Oak Island Timeline

Basque fishermen begin chasing whales into northern summer grounds off Norway, Iceland, and the Hebrides. This marks the beginning of Basque maritime expertise that would eventually extend to the North American coast, including Nova Scotia waters.

Norse explorer Leif Eriksson sails from Greenland with 35 men, following Bjarnis route. He names three lands: Helluland (Baffin Island), Markland (Labrador), and Vinland (Newfoundland). He establishes a camp and winters there.

Leifs brother Thorvald leads an expedition to Vinland. After two years of exploration, he is killed by an arrow during conflict with indigenous people (Skraelings) - the first European death in North America.

Icelandic merchant Thorfinn Karlsefni leads the largest Norse expedition to Vinland: three ships with 130-160 settlers including women and livestock. His son Snorri becomes the first European born in North America. After three years, conflicts with Skraelings force them to abandon the settlement.

The Knights Templar are granted lands in Fonte Arcada in northern Portugal, establishing an early Templar presence in the Iberian Peninsula that would grow into one of the order's most significant territorial bases.

Afonso Henriques writes to Bernard of Clairvaux from Porto, Portugal, seeking support in rallying crusader forces to help him defeat the Moors in Portugal - a campaign that would reshape the Iberian Peninsula and deepen Templar involvement in the region.

Montségur falls, with ownership transferring to Louis IX. The Cathar stronghold's fall has long been linked to legends of hidden treasure smuggled out before the siege ended.

Louis IX departs Acre for France, carrying holy relics acquired during the Seventh Crusade - objects whose subsequent fate has fueled centuries of treasure-hunting speculation.

Four treaties are signed with the English Crown guaranteeing Gascon and Spanish Basque fishermen free mutual trade and fishery rights around British and Irish coasts.

Templar Jean de Châlons, Preceptor of Nemours, gives testimony in Poitiers, France. His statements provide one of the few insider accounts of the order's final days and the fate of Templar assets.

Templars William of Middleton and Walter Clifton give testimony to the Inquisition at Holyrood, Scotland. Their testimony is notably mild compared to confessions extracted under torture elsewhere in Europe, supporting theories that Scotland offered Templars protection.

Jurist Ralph de Prelles gives testimony in Sens, France, adding to the complex legal and theological record of the Templar trials.

Pope John XXII issues bull "Ad ea ex quibus" formally recognizing the Order of Christ as successor to the suppressed Knights Templar. King Denis I of Portugal had protected the Templars and negotiated their transformation into a new order that retained their assets, personnel, and headquarters at Tomar. The Order would later fund Portuguese maritime exploration, with the distinctive Cross of Christ appearing on the sails of all Portuguese ships during the Age of Discovery.

Records in Iceland note the arrival of 20 Basque whaling ships off Grunderfjord, demonstrating the scale and range of Basque maritime operations decades before Columbus.

Prince Henry of Portugal, later known as "the Navigator," becomes administrator of the Order of Christ at King John I request. Under his leadership (1417-1460), the Order channels its vast wealth into sponsoring maritime expeditions, establishing a navigation school at Sagres, and funding voyages that would chart the African coast. The Cross of Christ becomes the symbol of Portuguese exploration worldwide.

According to family tradition, Portuguese navigator Joao Vaz Corte-Real sailed to the "Land of the Codfish" (Terra dos Bacalhaus) and returned to the Azores. If true, this would predate Columbus discovery by 20 years. His sons Gaspar and Miguel would later lead official Portuguese expeditions to the same waters. Some historians question this claim, but it reflects Portuguese interest in western Atlantic exploration before Columbus.

John Cabot claims Newfoundland for England, but contemporary rumors persist that Basque fishermen had already found this land and kept it a commercial secret.

King Manuel I of Portugal grants Joao Fernandes, a small landowner (lavrador) from Terceira in the Azores, a patent to explore the Atlantic. Together with Pero de Barcelos, Fernandes would chart the coasts of Greenland and northeastern North America around 1498-1500. The Labrador Peninsula is named after him - the Weimar map of 1530 states the name came from "a labrador of the Azores who informed the English of the land."

Basque navigator Juan de la Cosa draws the first known map of the world to include the Americas.

King Manuel I grants Gaspar Corte-Real, son of navigator Joao Vaz Corte-Real, a charter to discover and claim lands in the New World. Believing John Cabots 1497 discoveries fell within Portuguese territory under the Treaty of Tordesillas, Portugal seeks to establish its own claims. Gaspar departs Lisbon that summer with three ships financed by his family.

On his first voyage, Gaspar Corte-Real reaches Greenland, believing it to be Asia. Ice floes and bad weather prevent landing. He rounds Cape Farewell and may have sighted Newfoundland before returning to Lisbon. The voyage establishes Portuguese presence in the North Atlantic and sets stage for more ambitious expeditions.

Gaspar Corte-Real sets sail from Lisbon with three caravels on his second expedition. Taking a more westerly course, the fleet reaches Labrador and Newfoundland, finding "land of tall pines and wild berries." The Portuguese chart approximately 600 miles of coastline, describing large rivers and forests. They capture 57-60 indigenous people as slaves.

Two of Gaspars three ships return to Lisbon in October 1501 carrying indigenous captives. Italian diplomats Alberto Cantino and Pietro Pasqualigo document the voyage in detailed letters. Gaspar, continuing to explore southward alone, is never seen again. The 1502 Cantino Map would label the region "Terra del Rey de Portugall" - Land of the King of Portugal.

Miguel Corte-Real, granted the captaincy of any new lands he might discover, departs Lisbon with three ships to search for his lost brother Gaspar. The fleet reaches Newfoundland and separates to search. Two ships return to Portugal; Miguels vessel vanishes without trace. Both brothers are presumed lost at sea. Their youngest brother Vasco is forbidden to search but later receives their discovered territories.

King Manuel I of Portugal regulates the collection of tithes on Newfoundland cod, confirming that an organized Portuguese fishery is now operating. Portuguese ships from Aveiro and Viana do Castelo make regular voyages to Terra Nova. The fishery would peak mid-century before declining due to political upheavals.

The family of Pinheiro de Barcelos from the Azores is granted part of the Nova Scotia coast by Portuguese authorities. Historical maps designate two large double bays as "Gulfo" at 44.5° N latitude - a position that precisely intersects Mahone Bay and St. Margaret's Bay, placing Oak Island within early Portuguese territorial claims.

A controversial inscription on Dighton Rock in Massachusetts, deciphered in 1912 by Professor Edmund Delabarre, allegedly reads: "I, Miguel Cortereal, 1511. In this place, by the will of God, I became a chief of the Indians." If genuine, Miguel survived his 1502 disappearance and lived among indigenous people for nine years. The Portuguese government accepts this interpretation; most historians remain skeptical. The rock, now in a museum, contains multiple layers of carvings of disputed origin.

The earliest indisputable French record confirms a Basque presence in the New Land (Newfoundland).

Records from Bayonne mention regular cod-fishing expeditions to Terrenabes (Terre-Neuve/Newfoundland).

Portuguese ship owner Joao Alvares Fagundes from Viana do Castelo explores the southern coast of Newfoundland and possibly enters the Gulf of St. Lawrence. With his captain Pero de Barcelos and colonists from the Azores, he charts Sable Island, Cape Breton, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (which he names the "Eleven Thousand Virgins" after Saint Ursula). His expedition seeks lands suitable for Portuguese settlement.

King Manuel I of Portugal grants Joao Alvares Fagundes exclusive rights and ownership of lands he has discovered between "Cortereal Land" (eastern Newfoundland) and Spanish territories. This includes islands in "Watering-Place Bay" (possibly Chedabucto Bay or the Gulf of St. Lawrence). Fagundes begins planning a permanent Portuguese colony in the New World.

Joao Alvares Fagundes establishes a Portuguese fishing colony on Cape Breton Island, possibly at Ingonish on the northeastern peninsula. Approximately 200 settlers, mostly from the Azores, attempt to create a permanent settlement. Finding Newfoundland too cold, they relocate to Cape Breton. The settlement includes families, fishermen, and livestock. Fagundes dies in Portugal around 1522, leaving the colony without leadership.

Basque navigator Juan Sebastian Elcano completes the first circumnavigation of the globe after assuming command of Magellans expedition.

The Portuguese colony at Cape Breton is abandoned due to harsh climate, indigenous conflicts, and loss of leadership after Fagundes death. Some settlers may have returned to Portugal; others may have joined French fishing operations. Mi kmaq oral traditions recall early European presence, and earth-mounds at St. Peters, Cape Breton were said to be built by "white men before the French." The colony is mentioned in records as late as 1570.

Basque whalers establish extensive whaling stations along the Labrador coast, creating the first European industrial operations in North America.

Historical accounts place the start of systematic southern Basque (Spanish Basque) fishing operations in Newfoundland around this year.

The first direct archival mention appears of Basque whaleman Martin de Licona outfitting for a voyage to Labrador.

Manoel de Barcelos Machado petitions Portuguese authorities to settle "Island Barcellona de Sam Bardao" - possibly Oak Island or Sable Island - proposing to raise livestock for trade and mine lime to be sent back to the Azores. This is one of the earliest documented references to potential settlement activity on islands in the Mahone Bay region.

Carbon-14 dating of wood found below bedrock at 160+ feet: A.D. 1575 ±85 years (range 1490-1660)

English merchant Anthony Parkhurst provides detailed survey of European fishing activity to Richard Hakluyt. He reports 50 Portuguese vessels operating alongside 150 French/Breton ships, 100 Spanish vessels, and 50 English. The Portuguese fish from April to July, primarily using the "green" or wet-salting method on the Grand Banks. Additionally, 20-30 Basque vessels engage solely in whaling for train oil.

Following a succession crisis, Philip II of Spain takes control of Portugal, beginning the Iberian Union that would last until 1640. Portuguese maritime activities decline as resources are redirected to Spanish priorities. The Portuguese fishing fleet at Newfoundland begins its long decline.

The Portuguese withdraw from Atlantic Canada as they can no longer protect their colonial activities following Spain's subjugation of the Azores. This ends nearly a century of Portuguese exploration and settlement attempts in the Nova Scotia region.

Portugal can no longer protect its colonial activities in Atlantic Canada following Spains subjugation of the Azores. This ends nearly a century of Portuguese exploration and fishing operations in the Nova Scotia and Newfoundland region. English presence grows as Portuguese influence wanes.

Theories suggest Sir Francis Bacon or his followers, the Rosicrucians, constructed a vault on Oak Island to hide original Shakespearean manuscripts and other secret documents.

The era of the pirate Peter Easton, who operated from a sheltered base in Newfoundland. Some theories link his activities to Oak Island.

After a three-week voyage from France, a French expedition led by Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons, and including geographer Samuel de Champlain, sights the coast of Acadie. The first cape they see reminds them of a landmark in Normandy, so they name it Cap de la Hève (now Cape LaHave). The ship anchors in Green Bay (Port de la Hève), just 20 miles from what would become Oak Island, and Champlain begins mapping the coastline. Champlain would later settle Fort Le Hève in the LaHave River area, not far from Mahone Bay.

Pierre Dugua de Mons, granted exclusive fur trading rights by King Henry IV, establishes the first French settlement in Acadie on Saint-Croix Island in the St. Croix River (present-day Maine border). Champlain serves as geographer, mapping the Atlantic coast from the Bay of Fundy to Cape Cod. Of the 79 men who winter on the island, 35 die from scurvy and cold. The Mi'kmaq people, led by Chief Membertou, help the surviving French settlers.

Samuel de Champlain names a series of large islands at the entrance to Mahone Bay "The Martyrs" (Les Martyrs) after Frenchmen were killed there by indigenous people. This is one of the earliest European references to the specific geography of Mahone Bay, where Oak Island is located.

After the disastrous winter at Saint-Croix, Champlain and de Mons relocate their settlement across the Bay of Fundy to Port-Royal (present-day Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia), establishing the first permanent European settlement north of Florida. This becomes the capital of Acadia and Champlain's base for three years of coastal exploration. The settlement is approximately 100 miles from Oak Island.

Champlain completes his map of the Bay of Fundy and Nova Scotia coast down to Cape Cod. Notably, the map does not include Mahone Bay where Oak Island is located - an omission later discussed on The Curse of Oak Island (Season 5, Episode 8) by historians Doug Crowell and Charles Barkhouse, who speculate the omission may have been deliberate. Near present-day Advocate, Nova Scotia, Champlain reportedly finds an old, moss-covered cross that some believe was erected by Portuguese explorer João Álvares Fagundes around 1521.

English explorer Henry Hudson, sailing for the Dutch East India Company, reaches the Atlantic coast at the latitude of Mahone Bay during his voyage searching for a northwest passage. His expedition adds to European knowledge of the Nova Scotia coastline.

Samuel de Champlain publishes his famous map of New France in Paris, the first detailed cartographic record of the region. The map conspicuously omits Mahone Bay and the Oak Island area, though Champlain's expedition would have sailed past this coastline en route to the Bay of Fundy. Whether this was a simple drafting limitation or deliberate concealment remains a subject of debate among Oak Island researchers.

The British Crown formally asserts ownership of Nova Scotia territory based on John Cabot's 1497 voyage, challenging French claims to Acadia. Sir William Alexander receives a charter for "Nova Scotia" (New Scotland), beginning decades of Anglo-French competition for the region.

The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye ends three years of Scottish occupation and returns Acadia (Nova Scotia) to French control. Cardinal Richelieu seeks to reestablish colonial authority and initially invites Isaac de Razilly to serve as lieutenant-general of New France. Razilly declines, citing Samuel de Champlain's superior expertise and preferring to serve under him - but Richelieu insists, and on March 27 Razilly signs an agreement to take possession of Port-Royal for the Compagnie de la Nouvelle-France.

Isaac de Razilly, a Knight of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem (Knights of Malta) and distinguished French naval officer who lost an eye at the siege of La Rochelle, departs from Auray in Brittany aboard L'Espérance en Dieu with two transport ships. The expedition carries "300 hommes d'élite" including soldiers, craftsmen, 12-15 families of colonists, and six Capuchin monks. His lieutenants include his cousin Charles de Menou d'Aulnay and merchant Nicolas Denys.

Isaac de Razilly lands at La Hève (present-day LaHave, Nova Scotia) with 300 colonists after crossing the Atlantic. He chooses this location - only 20 miles from Oak Island - as his headquarters and the capital of Acadia, building Fort Sainte-Marie-de-Grâce on a point where the LaHave River narrows. The settlement includes his residence, a storehouse, chapel for the Capuchins, and buildings for families and workers. Razilly describes the area as an "earthly paradise."

For three years, LaHave serves as the capital of New France, placing a major French colonial operation just 20 miles from Oak Island. Under Razilly's direction, farms are established at Petite-Rivière, Nicolas Denys develops lumber and fishing operations, and some 40 families settle the area. The proximity of this settlement to Oak Island during the 1630s places French naval engineers, craftsmen, and colonists in the immediate vicinity during the timeframe suggested by some artifact dating.

Isaac de Razilly, Knight of Malta and lieutenant-general of Acadia, dies unexpectedly at LaHave at age 48. His death is considered tragic for the colony - he was described as having "no other desire than to people this land." His cousin Charles de Menou d'Aulnay assumes command and relocates most settlers to Port-Royal. The fort at LaHave is later burned down by rivals in 1653, and the site has since eroded into the sea. The circumstances of Razilly's sudden death and its impact on French colonial activity near Oak Island remain subjects of speculation.

William Kidd born in Greenock (or Dundee), Scotland, son of a Presbyterian minister. He would go to sea as a youth and become one of the most legendary figures in pirate lore - and a central figure in Oak Island treasure theories

The fort at LaHave, just 20 miles from Oak Island, is rebuilt. France grants Emmanuel Le Borgne a seigneury in the area, continuing French colonial presence near Mahone Bay despite periodic English control of the region.

Career of the privateer and pirate William Kidd, whose fabled treasure became the primary focus for early Oak Island searchers.

Sir William Phipps sacks Port Royal. Theories suggest he may have hidden a portion of treasure recovered from the Spanish ship Concepcion on Oak Island.

William Kidd is a member of a French-English pirate crew under Captain Jean Fantin in the Caribbean. The crew mutinies, ousts the captain, and sails to the British colony of Nevis. The ship is renamed Blessed William, and Kidd becomes captain

Under commission from the Governor of Nevis, Captain Kidd and the Blessed William attack the French island of Marie-Galante, destroying its only town and looting approximately £2,000 sterling

William Kidd settles in New York City, marries Sarah Bradley Cox Oort - a wealthy twice-widowed woman - and becomes a respected member of society. He owns property on Wall Street and supports construction of Trinity Church

In London, Richard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont, commissions Kidd to hunt pirates and capture French ships in the Indian Ocean. Backed by powerful Whig nobles, Kidd receives a letter of marque from King William III. A new ship, the Adventure Galley, is built - 284 tons, 34 cannons, 150 crew

Kidd's Adventure Galley departs from New York in September 1696, heading for Madeira, then Cape Verde, then the Indian Ocean. En route, the Royal Navy presses many of his hand-picked crew into service, forcing Kidd to recruit replacements of dubious character in New York

Unable to find pirate targets, a third of Kidd's crew dies of cholera. The remaining crew grows mutinous, pressuring Kidd to attack non-legitimate targets. In an altercation, Kidd strikes gunner William Moore with a wooden bucket, killing him - a death that will later seal Kidd's fate at trial

With the Adventure Galley unseaworthy, Kidd transfers to the Quedagh Merchant and sails for the Caribbean. He learns he has been declared a pirate by the Crown. His Whig backers in England, fearing political fallout, have turned against him

Kidd leaves the Quedagh Merchant at Hispaniola and transfers the most valuable portable treasure - gold, silver, gems, jewellery - onto a smaller sloop, the Antonio. He sails north toward New York, hoping to negotiate with Governor Bellomont

Kidd sails to Boston believing Bellomont will protect him. Instead, the Governor - fearful of his own political exposure - has Kidd arrested on 6 July 1699. Sarah Kidd is also imprisoned. The Gardiner's Island treasure is recovered by authorities as evidence

The Governor of Acadia officially invites pirates to use LaHave as a base of operations. Buccaneers accept the offer enthusiastically. Mahone Bay, with its natural mountain barriers by land and the shelter of the Tancook Islands at its mouth, becomes an epicenter for pirate activity. Oak Island, with its unusual growth of oak trees and close proximity to the coast, offers particular advantages - anyone docking on the south shore would be completely hidden from the bay's entrance.

Captain Kidd is transported to London in early 1700 and held in the notorious Newgate Prison for over a year before trial. He is twice called before Parliament but refuses to reveal his anonymous backers. Crucially, the French passes that could prove his defence are withheld - conveniently lost by his former patrons

Captain William Kidd is tried at the Old Bailey for piracy and the murder of William Moore. In a show trial lasting just two days, key defence documents are suppressed. Convicted on all charges, Kidd is hanged at Execution Dock, Wapping, on 23 May 1701. The first rope breaks; he is hanged a second time. His body is displayed in a cage over the Thames at Tilbury Point for years as a warning to pirates

The Treaty of Utrecht ends the War of Spanish Succession and formally cedes mainland Nova Scotia (Acadia) to Great Britain, though France retains Cape Breton Island (Île Royale). This treaty marks the beginning of permanent British control over the Mahone Bay region.

A map by Captain Cyprian Southack notes the presence of French inhabitants around Mahone Bay, indicating continued Acadian settlement in the region despite British sovereignty. These French settlers would be expelled in 1755-1756.

Two French warships under du Vigneau depart Brest months before the main armada. L'Aurore operates along the Acadian coast near La Hève and St. Margaret's Bay before entering Halifax harbour, where the missionary Le Loutre waits with a package for Anville.

A supporting fleet of four warships under Conflans, sailing from Martinique, spends weeks navigating the Acadian coast and Île de Sable. Unable to recognise the coastline and running low on supplies, Conflans orders the return to France without ever reaching Halifax.

The treaty ending the War of Austrian Succession returns Louisbourg to France, outraging the New England colonists who had fought to capture it. The peace proves temporary - within a decade, Britain will take the fortress again.

The city of Halifax is founded as the British provincial capital of Nova Scotia, establishing permanent British administrative control over the region. Halifax becomes the base for British expansion into areas including Mahone Bay and the eventual settlement of Lunenburg.

New York fishing agents John Gifford and Richard Smith are granted three islands in Mahone Bay, including Oak Island. This is the first documented English land grant specifically including Oak Island, occurring the same year Lunenburg is founded by German and French Protestant settlers.

Lunenburg founded by German and Swiss Protestant settlers

Ephraim Cooke receives a land grant for the territory that would later become the Town of Mahone Bay, marking the beginning of formal English settlement around the bay where Oak Island is located.

Expulsion of Acadians from Nova Scotia - possible pre-expulsion treasure deposit theory

Following the American Revolutionary War, United Empire Loyalists fleeing the newly independent United States and disbanded British soldiers arrive in the Mahone Bay area. This influx of settlers increases the population around Oak Island in the decades before the Money Pit discovery.

British American Revolution treasure theory (Walton, Furneaux) - deemed insupportable due to total secrecy required

Samuel Ball purchases 100 acres in Lunenburg County and Hook Island, establishing himself as a successful farmer and landowner.

Samuel Ball marries Mary, who worked as a domestic in Halifax. They would have three children: Andrew (1798), Samuel (1801), and Mary (1805).

John Smith purchases Lot 18 (containing Money Pit) for £7 10s

Onslow Company formed - Simeon Lynds, Col. Robert Archibald, 25-30 workers

At 93 feet, iron probe strikes 'hard impenetrable substance' (possibly wood) 5 feet below pit bottom

Onslow Company digs to 93 feet. Finds platforms, charcoal, putty, coconut fiber

Both Money Pit and Shaft 2 flood when tunnel approaches Money Pit. Onslow Company abandons search

Shaft 2 dug to 110 feet. Both shafts flood when connected

Samuel Ball purchases Lot 18 (containing the Money Pit area), becoming the island's largest landowner.

Samuel Ball dies at age 81 on Oak Island. By his death, he owned approximately 100 acres including much of Oak Island, becoming one of the wealthiest men in the county. His friend Anthony Vaughan serves as executor of his will.

Money Pit re-excavated to 86 feet before flooding

Pod auger at 98 feet finds layers: spruce, oak, loose metal (22 inches), oak, metal, spruce

Truro Company formed - Dr. David Lynds organizer, 12-man syndicate

Truro Company re-excavates Money Pit. Flooding begins at 86 feet, shaft abandoned

Cofferdam built at Smith's Cove to expose drainage system. Destroyed by abnormally high tide/storm

Shaft 5 at 35 feet strikes flood tunnel with rush of water

Shaft No. 3 dug 10 feet NW of Money Pit to 109 feet. Floods when tunneling toward Money Pit

Shaft No. 4 dug 100 feet W of Smith's Cove to 75 feet

Shaft No. 5 dug 12 feet S of No. 4 to 35 feet. Strikes flood tunnel with rush of water

Shaft No. 6 dug just W of Money Pit to 112 feet. Also floods

Truro Company ceases operations due to lack of funds

The Liverpool Transcript publishes the first known newspaper mention of treasure hunting on Oak Island on August 8, in an article by J.P. Forks mentioning digging for Captain Kidd's treasure.

The Liverpool Transcript publishes the first known account of treasure hunting activity on Oak Island, specifically referencing a group digging for Captain Kidd's treasure. The Kidd theory is the earliest and most persistent explanation for the Money Pit

First death on Oak Island: worker scalded by burst pump boiler

MAJOR COLLAPSE: platforms/chests drop from 98-105 feet to ~119+ feet. 10,000 board feet lumber falls

Money Pit re-excavated to 88 feet. Shafts 7 and 8 dug

Oak Island Association formed - 63 shareholders

Shaft No. 8 dug 18 feet W of Money Pit to 118 feet. Tunnel driven toward Money Pit

The Halifax Sun and Advisor publishes a letter from J.B. McCully on July 2, containing the first written description of the inscribed stone.

The Liverpool Transcript publishes J.B. McCully's detailed account "The Oak Island Diggings" on October 16 - the first comprehensive written history of the Money Pit discovery.

Shaft No. 10 dug 25 feet NE of No. 5 to 50 feet

Shaft No. 9 dug next to Money Pit to 107 feet. Money Pit deepened to 103 feet

Shaft No. 11 dug 100 feet SE of Money Pit to 120 feet. Money Pit deepened to 108 feet

The British Colonist newspaper publishes "A History of the Oak Island Enterprise" in three parts on January 2, 7, and 14.

The Halifax Company digs shaft 10 to a record depth of 175 feet but fails to intercept the flood tunnel.

New cofferdam built at Smith's Cove. Also destroyed by storms

Oak Island Eldorado Company (Halifax Company) formed

Mather Myles DesBrisay publishes "History of the County of Lunenburg" containing a chapter on Oak Island.

Mather Myles DesBrisay publishes "History of the County of Lunenburg" containing a chapter on Oak Island.

Oak Island Treasure Company formed. Frederick Blair (age 25) as treasurer, A.M. Bridgman president

Shaft No. 12 (Cave-in Pit) dug 350 feet E of Money Pit to 55 feet

Shaft No. 13 dug 30 feet ENE of Money Pit to 43 feet

Second edition of DesBrisay's "History of Lunenburg County" published with revised Oak Island account.

Second edition of DesBrisay's "History of Lunenburg County" published with revised Oak Island account.

Shaft No. 4 deepened to 88 feet (originally 75 feet in 1850)

Cement analyzed by Boake Roberts (London): man-made Portland cement

Drilling from 90-foot platform: strikes wood at 126 feet, iron obstruction (crushes drill chisel), then at 154 feet: 7" cement, 5" oak, 2" gap, soft metal, 32" loose metal (coins?), soft metal at 158 feet

Flood tunnel found entering Money Pit at 111 feet from east, 2.5 feet wide, under great pressure (2,400 cubic feet/hour)

Maynard Kaiser falls to death down one of the shafts

Money Pit deepened to 113 feet

Shaft No. 14 dug 45 feet S of Money Pit to 105 feet

Shaft 15 dug to 160 feet

Shaft No. 15 dug 30 feet SW of No. 14 to 160 feet

Shaft No. 16 dug 150 feet N of Money Pit to 134 feet

Shaft No. 17 dug 45 feet E of No. 3 to 90 feet

Shaft No. 18 dug 30 feet E of No. 3 to 116 feet

Shaft No. 19 dug near No. 15 to 144 feet

Oak Island Treasure Company dissolves due to lack of funds

Shaft No. 20 dug along W side of Money Pit to 113 feet

Henry Bowdoin publishes an article in Collier's Magazine asserting "there is not, and never was, a buried treasure on Oak Island."

28 drill holes put down to 155-171 feet. Find cement 6-10 inches thick at 146-149 feet

Henry Bowdoin expedition. FDR (age 27) purchases shares

Last confirmed sighting of inscribed stone by Bowdoin

Money Pit reopened to 113 feet

Catherine MacKenzie publishes a feature story in the New York Times noting six known organized treasure hunting attempts in 131 years.

A New York newspaper publishes a feature story about Oak Island that captures the attention of William Chappell, who would return to the island in 1931.

Additional Smithsonian confirmation of coconut fiber authenticity

MacLean's magazine publishes "Nova Scotia's Treasure Island" by Lynn C. Doyle, bringing national Canadian attention to the mystery.

Anchor fluke found at 120 feet in Chappell Shaft

Chappell expedition costs approximately $40,000

Granite and concrete chunks found in Chappell Shaft

Tunnel at 157 feet encounters soft earth, nearly buries worker. Water tunnel struck at approximately 155 feet

William & Mel Chappell dig Chappell Shaft (21) to 163 feet

William Chappell returns with son Mel. Chappell Shaft (No. 21) dug 15 feet S of Money Pit: 12x14 feet to 163 feet, then 168 feet

Chappell Shaft deepened to 168 feet

Gilbert Hedden purchases east end of Oak Island for $5,000

Hedden Shaft (22) dug to 125 feet

Hedden Shaft (No. 22) dug 10 feet E of Money Pit: 12x24 feet to 125 feet

Two DRILLED ROCKS discovered, 415 feet apart E-W. Part of original survey markers

Professor Edwin Hamilton measures a flood rate of 800 gallons per minute and concludes the Money Pit is a man-made engineering marvel.

Erwin Hamilton begins operations on Oak Island

Hollywood actor Errol Flynn, known for swashbuckling roles and real-life treasure hunting, attempts to buy into an Oak Island syndicate. The syndicate refuses to sell.

Shaft No. 10 reopened to 50 feet

Shaft No. 23 dug 30 feet S of No. 10 to 63 feet

William Vincent Astor, heir to the Astor family fortune after his father died on the Titanic, becomes a passive investor in Oak Island treasure hunting operations.

Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd Jr., the famous polar explorer, becomes a passive investor in Oak Island exploration.

Hamilton explores Halifax Company tunnels from 117-foot level. Dye test shows water exiting 100 yards offshore SE

Hamilton has spent approximately $58,000 on Oak Island operations

Section of Hedden Shaft deepened to 168 feet. Chappell Shaft deepened to 176 feet

President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies. Throughout his political career he had continued to monitor Oak Island developments. He had planned to visit in 1939 but was prevented by fog and the international situation.

Edward Rowe Snow publishes "True Tales of Buried Treasure" containing the first published rendering of the inscribed stone symbols - the source of the famous "Forty feet below, two million pounds are buried" translation.

Mel Chappell purchases Oak Island from John Whitney Lewis for approximately $6,000

Shaft No. 24 dug 150 feet NNW of Money Pit to 50 feet

Frederick Blair dies at age 83 after 58 years involvement with Oak Island search

George Greene drills to 180+ feet. Cavity at 140-182 feet (40-foot void)

Greene pumps 100,000 gallons of water into cavity at 140-182 feet - water disappears completely

Lavern Johnson first visits Oak Island, studies stone triangle and drilled rocks

David Tobias becomes Restall investor

Lavern Johnson digs Shaft No. 25 approximately 240 feet N of Money Pit to 30 feet. Tunnel at 25-foot level proves fruitless

Fred Nolan acquires seven disputed lots on Oak Island

Shaft No. 26 dug at Smith's Cove beach to 24 feet

Shaft No. 27 dug 30 feet N of No. 26 to 27 feet

Dunfield discovers Shaft 28: 8 feet diameter, 45 feet deep, no cribbing, pre-1795. Located 25 feet south of stone triangle

Dunfield spends $131,000

Dunfield uses 70-ton crane to dig pit 140 feet deep, 100 feet across

Lavern Johnson puts down approximately 40 drill holes near his shaft. Air travels underground between holes, suggesting filled-in tunnels

Money Pit area reopened/dug to 140 feet by Dunfield

Robert Dunfield takes over operations

Shaft No. 28 dug at south shore beach to 45 feet

Stone triangle destroyed by erosion after Dunfield digs trench

Cave-in Pit (Shaft 12) deepened to 108 feet. Shaft 28 to 90 feet

Shaft No. 12 (Cave-in Pit) deepened to 108 feet

Shaft No. 28 deepened to 90 feet

BRASS found at 174 feet - high impurities indicate early smelting

Becker Drilling begins 60+ drill holes in Money Pit area

Blankenship finds wrought-iron scissors at Smith's Cove. Smithsonian identifies as Spanish-American, possibly 300 years old

Drill brings up china, oak buds, cement, wood, metal from 160-212 feet

Drill hits extremely hard metal at 198 feet - 25 minutes to bore 0.5 inch. Sample lost

Wood below bedrock carbon-dated to AD 1575 ±85 years by Geochron Labs

Triton Alliance Ltd. formed. David Tobias president, approximately 30 shareholders, $800,000+ invested to date

The Statesman Mining Company of Aspen, Colorado, of which actor John Wayne is part owner, leases drilling and digging equipment to Triton Alliance.

Borehole 10-X started as water-flow test hole 180 feet NE of Money Pit

Golder Associates complete geotechnical study. Water flow measured at 600-650 gallons/minute

Ross Wilhelm publishes inscribed stone translation theory using Porta cipher disk: Spanish message about plugging drain with grain

U-SHAPED STRUCTURE found below low tide: logs 2 feet thick, 30-65 feet long, notched with Roman numerals

Borehole 10-X (Shaft No. 29) drilled 180 feet NE of Money Pit to 237 feet

Cement from 165 feet - Canada Cement Lafarge: 'reflects human activity'

Metal blown from 165 feet in 10-X: soft metal that oxidized rapidly

Shaft No. 30 dug 650 feet NW of Money Pit to 35 feet

Underwater TV camera lowered into Borehole 10-X chamber at 230 feet

Wire and chain from 155-165 feet. Stelco: hand-forged prior to 1750

Investigator from Belfast, Northern Ireland arrives claiming to have the answer to Oak Island mystery

Gilbert Hedden dies

Shaft No. 31 dug 660 feet NNE of Money Pit to 100 feet

Blankenship nearly trapped when 10-X casing collapses at 90 feet

Television cameras lowered into Borehole 10-X, images reported but quality poor

Triton takes over island tourism operations

Tobias acquires Chappell's Oak Island holdings

Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau visits Oak Island with three sons

Mel Chappell dies

Tobias sues Nolan over lot ownership, causeway access

Supreme Court upholds Nolan's claim to disputed lots

Court of Appeals dismisses Tobias ownership claim. Legal fees: ~$160,000 combined

Douglas Preston publishes "Death Trap Defies Treasure Seekers for Two Centuries" in Smithsonian Magazine.

Triton plans $10 million 'Big Dig' excavation

At the invitation of Boston businessman David Mugar, Woods Hole conducts a two-week survey - the only known scientific study of the site. They conclude the flooding is caused by natural tidal interaction, not man-made tunnels.

The Bedford Institute of Oceanography detects potential man-made depressions on the seabed off Oak Island's south shore.

Robert Young purchases lot 5 from Nolan for $100,000

Internal disputes between David Tobias and Dan Blankenship lead to a freeze on treasure trove licenses, halting major excavation work.

Petter Amundsen conducts the first excavations related to his "Tree of Life" and "Secret Shakespeare" codes theory.

Oak Island for sale at $7 million

Triton Alliance prepares plans for a Phase 2 shaft estimated to cost $15 million, proposing to excavate to 215 feet using ground-freezing technology.

Triton and Nolan treasure trove licenses approved; Blankenship's refused

Blankenship and Tobias agree to liquidate Oak Island Tours, put island on market

Lee Lamb publishes 'Oak Island Obsession: The Restall Story'

Laginas purchase 50% of Oak Island Tours from Blankenship and Tobias

Laginas take over full operations. Dan Blankenship remains on island

Marine archaeologist Barry Clifford recovers a 50kg ingot from a shipwreck off Île Sainte-Marie, Madagascar, believed to be from the Adventure Galley. Initially reported as silver, UNESCO testing reveals it is 95% lead. The wreckage is likely port construction debris, not Kidd's ship

Professional diver John Chatterton reaches the bottom of Borehole 10X but finds no definitive evidence of treasure, leading to a renewed focus on the Money Pit area.

Fred Nolan dies after 50+ years involvement

Randall Sullivan publishes 'The Curse of Oak Island'

Gary Drayton and Rick Lagina discover half of a Roman coin near the center of Lot 5, dated by numismatist Sandy Campbell to approximately 300 BC

Season 12 premieres on History Channel, continuing intensive Money Pit and Lot 5 excavations with advanced drilling technology

Professor Gaspani's archaeoastronomy research determines the stone cairns on Lot 15 were built around 1250 AD, aligned with stars, moon, and sun - work he attributes to the Knights Templar

Research expedition to Malta explores connections between the Knights Hospitaller, Knights of Malta, and Oak Island, finding matching symbols in historic prisons

Continued excavations on Lots 5 and 8 uncover artifacts with possible medieval origins, strengthening Templar connection theories

Team investigates interconnected well systems across Oak Island, revealing possible drainage or flood tunnel connections