Timeline of Barcelona

Prior to 19th century

218 BCE - Barcino established by Carthaginians.

133 BCE - Romans in power.

343 CE - Bishopric established.

414 - Visigoth Ataulphus headquartered in Barcelona.

713 - Arabs in power.

801 - Franks in power; County of Barcelona established.

1164 - Barcelona "incorporated with Aragon."

1243 - Arsenals built (approximate date).

1258 - Consulat del Mar (maritime legal code) issued.

1298 - Barcelona Cathedral construction begins.

1359 - June: Battle of Barcelona (1359).

1378 - Casa Consistorial built.

1383 - Lonja (exchange) built.

1391 - Santa Maria del Pi church built.

1392 - Public clock installed (approximate date).

1400 - Medical college established.

1401

Taula de canvi (bank) established.

General hospital active.

1430 - University founded.

1473 - Printing press in use.

1474 - Moll de Santa Creu (wharf) construction begins.

1493 - Columbus' published description of his trans-Atlantic trip becomes a "bestseller" in Barcelona.

1529 - Charles V and Clement VII sign treaty in Barcelona.

1609 - Bank of Barcelona established.

1651 - July: Siege of Barcelona begins.

1705 - September–October: Siege of Barcelona (1705).

1706 - April: Siege of Barcelona (1706).

1708 - Premiere of Caldara's opera Il più bel nome.^(ca)

1713 - July: Siege of Barcelona (1713–14) begins.

1715 - Citadel built.

1792 - Custom house built.

19th century

1809 - French in power.

1833 - City becomes capital of newly created Province of Barcelona.

1834 - Sociedad Económica Barcelonesa de Amigos del País established.

1842 - Bombardment of Barcelona (1842).

1847

Gran Teatre del Liceu opens.

Barcelona City Hall expanded.

1848

Mataró-Barcelona railway begins operating.

Institut Industrial de Catalunya founded.

Municipal Archives of Barcelona moves into City Hall.

1854 - City walls dismantled (approximate date).

1857 - Population: 183,787.

1859 - Floral Games begin.

1869 - 25 September: "Republican insurrection."

1877 - Parc de la Ciutadella established.

1881

La Vanguardia newspaper begins publication.

Premiere of Juan Goula's Catalan-language opera A la voreta del mar.

1882 - Gaudi's Sagrada Família cathedral construction begins.

1887 - Population: 272,481.

1888 - 1888 Barcelona Universal Exposition held; Arc de Triomf and Castle of the Three Dragons built.

1891 - Orfeó Català chorus formed.

1897

Eixample district laid out.

Els Quatre Gats cafe in business.

1899 - Futbol Club Barcelona formed.

20th century

1900

Picasso's first solo art exhibit held.

Population: 533,000.

1901 - Regionalist League headquartered in city.

1903 - Palau Robert (residence) built on Passeig de Gràcia.

1905 - Jaussely's city plan introduced.

1906

Centre Nacionalista Republicà and Solidaridad Catalana headquartered in city.

Catalan language congress held.

1908

Radical Republican Party headquartered in city.

Palau de la Música Catalana (concert hall) opens.

1909 - July: Tragic Week (Catalonia).

1910

Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (union) founded in Barcelona.

Les Arts i les Artistes (group) formed.

Gaudi's art nouveau Casa Mila built.

1913

Sants market built.

Escola Catala d'Art Dramatic (school) established.

1914

National Library of Catalonia established.

Park Güell built.

1918 - Majestic Hotel Inglaterra in business.

1919 - Danone yogurt manufactory in business.

1920 - Population: 710,335.

1921 - 8 March: Politician Dato assassinated.

1922

Publicat newspaper begins publication.

Pathe Cinema opens.

Historical Archive of the City of Barcelona opens in the Casa de l'Ardiaca.

1923 - 13 September: Coup; Primo de Rivera in power.

1924 - Barcelona Metro begins operating.

1925 - Salvador Dalí's first solo art exhibit held.

1929

1929 Barcelona International Exposition held; Palau Nacional built.

Cafe de l'Opera in business.

1930 - Population: 1,005,565.

1932

Fira de Barcelona established.

Le Corbusier's city plan introduced.

1933 – Boadas bar in business.

1934 - Cine Verdi opens.

1936

July 1936 military uprising in Barcelona.

Cine New-York (cinema) opens.

1937 - May Days.

1938 - March: Bombing of Barcelona by nationalist forces.

1939 - Franco in power.

1943 - Barcelona City History Museum inaugurated.

1948 - Dau al Set cultural group active.

1957

Estadi del FC Barcelona (stadium) opens.

Josep Maria de Porcioles i Colomer becomes mayor.

1963 - Museu Picasso opens.

1968 - Instituto Politécnico Superior and La Claca puppet theatre established.

1970 - Population: 1,745,142.

1971 - Parc del Laberint d'Horta opens.

1973 - Enric Massó i Vázquez becomes mayor.

1974

Barcelona Metropolitan Corporation created.

Fundación Joan Miró built.

1976 - Festival Grec de Barcelona begins.

1978 - Barcelona International Centre of Photography inaugurated.

1982 - Pasqual Maragall becomes mayor.

1986 - Barcelona Metròpolis magazine begins publication.

1987 - Parc de la Creueta del Coll established.

1989 - European Institute of the Mediterranean established.

1990 - Population: 1,707,286.

1992 - 1992 Summer Olympics held.

1995 - Open University of Catalonia established.

1997 - Joan Clos becomes mayor.

1999 - L'Auditori opens.

21st century

2004

September: World Urban Forum held.

2004 Universal Forum of Cultures held.

Barcelona Institute of International Studies established.

2006 - Jordi Hereu becomes mayor.

2007 - Bicing bikeshare program launched.

2009 - W Barcelona Hotel built.

2010

10 July: 2010 Catalan autonomy protest.

Sister city relationship established with San Francisco, USA.

2011

Caixabank founded.

Xavier Trias elected mayor.

Population: 1,620,943.

2012 - 11 September: 2012 Catalan independence demonstration.

2015 - 24 May: Barcelona City Council election, 2015 held; Ada Colau elected mayor.