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Timeline of Birmingham history

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This article is intended to show a timeline of events in the History of Birmingham, England, with a particular focus on the events, people or places that are covered in Wikipedia articles.

Contents

Pre-Norman invasion

  • 1200 BC: Radiocarbon date of charcoal taken from the Woodlands Park Prehistoric Burnt Mounds.
  • Bronze Age: Small farming settlements constructed.
  • AD 48: Construction of Metchley Fort begins as Icknield Street is constructed by Romans through Birmingham.
  • AD 70: The Romans abandon Metchley Fort only to return a few years later.
  • AD 120: The Romans abandon Metchley Fort permanently.
  • 7th century: Possible creation of Birmingham as a hamlet.
  • 968: Duddeston is first mentioned in a charter granted to Wulfget the Thane by Eadgar, King of the Angles.

    • 1000 – 1099

  • Area passes into the hands of the De Birmingham family.
  • 1086: Birmingham recorded as a village in the Domesday Book.
  • 1086: William FitzAnsculf is recorded as having the Birmingham, Edgbaston, Aston, Erdington, Witton, Handsworth, Perry, and Little Barr manors.

    • 1100–1199

  • 1154: Lord of the manor, Peter de Birmingham, obtains a charter to hold a market in Birmingham on every Thursday, transforming the village into a town.
  • 1160: The first stone church building is erected on the site of St. Mary's Church, Handsworth.
  • 1176: A road passing through Sutton Coldfield is recorded. This was probably part of a highway leading from Birmingham to Lichfield.

    • 1200–1299

  • 1218: Flaxeye Farm in Stechford is mentioned.
  • 1221: The manorial mill of King's Norton is recorded as being in the possession of Richard Clark.
  • 1231: A manorial mill at Edgbaston is recorded.
  • 1249: A ford over the River Cole is recorded.
  • 1250: A road from Birmingham to Saltley and Castle Bromwich is recorded in a deed.
  • 1250: William de Birmingham is granted permission to hold a four-day fair in Birmingham during Ascensiontide annually.
  • 1260: Summer Lane, a road leading to Perry and Walsall, is recorded.
  • 1263: A church is documented at the site of the current St. Martin's Church.
  • 1273: Several mills are recorded to be in existence in Northfield.
  • 1276: Crossing of the River Rea at Deritend is reported.
  • 1282: Two roads are mentioned as passing through Yardley and converging at Deritend Bridge.
  • 1290: A lane crossing the River Tame at Salford Bridge leading in the direction of Erdington and Sutton Coldfield is mentioned.

    • 1300–1399

  • 1317: A mill in Witton and Erdington is mentioned and this was probably located on the Hawthorn Brook.
  • 1318: A bridge named Bromford Bridge is recorded.
  • 1322: It is recorded that merchants were selling wool in Birmingham market.
  • 1333: A mill in Erdington named Bromford Mill is recorded in a court roll.
  • 1340: The road from Birmingham to Castle Bromwich is again mentioned in a deed.
  • 1368: The Old Crown public house in Deritend is believed to have been constructed as a guildhall. If so, it is Birmingham's first school.
  • 1379: A traveller records a bridge crossing the River Tame at Handsworth.
  • 1381: Residents of Deritend and Bordesley given permission to build a chapel next to the River Rea.
  • 1381: Sir John de Birmyneham provides the first reference to Deritend by name, written as Duryzatehende.
  • 1390: Thomas de Birmingham is recorded as a cloth merchant.
  • 1392: The Guild of the Holy Cross is established in Birmingham.

    • 1400–1499

  • 1406: A goldsmith is referred to.
  • 1435: The last known overlordship of Erdington manor is recorded.
  • 1449: Three roads are recorded going from Birmingham to Edgbaston.
  • 1460: Handsworth Old Town Hall in Handsworth is constructed.
  • 1480: The tower of Church of Saints Peter and Paul, Aston is completed
  • 1492: The Saracen's Head in King's Norton is constructed.

    • 1500–1599

  • 1511: The Clerk of the Ordnance orders horseshoes, bits and weapons for the royal army. All the suppliers are from Birmingham.
  • 1517: The Saint Margaret's Church in Ward End is built by Thomas Bond.
  • 1524: Lord Middleton refers to a goldsmith from Birmingham who repairs two cups and making nine spoons.
  • 1527: Bishop Vesey's Grammar School is founded by Bishop John Vesey.
  • 1536: A footbridge is mentioned crossing a ford in the River Rea at Deritend.
  • 1536: The Priory of St Thomas of Canterbury, north of the manor of Birmingham, is dissolved.
  • 1542: Sarehole Mill is constructed as Biddle's Mill on the site of a former pool.
  • 1547: The Guild of the Holy Cross is mentioned as maintaining to great stone bridges over the River Rea.
  • 1547: Priory of St Thomas of Canterbury buildings are demolished.
  • 1552: King Edward's School is founded.
  • 1553: A survey shows that the major industry had become metal-using instead of cloth.
  • 1560: A road in the direction of Dudley is recorded.
  • 1590: Blakesley Hall is constructed by Richard Smalbroke.

    • 1600–1699

  • 1612: A road is mentioned from Perry Bridge to Birmingham. It is named the "great way".
  • 1612: The Handsworth Bridge Trust is set up by Nicholas Hodgetts.
  • 1616: King James I grants Kings Norton the right to hold a market.
  • 1635: Construction of Aston Hall is completed.
  • 1635–1642: The first Birmingham Library is founded by the puritan minister Francis Roberts
  • 17 October 1642, King Charles I passed through Birmingham, whilst travelling to the Battle of Edgehill, the towns folk seized the Kings carriages, containing the royal plate and furniture, which they conveyed for security to Warwick Castle, a parliamentary stronghold. The same day there was a small battle at Kings Norton: nine troops of horse and 200 foot under the command of Prince Rupert fought a skirmish with force of 800 Parliamentarians under the command of Lord Willoughby of Parham. The Parliamentarians lost about 20 men whilst the Royalists lost between 50 and 80 killed with a further 20 taken prisoner.
  • 3 April 1643, the Battle of Camp Hill took place on Easter Monday, it was a Royalist victory after which they torched 80 houses in the town.
  • 1643: Aston Hall is severely damaged by Parliamentary troops.
  • 1648: A paper mill is recorded as being in use in Perry Barr.
  • 1697: John Pemberton purchases the land once the site of the Priory of St Thomas of Canterbury.

    • 1700-1709

  • 1700: John Pemberton begins construction on his prestigious Priory Estate on the former site of the Priory of St. Thomas.
  • 1702: The Old Cross, Birmingham's first public meeting place, is completed. It was located near the Bull Ring.
  • 1707: The timber structure of the Guild Hall on New Street is demolished.
  • 1708: The vacant New Street site becomes King Edward's School and a two-storey brick building is constructed on it.
  • 1708: Parliament receives a petition for a new Anglican church as St. Martin's was overcrowded.

    • 1710-1719

  • 1713: Old Square is constructed by John Pemberton on the former site of the Priory of St. Thomas.
  • 1715: St. Philip's Church is dedicated however not completed.
  • 1715: The Jacobite Rising sees a mob attack the Lower Meeting House in Digbeth.

    • 1720-1729

  • 1724: The Blue Coat School on Colmore Row is completed.
  • 1726: The Bristol Road, which had suffered from intense traffic, is turnpiked.
  • 1728: A building known as 'Leather Hall' on New Street is demolished "while men slept" and three houses are constructed on it which were later replaced by a prison. 'Leather Hall' contained the town's last dungeon.
  • 1728: Matthew Boulton is born to a toymaker in Snow Hill.

    • 1730-1739

  • 1730: William Westley produces the first documentation of a newly constructed square named Old Square. It became one of the most prestigious addresses in Birmingham.
  • 1731: The first map of Birmingham is produced by William Westley.
  • 1732: The Birmingham Journal, Birmingham's first local newspaper, is printed by Thomas Warren.
  • 1733: The town's first workhouse is constructed on Lichfield Street near to the current Victoria Law Courts' location.
  • 1737: John Baskerville sets up in the Bull Ring as a writing-master.

    • 1740–1749

  • 1740: Birmingham's first theatre – the Moor Street Theatre – opens, though it would be soon closed down and converted into a Methodist chapel.
  • 1741: Printing of The Birmingham Journal stops.
  • 1742: Sampson Lloyd II purchases Owen's Farm in Sparkbrook for £1,290.
  • 1745: John Baskerville leases an estate which he names 'Easy Hill' on which he builds a house and workshops on land which is currently occupied by Baskerville House.
  • 1746: Nechells Slitting Mill is completed at a cost of £1,212.
  • 1746: Ann Colmore obtains a private act of Parliament to sell land on her estate to Birmingham. This allowed a massive expansion of the town to the west and the creation of the Jewellery Quarter.

    • 1750-1759

  • 1751: Methodists are attacked by Jacobites.
  • 1752: Two theatres on Smallbrook Street and King Street open to the public.
  • 1758: The land known as Duddeston Hall is renamed to Vauxhall Gardens after the London pleasure park and is opened to the public as an entertainment venue.
  • 1759: It becomes known that 20,000 people are being employed in Birmingham's toymaking industry.
  • 1759: The Quaker meeting house is seriously damaged for not sufficiently celebrating the English victories in Canada.

    • 1760-1769

  • 1760: The Protestant Dissenting Charity School is established.
  • 1761: Matthew Boulton acquires a five-year lease on Soho Mill.
  • 1762: A glassworks is recorded as being in use at Snow Hill by Meyer Oppenheim.
  • 1764: Charles Westley's sermon at the opening of a chapel on Moor Street is disrupted by rioting.
  • 1765: Taylor's and Lloyds Bank, an ancestor to Lloyds Bank, opens on Dale End.
  • 1765: Soho Manufactory on Handsworth heath is completed and becomes Birmingham's principle tourist attraction.
  • 1766: Matthew Boulton moves into Soho House due to the completion of Soho Manufactory.
  • 1766: An infirmary wing is added to the Lichfield Street workhouse.
  • 1768: An act is obtained for Birmingham's first canal, the Birmingham Canal.
  • 1769: The Birmingham Chronicle is printed for the first time.
  • 1769: A bill for creating paving space, street lighting and street cleaning receives Royal Assent.

    • 1770-1779

  • 1770: Discounting the monuments in the parish church courtyard, the first statues in the town are erected at the front of the Blue Coat School. They depicted a young boy and a young girl and were created by Edward Grubb.
  • 1772: The Birmingham Canal is opened.
  • 4 am 15 November 1772: An earthquake strikes Birmingham and is felt in Hall Green, Erdington and Yardley. No damage is sustained but a flock of sheep escapes in Yardley.
  • 31 August 1773: The Birmingham Assay Office opens for the first time at the King's Head Inn at New Street.
  • 1774: Birmingham's fourth theatre opens on New Street as the Theatre Royal.
  • 1777: Construction of St Paul's Square commences.
  • 1777: A bill is presented to Parliament for a licensed theatre; however it is rejected.
  • 1777: Tailors' cooperative organized.
  • 1779: Construction of St Paul's Square is completed and the church is consecrated.
  • September 1779: Birmingham General Hospital opens to the public.
  • 1779: The Birmingham Library is established by 19 subscribers.
  • 1779: A button maker named John Pickard fits a crank and flywheel to his Newcomen engine to make a mill. It is adapted into a flour mill and his business increases.

    • 1780-1789

  • 1780: William Hutton calls for the demolition of the prison at Peck Lane.
  • 1780: Joseph Priestley arrives in Birmingham.
  • 1781: The Birmingham Library moves to premises in Swan Yard.
  • 1782: The Birmingham Old Brewery, Birmingham's first large scale brewery, opens on Moseley Street.
  • 1783: An act for the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal is obtained which would connect the Birmingham Canal with the Coventry Canal.
  • 1783: The Birmingham Commercial Committee is formed.
  • 1783: A proposal for a major new workhouse is proposed to the Parliament however faces objections from William Hutton.
  • 1784: The Old Cross is demolished.
  • 1786: The theatre on King Street is closed and converted into a Methodist chapel.
  • 1787: New Hall is put up for sale as demand for the area increases.
  • 1787: 'Apollo Hotel' opens in Deritend, then a small hamlet.
  • 1788: A turnpike is established on the main road into Deritend.

    • 1790-1799

  • 1791: An act for the Worcester and Birmingham Canal is obtained.
  • 1791: The Protestant Dissenting Charity School moves to a new building on Park Street.
  • 1791: John Baskerville's house (though Baskerville was now deceased) is destroyed during riots.
  • 1791: Birmingham's first synagogue begins construction in the Froggary.
  • 14 July 1791: Joseph Priestley's house on Easy Hill is looted during the Priestley Riots.
  • 1792: The Theatre Royal in New Street is seriously damaged by fire.
  • 1793: An act for the Warwick and Birmingham Canal is obtained.
  • February 1793: An effigy of Tom Paine is hung and burned by a crowd singing 'God Save The King.'
  • Summer 1793: A permanent military barracks is completed at Ashted.
  • 1795: Pickard's Flour Mill is attacked by a mob of women after rumours he had wrongly increased the price of flour. The military arrive and break up the mob.
  • 1797: 300 children are removed from the Lichfield Street workhouse to an Asylum for the Infant Poor on Summer Lane.
  • 1797: The Birmingham Library moves to a purpose-built building on Union Street on land formerly Corbett's Bowling Green.
  • 1797: The Anchor Inn in Digbeth opens.
  • 1799: The Warwick and Birmingham Canal is completed.

    • 1800-1809

  • 1800: Another mob attack Pickard's Mill however instead of waiting for the military, John Pickard and his workers attacked the mob with rifles, killing one rioter.
  • 1802: The lighting system of Soho Manufactory is displayed to the public. It was the first factory to be lit by gas.
  • 1802: Horatio Nelson visits Birmingham and is greeted by large crowds.
  • 18 September 1805: The foundation stone of a building complex consisting of public offices, a courtroom and prison in Moor Street is laid.
  • January 1804: Joshua Toulmin appointed as a Unitarian minister.
  • 23 November 1805: A meeting his held to decide upon the creation of monument dedicated to Horatio Nelson.
  • 1806: The prison on Moor Street opens.
  • 1806: Another bill is presented to Parliament for a licensed theatre and this time is granted.
  • 13 June 1806: A decision is made that a statue should be created in memory of Horatio Nelson.
  • 1807: Space becomes available on Park Street for the expansion of the graveyard at St. Martin's, Birmingham's only Anglican graveyard.
  • October 1807: The building complex on Moor Street is completed and opened one year after the completion of the prison.
  • 1809: The Nelson Monument in the Bull Ring is unveiled on the Jubilee Day of George III.
  • 1809: Birmingham's second synagogue, the Severn Street Synagogue, is completed on Severn Street.

    • 1810-1819

  • 1813: The Birmingham Gun Barrel Proof House is established by an act of Parliament.
  • 1813, the Methodist Church in Belmont Row, Quaker Meetinghouse near Lady well, Severn Street Synagogue and Baptist Chapel in bond Street are all severely damaged by an anti-Dissenter riot.
  • 1813: Christ Church, in what is now Victoria Square, is completed.
  • 1815: Birmingham Assay Office moves from the pub on New Street to offices on Little Cannon Street.
  • 1816: The Birmingham Manor House is demolished by the Birmingham Street Commissioners and the moat filled in.
  • 29 May 1817: The Smithfield Market is opened by the Street Commissioners on the site of the Birmingham manor house.
  • 1817: William Murdoch moves to Sycamore Hill in Handsworth where he installs central heating and gas lighting.
  • 1819: William Westmacott is hired by Alfred Bunn to redesign the Theatre Royal's interior.

    • 1820-1829

  • 1820: The Theatre Royal on New Street is destroyed in a fire. Only two medallions of Shakespeare and Garrick are retrieved from the ruins.
  • 1820: A canal is extended through an area behind what is now Centenary Square to create a wharf. The extension cuts across Baskerville's tomb where the builders find his body to be well preserved.
  • 1823: The spire is added to St Paul's Church.
  • 1824: John Cadbury opens his shop on Bull Street
  • 1825: The Birmingham Female Society for the Relief of Negro Slaves is established by Mary Sturge, Maria Cadbury and Mary Samuel Lloyd.
  • 1826: The Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal is authorised; when opened in 1835 it will connect with the Birmingham Canal Navigations at Aldersley, north of Wolverhampton.
  • 1827: After being broken into and seriously damaged years earlier, the Severn Street synagogue receives enough funds to reopen.
  • 1828: The main road into Deritend is disturnpiked.

    • 1830-1839

  • 1832
  • 11 June: Birmingham Botanical Gardens (designed by J. C. Loudon]]) are opened to the public.
  • Construction of Birmingham Town Hall commences.
  • 1834: 7 October: Birmingham Town Hall (designed by Joseph Hansom and Edward Welch) is opened for the Birmingham Triennial Music Festival.
  • 1835: 16 February: New Market Hall opens in the Bull Ring.
  • 1837
  • 4 July: The Grand Junction Railway is opened providing through trains from Birmingham to Manchester and Liverpool from a temporary terminus at Duddeston railway station (opened as Vauxhall).
  • Bird's Custard is first formulated by Alfred Bird in Birmingham.
  • 1838
  • 17 September: The London and Birmingham Railway is opened throughout from Curzon Street railway station; Perry Barr railway station is also opened.
  • Birmingham gains the status of a municipal borough.
  • King Edward's School moves into a Charles Barry designed building on New Street.
  • 1839: October: Reconstruction of St Chad's Cathedral (Roman Catholic; at this time a church) by Augustus Pugin begins.

    • 1840-1849

  • 1840: The Protestant Dissenting Charity School moves into new premises in Graham Street.
  • 1840: The Hebrew National School is established.
  • 1841: Saint Chad's is consecrated as a church.
  • 1841: Five Ways is disturnpiked.
  • 1842: The Moor Street prison is publicly condemned as being too ornate as the number of prisoners held in confinement there drops to zero.
  • 1843: The Hebrew National School is replaced by a new building on Hurst Street.
  • 1844: The Birmingham and Warwick Junction Canal is opened.
  • 1844: Stechford railway station is opened.
  • 7 October 1846: The Birmingham Baths Committee is officially established.
  • 1846: St. Philip's School is completed and opened.
  • 29 October 1849: Construction of Kent Street Baths commences.
  • 1849: Kings Norton railway station is opened.
  • 1849: Winson Green Prison is opened.

    • 1850-1859

  • 1850: Bingley Hall opens as the world's first purpose-built permanent exhibition hall.
  • 1850: Bishop Vesey's Grammar School ceases to be a boarding school.
  • 1850: The grounds known as Vauxhall Gardens is sold to the Victoria Land Society and the trees are cut down.
  • 12 May 1851: Kent Street Baths are opened but are not yet completed.
  • 21 April 1852: St Chad's is named a cathedral by Pope Pius IX.
  • 1852: Snow Hill railway station is opened as Livery Street Station.
  • 1852: Birmingham Philosophical Institute ceases its activities.
  • 1852: Acocks Green railway station is opened.
  • 1852: Birmingham Union workhouse, a major new workhouse with a capacity of 1,160 people, is opened at Winson Green, 69 years after its proposal.
  • 1852: Kent Street Baths are completed, becoming Birmingham's first public baths.
  • 1853: Birmingham Council buy lands for the Council House.
  • 1854: New Street railway station is opened.
  • 1854: Aston railway station is completed and opened.
  • 1854: Birmingham and Midland Institute established.
  • 1856: Singer's Hill synagogue, designed by Yeoville Thomason, is opened.
  • 1858: Livery Street Station is renamed Snow Hill Station.
  • 25 July 1859: Construction of Woodcock Street Baths in Duddeston commences.
  • 1859: The Birmingham School of Music is formed.

    • 1860-1869

  • 27 August 1860: Woodcock Street Baths are completed and opened.
  • 1860: Adderley Park railway station is opened.
  • 1862: Erdington railway station is opened.
  • 1862: Gravelly Hill railway station is opened.
  • 1862: Hamstead railway station is opened as Great Barr railway station.
  • 1862: Sutton Coldfield railway station is opened.
  • 1862: Wylde Green railway station is opened.
  • 1862: Handsworth Grammar School is founded.
  • 1863: The Great Western Hotel is constructed next to Snow Hill Station.
  • 1863: Soho Manufactory is demolished.
  • 1865: The first Birmingham Central Library is opened.
  • 1868: St Augustine's Church, Edgbaston is completed.

    • 1870-1879

  • 1870: Birmingham Council agree to build offices on lands bought in 1853.
  • 1870: Northfield railway station is opened.
  • 1871: Snow Hill Station is rebuilt to accommodate larger trains.
  • 1872: The Bristol Road is disturnpiked.
  • 1873: Joseph Chamberlain becomes Mayor of Birmingham.
  • 1873: Birmingham Orthodox Cathedral is designed by J. A. Chatwin.
  • 1874: Construction of the Birmingham Council House commences.
  • 1874: Aston Villa F.C. is founded by Villa Cross Cricketers.
  • March 1875: Riots on Navigation Street leads to 12 arrests and the murder of a police constable.
  • 1875: Birmingham City F.C. is founded as Small Heath Alliance.
  • 1876: Construction of the Great Western Arcade is completed.
  • 1876: A spire is added to St Augustine's Church, Edgbaston.
  • 1876: Birmingham Corporation Water Department takes over the Birmingham Waterworks Company.
  • 1876: Bournville railway station is opened.
  • 1876: Selly Oak railway station is opened.
  • 1876: Witton railway station is opened.
  • 1877: The Birmingham Assay Office moves to offices on Newhall Street.
  • 1878: Demolition of inner-city slums begins to make way for the construction of Corporation Street.
  • 1878: Joseph Chamberlain commissions Highbury Hall to be constructed as his residence.
  • 1879: The Birmingham Council House is completed and opened.
  • 1879: During the construction of an extension to Birmingham Central Library, a fire destroys 50,000 books.

    • 1880-1889

  • 1880: The Chamberlain Memorial is completed.
  • 1881: Construction of an extension to the Birmingham Council House commences.
  • 1881: Edgbaston Quaker Meeting House is opened.
  • 1882: A redesigned Birmingham Central Library is rebuilt on the same site as the previous library.
  • 1883: Five new establishments of the Foundation of the Schools of King Edward VI are created:
  • King Edward VI Aston.
  • King Edward VI Camp Hill.
  • King Edward VI Five Ways.
  • King Edward VI Handsworth as King Edward VI Aston.
  • King Edward VI High School for Girls.
  • 1884: Blake Street railway station is opened.
  • 1884: Four Oaks railway station is opened.
  • 1885: Construction of an extension to the Birmingham Council House is completed.
  • 1885: New Hall Manor is converted into a school.
  • 1885: Lewis's Department store is constructed to replace Berlin House and to build over the Minories on Corporation Street.
  • 1885: Ladypool Junior & Infant School is constructed.
  • 1887: The foundation stone for the Victoria Law Courts is laid by Queen Victoria.
  • 1888: King Edward VI High School for Girls moves to the Liberal Club on Congreve Street.
  • January 1889: Birmingham Infirmary, predecessor of the City Hospital in Dudley Road, opens as an extension to Birmingham Union Workhouse with Ann C. Gibson as first matron.
  • 14 January 1889: Birmingham is granted city status by Queen Victoria despite not (at this time) having a cathedral, which was previously a requirement for the honour; it also becomes a county borough.
  • 1889: The Birmingham and Midland Institute is completed.
  • 1889: Vauxhall railway station is renamed Vauxhall and Duddeston railway station.

    • 1890-1899

  • 1891: The Victoria Law Courts are completed and opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
  • 1891: Harborne became part of the County Borough of Birmingham and thus transferred from Staffordshire to Warwickshire by the Local Govt. Bd.'s Prov. Orders Conf. (No. 13) Act, 54 & 55 Vic. c. 161 (local act).
  • 1 October 1891: The Balsall Heath district, which had constituted the most northerly part of the Parish of King's Norton in Worcestershire, was added to the County Borough of Birmingham, and therefore Warwickshire.
  • 1892: Small Heath School is completed and opened.
  • 1895: The free library of the Public Library and Baths, Balsall Heath is completed and opened.
  • 1896: 1-7 Constitution Hill is designed and constructed.
  • 1896: The last houses of Old Square are demolished as part of the Corporation Street development by Joseph Chamberlain.
  • 1898: Christ Church in the city centre is demolished to make room for offices.
  • 1898: The Pitman Vegetarian Hotel on Corporation Street is opened.
  • 1899: The College of Art is opened.
  • 1899: Construction of St Agatha's Church, Sparkbrook commences.
  • 1899: The Birmingham Library's collection of 70,000 books is moved to a new building in Margaret Street.

    • 1900-1909

  • 1900: The University of Birmingham, Birmingham's first university, is established with a campus at Edgbaston.
  • 1900: The "Tower of Varieties" on Hurst Street is renamed the Tivoli.
  • 27 May 1901: The Alexandra Theatre is opened as the Lyceum Theatre.
  • December 1901: The Royal Hotel in Sutton Coldfield is purchased by the Sutton Coldfield Corporation.
  • 1901: The Bartons Arms in Aston is completed and opened.
  • 1901: Following Queen Victoria's death, the square to the front of Birmingham Council House is renamed Victoria Square.
  • 22 December 1902: The Lyceum Theatre is renamed the Alexandra Theatre.
  • 1902: Edgbaston Cricket Ground is granted the right to hold test cricket matches.
  • 1902: The Bodega wine bar is renamed the Trocadero and receives a new glazed frontage.
  • February 1903: The former council offices in Mill Street, Sutton Coldfield are sold.
  • October 1903: The Tivoli on Hurst Street is renamed "The Birmingham Hippodrome".
  • 1903: Methodist Central Hall on Corporation Street is completed and opened.
  • 1903: Birmingham Crematorium opened at Perry Bar.
  • 1903: The Typhoo brand is launched by John Sumner (tea merchant) in the city.
  • 1903: Christian Kunzle opens his first bakery in Birmingham.
  • 21 July 1904: Royal opening of Birmingham Corporation Water Department’s scheme bringing water to the city from the Elan Valley Reservoirs in mid-Wales via the Elan aqueduct.
  • 1904: The Bishop Latimer Memorial Church in Winson Green is completed.
  • 1904: The new façade for the Queen's College in the city centre is completed.
  • 1905: Moor Hall is completely demolished and reconstructed by Colonel Edward Ansell.
  • 1905: Austin Motor Company incorporated and acquires the site for its Longbridge plant (beyond the city boundary at this time).
  • 19 September 1906: Sutton Coldfield Town Hall is opened by the Mayor, Councillor R. H. Sadler following construction of an extension.
  • 1906: St Andrews Football Stadium is completed and opened.
  • 4 October 1907: The Stechford Club is registered in Stechford and holds its first meeting on 9 October.
  • 1907: Balsall Heath Public Baths are opened.
  • 16 January 1908: The Digbeth Institute is opened by the wife of the Pastor of Carrs Lane Church as an institutional church attached to Carr's Lane Congregational Church.
  • 7 December 1908: The Aston Hippodrome is opened to the public.
  • 1908: The Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower on the University campus is completed.
  • 1908: The Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Aston is completed.
  • 1908: Plans to build public baths in Nechells are approved.
  • 9 November 1909: Quinton is formally removed from Worcestershire and incorporated into the county borough of Birmingham.
  • 1909: A school of architecture is formed at Birmingham School of Art.

    • 1910-1919

  • 22 June 1910: The Nechells Baths are completed and opened.
  • 9 November 1911: The Urban districts of Handsworth and Aston Manor, in Staffordshire, and the Rural district of Yardley along with the greater part of the Urban District of King's Norton and Northfield (which included most of Bartley Reservoir, both in Worcestershire, become part of Birmingham, and thus Warwickshire.
  • 1911: Construction of an extension to the Council House, designed by Ashley & Newman, begins construction.
  • 1912: The Sutton House Hotel is constructed by a local doctor.
  • 15 February 1913: The Birmingham Repertory Theatre is founded by Barry Jackson when a theatre company opens a permanent home on Station Street, later the Old Rep.
  • 23 April 1913: The King Edward VII Memorial is unveiled by Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll in Victoria Square.
  • 30 March 1914: An addition to Kent Street Baths consisting of a women's swimming baths and baths for women are opened in an adjoining building.
  • 1914: The Stechford Club moves to newly completed premises.
  • 29 September 1916: The Birmingham Municipal Bank opens to the public.
  • 1917: Birmingham Children's Hospital moves to a new site on Ladywood Road.
  • 1917: Fort Dunlop is established.
  • 10 June 1918: The Birmingham Civic Society is founded at an inaugural meeting at Birmingham Council House.
  • 1919: Construction of the extension to the Council House is completed.
  • 1919: The Birmingham Municipal Bank moves to offices in the Council House.

    • 1920-1929

  • October 1920: 25½ acres of land at Kings Norton (just below St Nicolas' Church) are purchased by The Birmingham Civic Society.
  • 12 June 1922: Construction of the Hall of Memory commences.
  • July 1922: Austin Motor Company announces production of the Austin 7 at its Longbridge plant.
  • 15 November 1922: First BBC Birmingham radio broadcasts, from station 5IT.
  • 1922: The Birmingham Corporation sets up an Advisory Art Committee.
  • 1922: The Hockley picture house is opened on Soho Hill.
  • 1923: The Birmingham Civic Society purchases 43 acres (170,000 m2) of land to form Highbury Park.
  • 1923: The theological department of the Queen's College in the city centre, moves to new premises at Queen's College, Edgbaston.
  • 1923: The school of architecture at Birmingham School of Art receives recognition by the Royal Institute of British Architects.
  • 1924: The Birmingham Hippodrome reopens with a new neo-classical auditorium, seating 1,900.
  • 1924: The closure of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre is averted as a result of action by the Birmingham Civic Society.
  • 29 September 1924: Birmingham-born mathematician Ernest Barnes is consecrated as third Bishop of Birmingham, the office he will hold until 1953.
  • 1925: The Birmingham Municipal Bank moves to premises on Edmund Street.
  • 4 July 1925: The Hall of Memory in Centenary Square is completed.
  • 14 April 1926: The reconstructed Woodcock Street Baths are opened.
  • 1928: Perry Barr is ceded from Staffordshire to Warwickshire, and into Birmingham.
  • 1929: Digbeth Coach Station is built by Midland Red.

    • 1930-1939

  • 1930: The Moor Hall Estate is put up for sale.
  • 1930: Kent Street Baths are demolished and reconstruction commences.
  • 14 June 1931: "Birmingham Bertha", a whirlwind, sweeps across the city.
  • 1932: The Barber Institute of Fine Arts is established and bequeathed to the University 'for the study and encouragement of art and music'.
  • 1932: An Art Deco replacement bridge for Perry Bridge is opened alongside the original.
  • 29 May 1933: The reconstructed Kent Street Baths are reopened.
  • 27 November 1933: The Birmingham Municipal Bank headquarters at 301 Broad Street are opened by Prince George.
  • 1934: The closure of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre is again averted as a result of work by the Birmingham Civic Society.
  • 1935: The Birmingham Municipal Bank causes controversy amongst Sutton Coldfield residents who believe Birmingham aims to absorb Sutton Coldfield when the bank outlines plans to open a branch in the town.
  • 1935: The Alexandra Theatre is rebuilt with an Art Deco auditorium.
  • 1935: Blakesley Hall is opened as a museum owned by Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.
  • 1935: Birmingham Corporation establish the Birmingham Repertory Theatre Trust.
  • 1936: The Duddeston Barracks are demolished by the Birmingham Corporation for the construction of maisonettes.
  • 1938: Baskerville House is completed and opened.
  • 1938: The council approve the replacement of the Central Library.
  • 1938: The Aston Hippodrome is seriously damaged by fire leading to a £38,000 refurbishment.
  • 8 July 1939: Elmdon Airport opened by Birmingham City Council.
  • 26 July 1939: The Barber Institute of Fine Arts building on the University campus at Edgbaston, designed by Robert Atkinson, is opened by Queen Mary.

    • 1940-1949

  • 9 August 1940 – 23 April 1943: the Birmingham Blitz – Birmingham is bombed by German aircraft.
  • 1944: The original Five Ways railway station closes.
  • 1945: Abdul Aziz opens a cafe shop selling curry and rice in Steelhouse Lane. This later becomes The Darjeeling, the first Indian restaurant in Birmingham, owned by Afrose Miah.
  • July 1946: Birmingham Elmdon Airport reverts to civilian use, though still under the control of the government.
  • 1947: Ansells Brewery purchases Penns Hall.
  • 1948: The blue brick lodge gate, designed by Hamilton & Medland, at Warstone Lane Cemetery is completed.
  • 1949: The first Sutton Coldfield transmitting station mast is built.

    • 1950-1959

  • 1950: Penns Hall is converted into a hotel by Ansells Brewery.
  • 1951: The city's population peaks, at 1,113,000.
  • 1951: The King Edward VII Memorial is moved to Highgate Park as Victoria Square is remodelled.
  • 1951: The Museum of Science and Industry is opened as a museum owned by Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.
  • 28 September 1953: A reconstructed section of Metchley Fort is opened by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, G. H. W. Griffith.
  • 1954: The Digbeth Institute is put up for sale.
  • 1954: Queens Tower in Duddeston is completed, becoming the city's first tower block.
  • 1954: The chapel at Warstone Lane Cemetery is demolished.
  • 1955: The Digbeth Institute is purchased by Birmingham City Council.
  • 1955: Shops begin to shut down in the Bull Ring for the redevelopment of the area.
  • 17 February 1956: Associated Television begins broadcasting from Birmingham.
  • 1956: Tong Kung, on the Holloway Head, opens becoming Birmingham's first Chinese restaurant.
  • 1957: Blakesley Hall reopens as a museum following restoration conducted as a result of bomb damage during World War II.

    • 1960-1969

  • 4 June 1960: All theatrical productions at the Aston Hippodrome cease and the theatre is converted into a bingo hall.
  • 1960: Birmingham City Council retakes ownership of Birmingham Elmdon airport.
  • Summer 1961: Construction of the Bull Ring Shopping Centre begins.
  • 1961: The design for the Rotunda is approved and the building begins construction.
  • June 1962: The outdoor market area in the Bull Ring is opened with 150 stalls.
  • 20 November 1962: Last person hanged at Winson Green Prison, Oswald Grey for the murder of Thomas Bates on 3 June.
  • 1962: The Mason Science College on Edmund Street is demolished.
  • 1963: The old Market Hall in the Bull Ring is demolished.
  • 1963: Construction of the BT Tower commences.
  • 29 May 1964: The new Bull Ring Shopping Centre is opened by Prince Philip.
  • 2 November 1964: Associated Television begins broadcasting the soap opera Crossroads, set in the city.
  • 1964: Birmingham New Street station rebuilt.
  • 1965: Construction of the Rotunda is completed.
  • 1965: Construction of Quayside Tower is completed.
  • 1965: Construction of the Post & Mail Building is completed.
  • January 1966: Origin of Tyseley Locomotive Works as a steam railway heritage maintenance depot.
  • 1966: Curzon Street railway station, then a goods station, closes and falls out of use.
  • 1966: Priory Square, designed by Sir Frederick Gibberd, is opened.
  • 1967: Construction of the GPO Tower is completed as a microwave telecommunications hub; it is the tallest building in Birmingham.
  • 1967: Construction of Stephenson Tower, above New Street station, is completed.
  • 1967: Construction of the Inner Ring Road commences.
  • 1967: A new entrance to the Alexandra Theatre is constructed and opened.
  • 1968: Work starts on Gravelly Hill Interchange, a complex motorway junction which will become known as "Spaghetti Junction".
  • 20 April 1968: Enoch Powell makes his famous Rivers of Blood speech at the Midland Hotel on New Street.
  • 27 April 1969: Pink Floyd record parts of Ummagumma at Mothers Club.
  • 1969: Construction of Alpha Tower commences.
  • 1969: Construction of the new Central Library commences.
  • 1969: Restoration of Sarehole Mill is completed.
  • 1969: Birmingham Central Mosque is completed.

    • 1970-1979

  • 1970: Cleveland Tower, Birmingham's tallest tower block, is completed.
  • April–June 1970: New Carrs Lane Church is completed.
  • 10 November 1971: The BBC's Pebble Mill Studios in Edgbaston are opened by Princess Anne.
  • 1971: Clydesdale Tower, Cleveland Tower's twin, is completed.
  • 1971: The Birmingham Repertory Theatre moves from premises on Station Street to a new theatre fronting Centenary Square.
  • 1971: Birmingham Polytechnic is formed, absorbing Birmingham School of Art and turning it into its Faculty of Art and Design.
  • 24 May 1972: The A38(M) or "Aston Expressway" opens.
  • 1972: Gravelly Hill Interchange is completed.
  • 1972: Snow Hill station closes.
  • 1972: Construction of Centre City Tower commences.
  • 1972: The Studio at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre is opened.
  • 1972: The McLaren Building is completed.
  • 1972: Construction of Metropolitan House commences.
  • 17 September 1973: An IRA bomb explodes in Edgbaston killing Captain Ronald Wilkinson who was attempting to defuse it.
  • 1973: A redesigned Birmingham Central Library is opened on the same site as the previous library.
  • 1973: The film Take Me High, starring Cliff Richard and filmed in Birmingham, is released.
  • 1973: Construction of Alpha Tower is completed and the building is opened.
  • 1973: Construction of 1 Snow Hill Plaza is completed.
  • 21 November 1974, 20:14–20:25hrs (GMT): Two bombs, placed by the Provisional IRA, explode in two pubs in Birmingham city centre killing 21 people and injuring 182 others.
  • 1974: Creation of the West Midlands County, resulting in Birmingham becoming a metropolitan borough, no longer in Warwickshire. Sutton Coldfield is absorbed by Birmingham. The West Midlands County Council takes possession of Birmingham Airport.
  • 1974: The new Central Library is completed and opened to the public.
  • 1974: Construction of National Westminster House is completed.
  • 1974: Construction of Metropolitan House is completed.
  • 1975: Construction of Centre City Tower is completed.
  • 1975: Construction of the Alexander Stadium commences.
  • 1975: Birmingham Central Mosque is officially opened, becoming the largest mosque in Western Europe.
  • February 1976: the National Exhibition Centre opens.
  • 1976: Construction of Edgbaston House is completed.
  • 1976: The Alexander Stadium is completed and opened.
  • February 1977: Construction of the North Stand at Villa Park commences.
  • 1978: The Birmingham Civic Society raises enough funds to reinstate the pools surrounding the Chamberlain Memorial.
  • 1978: Five Ways railway station reopens after being closed in 1944.
  • 1979: Construction of Five Ways Tower is completed.

    • 1980-1989

  • September 1980: The Aston Hippodrome is demolished.
  • 1980: Simon Rattle begins an 18-year tenure as Principal Conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
  • 1981: Trident House is completed and opened.
  • 1981: Aston Villa win the league for the first time in 71 years
  • 1981: A golden dome is added to the minaret of Birmingham Central Mosque.
  • 1 January 1982: Central Independent Television takes over the Birmingham-based franchise.
  • 1982: Aston Villa win the European Cup.
  • 1983: The Sutton Coldfield transmitting station mast is rebuilt.
  • 1983: Bingley Hall is seriously damaged by fire and demolished.
  • 1983: Birmingham Airport is privatised.
  • 1984: A new terminal is opened at Birmingham Airport.
  • 1984: The Perrott's Folly Company is formed to restore Perrott's Folly for public use.
  • 31 March 1986: The West Midlands County Council is abolished.
  • January 1987: The foundation stone to the International Convention Centre is laid, signalling the start of construction.
  • 1 April 1987: The ownership of Birmingham International Airport is transferred to Birmingham International Airport plc.
  • July 1987: The city council invites developers to draw up a masterplan for 26 acres (110,000 m2) of land alongside canals, adjacent to the International Convention Centre.
  • 1987: A rebuilt Snow Hill station is opened to the public.
  • 1987: "The People's Plan", a document containing designs and plans for the redevelopment of the Bull Ring, is published and issued by London and Edinburgh Trust but the plans are greeted with public objection.
  • 1988: A glass roof over Paradise Forum and a pedestrian crossing of the Inner Ring Road at this point are built.
  • 1988: London and Edinburgh Trust redesign their proposals for the Bull Ring redevelopment but again receive public criticism.
  • 1988: The Birmingham Institute of Art and Design is formed following the Faculty of Art and Design at Birmingham Polytechnic absorbing Bournville College of Art.
  • September 1989: The Brindleyplace development alongside the ICC and Broad Street is granted planning permission.
  • October 1989: The topping out ceremony of the railway tunnel for the future site of the National Indoor Arena is conducted by the council.
  • 1989: The Birmingham School of Music is renamed the Birmingham Conservatoire.

    • 1990-1999

  • 1990: The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company move into the Alexandra Theatre.
  • 1990: Construction of Colmore Gate commences.
  • 1990: The redevelopment of the Custard Factory commences in two phases.
  • 1990: Hyatt Regency Birmingham is completed at a cost of £31 million.
  • 12 June 1991: The International Convention Centre and Symphony Hall open.
  • 26 July 1991: A second terminal, "Eurohub", opens at Birmingham International Airport.
  • 4 October 1991: The National Indoor Arena opens.
  • 1991: The Birmingham Repertory Theatre is refurbished and extended.
  • 1991: Birmingham City Council establish a project to help relaunch cultural events on the site of the Aston Hippodrome.
  • August 1992: The redevelopment of Victoria Square is completed, which includes a fountain sculpture.
  • 1992: Construction of Colmore Gate is completed.
  • 1992: Cleaning of the exterior of the Birmingham School of Art building is completed.
  • 1992: The Gas Retort House is rediscovered whilst being prepared for redevelopment.
  • 1992: Birmingham Polytechnic receives university status and becomes the University of Central England.
  • 1993: The Argent Centre is converted into offices.
  • 1993: Farmer's Bridge Junction is renamed Old Turn Junction.
  • 1993: The Birmingham School of Art building begins a renovation and refurbishment.
  • 1994: The spire of the Chamberlain Memorial undergoes a major clean.
  • 1994: Following the establishment of a project by Birmingham City Council in 1991, The Drum begins to host events on the site of the former Aston Hippodrome.
  • 1995: Part of the Worcestershire parish of Frankley (including the south-west part of Bartley Reservoir) was transferred to Birmingham and became part of the West Midlands county.
  • 1996: Birmingham Town Hall closes for a £35 million refurbishment.
  • 1996: A memorial by Bruce Williams dedicated to Tony Hancock is unveiled by Sir Harry Secombe in Old Square.
  • 1996: The renovation and refurbishment of the Birmingham School of Art building is completed.
  • 1996: The new Tyseley Energy from Waste Plant is opened by Veolia.
  • 1997: The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company leaves the Alexandra Theatre.
  • 1997: The CBSO Centre is completed and opened.
  • 1997: The Museum of Science and Industry is closed down.
  • 9 May 1998: The 43rd Eurovision Song Contest is held at the National Indoor Arena.
  • 15 May 1998 – 17 May 1998: The first G8 summit is held in Birmingham. Bill Clinton famously pops out for a pint of beer.
  • 1998: Birmingham Children's Hospital moves back to its original location on Steelhouse Lane.
  • 1998: The Door is opened by the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, replaced the Studio.
  • 1998: The Crescent Theatre is opened by Clare Short, the MP for Ladywood.
  • 1998: The Drum is officially opened.
  • 1998: The Lunar Society Moonstones are created and unveiled.
  • 1999: The Midland Metro light rail system opens, starting at Snow Hill station.
  • 1999: Refurbishment of the Gas Retort House is completed.
  • 1999: Planning permission is granted for Martineau Place.
  • 1999: 2,800 properties and substantial land holdings on the Lee Bank estate are transferred from Birmingham City Council to Optima Community Housing Association.

    • 2000-2009

  • December 2000: The Mailbox, an upmarket shopping centre, opens to the public.
  • 2000: Demolition of the 1960s Bull Ring shopping centre commences.
  • 2000: The Rotunda is granted Grade II listed status.
  • 2000: The parish of New Frankley is established and becomes Birmingham's only remaining civil parish.
  • 29 September 2001: Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum, is opened at Millennium Point.
  • 2001: Plans for a replacement football stadium to St Andrews were mooted.
  • 2 July 2002: Millennium Point is opened by Queen Elizabeth II.
  • 2002: The nightclub at Methodist Central Hall closes leaving the building empty.
  • 3 April 2003: The planning application for a 122 metre tall tower at Holloway Circus is approved by Birmingham City Council.
  • August 2003: The refurbishment of Baskerville House commences.
  • 4 September 2003: The new Bullring shopping centre opens.
  • 2003: Quayside Tower is extensively refurbished.
  • 2003: The BT Tower is repainted and a lighting scheme is added.
  • 2003: Plans to redevelop New Street station in a project called Birmingham Gateway are approved by the city council.
  • 5 April 2004: Responsibility and budgets for a number of council services are devolved to 11 district committees (later reorganised as 10 council constituencies).
  • 10 June 2004: The Sutton Trinity Birmingham City Council ward comes into existence.
  • 2004: Refurbishment of The Rotunda commences.
  • 2004: Construction of the Orion Building commences.
  • 2004: Centenary Plaza, the first phase of the £500 million Arena Central development, is completed and opened.
  • 2004: BBC Birmingham moves into new offices in The Mailbox.
  • 2004: The plans for the City of Birmingham Stadium, the stadium to replace St Andrews, develop to include a sports village.
  • 2005: Nanjing Automobile Group acquires the entire assets of MG Rover.
  • 28 July 2005: A tornado causes approx. 30 injuries, and an estimated £40 million damage.
  • 29 August 2005: New Hall Valley Country Park in Sutton Coldfield is officially opened.
  • 22 October 2005 & 23 October 2005 : Two nights of rioting occurs in the Lozells area.
  • November 2005: Demolition of the Post and Mail Building commences for the construction of a replacement office block.
  • 2006: Beetham Tower at Holloway Circus is completed, becoming Birmingham's second tallest building.
  • 2006: Construction of the Orion Building is completed.
  • 16 March 2007 – the last HP Sauce to be made in Aston is produced; production is moved to the Netherlands.
  • 2–4 March 2007: The National Indoor Arena hosts the 2007 European Athletics Indoor Championships.
  • 2007: Nanjing Automobile Group restarts MG TF and MG6 production at Longbridge and in China.
  • 2007: The refurbishment of Baskerville House is completed.
  • 2008: Colmore Plaza, on the site of the Post and Mail Building, is completed.
  • 2008: Construction of The Cube commences.
  • 2008: Construction of Snowhill commences.
  • 9 March 2008: Calthorpe House at Five Ways is demolished by controlled explosion to make way for Edgbaston Galleries.
  • 13 May 2008: The Rotunda building is reopened as apartments, after extensive refurbishment.

    • 2010-2019

  • April 2012: Birmingham Museums Trust takes over management of nine public museum sites in the city.
  • 3 September 2013: A new Library of Birmingham, the largest public library in the U.K., designed by Mecanoo and linked with the Repertory Theatre, is opened by Malala Yousafzai; the nearby former Birmingham Central Library of 1974 is to be demolished.
  • 2015: A refurbished New Street Station with Grand Central Shopping Centre opens.

    • Future events

  • September 2016: Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla takes up her appointment as music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the first woman in this post.

    • References

    Timeline of Birmingham history Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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