Discovery Day in the Cayman Islands Date in the current year: May 20, 2024

The Cayman Islands remained largely uninhabited after their discovery by the Europeans. There are no archaeological signs of the indigenous people, but the islands became home for a variety of settlers, like pirates, refugees and shipwrecked sailors. However, the British hold control over the islands since 1670 and its settlements gradually began to expand.

Till 1962 the Cayman Islands were governed as a part of the Colony of Jamaica. In 1962 Jamaica became an independent Commonwealth realm. The population of the Cayman Islands decided to remain under control of the British Crown, that is why the Islands officially became a separate Crown colony. Nowadays a nominal head of the Cayman Islands is the British monarch. The territory of the Islands is under control of the governor, who is elected for a 4-year term.