East Timor declared its independence from Portugal.
In the 16th Century, Portugal began to colonize modern-day East Timor, taking complete control by 1702 and naming it Portuguese Timor. Portugal’s rule over the following centuries was somewhat limited, as they saw it as little more than a trading post. By 1975, Portugal had all but given up on the colony, and civil unrest was rife, which allowed East Timor to break away from Portugal.