Argentina: timeline and key events

First human populations in Patagonia

The first human populations settle in Patagonia and leave the cave paintings of Cueva de las Manos, some 9,000 years old. These representations of hands and animals are among the earliest artistic expressions of the Americas.

Expansion of the Inca Empire into north-west Argentina

The Inca Empire of Tawantinsuyu extends its territory to the north-west of present-day Argentina, incorporating the regions of Jujuy, Salta and Tucuman. These regions are subject to the administrative and tributary organisation of Cuzco until the Spanish conquest.

Juan Díaz de Solís explores the Río de la Plata

Spanish navigator Juan Díaz de Solís enters the Río de la Plata estuary, becoming the first European to explore this region. He is killed by Guaranis shortly after landing, but his voyage opens the way to Spanish colonisation.

First founding of Buenos Aires

Conquistador Pedro de Mendoza founds the city of Buenos Aires on the banks of the Río de la Plata, naming it "Ciudad de la Santísima Trinidad y Puerto de Santa María de los Buenos Aires". The city is abandoned five years later in the face of indigenous attacks.

Definitive refounding of Buenos Aires

Juan de Garay definitively refounds Buenos Aires, providing the city with a grid plan and lasting institutional structure. This founding ensures permanent Spanish presence on the Río de la Plata and lays the foundations for the future Argentine capital.

Creation of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata

The Spanish Crown creates the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, with Buenos Aires as capital, to better administer and defend the region against Portuguese and British ambitions. This viceroyalty encompasses present-day Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia.

Adoption of the national Constitution

Argentina adopts its federal Constitution, inspired by the American model and establishing a republican and federal system. This Constitution, amended several times, remains the fundamental law of the country and establishes the institutional framework of the Argentine nation.

Desert Campaign, conquest of Patagonia

General Julio Roca leads the Campaña del Desierto, a series of military operations aimed at subjugating the indigenous peoples of the Pampas and Patagonia. This conquest opens vast territories to colonisation, but is accompanied by the extermination of the Mapuches and Ranqueles.

Sáenz Peña Law, universal male suffrage

The Sáenz Peña Law establishes universal, secret and compulsory male suffrage in Argentina. This major democratic reform enables the election of Hipólito Yrigoyen in 1916, the first president chosen through a genuine popular vote in the country's history.

First Argentine military coup

General José Félix Uriburu overthrows democratically elected President Hipólito Yrigoyen in a coup, inaugurating a long series of military interventions in Argentine political life. This putsch marks the beginning of political instability that would last for decades.

Falklands War against Great Britain

The Argentine military junta invades the Falkland Islands, a British territory in the South Atlantic, triggering an armed conflict with Great Britain. Argentina's defeat in June 1982 accelerates the collapse of the military dictatorship.

Return to democracy, election of Alfonsín

Raúl Alfonsín wins the presidential elections, inaugurating the return to democracy in Argentina after seven years of military dictatorship. He puts junta members on trial, an unprecedented act in Latin America, and strengthens democratic institutions.

Major economic crisis, state default

Argentina experiences its worst economic crisis, with five presidents in two weeks, a $100 billion debt default and 25% unemployment. The freeze on bank deposits ("corralito") triggers major popular protests.