Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Timeline of Cape Town

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit

The following is a timeline of the history of Cape Town, South Africa.

Contents

Prior to 19th century

  • 1651 - Jan van Riebeeck visits the Cape as part of a rescue mission to save stranded sailors.
  • 1652
  • 6 April: Jan van Riebeeck of the Dutch East India Company arrives.
  • Fort de Goede Hoop built.
  • 1653 - Arrival of the first slave, Abraham van Batavia.
  • 1654 - Redoubt Duijnhoop built.
  • 1658 - Conflict between the Khoi and settlers.
  • 1679
  • Castle of Good Hope built.
  • Simon van der Stel becomes commander of Dutch colony.
  • 1688 - French Huguenot immigrants begin arriving.
  • 1699
  • Dutch Reformed church built.
  • Parade Ground laid out.
  • 1725 - Chavonnes Battery built.
  • 1755 - Town House built.
  • 1761 - Dessinian Library established.
  • 1772 - Hospital founded.
  • 1780 - Lutheran Church built.
  • 1786 - Committee of the High Court established.
  • 1787 - Württemberg Cape Regiment in residence.
  • 1790 - Castle of Good Hope rebuilt.
  • 1795
  • British in power in Cape Colony.
  • Johann Christian Ritter sets up printing press.
  • 1798
  • Fire.
  • Auwal Mosque built.

    • 19th century

  • 1802 - Freemason's Lodge built on Bouquet Street.
  • 1803 - Dutch regain power in Cape Colony by the Treaty of Amiens.
  • 1804 - Coat of arms of Cape Town in use.
  • 1806
  • British in power in Cape Colony again.
  • Noon Gun firing begins.
  • 1807
  • Palm Tree Mosque congregation formed.
  • Slave Trade Act passed.
  • 1814 - Cape Town ceded to Britain by the Anglo–Dutch Treaty of 1814.
  • 1819
  • Commercial Exchange founded.
  • Howell's bookshop in business.
  • 1820 - Royal Observatory founded.
  • 1821
  • South African Public Library founded.
  • Flagstaff erected on Lion's Rump hill.
  • 1823 - Population: 15,500.
  • 1824
  • Green Point Lighthouse built.
  • South African Commercial Advertiser begins publication.
  • South African Literary Society founded.
  • 1825 - South African Museum founded.
  • 1827 - Colonist newspaper begins publication.
  • 1829
  • Vagrancy and pass laws of 1809 repealed.
  • South African College inaugurated.
  • 1830 - Cape of Good Hope Literary Gazette begins publication.
  • 1831 - De Zuid-Afrikaan newspaper begins publication.
  • 1834
  • Slaves freed in British Empire.
  • St. George's Church built.
  • Popular Library established.
  • 1839 - Cape Town Municipality established.
  • 1841 - Cape Town Mail newspaper begins publication.
  • 1844 - Nurul Islam Mosque founded.
  • 1845 - Mutual Life Assurance Society of the Cape of Good Hope established.
  • 1846
  • Gaslight introduced.
  • South African Mining Company founded.
  • 1847 - Anglican Diocese of Cape Town established.
  • 1848
  • Hercules Crosse Jarvis becomes mayor.
  • Botanic Garden established.
  • 1849 - Anti-convict demonstrations.
  • 1851 - South African Fine Arts Association organizes exhibition in the Company's Garden.
  • 1853 - Anti-Mormon riots.
  • 1854 - First establishment of the Parliament of the Cape of Good Hope
  • 1857 - Cape Argus newspaper and Cape Monthly Magazine begin publication.
  • 1858 - Smallpox outbreak.
  • 1859 - Prison built.
  • 1860
  • Wellington-Cape Town railway begins operating.
  • Harbor works begun.
  • Public Library building constructed.
  • Telegraph begins operating (Simon's Town - Cape Town).
  • 1861 - first Railway station built.
  • 1863
  • Horsecar trams begin operating.
  • Grey Library opens.
  • 1864 - Somerset Hospital opens.
  • 1867 - District Six formed.
  • 1868 - Population: 22,543.
  • 1870 - Alfred Basin constructed.
  • 1871 - South African Art Gallery founded.
  • 1872
  • The Cape attains responsible government, led by its first Prime Minister John Molteno
  • Cape Government Railways founded.
  • 1873
  • Founding of the University of the Cape of Good Hope, later UNISA
  • First official use of Dutch in the Cape Parliament.
  • 1874
  • Founding in Cape Town of the South African Teachers' Association.
  • Founding of the Cape Government Railways
  • The "Molteno Regulations", drawn up in Cape Town, establish the South African public library system.
  • 1875.
  • Population: 33,000.
  • The Cape's first water engineer, John Gamble, appointed by the Cape Government and begins work on Cape Town's water infrastructure.
  • The Cape Town railway station built.
  • Opening of Cape Western railway line (11 May 1875), Cape Town Docks to junction with mainline, 7 miles 1 chain (11.3 kilometres).
  • 1876
  • Cape Times newspaper begins publication.
  • Villagers Cricket Club is founded.
  • Opening of the Cape Town to Worcester railway line (16 June 1876)
  • South Africa's first official archives established by Cape Government in Cape Town.
  • 1877
  • First South African International Exhibition is held in Cape Town.
  • Cape Council of Education is established.
  • 1878
  • Railway station enlarged.
  • The first telephones are set up in the Cape.
  • 1879 - Wesleyan Methodist Church built.
  • 1880 - School of Art established.
  • 1881 - Opening of the Molteno Dam in Oranjezicht
  • 1884 - Opening of the new Cape Parliament building
  • 1885 - Standard Bank of South Africa headquarters relocates to Cape Town.
  • 1886 - Houses of Parliament built.
  • 1887 - Kaapse Klopse minstrel festival begins.
  • 1889 - Newlands Cricket Ground in use.
  • 1891
  • Valkenberg Hospital and Mountain Club founded.
  • Population: 51,251.
  • 1892 - The Franchise and Ballot Act of Cecil Rhodes places restrictions on the multiracial Cape Qualified Franchise
  • 1894 - Owl Club formed.
  • 1896 - Electric trams begin operating (approximate date).
  • 1897
  • Woodhead Dam constructed.
  • Museum and General Post & Telegraph Offices open.
  • 1898 - Jewish Tailors Union organized.
  • 1899 - Mount Nelson Hotel in business.

    • 20th century

  • 1900 - St. James Church built.
  • 1902 - African Political Organization founded.
  • 1904
  • Tivoli music hall opens.
  • Population: 77,668.
  • 1905 - Cape Town City Hall and Synagogue built.
  • 1910
  • Cape Town in Cape Province becomes capital of Union of South Africa.
  • Groote Schuur becomes official Cape residence of Prime Ministers of South Africa.
  • 1912 - Rhodes Memorial dedicated on Devil's Peak.
  • 1913 - Botanical Society organized.
  • 1914
  • Cape Philharmonic Orchestra active.
  • Koopmans-de Wet House museum opens.
  • 1915 - Die Burger newspaper begins publication.
  • 1918
  • University of Cape Town active.
  • Langa (suburb) established.
  • 1919 - Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union founded.
  • 1928 - Table Mountain Aerial Cableway begins operating.
  • 1930 - South African National Gallery building opens.
  • 1934 - UCT Ballet Company established.
  • 1935 - Trolleybuses begin operating.
  • 1936 - St. George's Cathedral and Table Bay power station constructed.
  • 1938 - Groote Schuur Hospital founded.
  • 1939 - Catholic Vicariate of Cape Town active.
  • 1940 - Mutual Building constructed.
  • 1942 - Varsity student newspaper begins publication.
  • 1945 - Duncan Dock constructed.
  • 1946 - Wingfield Aerodrome active (approximate date).
  • 1948 - Nyanga (suburb) established.

    • 1950s-1980s

  • 1950s - Cape Flats populated per race-based legislation.
  • 1950 - Maynardville Open-Air Theatre founded (1 December 1950), by the Athlone Committee for Nursery Education.
  • 1952 - Athlone Teachers’ Training College founded (February 1952), South Africa's first college for coloured teachers of pre-school children, using money raised from the Maynardville Theatre's performances.
  • 1953 - Coloured People's Organisation active.
  • 1954 - D.F. Malan Airport opens.
  • 1956
  • Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital opens.
  • Maynardville Open-Air Theatre holds its first Shakespeare performance (29 January 1956), circa five years after its founding.
  • Clarke's Bookshop in business.
  • 1958 - Gugulethu (suburb) established.
  • 1960
  • Sentinel News begins publication.
  • University College of the Western Cape opens.
  • Milnerton Lighthouse commissioned.
  • 1961
  • City becomes part of the Republic of South Africa.
  • Cape Town railway station rebuilt.
  • 1962
  • Athlone Power Station commissioned.
  • Naspers Centre built.
  • 1964
  • Pollsmoor Prison established.
  • Robert Selby Taylor becomes archbishop of the Anglican Diocese of Cape Town.
  • 1967 - Cape Town Philharmonia Choir founded.
  • 1968
  • Non-whites banned from District Six and houses demolished per race-based legislation.
  • Centre for Conflict Resolution headquartered in Cape Town.
  • 1971 - Nico Malan Theatre Center opens.
  • 1972
  • Student protest; crackdown.
  • Athlone Stadium and 1 Thibault Square built.
  • Waterworks Museum and Space Theatre founded.
  • 1976
  • August: Racial unrest.
  • UCT Radio begins broadcasting.
  • Good Hope Centre built.
  • 1978
  • Cape Argus Cycle Race begins.
  • Cape Town Civic Centre built.
  • 1979 - Hout Bay Museum opens.
  • 1986 - Desmond Tutu becomes archbishop of the Anglican Diocese of Cape Town.
  • 1987 - Table Talk newspaper begins publication.
  • 1989
  • 2 September: Purple Rain Protest.
  • 13 September: Cape Town peace march.

    • 1990s

  • 1990
  • 3 February: Peace Ritual begins.
  • 11 February: Nelson Mandela gives public speech after his release from prison.
  • Women's Centre organized.
  • Club Eden opens.
  • 1993 - Metlife Centre built.
  • 1994
  • 27 April: South African general election held.
  • District Six Museum opens.
  • 1995
  • MFM 92.6 and Voice of the Cape radio begin broadcasting.
  • Two Oceans Aquarium opens.
  • 1995 Rugby World Cup held.
  • 1996
  • Cape Town/Central, Tygerberg, South Peninsula, Blaauwberg, Oostenberg, and Helderberg municipalities created.
  • Gallery Mau Mau active.
  • Flag of Cape Town redesign adopted.
  • Population: 987,007.
  • 1997 - Cape Talk radio begins broadcasting.
  • 1998
  • Table Mountain National Park established.
  • August: Restaurant bombing.
  • 1999
  • Surfing competition begins.
  • National Library of South Africa, Cape Town Opera, and Ajax Cape Town football team established.

    • 21st century

  • 2000
  • City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality formed by merger of Cape Town/Central, Tygerberg, South Peninsula, Blaauwberg, Oostenberg, and Helderberg.
  • Central City Improvement District and Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign organized.
  • MTN Sciencentre and Canal Walk shopping centre open.
  • Homegrown (drum and bass event) begins.
  • Institute for Justice and Reconciliation established.
  • 2001
  • Cape Town Pride parade begins.
  • Baphumelele Children's Home founded.
  • Gold Museum opens.
  • Population: 827,218.
  • 2003
  • Mayoral Committee of the City of Cape Town active.
  • Die Son newspaper begins publication.
  • Cape Town International Convention Centre and Mzoli's open.
  • 2003 Cricket World Cup held.
  • 2004 - Africa Centre established.
  • 2005
  • Cape Peninsula University of Technology and Cape Cobras cricket team established.
  • Daily Voice newspaper begins publication.
  • 2006
  • Cape Town Book Fair begins.
  • Homeless World Cup football contest held.
  • Neighbourgoods Market in business in Woodstock.
  • 2007
  • University of Cape Town's African Centre for Cities active (approximate date).
  • Isango Portobello theatre group active.
  • 2008
  • Cape Town TV and Hillsong Church established.
  • Chavonnes Battery museum opens.
  • Spier Poetry Exchange (festival) and Infecting the City (arts festival) begin.
  • 2009
  • Cape Town Stadium opens.
  • Dan Plato becomes mayor.
  • Silicon Cape Initiative founded.
  • Organised Chaos LAN Party begins (approximate date).
  • 2010
  • June–July: FIFA World Cup held.
  • Chippa United Football Club formed.
  • 2011
  • MyCiTi bus begins operating.
  • Patricia de Lille becomes mayor.

    • References

    Timeline of Cape Town Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


    Similar Topics