Timeline of Rio de Janeiro

Prior to 19th century

1565 CE

São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro founded by Portuguese.

Fortaleza de São João built.

1603 - St James of Mercy Fort built.

1663 - Padre Eterno galleon launched.

1693 - Calaboose Prison built.

1736 - Academia dos Felizes founded.

1743 - Paço Imperial built.

1750 - Carioca Aqueduct built.

1752 - Academia dos Seletos founded.

1763 - Portuguese America administrative center moved to Rio de Janeiro from Salvador.

1770 - Old Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro consecrated.

1783 - Passeio Público constructed.

1792 - Real Academia de Artilharia, Fortificação e Desenho founded.

19th century

1803 - Paço de São Cristóvão building erected.

1808

City becomes capital of Kingdom of Portugal.

Printing press in operation.

1811 - Candelária Church inaugurated.

1815 - City becomes capital of United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves

1818 - Royal Museum established.

1822

City becomes capital of independent Brazil.

Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden opens.

1826 - Academia Imperial de Belas Artes (Brasil) founded.

1827 - Jornal do Commercio newspaper in publication.

1852 - Theatro Provisório built.

1854 - Catete Palace built.

1858

Dom Pedro II railway begins operating.

Central do Brasil inaugurated.

1871 - Theatro D. Pedro II inaugurated.

1877 - Santa Teresa Tram opens.

1884 - Corcovado Rack Railway opens.

1891 - Jornal do Brasil newspaper begins publication.

1896 - Academia Brasileira de Letras founded.

1900s-1940s

1902 - Universidade Cândido Mendes founded.

1904

Vaccine Revolt.

Avenida Rio Branco constructed.

1906 - Palácio Monroe erected.

1908 - City flag design adopted.

1909 - Teatro Municipal (Rio de Janeiro) inaugurated.

1912

Afonsos Air Force Base built.

Civil Police Museum founded.

1914 - Fort Copacabana built.

1917 - Labor strike.

1919 - South American Championship held.

1920 - Federal University of Rio de Janeiro founded.

1922

July: Coup attempt.

National Historical Museum (Brazil) created.

Population: 1,130,000.

Hotel Glória built.

Morro do Castelo (Castle Hill) demolished—now Castelo neighborhood.

1923 - Copacabana Palace Hotel inaugurated.

1925 - O Globo newspaper begins publication.

1926 - Hipódromo da Gávea built.

1927 - Edificio do Jornal A Noite built.

1931

Pedro Ernesto Baptista becomes mayor.

Cristo Redentor statue built.

1936

Bartolomeu de Gusmão Airport inaugurated.

Manguinhos Airport opens.

Santos Dumont Airport inaugurated.

1937 - Universidade Santa Úrsula founded.

1938 - Museu Nacional de Belas Artes inaugurated.

1940 - Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro founded.

1943

Gustavo Capanema Palace built.

Santa Cruz Air Force Base established.

1945 - Zoological Garden inaugurated.

1947 - South American Basketball Championship held.

1949 - Tribuna da Imprensa newspaper begins publication.

1950s-1990s

1950

Rio de Janeiro State University established.

Maracanã (stadium) opens.

1951 - Nova Iguaçu level crossing disaster.

1952

Instituto Nacional de Matemática Pura e Aplicada established.

Escola Brasileira de Administração Pública e de Empresas founded.

Manchete (magazine) headquartered in city.

1953 - Museu do Índio created.

1954 - Ginásio do Maracanãzinho built.

1958 - Train crash.

1960

Brazilian capital moved from Rio to Brasília.

Rio becomes Guanabara State, smallest state of Brazil.

1961

Tijuca Forest becomes a national park.

Edificio Avenida Central built.

1964 - Museum of Modern Art built.

1965

Flamengo Park created.

Banda de Ipanema begins.

1971

Jacarepaguá Airport opens.

Faculdades Integradas Hélio Alonso founded.

1972

Petrobras Headquarters built.

Hotel Horsa Nacional built.

1975

City becomes part of Rio de Janeiro (state).

Marcos Tamoio becomes mayor.

Escola de Artes Visuais do Parque Lage created.

1976 - Le Méridien Copacabana opens.

1977

Riocentro built.

Rio Othon Palace hotel opens.

1978 - Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet built.

1979

Rio de Janeiro Metro founded.

Israel Klabin becomes mayor.

Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro established.

Rio de Janeiro Cathedral built.

1980

Júlio Coutinho becomes mayor.

105 Lélio Gama St. built.

1981 - Barra Shopping opens.

1982 - Rio Sul Center built.

1983

Rede Manchete television begins broadcasting.

Jamil Haddad becomes mayor, succeeded by Marcello Alencar.

1984

Sambadrome Marquês de Sapucaí built.

CasaShopping opens.

1986 - Roberto Saturnino Braga becomes mayor.

1988 - Jó Antônio Resende becomes mayor.

1989

16 July: 1989 Copa América football tournament held.

Marcello Alencar becomes mayor.

Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (Rio branch) opens.

1990

Eva Klabin Foundation museum established.

Escadaria Selarón construction begins.

1992 - United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit) held.

1993

César Maia becomes mayor.

Candelária massacre.

1994 Metropolitan hall opens.

1995 - Centro Empresarial Internacional Rio built.

1997

Luiz Paulo Conde becomes mayor.

Miécimo da Silva Sports Complex opens.

1998

Terra Encantada opens.

Project Morrinho begins.

Palace II building collapses.

21st century

2000 - 2000 Ibero-American Championships in Athletics held.

2001 - César Maia becomes mayor.

2002 - Instituto Superior de Tecnologia em Ciências da Computação do Rio de Janeiro established.

2004 - Torre Almirante built.

2006 - Koni Store founded.

2007

Cantagalo Station opens.

Estádio Olímpico João Havelange built.

HSBC Arena (Rio de Janeiro) opens.

2007 Pan American Games held.

Rio de Janeiro train collision.

2008 - Rio International Open Jiu-Jitsu Championship begins.

2009

Eduardo Paes becomes mayor.

City wins the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics bid.

2010

World Urban Forum and Homeless World Cup football contest held.

Manguinhos Library Park opens in Benfica.

Population: 6,320,446.

2011

Cidade da Música built.

School shooting.

2012

United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development held.

Building collapses.

TransOeste inaugurated.

2013 - Protest.

2014 - 2014 FIFA World Cup and Street Child World Cup football contest held.

2015 - July: Uber protest.

2016 - Olympic Games and Paralympic Games held.

6 October: Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival

14 October: Ultra Brasil (electronic music festival)

25 October: Anima Mundi (animation film festival)