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Sources: The Statue of Liberty, Birth to Rebirth by Sue Burchard, 1985, HBJ Publishers New York's Forts (NYF) Early History of Bedloe's Island, National Park Service Handbook Or as noted |
| Pre 1600's | Mohegan Indians call the island "Minnissais" meaning Lesser Island. | |
| 1664 | English seize Oyster Island from Mohegan Indians | |
| 1668 | Island sold to Issack Bedloo, New Amsterdam businessman and "select burgher", who names it "Love Island" | |
| 1673 | Isaack Bedloo dies | |
| 1732 | Bedloo's daughter Mary sells island to Adolphe Philipse and Henry Lane for 5 shillings. First used as quarantine station by New York City | |
| 1746 | Archibald Kennedy, commander of British naval station, buys island for 100 pounds. | |
| 1753 | Kennedy builds house, light house, promoted name of "Kennedy Island" | |
| 1759 | New York State buys island for 1000 pounds, providing New Jersey with rights to surrounding water. | |
| 1760's | New York builds hospital on island, effective for quarantine. Name Bedloe's Island remains. | |
| 1776 | Bedloe's Island captured by British, buildings burned. | |
| 1780's | Hospital rebuilt. Island becomes popular "resort" for oyster harvesting. | |
| 1793 | Three year loan to the French fleet for isolation station and hospital | |
| 1800 | February 15. New York cedes Bedloe's Island to US Government for defense purposes. | |
| 1806 | Fort Wood constructed in shape of 11 point star, completed 1811 and manned during War of 1812. (NYF): Named Ft Wood (for Lt.Col. Elenzer Wood, Battle of Lake Erie) | |
| 1812 | Begins 50 years of military occupation, barracks and operations buildings constructed | |
| 1830 | New York and New Jersey enter treaty deeding Bedloe's Island to New York. Adjacent waters remain New Jersey jurisdiction. Today's docks and piers are in New Jersey waters. | |
| 1831 | American Charles Gibbs was the last pirate hanged in the U.S. He went to the gallows on Bedloe's Island, site of the Statue of Liberty in 1831. | |
| 1860 | Albert W. Hicks executed at Bedloe's Island. New York Herald, July 14 | |
| 1861 | Used as Infirmary for 100 sick Confederate POWs. (NYF) | |
| 1871 | Frederic Auguste Bartholdi visits America and Bedloe's Island, selects it as his favorite site for Statue of Liberty | |
| 1877 | Congress authorizes New York Harbor for the Statue of Liberty and appoints Gen. W.T.Sherman to select site. He chooses Bedloe's Island. Statue of Liberty National Park Service Historical Handbook Series No. 11 | |
| 1884 | Excavation begins for foundation of Richard Morris Hunt designed pedestal | |
| 1885 | June 18. French navy transport Isere arrives with 214 crates full of Bartholdi's Statue of Liberty | |
| 1885 | November 4. Bartholdi arrives for 3 week visit to coordinate Liberty's construction | |
| 1886 | October 15. Statue of Liberty dedicated on Bedloe's Island |
 Map of New York Harbor |
 Bedloe's Island from Battery Park about 1910 (collection of webmaster) |
 Map of New York Harbor Trachtenberg The Statue of Liberty |
| 1902 | Taken over for maintenance by the War Department. (NYF) | |
| 1924 | October 28. Statue declared National Monument, boundaries set as the outer perimeter of Fort Wood. War Department continues to administer entire island | |
| 1933 | Statue of Liberty National Monument transferred to Interior Department. Remainder of Island remains military base. NPS takes over operations of two acres; Army keeps 10 acres. . (NYF) | |
| 1936 | October 28. President Roosevelt, French ambassador de Labouyale (grandson of Liberty's French promoter) and 3500 others celebrate Liberty's 50th birthday on Bedloe's Island | |
| 1937 | May 4. War Department transfers ownerhsip to Department of Interior. Only radio station remains. | |
| 1937 | May 7. Statue closed to public. Demolition of Military Buidings, renovations to the Statue, enlargement of the island, landscaping underway. | |
| 1937 | September 7. Roosevelt transfers Fort Wood reservation to Statue of Liberty National Monument. | |
| 1938 | December 15. Statue of Liberty opens again to the public. | |
| 1944 | December. Army Finally closes fort. (NYF) | |
| 1948 | Garrison post buildings of Fort Wood torn down 1948-1950. (NYF) | |
| 1960 | June 30. Bedloe's Island officially renamed Liberty Island. | |
| 1965 | November 9. Liberty's lights remain lit during New York's famous "brown-out" thanks to underwater electric service from New Jersey | |
| 1986 | July 3,4,5. Statue's centennial celebrated. | |
| 1986 | October 28. Statue is rededicated by President Reagan | |
| 2001 | September 11. Liberty Island is closed to the public in response to terrorist attack on World Trade Center | |
| 2001 | December 20. Liberty Island re-opens to the public. Statue remains closed indefinitely due to continuing security concerns. |
