Timeline of Nashville, Tennessee

Prior to 19th century

1780

Fort Nashborough established.

Cumberland Compact signed; Cumberland Association formed.

1784 – Nashville established.

1785 – Davidson Academy incorporated.

1789 – Methodist church built.

1796 – Settlement becomes part of the state of Tennessee.

1797 – Tennessee Gazette and Mero District Advertiser newspaper begins publication.

19th century

1806

Town incorporated.

Joseph Coleman becomes mayor.

1812 – Tennessee General Assembly relocates to Nashville from Knoxville.

1813 – Nashville Library Co., Inc. established.

1817 – Tennessee General Assembly relocates from Nashville to Knoxville.

1818

Earl's Nashville Museum opens.

Population: 3,000 (approximate).

1820 – Christian Church built.

1822 – Nashville City Cemetery established.

1823 – Presbyterian church built.

1825 – Decker & Dyer Reading Room established.

1826 – Tennessee General Assembly relocates to Nashville from Murfreesboro.

1829 – Christ Church built.

1830 – Population: 5,566.

1831 – Tennessee State Penitentiary built.

1833 – Water-works established.

1835 – Tennessee Society for the Diffusion of Knowledge organized.

1837 – House of Industry for Females established.

1838 – First Baptist Church built.

1840 – Population: 6,929.

1841 – Mechanics' Library Association formed.

1842 – Burns & Co. in business.

1843 – Nashville becomes capital of Tennessee.

1844 – Tennessee School for the Blind and Mechanics Institute and Library Association established.

1845 – Protestant Orphan Asylum established.

1847 – St. Mary's Cathedral built.

1849 – Merchants' Library and Reading Room and Tennessee Historical Society founded.

1850

June: Nashville Convention held.

Suspension bridge built over the Cumberland River.

Population: 10,165.

1851 – Nashville Gas Light Company in operation.

1852

Public school system inaugurated.

Davidson County Jail built.

1854

Southern Methodist Publishing House headquartered in Nashville.

Tennessee State Library established.

1855 – Giers photo studio in business.

1856 – Church of the Assumption built.

1857 – Davidson County Court House rebuilt.

1858 – City Workhouse and Church of St. Ann's built.

1859

Tennessee State Capitol, draw-bridge, and Central Baptist Church built.

Louisville and Nashville Railroad begins operating.

1860 - Population: 16,988.

1862

City under Union control.

Fort Negley built.

1863 – St. Mary's Catholic Orphan Asylum founded.

1864 – December 15–16: Battle of Nashville.

1865 – Fisk Free Colored School, Ward Seminary for Young Ladies, and Earhart's Bryant & Stratton's Commercial College established.

1866 – Central Tennessee College founded.

1867

Montgomery Bell Academy opens.

Nashville Lyceum Association incorporated.

1869 – Howard Chapel built.

1870

Sulphur Dell ballpark opens.

Population: 25,865.

1871

Tennessee and Pacific Railroad (Lebanon-Nashville) begins operating.

Fisk University Jubilee Singers, Library Association, and Nashville Saddlery Company established.

1873 – Vanderbilt University established.

1874 – Hebrew temple and First Cumberland Presbyterian Church built.

1876 – Nashville Banner newspaper begins publication.

1880 – Population: 43,350.

1884 – Nashville Athletic Club formed.

1885 – Industrial School and Query Club (women's group) established.

1889

The Hermitage museum opens.

Boscobel College for Young Ladies established.

Peabody Normal College active.

1890 – Population: 76,168.

1891 – Nashville Bible School founded.

1892

March 17: St. Patrick's Day storm dumps 17 inches of snow on the city.

Union Gospel Tabernacle built.

Maxwell House coffee introduced.

1897 – Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition held.

1898

Howard Library established.

Tennessee State Penitentiary rebuilt.

1900s-1940s

1900

Meharry Medical College active.

Population: 80,865.

Polk Place demolished.

1904 – Carnegie Library opens.

1905 – Centennial Club (women's group) active.

1906

Tennessee State Fair begins.

Nashville Globe newspaper begins publication.

1907 – Nashville Tennessean newspaper in publication.

1909 – Sparkman Street Bridge opens.

1910

Nashville Art Association chartered.

The Hermitage Hotel in business.

Advance Publishing Company incorporated.

Population: 110,364.

1912 - Urban League branch established.

1916 – Nashville Housewives League organized.

1918

July 9: Great Train Wreck of 1918.

1918 influenza epidemic.

1920 – Population: 118,342.

1922 - Nashville's first radio station, WDAA, signs on

1925

War Memorial Auditorium dedicated.

Grand Ole Opry begins broadcasting.

Belcourt Theatre built.

1927 – Warner Parks open.

1930

First American National Bank formed.

Population: 153,866.

1931

Nashville Children's Theatre established.

Parthenon rebuilt.

1936 – Berry Field (airport) dedicated.

1937 – Tennessee State Museum established.

1940 - Population: 167,402.

1941

W47NV radio licensed.

Iroquois Steeplechase begins.

1942 – Acuff-Rose Music and Harveys (department store) in business.

1946 – Nashville Symphony founded.

1950s-1990s

1950

WSM-TV begins broadcasting.

Population: 174,307.

1951

Ben West becomes mayor.

The Harpeth Hall School opens.

1952 - Tennessee Theatre opens.

1953 – WSIX-TV begins broadcasting.

1954 – WLAC-TV begins broadcasting.

1955 - Brothers Owen and Harold Bradley establish Bradley's Film & Recording Studio, the first studio in what will become Nashville's Music Row neighborhood.

1957

Life & Casualty Tower built.

RCA Studios begins operation at the corner of 17th Ave. S. and Hawkins St. It will become known as RCA Studio B.

1960

Nashville sit-ins for civil rights occur.

Cheekwood Museum opens.

Population: 170,874.

1961 – Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum established.

1962

WDCN-TV begins broadcasting.

Nashville Municipal Auditorium opens.

1963

City consolidates its government with Davidson County.

Metropolitan Council (Nashville) established.

Beverly Briley becomes mayor.

1967 – 100 Oaks Mall in business near city.

1968 – Third National Bank Building constructed.

1970 - Population: 448,003.

1972

Fan Fair music festival begins.

Opryland USA opens.

1974

Regions Center (Nashville) built.

Grand Ole Opry House opens.

1975 – Richard Fulton becomes mayor.

1978 - The Nashville Sounds minor-league baseball team plays its inaugural season.

1980

Tennessee Performing Arts Center opens.

Sri Ganesha Temple established.

Population: 455,651.

1981 – Nashville Opera Guild chartered.

1982 - Foreign trade zone established.

1983 - Nissan car manufactory begins operating in nearby Smyrna.

1985 – Starwood Amphitheatre opens.

1986 – Tennessee Players founded.

1987

Nashville Airport terminal built.

Bill Boner becomes mayor.

1988 – Nashville Shakespeare Festival and Nashville Pride begin.

1989

Nashville Scene begins publication.

Prince's Hot Chicken Shack in business (approximate date).

1990

Grassmere Wildlife Park established.

Population: 488,374.

1991 – Phil Bredesen becomes mayor.

1994

City website online.

South Central Bell Building constructed.

1996

Bicentennial Mall State Park opens.

Magdalene program for women, and Nashville Zoo at Grassmere established.

Nashville Arena built.

1998

April 15–16: Tornado.

After playing in Memphis for one season, the Tennessee OIlers football team plays its first Nashville games at Vanderbilt Stadium.

Nashville Predators ice hockey team formed.

1999

Adelphia Coliseum opens.

Bill Purcell becomes mayor.

Al Gore presidential campaign, 2000 headquartered in city.

21st century

2000 – The City Paper begins publication.

2001

Tennessee Immigrant Rights Coalition headquartered in city.

Frist Center for the Visual Arts established.

2002 Nashville Public Education Foundation established by Nelson C. Andrews and Thomas J. Sherrard

2003 – Shelby Street pedestrian bridge opens.

2006

Schermerhorn Symphony Center opens.

Viridian Tower built.

Car manufacturer Nissan's North American headquarters in business in nearby Franklin.

2007 – Karl Dean becomes mayor.

2008 – Nashville for All of Us (group) organized.

2009

Third Man Records in business.

The Pinnacle at Symphony Place built.

Music City Drum and Bugle Corps founded.

Live on the Green begins.

Voters reject Nashville English Only Amendment.

2010

April–May: Flood.

Population: 601,222.

2011

October: Occupy Nashville begins.

Parnassus Books in business.

2012

March: Occupy Vanderbilt begins.

MyCity Academy (government program) established.

Fictional Nashville TV series makes national premiere on ABC, transfers to CMT in 2016 after being cancelled by the former and due to fan efforts

2013 – Music City Center opens.

2015

Construction begins on 505 skyscraper.

Megan Barry becomes mayor.