• 1898: Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States in 1898 following the Spanish-American War.
• 1935: The United States administered the Philippines as a territory until 1935, when it was granted Commonwealth status.
• 1946: Occupied by Japan during World War II, the Philippines attained independence in 1946.
• 1986: The 21-year regime of Ferdinand Marcos ended in 1986, when a widespread popular rebellion forced him into exile in Hawaii .
• 1992: In 1992, the United States closed its last military bases in the Philippines .
• 2001: In January 2001, the Philippine Supreme Court declared President Joseph Estrada unable to rule in view of mass resignations from his administration and administered the oath of office to Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as his constitutional successor.
• 2004: President Macapagal-Arroyo wins the May election against rival Fernando Poe Jr. by a slim margin.