📍 Plaza Rajah Sulayman, Manila

 🕰️ 1571

Following a fierce resistance led by Rajah Sulayman, Spanish forces under Miguel López de Legazpi took control of Manila. This event marked the beginning of over 300 years of Spanish rule. Fort Santiago was built atop the ruins of Sulayman’s fort. 

📍 Plaza Roma, Intramuros

 🕰️ 1571

Established by Legazpi, Intramuros became the walled capital of the Spanish East Indies. Plaza de Roma was the civic center, symbolizing both colonial authority and centralized urban planning.

📍 Manila Cathedral, Intramuros

 🕰️ 1581

Initially made of nipa and bamboo, the cathedral evolved into a stone structure representing Spanish ecclesiastical might. It served as the seat of the Archbishop of Manila and remains a national religious symbol. 

📍 Plaza Mexico, Intramuros

 🕰️ 1565-1815

The Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade connected Asia and the Americas, transforming Manila into a global trading port. The plaza honors this maritime legacy. 

📍 San Agustin Church, General Luna St.

 🕰️ 1607

 The only Intramuros church to survive WWII, San Agustin Church showcases Baroque architecture and Augustinian influence. It’s now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

📍 Reducto de San Pedro, Intramuros

 🕰️ 1762

During the Seven Years’ War, British forces invaded and held Manila for 20 months. Though short-lived, this exposed the vulnerabilities of Spanish colonial defense. 

📍 Martyrs of 1872 Marker, Rizal Park

 🕰️ 1872

The execution of Fathers Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora, falsely accused of mutiny, shocked the Filipino consciousness. Rizal would later dedicate El Filibusterismo to them.

📍 Museo ni Rizal, Fort Santiago, Intramuros

 🕰️ 1892

La Liga was a civic society advocating peaceful reform. Though dissolved after Rizal’s arrest, it inspired the Katipunan. Today, Fort Santiago exhibits Liga-related artifacts. 

📍 Andres Bonifacio Shrine, Mehan Garden

 🕰️ 1892

Out of frustration with peaceful efforts, Bonifacio founded the Katipunan, a secret society devoted to armed revolution. The shrine near Lawton commemorates this turning point. 

📍 Regina Building, Escolta Street

 🕰️ 1890s

Escolta was a commercial hub where reformist ideas and literature were circulated. Though printed abroad, copies of La Solidaridad reached Filipinos through this street.

📍 Fort Santiago, Intramuros

 🕰️ 1896

Captured en route to Cuba, Rizal was detained at Fort Santiago. His trial and death sentence followed swiftly, making the site sacred to his memory.

📍 Rizal Execution Site Marker, Luneta

 🕰️ 1896

Facing a firing squad, Rizal’s final act was to turn his back to his executioners. His bronze footprints now lead to the memorial that honors his martyrdom. 

📍 Manila Central Post Office, Lawton

 🕰️ 1941

On December 27, Japanese warplanes bombed this landmark, beginning the destruction of the city and announcing the war’s arrival.

📍 Philippine General Hospital, Taft Avenue

 🕰️ 1942

Manila fell without resistance in January 1942. The PGH was seized and converted into a Japanese-run facility, emblematic of occupation control. 

📍 Main Building, UST Campus

 🕰️ 1942-1945

Japanese forces confined over 4,000 American and Allied civilians here under dire conditions. UST became the largest internment camp in the Philippines.

📍 Memorare 1945 Marker, Intramuros

 🕰️ 1945

 In February 1945, a brutal month-long battle devastated Manila. The marker honors over 100,000 civilians killed—mostly by Japanese forces during their retreat.

📍 Malate Church, Malate

 🕰️ 1945

Japanese troops committed mass atrocities in southern Manila districts. Families seeking refuge in churches like Malate were not spared.

📍 Manila City Hall Clock Tower

 🕰️ 1945

The capture of City Hall signaled the end of Japanese occupation in the capital. Its clock tower, once a sniper’s perch, now chimes for peace.

📍 Manila City Hall Clock Tower

 🕰️ 1946

On July 4, the American flag was lowered, and the Philippine flag raised. The site marks the birth of the Third Republic.

📍 Mendiola Peace Arch, San Miguel

 🕰️ 1970

A series of massive student-led rallies erupted here against the Marcos regime. The protests foreshadowed the declaration of Martial Law. 

📍 Liwasang Bonifacio, Lawton

 🕰️ 1972-1986

 This plaza served as a key gathering site for labor and student demonstrations against dictatorship, particularly in the lead-up to EDSA.

📍 National Museum of Fine Arts, Padre Burgos Avenue

 🕰️ 2003

Once the Old Congress, this neoclassical building now houses Juan Luna’s Spoliarium and a growing collection of Filipino visual art.

📍 Palacio del Gobernador, Intramuros

 🕰️ 1979 - Present

Government-led restoration of colonial buildings turned Intramuros into a living museum, preserving its Spanish-era charm.

📍 Metropolitan Theater, Lawton

 🕰️ 2021 (orig. 1931)

After decades of decay, the Art Deco gem was restored into a cultural landmark, hosting concerts, ballets, and plays once more.