British from the Penobscot.
1780 --- Constitution of Massachusetts.
1784 --- Establishment of the province of New Brunswick, and beginning of the long boundary dispute between the province and Maine.
1785 --- Falmouth Gazette, first newspaper in Maine, established to aid the agitation in favor of separation from Massachusetts. Convention at Falmouth to consider separation.
1786 --- Second convention for separation.
1789 --- Hancock and Washington counties established.
1794 --- Bowdoin College founded.
1799 --- Kennebec County established.
1801 --- First free public library established (at Castine).
1805 --- Oxford County established.
1809 --- Somerset County established.
1813 --- September 5, capture of the British brig Boxer by the American brig Enterprise off Portland.
1814 --- British control established on the Penobscot and elsewhere in eastern Maine, continuing until end of war.
1816 --- Penobscot County established. Revival of agitation for separation. First separation law: not accepted. Great western emigration, or "Ohio fever." "Cold year."
1819 --- Second separation act: accepted. State constitution formed.
1820 --- Maine admitted to the Union.
1827 --- Waldo County established.
1832 --- Removal of seat of government from Portland to Augusta.
1838 --- Franklin and Piscataquis counties established.
1838-39 --- "Aroostook War."
1839 --- Aroostook County established.
1842 --- Ashburton treaty, settling the disputed northeastern boundary.
1846 --- First prohibitory law: ineffective.
1851 --- Prohibitory law, or "Maine Law."
1854 --- Androscoggin and Sagadahoc counties established.
1855 --- Mob outbreak in Portland over liquor agency.
1860 --- Knox County established.
1863-64 --- Twice invaded by Confederates.
1870 --- Summer visitors "discover" Maine.
1872 --- New Sweden colony established.
1875 --- Compulsory education bill passed.
1876 --- Death penalty abolished.
1879 --- "State Steal," disputed gubernatorial election.
1880 --- Adoption of constitutional amendment providing for biennial elec-tions and biennial sessions of legislature.
1884 --- Prohibitory constitutional amendment adopted.
1891 --- Australian ballot system introduced.
1892 --- Adoption of constitutional amendment providing educational qualification of voters.
1907 --- Unsuccessful attempt to remove State Capitol to Portland. Celebration of tercentennial of American shipbuilding (at Bath).
1908 --- Direct initiative of legislation and optional referendum adopted.
1910 --- Final settlement of northeastern boundary controversy with Great Britain.
1911 --- Augusta declared seat of government by constitutional amendment. Attempt to repeal prohibitory law defeated.
1912 --- Constitutional amendment adopted authorizing issue of highway bonds.
1913 --- Taxation of intangible personal property authorized.
1914 --- Public Utilities Commission created.
1915 --- Workmen's Compensation law adopted.
1916 --- Sieur de Monts National Monument established on Mount Desert. [Name changed by Congress in 1919 to Lafayette National Park.] Largest vote ever cast in State election.
1917 --- Committee of One Hundred on Public Safety appointed by Governor. Million dollar appropriation for war purposes. National Guard mobilized at Augusta on July 5.
1919 --- 103d Infantry demobilized at Camp Devens, April 26-28.
1920 --- Centennial celebration at Portland, June 28-July 5.

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