Timeline of San Juan, Puerto Rico

1500s-1700s

1521 - "Ciudad de Puerto Rico" founded by Spanish colonists from nearby Caparra.

1533 - La Fortaleza built.

1539 - Castillo San Felipe del Morro construction begins.

1540 - Cathedral of San Juan Bautista built.

1595 - November 22: Battle of San Juan.

1598 - Boquerón battery sacked by British forces.

1625 - September 24: Town besieged by Dutch forces.

1651 - Monastery of Our Lady Carmen of San José inaugurated.

1735 - San José Church built.

1769 - Powder house built.

1783 - Castillo de San Cristóbal built.

1787

May 2: 1787 Boricua earthquake.

May 3: Fiesta de Cruz begins.

1797 - April: San Juan besieged by British forces.

1800s

1820 - Population: 7,658.

1822 - Board of charity established.

1832 - Coliseo (theatre) in use.

1845 - Town divided into barrios San Francisco, San Juan, Santa Barbara, Santo Domingo, and Ballaja.

1853

Cataño-San Juan steamship begins operating.

Marketplace built in Santa Barbara barrio.

1857 - Carretera Central (road) built.

1859 - Town expands (adding barrios De la Marina and Puerta de Tierra).

1863 - Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery established.

1864 - Ballajá Barracks built.

1865 - Colegio de Párvulos built.

1879 - Jose Ramon Becerra y de Garrete becomes mayor.

1898

May 12: Bombardment of San Juan by United States forces.

June 22: Second Battle of San Juan.

June 28: Third Battle of San Juan.

August 12: End of hostilities between US and Spanish military forces. United States Military Government begins.

October: Francisco del Valle becomes mayor.

San Juan News begins publication.

Railway built (approximate date).

1899 - Population: 32,048.

April 11: Town becomes part of United States-annexed Puerto Rico per Treaty of Paris.

1900s

1900

Insane asylum established.

May 1: Foraker Act comes into force, civil government for Puerto Rico begins. United States Military Government ends.

1901 - San Juan high school opens.

1902 - Town government formed into legislative and executive branches.

1903

University of Puerto Rico established.

Roberto H. Todd Weels becomes mayor.

1909 - Harbor enlarged.

1910

Puerto Rico Ilustrado begins publication.

Population: 48,716.

1913 - Cine Luna opens.

1918 - October 11: 1918 San Fermín earthquake.

1921 - Academia del Perpetuo Socorro founded.

1923 - United States Army Garrison Fort Buchanan established.

1925 - Academia San Jorge founded.

1928

Luis Muñoz Rivera Park laid out.

September: San Felipe Segundo hurricane.

1929 - Capitol of Puerto Rico building constructed.

1932 - September–October: San Ciprian hurricane.

1940 - United States Naval Air Station Isla Grande established.

1946 - Felisa Rincón de Gautier becomes mayor.

1948 - City flag design adopted.

1949

Caribe Hilton Hotel built.

San Juan National Historic Site United States National Park Service established.

1950

October 30: San Juan Nationalist revolt.

Residencial Las Casas housing complex built.

1951 - Río Piedras becomes part of city.

1952 - City becomes part of Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

1955 - Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport opens.

1958 - Casa del Libro established.

1959 - The San Juan Star newspaper begins publication.

1960 - Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Juan de Puerto Rico formed.

1962 - Hotel El Convento in business.

1966

Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico and San Juan Children's Choir established.

July: 1966 Central American and Caribbean Games held.

1968 - Plaza Las Américas shopping mall in business.

1971 - San Juan Botanical Garden inaugurated.

1976 - June: 2nd G7 summit held near city.

1979 - July: 1979 Pan American Games held.

1983 - Old San Juan designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

1984 - Puerto Rico Museum of Contemporary Art established.

1989 - September: Hurricane Hugo.

1992 - Museo de Las Américas founded.

2000s

2000

Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico established.

Population: 395,326.

2004 - September: Hurricane Jeanne occurs.

2008 - September: Hurricane Kyle occurs.

2009 - May: Economic protest.

2013 - Carmen Yulín Cruz becomes mayor.