Timeline of Utrecht

~50 CE - Roman fortress built on what is now the Dom square as part of the Limes Germanicus. Named traiectum to signify it was at a crossing of what was at that time the main branch of the Rhine (now the Oude Gracht)

~200 CE - Wooden fortress walls upgraded to imported tuff stone. Parts of these wall survive to date

~270 CE - Limes Germanicus including the fortress at Trajectum abandoned due to continued invasions.

636 - Chapel built by Dagobert I within the walls of the abandoned Roman fortress.

695 - Catholic diocese of Utrecht established.

720 - St. Martin's church founded by Willibrord (approximate date).

918 - Balderic becomes bishop.

1122

22 June: Town privileges confirmed by Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor.

Oudegracht (canal) construction begins.

1145 - Smeetoren (tower) built (approximate date).

1267 - St. Martin's Cathedral built.

1279 - Buurkerk (church) rebuilding begins.

1370 - Public clock installed (approximate date).

1382 - St. Martin's Cathedral tower built.

1393 - Nieuwegracht (Utrecht) (moat) constructed.

1432 - Kleine Vleeshal built.

1440

Guildhall St. Eloy's Hospice in use.

Illuminated manuscript Hours of Catherine of Cleves created in Utrecht (approximate date).

1455 - 7 April: Gijsbrecht van Brederode becomes bishop elect of Utrecht after being elected by the chapters.

1455 - 13 September: David of Burgundy becomes bishop of Utrecht by papal appointment.

1459 - 2 March: Adriaan Florensz, the later Pope Adrian VI born.

1470-4 - First Utrecht Civil War to quell continued opposition to his rule David of Burgundy imprisons Gijsbrecht van Brederode leading to the first Utrecht civil war.

1471 - Printing press in operation (approximate date).

1481-3 - Second Utrecht Civil War, David of Burgundy temporarily removed from power, but restored after the Siege of Utrecht (1983)

1517 - Paushuize (residence) built.

1528 - Lordship of Utrecht established.

1532 - Vredenburg (castle) built.

1550 - St. Catherine Cathedral built (approximate date).

1577 - Demolition of Vredenburg castle begins.

1579 - 23 January: Treaty unifying northern provinces of the Netherlands signed in Utrecht.

1584 - Catholic property secularized.

1586 - Calvinists in power.

1620s - Utrecht Caravaggisti artists active.

1636 - Utrecht University and its library established.

1637 - Grote Vleeshuis built.

1644 - Schilders-Collegie founded.

1672-3 - Occupation by French forces.

1674 - 1 August: 1674 Netherlands storm. Major damage to several landmark building, most notably the collapse of the nave of the Dom church.

18th-19th centuries

1713 - International peace treaty relating to the War of the Spanish Succession signed in Utrecht.

1773 - Provincial Utrecht Society of Arts and Sciences founded.

1787 - 9 May: Prussians in power.

1795 - 18 January: Utrecht "acquired by the French."

1807 - Genootschap Kunstliefde (art society) formed.

1808 - Jewish cemetery, Utrecht established.

1813 - Jan van den Velden becomes mayor.

1816 - Utrechtsch Studenten Corps (student society) founded.

1823

Abstede, Catharijne, Lauwerecht, and Tolsteeg become part of city.

Oorsprongpark (Utrecht) opens.

1830 - Utrecht City Hall built.

1838 - City Museum of Antiquities opens.

1843 - Utrecht Centraal railway station opens.

1853 - Sonnenborgh Observatory established.

1866 - Population: 58,607 in city; 172,487 in province.

1872 - Aartsbisschoppelijk Museum opens.

1873 - Museum Kunstliefde established.

1879 - Regional Utrecht State Archives established.

1884

Utrechtsch Museum van Kunstnijverheid (applied arts museum) opens.

Population: 74,364.

1892 - Public library established.

1893 - Utrechts Nieuwsblad (newspaper) begins publication.

1894 - Utrecht City Orchestra founded.

1898 - Wilhelminapark (Utrecht) opens.

20th century

1902 - Aartsbisschoppelijk Paleis van Utrecht built.

1906 - Gemeentetram Utrecht (electric tram) begins operating.

1908 - Bioscoop Vreeburg (cinema) opens.

1913 - Rembrandt Bioscoop-Theater (cinema) opens.

1914 - Old Catholic St. Gertrude's Cathedral built.

1916 - Nationale Bankvereeniging (bank) established.

1919 - Population: 138,334.

1921 - Centraal Museum established.

1924 - Rietveld Schröder House built in the De Stijl design mode.

1927 - Louis Hartlooper Complex construction begins (approximate date).

1940 - Population: 165,029.

1950 - Population: 193,190.

1954 - Oudenrijn (section) and Zuilen become part of city.

1960 - Population: 254,186.

1961 - Neudeflat built.

1967 - 12 June: 1967 Utrecht explosion in Lage Weide.

1968 - Sarasani cannabis coffee shop in business.

1970 - Football Club Utrecht formed.

1976 - Westraven hi-rise built.

1978 - Springhaver cinema opens.

1979 - Muziekcentrum Vredenburg (concert hall) and Museum Catharijneconvent open.

1980 - Population: 237,037 municipality.

1985 - May: Catholic pope visits Utrecht.

1987 - Leefbaarheidsbudget (participatory budgeting) introduced.

1998 - City Utrecht Archive established.

21st century

2000 - Population: 233,667.

2001 - Vleuten-De Meern becomes part of city.

2002 - Regio Randstad regional governance group formed.

2006 - Dick Bruna House museum opens.

2008 - Galghenwert hi-rise built.

2011 - Rabobank Bestuurscentrum hi-rise built.

2012 - Utrecht befriends the city of Portland, Oregon, USA.

2013 - Population: 321,916 municipality.

2014

TivoliVredenburg concert hall opens.

Jan van Zanen becomes mayor.

2015 - July: 2015 Tour de France cycling race starts from Utrecht.

2017 - May: Basic income pilot to begin.