This Month in History: February
February 17th 1627
The ship William and John arrived in Barbados at St. James Town with 60 settlers and 6 enslaved Africans. This was the beginning of formal colonization of the island.
February 25th 1627
Charles I (the former King of England) gave Courten by Royal Letters Patent the proprietary ownership and title to various lands in the Southern Americas. Courten saw this as applicable to Barbados and thus made a claim of the Island.
February 16th 1651
Inhabitants of the island declared their independence from the Commonwealth of England
1992
Due to the international recession of 1990 – 1991, the fiscal deficit in Barbados had become unsustainable. Therefore in February of 1992, the government instituted a stabilization program in fiscal policies with the help of the IMF
2004
A sea border disagreement flared between Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago after fishermen from the former island were arrested for finishing in the latter’s water. Barbados took the case to a UN-backed tribunal.
February 9th 2008
Sir Elliott Fitzroy Belgrave appointed as acting Governor-General
2012
The Earl and Countess of Wessex, Prince Edward and Princess Sophie visited the island for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
February 21st 2013
The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) won 16 of the 30 seats of this year’s election. Freundel Stuart became Prime Minister
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