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.