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1535 The archipelago is discovered—by accident—when the Panamanian bishop Tomás de Berlanga's ship is becalmed on a trip to Peru.
1832 The Galápagos Islands are officially annexed by Ecuador.
1835 The Beagle, carrying a very seasick Charles Darwin, reaches the islands. The naturalist spends 19 days on land and visits four islands.
1959 On the centennial of the publication of Darwin's Origin of Species, Ecuador declares the Galápagos archipelago a national park.
1967 Organized tourism to the archipelago begins, and the rules that govern visits to the islands are established.
1998 Ecuador passes the Law of Special Regime for the Conservation and Sustainable Development of the Province of the Galápagos, which, among other things, creates a marine reserve of 40 nautical miles around the islands.
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