When did migrants from the Philippines arrive on Guam?
Migrants from the Philippines arrived on Guam between 1500 and 1400 BC. These people were part of the Austronesian expansion that spread across Remote Oceania.
Questions about Guam
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who sighted Guam first during European exploration?
Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan sighted Guam on the 6th of March 1521 while sailing for Spain. Spain did not officially claim the island until the 26th of January 1565 when Miguel López de Legazpi formally claimed it.
What happened to the Chamorro population after Spanish colonization began?
A smallpox epidemic in 1688 reduced the Chamorro population dramatically from 50,000 to 10,000 and eventually dropped below 5,000. Another smallpox epidemic killed 3,644 Guamanians in 1856.
How long was Guam under Japanese occupation during World War II?
The Empire of Japan invaded Guam during the Battle of Guam on the 8th of December 1941. Their occupation lasted approximately 31 months until American forces recaptured the island between July 21 and the 10th of August 1944.
Which species nearly eradicated native bird populations on Guam?
The introduction of the brown tree snake nearly eradicated native bird populations. Guam once hosted 14 kinds of terrestrial birds though all but one are now extinct or endangered.