Timeline of Tallinn

Prior to 17th century

3000 BC - First signs of a settlement in Tallinn.

900 BC - Iru settlement

300 - Iru fort built.

1050 - Lyndanise Fort built on Toompea.

1219

Toompea Castle taken by forces of Valdemar II of Denmark.

St Mary's Cathedral built.

1227 - Town charter granted.

1240 – St. Olaf's Church built.

1265 – Town wall constructed.

1275 – St. Nicholas' Church built (approximate date).

1284 – Reval becomes part of Hanseatic League.

1343

April: Reval besieged by Estonian forces.

Brotherhood of Blackheads formed.

1347 – Reval sold to Teutonic Order.

1360 - Town "fortified."

1370 – Pikk Hermann tower built.

1372

School built on Pikk Street.

Population: 3,250.

1404 – Town Hall rebuilt.

1410 – Great Guild Hall built.

1422 – Raeapteek pharmacy in business.

1433 – Fire.

1436 – St. Bridget's Convent built.

1441 – Christmas tree display in Town Hall Square begins.

1464 - Plague.

1475 – The artillery tower Kiek in de Kök built.

1514 - December: Christmas tree displayed in marketplace.

1530

Fat Margaret tower built.

Old Thomas weathervane installed atop Town Hall.

1532 – Plague.

1561 – Reval becomes a dominion of Sweden.

1569 – Reval besieged by Danes.

1570 – Reval besieged by Russians.

1577 – Reval besieged by Russians.

17th century

1630 – Reval Gymnasium (school) established.

1633 - Gymnasiums printing house is founded.

1638 - Beginning of regular post between Tallinn and other Swedish cities.

1675 - First newspaper in Tallinn, Revalsche Post-Zeitung, starts operating.

1684 - Devastating fire in Toompea.

18th century

1710 – Peter the Great's army besieges Reval, Reval surrenders (Siege of Reval (1710)), and Russian rule begins.

1719 – Catherinethal Palace (Kadriorg Palace) built.

1725 - Toompea orphanage is founded.

1758 - City is released for the task to hold up the defence facilities.

1765 - Domeschool is changed to Academic Knightschool. Domechurch loses its control over the school and it is given to Estonian Knighthood.

1769- Mihkli church-monastery is reconstructed as an orthodox church.

1772

Castle rebuilt.

Population: 6,954.

Cemeteries are taken outside of city walls.

1774 – Kopli cemetery and Mõigu cemetery established.

1782 - Population: 10,653

1784 - First theater is founded by August von Kotzebue

19th century

1801 - British navy under the command of admiral Nelson is on the Bay of Tallinn, but he doesn´t attack.

1816 – Population: 12,000.

1817 - Tallinn´s customs affair

1820 - Oleviste Church´s tower burns down.

1827-

1831 - Cholera strikes Tallinn (758 victims)

1843 - The renovation of citys canalisation begins. It is finished by the year 1860.

1845 – Church of Saints Peter & Paul built.

1848

Estonian Knighthood House rebuilt.

Cholera attack again (1029 victims)

1851 – Population: 24,000.

1857

Tallinn is removed from the list of fortress citys, which marks the beginning of Tallinns rapid expansion and becoming a metropol.

First baltic singing festival takes place in Tallinn.

1864 – Kanut Guild Hall built.

1865 - The Gas factory of Tallinn is finished.

1867 – St. John's Church built.

1870

Railway begins operating.

Baltic Station (Tallinn Railway station, Balti jaam) built.

1880 - June: Estonian Song Festival held in city.

1881 - The construction of a modern canalisation begins.

1883

Tallinn City Archives open.

Great Synagogue of Tallinn founded.

1886 – Glehn Castle built.

1888 – Horse-drawn tram begins operating.

1889 - Toompea is finally administratively united with Reval.

1896 – Estonian Song Festival relocates to Reval.

20th century

1900

Nevsky Cathedral built.

Population: 66,292.

1901 - First Estonian newspaper "Teataja" becomes operating.

1902 - Russalka Memorial erected.

1903 - Rahumäe cemetery established.

1905 - January: Labour strike.

1906 - Estonia theatre group active.

1910 - German Theatre built.

1913

Power Plant begins operating.

Bekker Port and Estonia Theatre open.

1914 - Industrial Art School founded.

1916 - Defence Forces Cemetery established.

1917

March: Labor strike.

November: Bolsheviks in power.

Reval renamed "Tallinn" (approximate date).

Nõmme gained borough rights.

Population: 160,000.

1918

February: Germans in power.

National Library of Estonia established.

Tallinn College of Engineering and Higher Music School established.

1919 - Art Museum of Estonia established.

1921 - Tallinn French School founded.

1923

Pääsküla-Tallinn electric railway begins operating.

Hiiu Stadium built.

Järve train station opens.

1924

Tallinn Jewish School established.

Elektriraudtee begins operating.

November 3 – Kivimäe train station opens.

1925

Narva Road tram begins operating.

Chamber of Commerce founded.

1926

Estonian Radio Symphony Orchestra active.

Kadriorg Stadium built.

Nõmme gained town rights.

Hiiu train station opens.

1928 - Lilleküla train station opens.

1932 - Laagri train station opens.

1933 - Pirita-Kose-Kloostrimetsa Circuit opens.

1935 - Estonian Maritime Museum founded.

1936

Tallinn Airport opens.

Tallinn Technical Institute active.

1937 - French Lyceum built.

1938 - Kopli freight station opens.

1939 - Tallinn Zoo founded.

1940 - July 29: Town of Nõmme merged to Tallinn.

1941 - August: Germans in power.

1942 - Bombing by Soviets.

1943

Bombing by Soviets.

March 24: Bungsberg (ship) sunk.

1944 - Bombing by Soviets.

1945 - Tallinna Autobussikoondis founded.

1946 - Institute of Theology of Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church established.

1947 - Monument to the Liberators of Tallinn unveiled.

1952 - Tallinn Pedagogical Institute established.

1955 - July: Television begins broadcasting.

1956 - Kalevi Keskstaadion built.

1959

Tallinn Song Stage built.

Bus Station moved to its current location from the Stalin Square (Viru Square).

Population: 283,071.

1960 - July 21: Tallinna Kaubamaja (department store) opened.

1961

December 1 – Tallinn Botanic Garden established.

Development of Õismäe area begins.

Tallinn Music High School founded.

1962 - Kalevi Spordihall built.

1964 - Kalamaja cemetery destroyed.

1965

July 6 – Trolleybuses begin operating.

Helsinki-Tallinn ferry resumes operation.

New Bus Station built.

1966 - August 2: Tallinn Old Town conservation area established.

1969 - Pirita Velodrome opens.

1972 - May 5: Viru Hotel opens.

1977 - Development of Lasnamäe area begins.

1980

MS Georg Ots begins operating.

Linnahall, TV Tower and Post Office built.

April 6 – Hotel Olümpia opens.

1986 - Muuga Harbour opens.

1987

Singing demonstrations against Soviet occupation begin.

Estonian History Museum inaugurated.

1988 - Estonian Business School established.

1989

Estonian Film Archive active.[1]

Population: 478,974.

1990 - Estonian School of Diplomacy established.

1991

Estoniya newspaper begins publication.

Estonian Maritime Academy and University Nord founded.

1992

Port authority established.

Estonian Academy of Security Sciences, International University Audentes, Mainor Business School, and Tallinn University of Applied Sciences established.

1993 - Concordia International University Estonia established.

1997

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival begins.

Euro University established.

1998 - Rocca al Mare Shopping Centre opens.

1999

Meriton Grand Hotel opens.

May 28 – Kristiine shopping centre opens.

21st century

2000 – Estonian Information Technology College established.

2001

A. Le Coq Arena (Lilleküla Stadium) and Saku Suurhall Arena open.

February 1 – Radisson SAS Hotel opens.

2003

Kultuuritehas Polymer active.

Museum of Occupations opens.

2004

Viru Center with bus terminal opens.

Ülemiste Center opens.

2005

Tallinn University and Baltic Film and Media School established.

Theatre NO99 active.

2006 - Kumu Art Museum built.

2007

April: Bronze Night unrest.

December 10 – Swissôtel Tallinn opens.

Tallinn Synagogue built.

2008

NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre built.

November 10 – Kitseküla train station opens.

2009

Väo Power Plant begins operating.

War of Independence Victory Column unveiled.

October 6 – Nokia Concert Hall opens.

October 9 – Solaris Center opens.

2010 - 23rd European Film Awards held.

2011

Tallinna TV begins broadcasting.

City designated a European Capital of Culture

2015 - Population: 439 286