Timeline of Rotterdam

The following is a timeline of the history of the municipality of Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Prior to 19th century

ca. 950 - Settlement at the lower end of the fen stream Rotte
1270 - Dam built on Rotte.
1299 - John I, Count of Holland granted rights to the people of Rotterdam, marking the origin of the town.
1328 - Latin school established
1340 - City rights granted by William IV, Count of Holland.
1350 - Rotterdamse Schie constructed.
1466 - Erasmus, philosopher and Catholic theologian born.
1477 - Saint Lawrence Church consecrated.
1489 - Rotterdam besieged by forces of Frans van Brederode.
1563 - Fire.
1572 - Spanish in power.
1574 - Admiralty of Rotterdam organized.
1611 - Guild of Saint Luke active.
1622 - Erasmus statue by Hendrick de Keyser erected.
1626 - Collegium Mechanicum established.
1632 - Population: 20,000.
1643 - Scottish Presbyterian church built.
1722 - Exchange built.
1769 - Batavian Society for Experimental Philosophy founded.
1773 - Studium Scientiarum Genetrix literary society formed.
1780 - Birth of Hendrik Tollens, poet.
1781 - Rotterdamse Academie established.
1796 - Population: 53,212.
1797 - Netherlands Missionary Society founded.
1798 - Organ installed in Saint Lawrence Church.

19th century

1813 - Johan François van Hogendorp van Heeswijk becomes mayor.
1835 - Town Hall rebuilt.
1838 - Population: 72,000.
1844 - Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant begins publication.
1847 - Delftsche Poort railway station opens.
1849 - Boymans Museum opens.
1851 - Royal Maas Yacht Club founded.
1857 - Zoo opens.
1859 - Rotterdamsch Leeskabinet founded.
1863 - Rotterdam Bank established.
1866 - Population: 115,277.
1869 - Feijenoord becomes part of city.
1870 - Municipal waterworks established.
1872 - Nieuwe Waterweg constructed.
1873 - Netherlands-America Steamship Company in business.
1874
* Katendrecht village becomes part of city.
* Oldenzeel art gallery in business.
* Fountain installed at Nieuwe Markt.
* Maritime Museum founded.
1875
* Post office built.
* shipping firm in business.
1876 - Rotterdamsche reinigingsdienst formed.
1877 - Railway Bridge, Rotterdam Zuid railway station, and Rotterdam Beurs railway station open.
1878 - Willemsbrug opens.
1879
* Horsecar trams begin operating.
* Passage built.
1882 - Fish Market built.
1885 - Museum for Geography and Ethnology opens.
1886 - Delfshaven becomes part of city.
1891 - Population: 203,500.
1894 - Municipal gas and electricity established.
1895 - Charlois and Kralingen become part of city.
1898 - Witte Huis built.
1900 - "Record office" established.

20th century

1904
* Museum van Oudheden in operation in the Schielandshuis.
* Schiecentrale built.
1905
* Electric trams begin operating.
* Population: 379,017.
1908
* Rotterdam Hofplein railway station opens.
* Wilhelmina football club formed.
1913 - Netherlands School of Commerce founded.
1920 - Voorwaarts newspaper begins publication.
1925 - Economic Faculty Association established.
1927 - Natural History Museum established.
1930
* Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra active.
* Naamlooze Vennootschap Margarine Unie in business.
* Rotterdams Conservatorium founded.
1931
* Rotterdamse Dansschool founded.
* Van Nelle Factory built.
1934
* Hoogvliet and Pernis become part of city.
* De Doelen built.
1937
* Stadion Feijenoord and Rotterdam Stadion railway station open.
* Museum of Taxation founded.
1938
* Pieter Oud becomes mayor.
* Yevhen Konovalets is assassinated in Rotterdam by Pavel Sudoplatov.
1940
* May 14: Rotterdam Blitz.
* Diergaarde Blijdorp re-opens.
1941 - Hillegersberg, IJsselmonde, Overschie, and Schiebroek become part of city.
1945 - Pieter Oud becomes mayor again.
1946
* adopted.
* Algemeen Dagblad begins publication.
1953
* Rotterdam Blaak railway station and Rotterdam Noord railway station open.
* Groothandelsgebouw built.
1956 - Airport opens.
1957 - Rotterdam Centraal railway station opens.
1958 - Arboretum Trompenburg opens.
1960
* Euromast tower built.
* City hosts Floriade horticulture exhibition.
1962 - Port of Rotterdam ranked world's busiest port by cargo tonnage.
1964
* Rotterdam Lombardijen railway station opens.
* Hilton Hotel built.
1965 - Regional Rinjmond Public Authority created.
1966 - De Doelen rebuilt.
1968 - Rotterdam Metro begins operating.
1969 - Rotterdam Alexander railway station opens.
1970
* Poetry International first performance.
* NRC Handelsblad begins publication, after the merger between Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant and Algemeen Handelsblad
* Nedlloyd shipping firm in business.
* Kralingen Music Festival held.
1972 International Film Festival Rotterdam first started.
1973
* Charlois, Hoogvliet, and Hoek van Holland sub-municipalities created.
* Maasvlakte in operation.
1974 - André van der Louw becomes mayor.
1975
* Prins Alexander sub-municipality created.
* Werkcentrum Dans founded.
1976
* IJsselmonde and Centrum Noord sub-municipalities created.
* Stoom Stichting Nederland railway museum founded.
1977 - Sviib organized.
1979 - HNLMS Buffel museum ship opens.
1981
* Rotterdam Marathon begins.
* Baroeg in business.
1982 - Bram Peper becomes mayor.
1984
* Zomercarnaval begins.
* Cube houses built near Oude Haven.
1986 - Port of Rotterdam ranked world's busiest container port.
1988 - Hogeschool Rotterdam established.
1990 - Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art and Shipping and Transport College established.
1991 - Gebouw Delftse Poort built.
1992 - Kunsthal art museum opens.
1993
* Netherlands Architecture Institute relocates to Rotterdam.
* Chabot Museum opens.
1994 - V2 Institute for the Unstable Media active.
1996
* Erasmus Bridge opens.
* Schouwburgplein redesigned.
1997 - MAMA project established by Public Art Squad Foundation.
1999
* Ivo Opstelten becomes mayor.
* WORM (Rotterdam) active.
2000
* Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam begins.
* Codarts University for the Arts opens.
* KPN Tower built.

21st century

2001
* World Port Center built.
* Oceanium opens.
* City designated a European Capital of Culture.
2002 - Regio Randstad regional governance group formed.
2003 - Netherlands Photo Museum opens.
2005 - Montevideo built.
2006
* North Sea Jazz Festival begins in Rotterdam.
* Rotterdam Circus Arts founded.
2007 - RandstadRail and Betuweroute in operation.
2009
* Ahmed Aboutaleb becomes first Muslim mayor of a major European city.
* Maastoren skyscraper built.
2010
* Rozenburg becomes part of city.
* Pernis sub-municipality created.
* New Orleans built.
* 2010 Tour de France cycling race starts from Rotterdam.
2012 - Population: 616,250.
2013 Maasvlakte 2 in operation.
2014
* Market Hall built.
* Rotterdam Centraal station in operation.
2020 - Population: 651,376
2021
* Depot Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen.
* De Zalmhaven built.
* Floating Office Rotterdam built, accommodating the Global Center on Adaptation.