August, 1492--Columbus sailed with his three ships from Palos in an effort to reach the Far East by sailing west; on October 12, he made his first landfall in the New World and claimed it for Spain.

1492-1588--The Golden Age of Spain. Columbus discovered more lands in the New World, and Conquistadores planted the Spanish flag all through North and South America. Spain controlled most of Europe.

It was a time of great artists and writers like Velasquez, El Greco, Murillo, Lope de Vega and Cervantes.

1588--Spain's great naval Armada was defeated by England and the power of Spain began to decline throughout the world. Last overseas possessions were lost at the end of the Spanish-American War in 1898.

1931--King Alfonso XIII abdicated from his throne, went into exile; Spain became a republic.

1936-1939--The Spanish Civil War. Nationalists led by General Francisco Franco won the war and the General became Chief of State.

1947--The Law of Succession was adopted by Spanish Parliament, providing for a future King and new Spanish monarchy; this law altered in 1956 so that the monarchy may be established sooner than originally planned.

1953--American aid program began; airfields, pipelines and other construction projects using American money and American builders help Spain develop a defense network and natural resources.

1956--Spain admitted to the United Nations.

THE GETTING TO KNOW BOOKS

COVER TODAY'S WORLD

_Africa_

GETTING TO KNOW AFRICA'S FRENCH COMMUNITY

GETTING TO KNOW ALGERIA

GETTING TO KNOW THE CONGO RIVER

GETTING TO KNOW EGYPT

GETTING TO KNOW KENYA

GETTING TO KNOW LIBERIA

GETTING TO KNOW NIGERIA

GETTING TO KNOW THE SAHARA

GETTING TO KNOW SOUTH AFRICA

GETTING TO KNOW RHODESIA, ZAMBIA AND MALAWI

GETTING TO KNOW TANZANIA

_Arctic_

GETTING TO KNOW THE ARCTIC

_Asia_

GETTING TO KNOW BURMA

GETTING TO KNOW THE CENTRAL HIMALAYAS

GETTING TO KNOW HONG KONG

GETTING TO KNOW INDIA

GETTING TO KNOW j.a.pAN

GETTING TO KNOW THE NORTHERN HIMALAYAS

GETTING TO KNOW PAKISTAN

GETTING TO KNOW THE RIVER GANGES

GETTING TO KNOW THAILAND

GETTING TO KNOW THE TWO CHINAS

GETTING TO KNOW THE TWO KOREAS

GETTING TO KNOW THE TWO VIETNAMS

_Caribbean and Central America_

GETTING TO KNOW THE BRITISH WEST INDIES

GETTING TO KNOW COSTA RICA, EL SALVADOR AND NICARAGUA

GETTING TO KNOW CUBA

GETTING TO KNOW GUATEMALA AND THE TWO HONDURAS

GETTING TO KNOW MEXICO

GETTING TO KNOW PANAMA

GETTING TO KNOW PUERTO RICO

GETTING TO KNOW THE VIRGIN ISLANDS