Timeline of Vilnius

Prior to 16th century

1323

Gediminas relocates Lithuanian capital to Vilnius from Trakai.

Castle on Gediminas Hill expanded.

1330 - Coat of arms of Vilnius granted.

1345 - Pyatnitzkaya Church built.

1348 - Cathedral of the Theotokos built.

1387

Magdeburg rights granted.

St. Nicholas Church built.

1397 - Cathedral School active (approximate date).

1409 - Gediminas' Tower built.

1426 - Church of St. John built.

1469 - Church of Saints Bernard and Francis founded.

16th century

1500 - St. Anne's Church consecrated.

1522

City walls and Gate of Dawn built.

Francysk Skaryna sets up printing press.

1555 - Lutheran Church built on Nyemetzkaya Street.

1557 - Vilnius Cathedral rebuilt.

1560 - St. Paraskeva Church rebuilt.

1588 - Plague.

1570 - Jesuit library established.

1572 - Synagogue built.

1579 - Alma Academia et Universitas Vilnensis Societatis Iesu founded.

1597 - Monastery of the Holy Ghost founded.

17th century

1610 - Fire.

1626 - Church of St. Theresa founded.

1630 - All Saints Church built.

1633 - Great Synagogue built.

1644 - Biblioteca Sapehana willed to Vilnia University.

1653 - Radziwill Palace built.

1655 - July: Battle of Vilnius; Russians in power.

1656 - Town becomes part of Russia.

1658 - Battle of Werki.

1697 - Sapieha Palace built.

18th century

1701 - St. Peter and St. Paul's Church built.

1702 - Swedes in power.

1710 - Plague.

1739 - Green Bridge constructed.

1749 - Divine Mercy Sanctuary built.

1781 - University Botanical Garden established.

1788 - Russians in power.

1794 - Wilno Uprising.

1795

Town becomes part of Russia, and capital of Vilna Governorate.

St. Paraskeva Church rebuilt.

1799

Town Hall rebuilt.

Romm publishing house relocates to Vilnius.

19th century

1801

Rasos Cemetery consecrated.

Royal Palace demolished.

1809 - Antakalnis Cemetery established.

1810 - Bernardine Cemetery established.

1812

Napoleon uses city as military base.

Vilnian National Guard formed.

1823 - Population: 20,900.

1825 - Tuskulenai Manor built.

1828 - Jewish cemetery established in Uzupis (approximate date).

1831 - Uprising.

1832 - University closed.

1834 - Presidential Palace renovated.

1836 - St. George Avenue laid out.

1845 - Theatre opens.

1852 - Central Archive of Early Register Books established.

1855 - Museum of Antiquities established.

1856 - Public library established.

1861 - Demonstration against Russian Empire.

1863 - Uprising against Russian Empire.

1866 - St. Nicholas Orthodox Church reconsecrated.

1867 - Pretchistenski Cathedral rebuilt.

1881 - Population: 89,560.

1883 - Population: 93,760.

1897 - Jewish Labor Bund founded in Vilnius.

1898 - St. Alexander Nevsky Church and District Court built.

20th century

1900 - Population: 162,633.

1901 - Kaziukas Fair relocates to Place Lukiskim.

1903 - Power Plant, Choral Synagogue and Our Lady of the Sign Church built.

1904 - Prison built.

1905 - December: Great Seimas of Vilnius held.

1906

Society of Friends of Science organized.

Vileisis Palace built.

1907 - Lithuanian Art Society founded.

1911 - St. Casimir Church, Naujoji Vilnia built.

1913

Orthodox Church of St. Michael and St. Constantine built.

Population: 204,290.

1915

19 September: Germans in power.

City becomes capital of Lithuania District.

1916 - Vilna Troupe active.

1918

16 February: Lithuania declares independence from German Empire.

Museum of History and Ethnography established.

1919

April: Vilna offensive by Polish army.

Central Library of Lithuania organized.

Jablkowski Brothers department store opens.

1920 - October: Zeligowski's Mutiny.

1925

Darius Stadium opens.

Elektrit Radiotechnical Society, Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Vilnius, and Yiddish Scientific Institute established.

6 May: School massacre.

1926 - City becomes capital of Wilno Voivodeship.

1928 - Northern Trade Fair begins.

1931 - Population: 195,000.

1933

City Museum established.

Smigly Wilno soccer team formed.

1939

Soviets in power.

Vilnius Pedagogical Institute established.

1940

City becomes capital of Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Vilnius State Theatre established.

1941

June: Germans in power.

July: Ponary massacre begins.

1942 - Fareynikte Partizaner Organizatsye formed in Vilna Jewish Ghetto.

1943 - HKP 562 forced labor camp set up by Germans.

1944

6–15 July: Operation Ostra Brama; Soviets in power.

Airport begins operating.

1945 - Music School founded.

1946 - Russian Drama Theatre reestablished.

1950 - Zalgiris Stadium opens.

1951 - Vilnius Heat Plant commissioned.

1955 - Seskine village becomes part of city.

1956

Trolleybuses begin operating.

Vilnius Gediminas Technical University established.

1963

National Library of Lithuania relocates to Vilnius.

Polish Theater founded.

1964 - Statyba basketball team formed.

1965

Zirmunai Bridge constructed.

Vingis Park renovated.

1967 - Technika (publisher) established.

1968 - Ratilio ensemble formed.

1971 - Palace of Concerts and Sports opens.

1972 - Valakampiai Bridge constructed.

1974

Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre built.

Evangelical Cemetery demolished.

1979 - Population: 503,000.

1980 - Seimas Palace and Vilnius TV Tower built.

1983 - Vilnius Combined Heat and Power Plant commissioned.

1987 - Vilnius Jazz Festival begins.

1989 - Jewish State Museum established.

1990

11 March: Lithuania declares independence from USSR.

Vilnius Lyceum and Vilniaus lietuviu namai (school) established.

1991 - January: City besieged by Soviet forces.

1992

Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania and Verkiai Regional Park established.

Museum of Genocide Victims opens.

1994 - Military Academy of Lithuania established.

1995 - Alis Vidunas becomes mayor.

1997

1 April: Uzupis neighborhood declares itself an independent republic.

Rolandas Paksas becomes mayor.

Kalnai Park established.

1999

Vilnius Book Fair begins.

Juozas Imbrasas becomes mayor.

21st century

2000

House of the Signatories museum opens.

Arturas Zuokas becomes mayor.

2001 - Sportima Arena opens.

2002

Vilnius Ice Palace opens.

Energy and Technology Museum established.

2003

Mindaugas Bridge opens.

750th anniversary of coronation of Mindaugas.

FK Vetra relocates to Vilnius.

2004

Siemens Arena and Vetra Stadium open.

European Humanities University relocates to Vilnius.

Europa Tower built.

Mykolas Romeris University and Vilnius Academy of Business Law established.

Vilnius Marathon begins.

2005 - Lietuvos rytas Arena opens.

2006 - May: City hosts regional democracy conference.

2007

Juozas Imbrasas becomes mayor again.

Jonas Mekas Visual Arts Center opens.

2008

February: City hosts NATO meeting.

Vilnius Airport railway station opens.

Gariunai Market pavilion built.

2009

Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania rebuilt.

City designated a European Capital of Culture.

2011

Vilniaus viesasis transportas (bus company) established.

Population: 554,060.

Arturas Zuokas becomes mayor again.

2015 - Remigijus Šimašius becomes mayor.