- 1895
| Jan 31 | José Martí & others leave New York City NY for invasion of Spanish Cuba. | Ref: 5 |
- 1898
| Feb 15 | The Battleship Maine is sunk in Havana Harbor killing 266 sailors, instigating the Spanish-American War. The cause of the sinking is unknown. | Ref: 3 |
| Apr 11 | President William McKinley asked Congress for a declaration of war against Spain. | Ref: 70 |
| Apr 21 | U.S. declares war on Spain to start the Spanish-American War. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 22 | In the first action of the Spanish-American War, the USS Nashville, takes on a Spanish ship. U.S. Navy Captain Charles Gridley. | Ref: 2 |
| Apr 22 | Congress passes Volunteer Army Act calling for a Volunteer Cavalry. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 22 | US President William McKinley orders blockade of Cuban harbors. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 24 | Spain declares war on the United States after rejecting America's ultimatum to withdraw from Cuba. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 24 | US fleet under commodore Dewey sails from Hong Kong to Philippines. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 25 | Both houses of Congress approve a declaration of war on Spain a voice vote. The United States formally declared war on Spain. | Ref: 70 |
| May 01 | Commodore George Dewey gave the command, "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley," as an American naval force destroyed a Spanish fleet in Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War. | Ref: 5 |
| May 23 | First Philippine Expeditionary Troops sail from San Fransisco | Ref: 5 |
| May 25 | First US troop transport to Manila leaves San Fransisco. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 10 | US Marines land in Cuba, during Spanish-American War. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 12 | Philippine nationalists declares independence from Spain to US control. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 20 | It’s difficult to have a war when you don’t know there’s one going on and you don’t have any ammunition. So goes the story as to why, during the Spanish-American War, the Spanish commander of Guam surrendered to Captain Glass, the captain of the USS Charleston. | Ref: 4 |
| Jul 01 | During the Spanish-American War, Theodore Roosevelt and his "Rough Riders" waged a victorious assault on San Juan Hill in Cuba. | Ref: 70 |
| Jul 03 | The US Navy defeated a Spanish fleet in the harbor at Santiago, Cuba, during the Spanish-American War. | Ref: 70 |
| Jul 04 | US flag hoisted over Wake Island (Spanish-American War). | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 17 | US troops under General William R. Shafter take Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War. | Ref: 2 |
| Jul 21 | Spain cedes Guam to US. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 25 | Near the end of the Spanish-American War, U.S. troops under General Nelson A. Miles land on Puerto Rico and with little resistance were able to secure the island by mid-August. | Ref: 3 |
| Jul 28 | Spain, through the offices of the French embassy in Washington, D.C., requests peace terms in its war with the United States. (Spanish-American War) | Ref: 2 |
| Aug 12 | A peace protocol is signed, ending the Spanish-American War. Hawaii is formally annexed to the United States. (XDG, p. 4A, 8/12/2000) | Ref: 83 |
| Aug 12 | The Spanish American War officially ends after three months and 22 days of hostilities. | Ref: 2 |
| Aug 13 | Manila, the capital of the Philippines, falls to the U.S. Army. | Ref: 2 |
| Oct 18 | The American flag was raised in Puerto Rico shortly before Spain formally relinquished control of the island to the United States. | Ref: 70 |
| Dec 10 | The United States and Spain sign the Treaty of Paris, ceding Spanish possessions, including the Philippines, Puerto Rico & Guam, to the United States. | Ref: 2 |
- 1899
| Feb 06 | A peace treaty was signed between the United States and Spain ending the Spanish-American War is ratified by the Senate. | Ref: 70 |
| Feb 10 | US-Spain peace treaty signed by President McKinley; US gets Puerto Rico & Guam. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 11 | Treaty of Paris is ratified, ending the Spanish-American War; Spain cedes Puerto Rico to US. | Ref: 5 |
- 1901
| May 23 | American forces capture Filipino rebel leader Emilio Aguinaldo. | Ref: 2 |
| May 23 | US captures leader of Philippine rebels, Emilio Aguinaldo. | Ref: 5 |
- 1902
| May 20 | US military occupation of Cuba (since Jan 1, 1899) ends. The Republic of Cuba is established under its first elected president, Tomas Estrada Palma. | Ref: 5 |
- 1985
| Dec 05 | Walter Pleate, America’s oldest military veteran, died on this day at age 108. He was one of a dozen living veterans of the Spanish-American War (1898). | Ref: 4 |
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The Spanish American War Chronology