Timeline of Baltimore
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
18th century
- 1729 - Town of Baltimore founded.
- 1752 - 25 houses and 200 inhabitants.
- 1763 - Mechanical Fire Company organized.
- 1767 - Baltimore designated county seat.
- 1770 - Henry Fite House built.
- 1773 - Maryland Journal, and the Baltimore Advertiser newspaper begins publication.
- 1775 - Population: 5,934
- 1776 - December - Second Continental Congress meeting begins.
- 1782 - Lexington Market founded.
- 1784 - Christmas Conference (Methodism)
- 1787 - 1,955 dwellings in town.
- 1790 - Population: 13,503 people.
- 1794 - James Calhoun becomes mayor.
- 1795 - Holliday Street Theater opens.
- 1796
- * City of Baltimore incorporated.
- * Library Company of Baltimore founded.
19th century
- 1800 - Population: 26,504 people.
- 1803
- * Fort McHenry built.
- * Dispensary incorporated.
- 1806 - St. Mary's College and Theological Seminary incorporated.
- 1807
- * University of Maryland founded.
- * Baltimore Museum established.
- * Baltimore Circulating Library in business.
- 1809 - Joseph Robinson's Circulating Library in business.
- 1810
- * Population: 46,535 people.
- * Alex. Brown & Sons incorporated.
- 1814
- * September - Battle of Baltimore
- * Peale Museum opens.
- 1815
- * Battle Monument erected.
- * Baltimore Exchange opens.
- 1816
- * Asbury College founded.
- * Delphian Club founded.
- 1819 - Independent Order of Odd Fellows founded.
- 1820 - Population: 62,738 people
- 1821
- * Maryland Academy of Science and Literature established.
- * Basilica consecrated.
- 1822 - Adelphi Theatre opens.
- 1823 - Athenaeum founded.
- 1826 - Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts founded.
- 1827
- * Washington Medical College established.
- * Franklin Lyceum active.
- 1829
- * Mount Clare Station built.
- * George Washington monument erected.
- * Circus building constructed.
- 1830
- * Baltimore and Ohio Railroad begins operating.
- * Population: 80,620 people
- 1832
- * Cholera epidemic.
- * 1832 Democratic National Convention
- 1835
- * 1835 Democratic National Convention
- * Bank riot.
- 1837
- * Baltimore Sun newspaper begins publication.
- * Washington Hall opens.
- * Orchard Street United Methodist Church built.
- 1839
- * High School opens.
- * Mercantile Library Association established.
- * Green Mount Cemetery dedicated.
- * Municipal Record Office of Baltimore built.
- 1840
- * Madison Lyceum active.
- * 1840 Democratic National Convention
- * Population: 102,313 people
- 1844
- * Maryland Historical Society incorporated.
- * Western High School (Baltimore) opens.
- * 1844 Democratic National Convention
- * 1844 Whig National Convention
- * Baltimore-Washington telegraph line opens.
- 1845 - Newton University established.
- 1848
- * Howard Athenaeum and Gallery of Arts opens.
- * Olympic Theatre opens.
- * Concordia Club founded.
- * 1848 Democratic National Convention
- 1849 - Baltimore Female College in operation.
- 1850
- * President Street Station built.
- * Population: 169,054 people
- 1851
- * Baltimore becomes independent city.
- * New Assembly-Rooms open.
- * Baltimore Wecker newspaper begins publication.
- 1852
- * Loyola College established.
- * Apollo Hall opens.
- * 1852 Democratic National Convention
- * 1852 Whig National Convention
- 1853 - Baltimore Police Department established.
- 1856
- * Know-Nothing Riot.
- * 1856 Whig National Convention
- 1857 - Peabody Institute founded.
- 1859 - City Fire Department formed.
- 1860
- * 1860 Constitutional Union Convention
- * Population: 212,418
- 1861 - Pratt Street Riot.
- 1864
- * St. Francis Xavier Church dedicated.
- * 1864 Republican National Convention
- 1865 - Concordia Opera House opens.
- 1867
- * Concordia Hall is founded.
- * Morgan College established.
- * Normal school opens.
- 1870 - Population: 267,354
- 1871 - Ford's Grand Opera-House opens.
- 1872
- * Mount Auburn Cemetery established.
- * 1872 Democratic National Convention
- 1873 - Leadenhall Street Baptist Church built.
- 1875
- * City Hall built.
- * Academy of Music opens.
- * Free Summer Excursion Society incorporated.
- 1876
- * Johns Hopkins University founded.
- * The Maryland Zoo opens.
- 1877 - Railroad Strike.
- 1878 - George Peabody Library opens.
- 1880
- * Woman's Industrial Exchange founded.
- * Celebration of 150th anniversary of city.
- * Population: 332,313
- 1881 - Faultless Pajama Company in business.
- 1882 - Enoch Pratt Free Library established.
- 1883
- * Baltimore Manual Training School founded.
- * Colored High and Training School founded.
- * Baltimore Young Women's Christian Association founded.
- 1885 - Goucher College established.
- 1890
- * Post office built.
- * Population: 434,439 people.
- * Riverview Park opens.
- 1891 - Union Park baseball field opens.
- 1892 - Baltimore Afro-American begins publication.
- 1894 - Lyric Opera House opens.
- 1895 - Clifton Park opens.
- 1896
- * Electric Park opens.
- * Colored Young Women's Christian Association founded.
- 1898 - Sharp Street Memorial United Methodist Church and Community House built.
20th century
- 1900
- * Population: 508,957 people.
- * City courthouse dedicated.
- * Baltimore Morning Herald newspaper begins publication.
- 1903 - Belvedere Hotel opens.
- 1904 - Great Baltimore Fire.
- 1908 - Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway begins operating.
- 1910 - Population: 558,485
- 1911 - Pennsylvania Station (Baltimore) built.
- 1912
- * Arch Social Club founded.
- * 1912 Democratic National Convention
- 1914
- * Baltimore Museum of Art founded.
- * Hippodrome Theatre built.
- 1916
- * Baltimore Symphony Orchestra formed.
- * Baltimore Black Sox baseball team formed.
- 1917
- * Fort Holabird established.
- * Lithuanian Hall opens.
- 1918
- * William Frederick Broening was elected mayor.
- 1920 - Population: 733.826
- 1922
- * Memorial Stadium built.
- * Royal Theatre opens.
- 1923 - Howard W. Jackson becomes mayor.
- 1925 - University of Baltimore founded.
- 1930
- * Baltimore Colored Symphony Orchestra organized.
- * U.S. Post Office and Courthouse built.
- * Population: 804,874
- 1934 - Walters Art Museum established.
- 1940 - Population: 859,100
- 1949 - Edgar Allan Poe House opens.
- 1950
- * Baltimore Civic Opera Company established.
- * Population: 949,708
- 1953 - B&O Railroad Museum opens.
- 1954
- * Orioles baseball team relocates to Baltimore.
- * Cylburn Wildflower Preserve and Garden Center formed.
- 1955 - Civil rights protest at Read's Drug Store.
- 1956 - Desegregation of the Baltimore City Public School System
- 1960 - Population: 939,024
- 1962 - CFG Bank Arena opens.
- 1963 - Center Stage (theater) opens.
- 1964 - Baltimore News-American newspaper begins publication.
- 1968
- * Baltimore riot of 1968
- * Baltimore American Indian Center is established.
- 1970 - Population: 905,787
- 1971 - William Donald Schaefer becomes mayor.
- 1974 - Baltimore municipal strike of 1974
- 1976 - Maryland Science Center opens.
- 1977 - Baltimore World Trade Center opens.
- 1979
- * Baltimore Convention Center opens.
- * Baltimore School for the Arts founded.
- 1980
- * Harborplace opens.
- * Baltimore Area Convention & Visitors Association formed.
- * Population: 786,741
- 1981
- * National Aquarium in Baltimore opens.
- * Baltimore Museum of Industry opens.
- 1982 - Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall opens.
- 1983
- * Baltimore Metro Subway begins operating.
- * Great Blacks in Wax Museum established.
- 1986 - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People headquarters relocates to Baltimore.
- 1987 - Kurt Schmoke becomes mayor.
- 1989 - Contemporary Museum Baltimore founded.
- 1990 - Population: 736,016
- 1992
- * Baltimore Light Rail begins operating.
- * Oriole Park at Camden Yards opens.
- 1996 - Baltimore Ravens football team established.
- 1998 - Ravens Stadium opens.
- 1999 - Martin O'Malley becomes mayor.
21st century
- 2000
- * National Katyń Memorial is constructed.
- * Population: 651,154
- 2002 - The Portal (community center) opens.
- 2005 - Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture opens.
- 2006 - The Baltimore Examiner begins publication.
- 2008 - Hilton Baltimore built.
- 2009 - Sheila Dixon trial.
- 2010
- * Stephanie Rawlings-Blake becomes mayor.
- * Population: 620,961 people.
- 2011
- * Occupy Baltimore begins.
- * Lyric Opera Baltimore established.
- 2015 - Freddie Gray protests
- 2016 - Catherine Pugh becomes mayor.
- 2019 - Jack Young becomes mayor.
- 2020
- * Brandon Scott becomes mayor.
- * Population: 585,708
- 2024 - The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapses in a mass casualty incident.