Independence of Jamaica Independence of Jamaica The Colony of Jamaica gained independence from the United Kingdom on 6 August 1962. In Jamaica, this date is celebrated as Independence Day, a national holiday. The Caribbean island now known as Jamaica was first settled by the Arawak and Taíno peoples, who originated in neighboring South America. Genoan explorer Christopher Columbus discovered Jamaica in 1494 during his second voyage to the New World, and claimed it for Crown of Castile. At this time, over two hundred villages existed in Jamaica, largely located on the south coast and ruled by "caciques," or "chiefs of villages". The Spanish
Independence Day (Belarus) Independence Day (Belarus) Independence Day of the Republic of Belarus (, ) (Republic Day) is a public holiday, the independence day of Belarus and is celebrated each year on July 3. July 3, 1944, was also the liberation of Minsk, capital of Belarus from the Wehrmacht during the Minsk Offensive (code-named "Bagration"). The decision to celebrate Independence Day on July 3, the day of the liberation of Belarus from the Nazis, was made during a controversial national referendum held in 1996 proposed by President Alexander Lukashenko. There is a public debate in Belarus regarding the appropriate date to be considered