Timeline of Mobile, Alabama

Prior to 19th century

1702 - Fort Louis de la Mobile founded by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville of Montreal.

1703 - Mardi Gras begins.

1722 - French Louisiana capital relocated from Mobile to New Orleans.

1723 - Fort Conde built.

1763 - Mobile becomes part of British West Florida per Treaty of Paris (1763).

1780 - March: Battle of Fort Charlotte; Spanish in power.

1783 - Mobile becomes part of Spanish West Florida per Treaty of Paris (1783).

19th century

1810 - Mobile becomes part of the independent Republic of West Florida.

1813

Spanish West Florida annexed to the United States.

Mobile Gazette newspaper begins publication.

1814 - Town of Mobile incorporated.

1819 - City of Mobile incorporated.

1821 - Mobile Commercial Register begins publication.

1827 - Fire.

1829 - Mobile Female Benevolent Society founded.

1830

Spring Hill College and City Hospital established.

Population: 3,194.

1835 - Franklin Society Reading Room and Library founded.

1839 - October 2: Fire.

1840

St. Francis Street Methodist Church founded.

Population: 12,672.

1844 - Shaarai Shomayim congregation formed.

1850

Mobile Evening News begins publication.

Population: 20,515.

Bienville Square (city park) established.

1852 - Public schooling begins in Barton Academy building.

1854 - Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce chartered.

1855 - Publisher S.H. Goetzel in business (approximate date).

1857 - City Hall built.

1860 - Population: 29,258.

1861 - City becomes part of the Confederate States of America.

1864 - Wilmer Hall established.

1865 - State colored convention held in city.

1868 - Africatown established near Mobile.

1869 - Mobile Bar Association and Mobile Law Library founded.

1871 - Mobile Cotton Exchange established.

1872 - Mobile Carnival Association established.

1883

Fidelia Club formed.

Drago Band (musical group) active (approximate date).

1889 - Mobile County Courthouse built.

1890 - Mobile Camera Club founded.

1894 - Clara Schumann Club (music group) formed.

20th century

1902 - Mobile Public Library established.

1907 - Union Depot built.

1910 - Population: 51,521.

1914 - Rotary Club of Mobile organized.

1918 - Alabama Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Company in business.

1925 - Lincoln Theatre built.

1927 - Saenger Theatre built.

1929

Mobile Press newspaper begins publication.

Woman's Clubhouse Association founded.

1936 - American Association of University Women of Mobile organized.

1937

Foreign trade zone established.

Aluminum Ore Company refining plant constructed.

1940 - Population: 78,720.

1950 - Population: 129,009.

1953 - Consular Corps of Mobile organized (approximate date).

1960

Sister city agreement established with Puerto Barrios, Guatemala.

Population: 202,779.

1962 - Mobile Genealogical Society founded.

1964 - Mobile British Women's Club active (approximate date).

1965 - Sister city agreement established with Málaga, Spain.

1966 - Neighborhood Organized Workers established.

1974

Azalea City News begins publication.

Sister city agreement established with Pau, France.

1976 - City twins with Worms, Germany.

1980

U.S. Supreme Court decides Mobile v. Bolden redistricting-related lawsuit.

Sister city agreement established with Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

1982 - Sister city agreement established with Zakynthos, Greece (approximate date).

1983 - Mobile Municipal Archives founded.

1985 - U.S. Naval Station Mobile opens.

1988 - Sister city agreement established with Rostov on Don, Russia.

1989

Sister city agreement established with Pyeongtaek, South Korea.

Mike Dow becomes mayor.

1990 - Sister city agreement established with Katowice, Poland.

1992 - Sister city agreement established with Košice, Slovakia.

1993

September 22: 1993 Big Bayou Canot train wreck.

Sister city agreement established with Havana, Cuba, and Ichihara, Japan.

1995

City website online (approximate date).

Bayfest (Mobile) (music festival) begins.

1998 - Sammy’s v. City of Mobile strip club-related lawsuit decided.

21st century

2002 - Tricentennial of founding of Mobile.

2005

Sam Jones becomes first African-American in city elected mayor.

City twins with Cockburn, Australia, and establishes sister city agreement with Bolinao, Philippines.

2010 - Population: 195,111.

2012 - Christmas tornado outbreak.

2015 - Bayfest is canceled.