Timeline of Lille

Prior to 17th century

1213 - Town besieged by forces of Philip II of France.

1236 - Hospice Comtesse built.

1297 - Town besieged by forces of Philip IV of France.

1304 - French in power.

1369 - Louis II, Count of Flanders in power.

1390 - Public clock installed (approximate date).

1430 - Hotel de Ville built.

1445 - Population: 25,000.

1454 - Feast of the Pheasant.

1459 - Noble Tower built.

1460s - Hospice Gantois founded.

1473 - Palais Rihour built.

1531 - Lille customary laws codified (approximate date).

1535 - Latin school established.

1592 - Municipal college established.

17th-18th centuries

1605 - Military hospital founded.

1617 - Porte de Gand (gate) constructed.

1622 - Porte de Roubaix (gate) constructed.

1667 - Siege of Lille.

1668 - Lille becomes part of France.

1670 - Citadel constructed.

1675 - St. Madeleine Church, Lille construction begins.

1692 - Porte de Paris (Lille) (gate) constructed.

1701

Pont-Neuf built.

Church of Saint-André, Lille construction begins.

1708 - Siege of Lille.

1717 - Grand' Garde built.

1748 - Church of Saint-Étienne built.

1785 - Opera house built.

1790

Lille becomes part of the Nord souveraineté.

Municipal elections begin.

Public library founded.

1792 - City besieged by Austrian forces.

1793 - Population: 66,761.

19th century

1802 - Société des amateurs des sciences et des arts founded.

1809 - Art museum opens.

1822 - Natural history museum founded.

1837 - Palais de Justice built.

1839 - Commission historique du Nord founded.

1844 - Column of the Goddess erected.

1846 - Paris-Lille railway built.

1848 - Gare de Lille Flandres (rail station) built.

1854 - École des arts industriels et des mines established.

1855 - Notre Dame Cathedral construction begins.

1856 - Population: 78,641.

1858 - Esquermes, Fives, and Wazemmes become part of Lille.

1861 - Population: 131,727.

1866 - Population: 154,749.

1870 - Prefecture built.

1872 - Saint-Maurice church restored.

1875 - Catholic University established.

1876 - Population: 162,775.

1878 - Palais Rameau built.

1880 - Société de géographie de Lille founded.

1886 - Population: 188,272.

1888 - Musee Commercial et Colonial opens.

1892

Palais des Beaux-Arts built.

Gare de Lille Flandres (rail station) rebuilt.

1894 - Institut de chimie founded.

1896 - Population: 216,276.

1899 - Institut Pasteur established.

1900-1940s

1906 - Population: 205,602.

1909 - Tramway begins operating.

1911 - Population: 217,807.

1913

Roman Catholic diocese of Lille established.

Opéra de Lille built.

1914 - German occupation begins.

1918 - October 17: City liberated by British.

1924 - Ecole Supérieure de Journalisme founded.

1925 - Roger Salengro elected mayor.

1932 - Lille City Hall built.

1940 - May: Siege of Lille.

1941 - Echo du Nord begins publication.

1944

September - City liberated by Allied forces.

Lille Olympique Sporting Club formed.

1947 - Lille Airport in operation.

1948 - Jardin des Plantes de Lille established.

1950s-1990s

1967 - Urban Community of Lille Métropole formed.

1968 - Lille courthouse built.

1970 - Lille 2 University of Health and Law and Jardin botanique de la Faculté de Pharmacie established.

1973 - Pierre Mauroy becomes mayor.

1976 - Orchestre national de Lille formed.

1977 - Hellemmes becomes an associated part of Lille.

1983 - Lille Metro begins operating.

1984 - École de communication visuelle opens.

1987 - Socialist Party national congress held in Lille.

1986 - Lille Marathon begins.

1988 - Advanced European Institute of Management established.

1989 - Transpole formed.

1990 - École Nouvelle d'Ingénieurs en Communication founded.

1991 - Institut d'études politiques de Lille established.

1992 - Institut Lillois d'Ingénierie de la Santé founded.

1993

Paris-Lille TGV train begins operating.

Gare de Lille Europe built.

1994

Euralille (shopping mall) opens.

Eurostar train begins operating.

1999

Lille Cathedral built.

Population: 184,657.

21st century

2000 - Lomme becomes an associated part of Lille.

2001

March: Lille municipal election, 2001 held.

Martine Aubry becomes mayor.

2003 - Institut technologique européen d'entrepreneuriat et de management established.

2004 - Lille designated a European Capital of Culture.

2006 - Population: 226,014.

2009 - Université Lille Nord de France formed.

2011 - Population: 227,533.

2014 - March: Lille municipal election, 2014 held.

2015 - December: Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie regional election, 2015 held.

2016 - Lille becomes part of the Hauts-de-France region.