Timeline of Rotterdam

Prior to 19th century

1270 - Dam built on Rotte (river).

1328 - Latin school established

1340 - City rights granted.

1350 - Rotterdamse Schie (canal) constructed (approximate date).

1477 - Saint Lawrence Church consecrated.

1489 - Rotterdam besieged by forces of Frans van Brederode.

1563 - Fire.

1572 - Spanish in power.

1574 - Admiralty of Rotterdam organized.

1611 - Guild of Saint Luke active (approximate date).

1622 - Erasmus statue erected.

1626 - Collegium Mechanicum established.

1632 - Population: 20,000 (approximate).

1643 - Scotch Presbyterian church built.

1722 - Exchange built.

1769 - Batavian Society for Experimental Philosophy founded.

1773 - Studium Scientiarum Genetrix literary society formed.

1781 - Rotterdamse Academie established.

1796 - Population: 53,212.

1797 - Netherlands Missionary Society founded.

1798 - Organ installed in Saint Lawrence Church.

19th century

1813 - Johan François van Hogendorp van Heeswijk becomes mayor.

1835 - Town Hall rebuilt.

1838 - Population: 72,000.

1844 - Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant begins publication.

1847 - Delftsche Poort railway station opens.

1849 - Boymans Museum opens.

1851 - Royal Maas Yacht Club founded.

1857 - Zoo opens.

1859 - Rotterdamsch Leeskabinet (library) founded.

1863 - Rotterdam Bank established.

1866 - Population: 115,277.

1869 - Feijenoord becomes part of city.

1870 - Municipal waterworks established.

1872 - Nieuwe Waterweg constructed.

1873 - Netherlands-America Steamship Company in business.

1874

Katendrecht village becomes part of city.

Oldenzeel art gallery in business.

Fountain installed at Nieuwe Markt.

Maritime Museum founded.

1875

Post office built.

Koninklijke Rotterdamsche Lloyd shipping firm in business.

1876 - Rotterdamsche reinigingsdienst formed.

1877 - Railway Bridge, Rotterdam Zuid railway station, and Rotterdam Beurs railway station open.

1878 - Willemsbrug (Rotterdam) opens.

1879

Horsecar trams begin operating.

Passage (arcade) built.

1882 - Fish Market built.

1885 - Museum for Geography and Ethnology opens.

1886 - Delfshaven becomes part of city.

1891 - Population: 203,500.

1894 - Municipal gas and electricity established.

1895 - Charlois and Kralingen become part of city.

1898 - Witte Huis built.

20th century

1900 - "Record office" established.

1904

Museum van Oudheden (city history museum) in operation in the Schielandshuis.

Schiecentrale built.

1905

Electric trams begin operating.

Population: 379,017.

1908

Rotterdam Hofplein railway station opens.

Wilhelmina football club formed.

1913 - Netherlands School of Commerce founded.

1920 - Voorwaarts newspaper begins publication.

1925 - Economic Faculty Association established.

1927 - Natural History Museum established.

1930

Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra active.

Naamlooze Vennootschap Margarine Unie in business.

Rotterdams Conservatorium founded.

1931

Rotterdamse Dansschool founded.

Van Nelle Factory built.

1934

Hoogvliet and Pernis become part of city.

De Doelen (concert hall and convention centre) built.

1937

Stadion Feijenoord and Rotterdam Stadion railway station open.

Museum of Taxation founded.

1938

Pieter Oud becomes mayor.

Yevhen Konovalets is assassinated in Rotterdam by Pavel Sudoplatov.

1940

May 14: Rotterdam Blitz.

Diergaarde Blijdorp (zoo) re-opens.

1941 - Hillegersberg, IJsselmonde, Overschie, and Schiebroek become part of city.

1945 - Pieter Oud becomes mayor again.

1946

Plan for the Reconstruction of Rotterdam adopted.

Algemeen Dagblad begins publication.

1953

Rotterdam Blaak railway station and Rotterdam Noord railway station open.

Groothandelsgebouw built.

1956 - Airport opens.

1957 - Rotterdam Centraal railway station opens.

1958 - Arboretum Trompenburg opens.

1960

Euromast tower built.

City hosts Floriade horticulture exhibition.

1962 - Port of Rotterdam ranked world's busiest port by cargo tonnage.

1964

Rotterdam Lombardijen railway station opens.

Hilton Hotel built.

1965 - Regional Rinjmond Public Authority created.

1966 - De Doelen (concert hall and convention centre) rebuilt.

1968 - Rotterdam Metro begins operating.

1969 - Rotterdam Alexander railway station opens.

1970

NRC Handelsblad begins publication, after the merger between Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant and Algemeen Handelsblad

Nedlloyd shipping firm in business.

Kralingen Music Festival held.

1973

Charlois, Hoogvliet, and Hoek van Holland sub-municipalities created.

Maasvlakte in operation.

1974 - André van der Louw becomes mayor.

1975

Prins Alexander sub-municipality created.

Werkcentrum Dans founded.

1976

IJsselmonde and Centrum Noord sub-municipalities created.

Stoom Stichting Nederland railway museum founded.

1977 - Sviib (student association) organized.

1979 - HNLMS Buffel museum ship opens.

1981

Rotterdam Marathon begins.

Baroeg (music venue) in business.

1982 - Bram Peper becomes mayor.

1984

Zomercarnaval begins.

Cube houses built near Oude Haven.

1986 - Port of Rotterdam ranked world's busiest container port.

1988 - Hogeschool Rotterdam established.

1990 - Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art and Shipping and Transport College established.

1991 - Gebouw Delftse Poort built.

1992 - Kunsthal art museum opens.

1993

Netherlands Architecture Institute relocates to Rotterdam.

Chabot Museum opens.

1994 - V2 Institute for the Unstable Media active.

1996

Erasmus Bridge opens.

Schouwburgplein (square) redesigned.

1997 - MAMA project established by Public Art Squad Foundation.

1999

Ivo Opstelten becomes mayor.

WORM (Rotterdam) active.

21st century

2000

Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam begins.

Codarts University for the Arts opens.

KPN Tower built.

2001

World Port Center built.

Oceanium (aquarium) opens.

City designated a European Capital of Culture.

2002 - Regio Randstad regional governance group formed.

2003 - Netherlands Photo Museum opens.

2005 - Montevideo (residential skyscraper) built.

2006

North Sea Jazz Festival begins in Rotterdam.

Rotterdam Circus Arts founded.

2007 - RandstadRail and Betuweroute in operation.

2009

Ahmed Aboutaleb becomes first Muslim mayor of a major European city.

Maastoren skyscraper built.

2010

Rozenburg becomes part of city.

Pernis sub-municipality created.

New Orleans (residential skyscraper) built.

2010 Tour de France cycling race starts from Rotterdam.

2012 - Population: 616,250.

2014 - Market Hall built.