Timeline of Brussels

Prior to 18th century

1273 – St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral built (approximate date).

1304 – Notre Dame du Sablon founded.

1348 – Ommegang begins.

1356

Joyous Entry of Joanna and Wenceslaus into city.

Expansion of fortifications of Brussels begins.

1370 – the Brussels massacre, a judicial murder of the city's Jewish population, occurs

1381 – Halle Gate built.

1393 – Anderlecht becomes part of Brussels.

1420 – Brussels Town Hall built.

1455 – Chapelle du Saint-Sacrement de Miracle built.

1476 - Printing press in operation.

1477 - Hapsburgs in power.

1536 – Maison du Roi built for Duke of Brabant.

1585 – City becomes capital of Spanish Netherlands.

1619 – Bronze Manneken Pis statue installed.

1695 – The city is bombarded by the French.

18th century

1700 – The Monnaie theatre built.

1731 – Palace of Coudenberg destroyed.

1746 – Siege of Brussels.

1772 - Imperial and Royal Academy of Brussels established.

1774 – Rue Royale laid out.

1775 – Brussels Park laid out.

1787 – Vauxhall opens.

1783 – Royal Palace of Brussels construction begins.

1787 – Church of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg consecrated.

1795

City becomes part of Dyle.

State Archives in Belgium headquartered in city.[1]

19th century

1803 – Museum of Brussels opens.

1815

Duchess of Richmond's ball.

City becomes joint capital of United Kingdom of the Netherlands.

1819 – New opera theatre inaugurated.

1822 - Société Générale de Belgique headquartered in city.

1826 – Botanical Garden founded.

1830

Belgian Revolution.

City becomes capital of the Kingdom of Belgium.

Population: 98,279 city; 120,981 metro.

1832 – Royal Conservatory of Brussels founded.

1834 – Free University of Brussels founded

1835 – Groendreef/Allée Verte railway station, Belgium's first, is inaugurated.

1846

Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences founded.

Population: 123,874.

1847

Avenue Louise commissioned.

Galerie du Roi, Galerie de la Reine and Galerie du Prince open.

1848 - International Peace Congress held.

1850 - Population: 142,289 city; 222,424 metro.

1855 – Brussels-Luxembourg railway station built.

1856 – Théatre Royal de la Monnaie opens.

1859 – Congress Column erected.

1860 - Population: 185,982 city; 300,341 metro.

1861 – Bois de la Cambre laid out.

1869 – Trams begin operating.

1871

Covering of the Senne.

Banque de Bruxelles established.

1877 – Ixelles Cemetery created.

1880 – Cinquantenaire created.

1881 - L'Echo newspaper begins publication.

1885

Église Royale Sainte-Marie built.

Population: 171,751.

1887

Le Soir newspaper begins publication.

Palais des Beaux-Arts built.

1888 - Het Laatste Nieuws (newspaper) begins publication.

1891 - August: International Socialist Labor Congress held in Brussels.

1893 - Paris-Brussels Cycle Race begins.

1895

Royal Greenhouses of Laeken built.

Hotel Metropole in business at Place de Brouckère.

1897 – Brussels International world's fair held.

20th century

1900

Cantillon Brewery founded.

Hospital Saint-Jean built.

1901 – Maison & Atelier Horta built.

1905

Cauchie house built.

Cinquantenaire's triumphal arch finished.

1908 – Chapel of the Resurrection built.

1910 – Brussels International world's fair held.

1911 - Solvay Conference held in city.

1914 – World War I: Brussels captured and occupied by the German Army.

1917 – Constant Vanden Stock Stadium opens.

1919

Lignes Farman airline begins operating its Paris-Brussels route.

Population: 685,268 metro.

1920 – Oscar Bossaert Stadium opens.

1921 – Haren, Laeken, and Neder-Over-Heembeek, merged into the City of Brussels.

1922 – Société du Palais des Beaux-Arts and Jardin botanique Jean Massart (garden) established.

1923 – Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and of Military History opens.

1927 – Solvay Conference held.

1930 – Jubilee Stadium opens.

1931 – Brussels Symphony Orchestra founded.

1935

Brussels International Exposition held.

Basilica of the Sacred Heart consecrated.

1937 – Queen Elisabeth Music Competition begins.

1939 – Constantin Meunier Museum opens.

1940 – World War II: German Military Administration in Belgium and Northern France headquartered in Brussels.

1944

3–4 September: Liberation of Brussels by the Welsh Guards; Palace of Justice burnt by Germans to destroy legal records during their retreat.

8 September: Belgian government in exile returns to Brussels after four years in London.

A de jure District of Brussels formed by Nazi Germany, which is now no longer in control of the territory.

1948

Treaty of Brussels signed.

Brussels Airport opens.

1949 – NATO headquarters established.

1952 – Brussels-Central railway station and Brussels-South railway station open.

1958

Brussels World's Fair Expo 58 held.

The Atomium is built.

1960 – City hosts Congolese Round Table Conference.

1967 – L'Innovation Department Store fire.

1969 – Free University of Brussels splits along linguistic lines into Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).

1971

Brussels Agglomeration created.

Flower carpet in Grand Place begins.

1974 – Brussels International Independent Film Festival begins.

1975

Bank Brussels Lambert headquartered in city.

Université catholique de Louvain's Jardin des plantes médicinales Paul Moens established.

1976 – Brussels Metro begins operating.

1978

Brussels Ring constructed.

RTBF Symphony Orchestra formed.

1979 - Archives of the City of Brussels moves into the former Anciens magasins Waucquez.

1980

Flemish Community and French Community of Belgium each designate Brussels as capital city.

Population of Brussels-Capital Region: 1,008,715.

1985

Pope John Paul II visits city.

29 May: Heysel Stadium disaster.

1988 – Kinepolis Brussels opens.

1989

Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region, Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region, and Belgian Comic Strip Center established.

Mini-Europe opens.

1990 – Population of Brussels-Capital Region: 964,385.

1993 – Espace Léopold opens.

1994

City of Brussels designated capital of Belgium and seat of federal government.

Freddy Thielemans becomes mayor.

Besix construction headquartered in Brussels.[2]

1996 – Belgacom Towers built.

1998 – Ancienne Belgique renovated.

1999 - Wedding of Prince Philippe and Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz

21st century

2000

Municipal website online (approximate date).

Zinneke Parade begins.

Musical Instrument Museum relocates.

2004 – North Galaxy Towers built.

2006 – Atomium renovated.

2007 - Hogeschool-Universiteit Brussel established.

2009 – Magritte Museum opens.

2010 – Population of Brussels-Capital Region: 1,089,538.

2013

Yvan Mayeur becomes mayor.

Rudi Vervoort becomes Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region.

2016 – The 2016 Brussels bombings occur, killing 34 and injuring 230.