Timeline of Tbilisi

Prior to 13th century

4th century CE – Narikala Fortress built.

534 – Anchiskhati Basilica built (approximate date).

6th century – Capital of Caucasian Iberia moves to Tbilisi from Mtzkhet.

570 – Persians in power.

626 – Town besieged by Greeks.

627 – Town sacked by Byzantine/Khazar forces.

639 – Sioni Cathedral built (approximate date).

653 – Occupation by Arab leader Khabib Ibn-Maslama.

736 – Arab Emirate of Tbilisi is established.

764 – Town sacked by Khazars.

828 – Town besieged by Khazars.

851 – Town besieged by Arabs.

853 – Town besieged by forces of Arab Bugha Al-Turki.

1068 – Town sacked by forces of Seljuk Turk Alp Arslan.

1122 – David IV of Georgia comes to power; relocates capital to Tbilisi from Kutaisi.

13th–17th centuries

1226 – City sacked by forces of Khwarazmian Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu.

1236 – Mongols in power.

1251 – Cathedral of Saint George built.

1284 – Metekhi Church of Assumption built.

1329 – Catholic diocese established.

1366 – Plague.

1395 – City besieged by Timur.

1444 – City sacked by forces of Turcoman Jahan Shah.

1467 – Norashen Church founded.

1477 – Aq Qoyunlu in power.

1480 – Armenian Cathedral rebuilt.

1522 – Persians in power.

1655 – Khojivank church built.

1668 – Earthquake.

18th century

1711 – Church of the Holy Seal built.

1717 – Zrkinyants St. Gevorg (church) built.

1727 – Upper Betlemi Church built.

1729 – Jigrashen Avetyats Church built (approximate date).

1737 – Saint Sargis Church built.

1753 – Church of Saint George (Kldisubani) built.

1756 – Saint Gevorg of Mughni Church rebuilt.

1775 – Church of the Red Gospel built (approximate date).

1778 – Krtsanis Tsiranavor Surb Astvatsatsin (church) rebuilt.

1788 – Kamoyants St. Gevorg (church) built.

1793 – Armenian school opens.

1795 – City sacked by forces of Persian Mohammad Khan Qajar.

1799 – Russians in power.

19th century

1801 – City becomes part of Russia.

1817 – Tbilisi Spiritual Seminary established.

1824 – Nersisyan School established.

1830 – Tiflis Gymnasium (school) founded.

1840 – Ivan Izmiryants becomes mayor.

1845 – Botanical Garden established.

1846 – Tiflis Public Library established.

1848 – City becomes part of Tiflis Governorate.

1851 – Opera house and Dry Bridge (Tbilisi) built.

1858 – Mushthaid Garden opens.

1866 – Droeba newspaper begins publication.

1867 – Caucasian Museum founded.

1868 – Population: 61,000.

1870 – Lower Bethlehemi Church built.

1872

Railway station built.

Mshak newspaper begins publication.

1879 – City Hall building remodelled.

1883 – Population: 104,024.

1885 – Military Museum built.

1890 – Armenian Revolutionary Federation founded in Tiflis.

1897

Garrison Cathedral built.

Population: 159,862.

1899 – Alexandropol-Tiflis railway begins operating.

20th century

1902 – Erivan-Tiflis railway begins operating.

1907 – 26 June: Bank robbery.

1909

Apollo Theatre (Tbilisi) opens.

Alexander Khatisyan becomes mayor.

1913 – Population: 327,800.

1917

Tiflis Governorate abolished.

Conservatoire and Armenian National Council of Tiflis founded.

1918

February–May: City becomes capital of Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic.

May: City becomes capital of Democratic Republic of Georgia.

Tbilisi State University and Tbilisi Medical Institute established.

Benia Chkhikvishvili becomes mayor.

National Archives of Georgia headquartered in Tbilisi.

1919 – Museum of Georgia active.

1920 – National Art Gallery opens.

1921 – February: City besieged by Bolshevist Russian Red Army.

1922

City becomes capital of Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic.

Art Academy founded.

1925 – FC Dinamo Tbilisi (football club) formed.

1927 – Tiflis Zoopark founded.

1928 – Georgian Politechnical Institute established.

1929 – Mtatsminda Pantheon (cemetery) established.

1930

Museum of Literature founded.

Marjanishvili Theater relocates to Tbilisi.

1931 – Zarya Vostoka building constructed.

1933 – Jewish Historic-Ethnographic Museum founded.

1935 – Central Stadium opens.

1936

City becomes capital of Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic.

City name changed from "Tiflis" to "Tbilisi."

1939

Rustaveli cinema opens.

Didube Pantheon (cemetery) established.

1941

Georgian SSR Academy of Sciences and Tbilisi Aircraft State Association established.

1946 – Vake Park opens.

1950 – Art Museum of Georgia active.

1951 – Donkey Bridge rebuilt.

1952 – Airport and Poet's Bridge built.

1953 – Didube bridge built.

1956 – March: Anti-Russian demonstrations.

1958 – Institute of Manuscripts established.

1961 – Tbilisi Sports Palace opens.

1966

Tbilisi Metro begins operating.

Baratashvili Bridge constructed.

Open Air Museum of Ethnography founded.

1967 – Hotel Iveria built.

1970 – Saburtalo Pantheon (cemetery) established.

1972 – Tbilisi TV Broadcasting Tower erected.

1974 – Human Rights Defence Group formed.

1975 – Tbilisi Roads Ministry Building constructed.

1976 – Boris Paichadze Stadium opens.

1978 – April: Demonstrations about constitutional status of Georgian language.

1979

Tbilisoba begins.

Population: 1,052,734.

1980 – March: Rock music festival held.

1983 – Republic Square constructed.

1984

Wedding Palace built.

December: Gas explosion.

1989

9 April: Anti-Soviet Demonstration quashed.

13 April: Church of the Red Gospel destroyed.

1990s

1990 – June: Aerial tramway accident.

1991

April: Georgia declares independence from USSR.

December: Conflict between pro-Gamsakhurdia and Opposition forces.

Georgian Academy of Agrarian Sciences founded.

Ordzhonikidze Square renamed "26 May Square."

1992

January: Conflict between pro-Gamsakhurdia and Opposition forces.

Otar Litanishvili becomes mayor.

1993 – Konstantine Gabashvili becomes mayor, succeeded by Nikoloz Lekishvili.

1995

Abkhazian Regional Academy of Sciences founded.

Badri Shoshitaishvili becomes mayor.

1996 – National Parliamentary Library of Georgia headquartered in city.

1998

Vano Zodelava becomes mayor.

Telasi privatized.

21st century

2000 – Basiani choir formed.

2001

Mikheil Meskhi Stadium built.

TbilAviaMsheni airline based in Tbilisi.

2002

Earthquake.

Tbilisi Aircraft Manufacturing privatized.

Population: 1,081,679.

2003 – November: Rose Revolution.

2004

Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba) built.

Zurab Tchiaberashvili becomes mayor.

Caucasus University established.

2005 – Giorgi Ugulava becomes mayor.

2006

March: Protest against 2006 Russian ban of Moldovan and Georgian wines.

Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline in operation.

National Science Library (Georgia), Scouts of Tbilisi, and Museum of Soviet Occupation established.

Freedom Monument erected in Freedom Square.

2007

Demonstrations against Saakashvili regime.

Old Tbilisi raion established.

Free University of Tbilisi and Radio Muza founded.

2008 – August: Bombing by Russian Air Force during Russo-Georgian War.

2009

Demonstrations against Saakashvili regime.

Tbilisi Open Air (music festival), Tbilisi International Festival of Theatre, and Tbilisi Fashion Week begin.

2010 – Bridge of Peace (pedestrian bridge) built.

2011 – May: Demonstration against Saakashvili regime.

2012

13 February: Bomb attempt foiled.

May: Anti-government demonstration.

Population: 1,473,551.

2015

14 June: Flooding in the Vere river results in at least 12 deaths and devastates the city's zoo.