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Spain cedes the Falkland Islands to Britain

The Falkland Islands, commonly referred to as The Falklands, is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf.

The Falkland Islands, commonly referred to as The Falklands, is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about 300 mi (500 km) east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and 752 mi (1,210 km) from Cape Dubouzet at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, at a latitude of about 52°S. The archipelago, with an area of 4,700 sq mi (12,000 km2), comprises East Falkland, West Falkland, and 776 smaller islands. As a British Overseas Territory, the Falklands have internal self-governance, while the United Kingdom takes responsibility for their defence and foreign affairs. The capital and largest settlement is Stanley on East Falkland.

The islands are believed to have been uninhabited prior to European discovery in the 17th century.

Historical Significance

The Falkland Islands, commonly referred to as The Falklands, is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf.

Events Before

  1. Date of action in Victor Herbert and Grant Stewart's opera "Madeleine"

    Date of action in Victor Herbert and Grant Stewart's opera "Madeleine"

  2. British soldiers kill five men in a crowd throwing snowballs, stones, and sticks at them. African American Crispus Attuc

    British soldiers kill five men in a crowd throwing snowballs, stones, and sticks at them. African American Crispus Attucks is the first to die and is later held up as an early Black martyr. The Boston Massacre or Incident on King Street galvanizes anti-British feelings.

  3. British explorer Captain James Cook first sights Australia. Writes in his log book that “what we have as yet seen of thi

    British explorer Captain James Cook first sights Australia. Writes in his log book that “what we have as yet seen of this land appears rather low, and not very hilly, the face of the Country green and Woody, but the Sea shore is all a white Sand.”

  4. British Captain James Cook, aboard HMS Endeavour, first lands in Australia at Botany Bay

    HMS Endeavour was a Royal Navy research vessel that Lieutenant James Cook commanded to Tahiti, New Zealand and Australia on his first voyage of discovery from 1768 to 1771. She was launched in 1764…

  5. Marie Antoinette (14) marries future King Louis XVI (15) of France

    Marie Antoinette was the queen of France from 1774 until the fall of the monarchy in 1792 and her subsequent execution during the French Revolution. Born an archduchess of Austria, she was the…

Events After

  1. US founding father Thomas Jefferson (30) marries Martha Wayles Skelton (23)

    Martha Skelton Jefferson was the wife of Thomas Jefferson from 1772 until her death in 1782. She served as First Lady of Virginia during Jefferson's term as governor from 1779 to 1781.

  2. The London Credit Exchange Company issues the first traveler's cheques, which can be used in 90 European cities

    The London Credit Exchange Company issues the first traveler's cheques, which can be used in 90 European cities

  3. Charles Edward Stuart 'the Young Pretender' (52) marries by proxy Princess Louise of Stolberg-Gedern (20)

    Princess Louise Maximiliane Caroline Emanuel of Stolberg-Gedern (20 September 1752 – 29 January 1824) was the wife of Charles Edward Stuart, the Jacobite claimant to the English and Scottish thrones.

  4. Somerset v Stewart court case finds slavery unsupported by English common law, encouraging the abolitionist movement

    Somerset v Stewart court case finds slavery unsupported by English common law, encouraging the abolitionist movement

  5. Captain James Cook begins his second voyage to the South Seas aboard HMS Resolution to search for Terra Australis (South

    Captain James Cook begins his second voyage to the South Seas aboard HMS Resolution to search for Terra Australis (Southern Continent)

More from the 1770s

United States Declaration of Independence

The Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence, announcing the separation of the thirteen American colonies from Great Britain.

politics government

US founding father Thomas Jefferson (30) marries Martha Wayles Skelton (23)

Martha Skelton Jefferson was the wife of Thomas Jefferson from 1772 until her death in 1782. She served as First Lady of Virginia during Jefferson's term as governor from 1779 to 1781.

Date of action in Victor Herbert and Grant Stewart's opera "Madeleine"

Date of action in Victor Herbert and Grant Stewart's opera "Madeleine"

The London Credit Exchange Company issues the first traveler's cheques, which can be used in 90 European cities

The London Credit Exchange Company issues the first traveler's cheques, which can be used in 90 European cities

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on January 22, 1771?
The Falkland Islands, commonly referred to as The Falklands, is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about 300 mi (500 km) east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and 752 mi (1,210 km) from Cape Dubouzet at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, at a latitude of about 52°S. The archipelago, with an area of 4,700 sq mi (12,000 km2), comprises East Falkland, West Falkland, and 776 smaller islands.
Why is Spain cedes the Falkland Islands to Britain significant?
The Falkland Islands, commonly referred to as The Falklands, is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf.

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January 22 in HistoryYear 1771