Like many islands in the Caribbean, Grenada was not so much discovered by Columbus as it was sighted by him. On his third voyage to the New World in 1498, he passed by and named the island Concepcion. In 1609 the British tried to establish a toehold but because the island was inhabited by the cannibalistic Carib Indians, they were chased off. Then in 1650, the French came ashore with "baubles" and "booze" to soothe the fierce Caribs.

The bribery tactic did not have a lasting effect, and the French found themselves battling with the Indians for control of the island. In 1651, the final clash took place in northern Grenada at Le Morne des Sauteurs. It was here at Leaper's Hill that the Caribs, rather than submit to the questionable benefits of European colonization, threw themselves over the edge of the cliffs to the rocks below.

Over the next century, Grenada's fortunes followed the political power struggles of the European powers, with Britain and France exchanging possession of the island almost like clockwork. Finally in 1783, the Treaty of Versailles awarded Grenada to Britain, but the French heritage lives on in many of the geographical names and in the African-French patois still spoken by many.

In 1967, Grenada became an associated state within the British Commonwealth. With this, the island nation gained control of its internal affairs, while the government of Britain continued to control external matters. Complete independence was achieved in 1974 under the leadership of the late Sir Eric Gairy -- a charismatic and controversial figure who had been in the public eye since the early 1950s.

While Gairy was away from the island in 1979, his key political opponent, the late Maurice Bishop, seized control of the government. An avowed radical, Bishop set about establishing strong ties to the Soviet Union and Cuba. Then, in 1983, a faction within Bishop's New Jewel Movement placed Bishop under house arrest and took control of Grenada. Bishop and several aides were eventually executed.

All this turmoil and the purported threat to U.S. medical students stranded on the island, served as the catalyst for the famed "rescue mission" by U.S. forces a short time later. The overwhelming support for the action by the Grenadian population was evident from the start and has barely subsided today.

In late 1984, the late Herbert Blaize was elected Prime Minister of Grenada in its first free elections since the incident. As a result of substantial U.S. aid, the government is well on its way to rebuilding the island's reputation as an agricultural force, with light manufacturing and tourism to round out its economic base.