Subic Spanish Fort. In 1800s, the Spaniards discovered Subic Bay's beautiful setting and considered the zone in creating their small Spanish fort. Deeply impressed with Subic Bay's fully sheltered wharf, they constructed an arsenal in the area, the first step in a long history that would stress Subic Bay's role as a bastion of strategic security.

1572 - Juan de Salcedo, grandson of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, founder of Manila), arrived in Subic Bay to collect tributes for the Spanish King, Philip II. Upon his return home, Salcedo reported to the King all his observations and admiration for Subic's deep water, sheltered anchorage, strategic location and healthy environment.

1868 - The Spaniards conducted a military expedition in Subic Bay and realized that it was an ideal location for a naval base.

1884 - King Alfonso II issued a Royal Decree officially declaring Subic Bay as "a naval port and the property appertaining thereto aside for naval purposes."

1885 - The Spanish Naval Commission authorized the construction of an arsenal. On the same year, the Ship Repair Facility was constructed.

1898 - (Outbreak of the Spanish - American War) Commodore George C. Dewey, Commander of the US Asiatic Squadron, was given orders to attack the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay. Rear Admiral Don Patricio Montojo y Pasaron moved his fleet from Subic Bay to Manila. The assault ended with a victory among Dewey's army, and defeat to the Spanish Army in Subic that led them to surrender to the USS Raleigh. Americans left Subic after Filipino revolutionary soldiers under Vicente Catalan, a Cuban-Spanish Admiral of the Philippine Navy, seized the area. Filipino-American war began.

1899 - Major Robert E.L. Spence of the US Army led the takeover of Olongapo Shipyard.

1900 - Subic remained fairly quiet throughout the war.

1901 - The US Navy selected Subic Bay as a repair and supply base site.

1902 - Marines returning from Samar were sent to Olongapo and Cavite.

1903 - Theodore Roosevelt issued an E.O. designating Subic Bay and 70,000 hectares of its adjacent lands as an American military reservation.

1904 - Roosevelt quoted: "If we are to exert the slightest influence in Western Asia…it is one of the highest importance that we have a naval station in Subic Bay." The Subic Naval Station became operational and provided support to the US Asiatic Fleet. It was the largest US Marine Corps Training Facility in the world before WW1.

1906 - The Dewey Dry-dock from Virginia, USA arrived in Subic Bay after a 12,000-mile tow across the Atlantic, passing through the Mediterranean Sea, Suez Canal, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. The Dewey handled ships up to 20,000 tons, including the largest American ships on the station.

1907 - Asiatic cholera swept Subic Bay, killing both Americans and Filipinos.

1941 - The Japanese fighter planes attacked Subic Bay. The 4th Marine Regiment, which was tasked to defend Subic, withdrew its forces in Bataan. Station Ship USS New York was scuttled in the bay.

1942 - The Dewey-dry dock that served Subic Bay for 35 years was towed to the bottom the Mariveles harbor to prevent it from falling into Japanese hands.

1944 - Oryoku Maru sank in Subic Bay after being attacked by the US warplanes. Allied survivors were taken ashore to board another ship headed for Japan.

1945 - The control of the base returned to the Americans.

1946 - The Americans granted full independence to the Philippines. Yet, Olongapo remained under the administration of the US Naval Reservation.

1947 - The RP-US Military Bases Agreement was signed, which granted the U.S. 99 years free use of 16 military installations including the administration of Subic and Olongapo.

1951 - The famous "Seabees", started the construction of the Naval Air Station. This was the dream of Naval Operations Chief Arthur Radford who pictured the air station as the vital link for US operations in the Southwest Pacific.

1952 - Chief Radford made the first landing at the CUBI strips.

1956 - The construction of the Naval Air Station was completed and was named Cubi Point in honor of the Seabee unit. An 8,000 feet runway was constructed. This involved the flattening of 1,200 feet mountain, said to be the equivalent of the digging of the Panama Canal.

1959 - Under the RP-US Bases Treaty Agreement, Olongapo was turned over to the Philippines and was converted into a municipality through Executive Order No. 366 issued by then President Carlos P. Garcia.

1965 - With the Vietnam War escalating, Subic took on the task of maintaining ships and providing supplies (such as food, fuel, and ammunition) to sustain the fleet in the Western Pacific. Subic also became the premier rest and recreation destination in the Far East.

1966 - Olongapo became the first and remains to be the only city in the province of Zambales.

1987 - A new Philippine Constitution was approved. A transitory provision in the amended constitution called for the removal of all foreign military installations in the country by year 1992, unless a new treaty, ratified by the Senate, is signed.

1991 - Gulf War. Subic became the staging ground for one of the biggest military operations since the Vietnam War. Subic Bay was used in the Desert Shield and Desert Storm operations. Mt. Pinatubo Eruption.Subic Bay was buried under 18 inches of ashfalls due to the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo.

September 13, 1991 - The Philippine Senate rejected the 10-year Bases Treaty of Friendship, Peace and Cooperation

March 13, 1992 - Subic Bay Freeport was created under Republic Act 7227. Then Olongapo City Mayor Richard J. Gordon was appointed as the first Chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

November 24, 1992 - The last American ship and helicopter carrier USS Belleau Wood left the Base, ending the 94 years of American military presence in the Philippines. President Fidel V. Ramos and SBMA Chairman Richard J. Gordon, raised the biggest free-flying Philippine flag in front of the SBMA Administration Building 229.

November 24, 1996 - Subic Bay Freeport (SBF) became a bustling hub for commerce and tourism, creating 200,000 jobs and US$2 billion worth of investments in a span of four years. SBF hosted the Asia Pacific Economic Conference (APEC).

June 30, 1998 - Joseph Ejercito Estrada was elected the 13th President of the Philippines. The President appointed former Bataan Congressman Felicito C. Payumo as SBMA Chairman and Administrator.

During the year, President Estrada opened the back gate to Morong, Bataan ending more than 50 years isolation of the municipality.

1999 - For the first time, exports exceeded US$ 1 Billion.

2000 - The SBMA signed the special loan package worth 16.5 Billion Yen for the Container Port Development Project with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).

The 49.33 Billion Yen Subic-Clark Road Project was approved by NEDA-ICC.

2001 - The Subic-Clark Alliance for Development (SCAD) was formally approved in Malacanang with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

2004 - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed Hon. Francisco H. Licuanan as SBMA Chairman & Hon. Alfredo C. Antonio as SBMA Administrator.

September 2005 - Upon appointment by the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Commodore Feliciano G. Salonga and Armand C. Arreza took-over the reins of SBMA as Chairman and Administrator respectively.