Timeline of Cleveland

This article is a timeline of the history of the city of Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

18th century

1796 – Moses Cleaveland and survey party arrive at the location that would later become Cleveland.
1797 – Lorenzo Carter, a prominent early settler, arrives.

19th century

1800 – Trumbull County created, encompassing Cleveland.
1803 – Ohio becomes the 17th State admitted to the Union.
1805 – Geauga County created, encompassing Cleveland.
1808 – Lorenzo Carter builds the Zephyr, the first ship to be launched in Cleveland.
1810 – Cuyahoga County organized; Cleveland selected as county seat.
1813 – Oliver Hazard Perry wins the Battle of Lake Erie at Put-in-Bay in the War of 1812.
1814
* Cleveland receives its charter as a village.
* Newburgh Township, [Cuyahoga County, Ohio|Newburgh Township] created.
1815
* Alfred Kelley is elected the first president of the village of Cleveland.
* Euclid Avenue commissioned, subsequently known as Millionaires' Row.
1818 – The Cleveland Gazette and Commercial Register, Cleveland's first newspaper is published.
1822 – a free bridge is opened across the Cuyahoga River.
1827 – opening of the Ohio canal as far as Akron.
1830 – population: 1,076.
1831
* The Cleveland Advertiser alters the spelling of the community's name to Cleveland.
* James A. Garfield, 20th United States President, born in Orange Township.
1832 – Ohio and Erie Canal completed to the Ohio River.
1836
* Cleveland and Ohio City are incorporated as cities.
* John W. Willey is elected the first mayor of Cleveland.
* Bridge War between Cleveland and Ohio City takes place.
1837 – Cleveland City Council votes to create City Hospital, now MetroHealth.
1840 – population: 6,071.
1842 – The Plain Dealer begins publication.
1844 – Samuel Starkweather elected mayor.
1845 – City Bank of Cleveland founded.
1847
* The Weddell House opens.
* The first telegraph line is completed.
1848 – Colored National Convention held in city.
1850
* William Case elected mayor.
* Population: 17,034.
1851 – Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad completed.
1852 – The Aliened American newspaper begins publication.
1853
* The Cleveland Theater opens.
* National Women's Rights Convention held.
* Woodland Cemetery established.
1854
* Ohio City annexed to Cleveland.
* William B. Castle elected mayor.
* The Cleveland Leader begins publication.
1860
* Perry Monument on Public Square dedicated.
* Population: 43,417.
1861
* Abraham Lincoln visits Cleveland.
* The American Civil War begins.
1865
* The American Civil War ends.
* Thousands of Clevelanders mourn the death of Lincoln.
1866 – Cleveland Police Department established.
1869
* Cleveland Public Library established.
* Lake View Cemetery opens.
1870
* Standard Oil Company in business.
* Population: 92,829.
1873
* Cleveland Bar Association established.
* Newburgh annexed to Cleveland.
1874 – First Woman's National Temperance Convention held in Cleveland, establishing the Woman's Christian Temperance Union.
1875 – Euclid Avenue Opera House opens.
1876
* Charles F. Brush patents an electric generator.
* Riverside Cemetery Chapel & Riverside Cemetery Gatehouse built.
1878 – Penny Press, predecessor to the Cleveland Press, begins publication.
1880
* James A. Garfield, from Cleveland, elected 20th President of the United States.
* Case School of Applied Science established.
* Population: 160,146.
1881
* Garfield lies in state on Public Square after being assassinated, July 2.
* Adelbert Hall built.
1882
* Western Reserve College moves to Cleveland.
* Cleveland School of Art established.
1883 – John H. Farley elected mayor.
1884
* First electric streetcar run in the city; the first such installation in the country.
* Cleveland Electric Light Co. formed.
1887 – Michelson–Morley experiment conducted at Western Reserve University.
1890
* The Arcade opens.
* Garfield Monument dedicated in Lake View Cemetery.
* Population: 261,353.
1894
* May Day Riots of 1894
* Soldiers and Sailors Monument dedicated.
1895 – Robert E. McKisson elected mayor.
1896 – Cleveland celebrates its centennial.
1897 – Bohemian National Hall built.
1899
* Cleveland streetcar strike.
* John H. Farley re-elected mayor.
1900 – population: 381,768.

20th century

1900s–1940s

1901
* Tom L. Johnson elected mayor.
* The Cleveland Blues are established as one of the first teams in the new American League.
* Cleveland worker and avowed anarchist, Leon Czolgosz assassinates U.S. President William McKinley in Buffalo, New York.
1905
* The Cleveland News begins publication
* Glenville and South Brooklyn annexed to Cleveland.
1908
* Collinwood School Fire
* More Streetcar strikes but less violent and unsuccessful.
1909
* Tom L. Johnson loses mayoral race to Herman C. Baehr.
* Corlett Village annexed to Cleveland.
1910
* Collinwood annexed to Cleveland.
* Cleveland Railway Company operated from 1910 to 1942.
* Population: 560,663.
1911
* Tom L. Johnson dies.
* Church of the Covenant established.
1912 – Village of Nottingham annexed to Cleveland.
1913
* The Great Lakes Storm of 1913 hits Cleveland.
* Home Rule City Charter approved by Cleveland voters.
* Cleveland Museum of Art established.
* Metropolitan Theatre opened.
* The first Community Chest, "Community Fund", founded in Cleveland.
1914
* Cleveland chosen as the Fourth District headquarters of the Federal Reserve Bank.
* Cleveland Municipal Light Plant goes into operation.
1915 – Cleveland Play House and Western Reserve University's School of Applied Social Science established.
1916
* Cleveland Museum of Art opens.
* Cleveland City Hall dedicated.
1917 – Cleveland Metroparks organized.
1918
* Federal Court trial of Eugene V. Debs held in Cleveland.
* Detroit–Superior Bridge construction completed.
* The first Cleveland Cripple Survey was published; one of the first accurate disability censuses, that measured the social and economic conditions of individuals considered.
1919
* May Day Riots of 1919
* State Prohibition is enacted in Cleveland
* Voters approve placement of a new railroad terminal on Public Square.
1920
* Cleveland Institute of Music founded.
* Cleveland becomes the fifth-largest city in the nation.
* The Volstead Act and the Eighteenth Amendment to [the United States Constitution|Eighteenth Amendment] become law.
* Cleveland Indians win the World Series.
* Cleveland Museum of Natural History established.
* Population: 796,841.
1921
* Cleveland Clinic and Playhouse Square established.
* KeyBank State Theatre built.
* Mimi Ohio Theatre opened.
* Hanna Theatre opened.
1922 – demolition for the Terminal Tower site begins
1923
* Federal Reserve bank building completed.
* Alcazar Hotel completed.
1924
* Republican National Convention held in Cleveland.
* Mayor/Council form of government replaced by City Manager plan.
1925
* New Public Library building opens.
* Cleveland Airport opens.
* University Hospitals incorporated.
1929
* Cleveland Clinic disaster occurs.
* National Air Race first held in Cleveland.
* The Stock Market crashes
1930 – The Tower City Center is dedicated.
1931
* Severance Hall dedicated.
* City Manager system reverts to the Mayor/Council form of government.
* Ray T. Miller elected mayor.
1932 – Hope Memorial Bridge construction completed.
1933
* Harry L. Davis returns as mayor.
* Depression-era unemployment peaks in Cleveland: nearly one-third of the city's citizens are out of work.
* Prohibition is repealed on December 23 – nearly eight months longer than the Eighteenth Amendment.
1935
* Harold Hitz Burton elected mayor.
* Eliot Ness becomes Safety Director of Cleveland.
1936 – Republican National Convention held in Cleveland.
1937
* Cleveland Barons hockey team established.
* Cleveland Arena opens.
* Cleveland Rams begin to play professional football.
* John D. Rockefeller dies.
1938
* Cleveland Memorial Shoreway opens between East 9th Street and Gordon Park.
* Clevelander Jesse Owens wins four gold medals at Berlin Olympic Games.
* Great Lakes Exposition opens.
* Cleveland Torso Murderer with up to 20 victims.
1939 – Main Avenue Bridge opened.
1940 – NACA, forerunner of NASA, established at the Cleveland airport.
1941
* Frank Lausche elected mayor.
* Western Reserve Red Cats win the Sun Bowl, the city's first college football bowl game.
1942 – Cleveland Bomber Plant opens at Municipal Airport.
1944 – Cleveland East Ohio Gas Explosion claims 130 lives.
1945
* Thomas A. Burke elected mayor.
* Cleveland Rams win NFL football title then move to Los Angeles.
1946
* Cleveland Browns are founded and begin play in All-America Football Conference.
* Cleveland Browns win the All-America Football Conference championship.
1947
* Operations begin at the lakefront airport.
* First telecast by WEWS, Ohio's first television station.
* Eliot Ness runs for mayor of Cleveland but is defeated by incumbent Thomas A. Burke.
* Cleveland Browns win the All-America Football Conference championship.
1948
* Cleveland Indians win World Series.
* Cleveland Browns win the All-America Football Conference championship.
1949
* Cleveland named an All-America City for first time.
* Cleveland Browns win the All-America Football Conference championship.

1950s-1990s

1950
* Cleveland Browns begin play in National Football League.
* Cleveland Browns win the National Football League championship.
1953 – Anthony J. Celebrezze elected mayor.
1954
* Last streetcars run.
* Cleveland Browns win the National Football League championship.
1955
* Rapid Transit begins operation.
* Cleveland Browns win the National Football League championship.
1959 – Boddie Recording Company in business.
1960
* Erieview urban renewal plan unveiled.
* Final issue of the Cleveland News published.
1961 - Mapp v. Ohio
1962
* Ralph S. Locher elected mayor.
* Innerbelt Freeway opens for its full length.
1964
* Erieview Tower completed.
* Cleveland State University established.
* Cleveland Browns win the National Football League championship.
1965 – WVIZ, an educational television station, begins broadcasting.
1966
* Hough Riots
* Cuyahoga Community College opens its Metro Campus.
1967
* Carl B. Stokes elected the first African American mayor of a major American city.
* Case Western Reserve University established.
1968
* Glenville Shootout
* Terry v. Ohio
1969
* A burning oil slick on the Cuyahoga River attracts national attention regarding pollution.
* Euclid Beach Park closes.
1970 – Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team organized.
1972 – Cleveland Magazine begins publication.
1973 – Cleveland Barons play their last hockey game.
1974 – Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority established.
1976 – desegregation of the Cleveland Public Schools ordered by U.S. District Judge Frank J. Battisti.
1977 – Dennis Kucinich elected mayor.
1978
* Cleveland is hit by the Great Blizzard of 1978
* 1978 recall election
* December 15, Cleveland becomes the first American city to go into default since the Depression.
1979
* George Voinovich elected mayor.
* Cleveland Foodbank established.
1980 – presidential debate between candidates Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan held in Cleveland.
1981
* Cleveland Public Theatre opened.
* City Council reduced from 33 to 21 members.
* Term of office for mayor and council members increased from two to four years.
1982
* Ground broken for the Sohio (BP) Building on Public Square.
* The Cleveland Press ceases publication.
* Cleveland named an All-America City for second time.
1984 – Cleveland named an All-America City for third time.
1986
* Cleveland named an All-America City for fourth time.
* Cleveland selected as site for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1987 – Cleveland emerges from default.
1988 – and Case Western Reserve University's established.
1989 – Michael R. White elected mayor.
1991 – Key Tower "topped off" at 947 ft.
1993 – Cleveland named an All-America City for fifth time.
1995
* Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum opens.
* Indians win American League championship.
* Bishop Anthony Pilla is elected to the presidency of USCCB
1996
* Cleveland celebrates its bicentennial.
* Cleveland rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony win a Grammy for "Tha Crossroads"
1997 – Cleveland Indians win the American League pennant and return to the World Series.
1999 – the new Cleveland Browns Stadium opens with the return of the Cleveland Browns.

21st century

2001 – Cleveland Barons are revived.
2002 – Cleveland citizens elect Jane L. Campbell as the first female mayor of Cleveland.
2003 – 2003 North America blackout
2004 – vice-presidential candidates Dick Cheney and John Edwards debate at Case Western Reserve University.
2005 – Frank G. Jackson is the first sitting city councillor to be elected mayor since Stephen Buhrer in 1867.
2006
* Barons leave Cleveland for the second time.
* Cleveland, Columbus, and other Ohio cities argue against a bill passed by the Ohio House legislature that will eliminate residency rules.
2007
* Cleveland is hit with a major winter storm in February, leaving 15 inches of snow.
* October 20, Cleveland became the first television market in the United States to have all of its local television stations to broadcast in high definition.
2008 – Cuyahoga County federal corruption investigation.
2009
* The Ohio Supreme Court upholds the 2006 law prohibiting residency requirements.
* Frank Jackson wins a second term as Mayor of Cleveland.
* November, Ohio Voters open Ohio to casino gambling and Cleveland will have a casino by 2013.
* Cleveland is selected by the International Gay Games committee to host the 2014 Gay Games. Cleveland beat out Boston, Washington DC, and Hamburg Germany.
2010 – population: 396,815.
2011 – construction begins on the Medical Mart and new convention center, scheduled to open late 2013.
2013 – Frank Jackson wins a third term as Mayor of Cleveland against Kenneth Lanci.
2014
* Shooting of Tamir Rice
* Hosts the international 2014 Gay Games, also known as Gay Games 9
2015 – Chief U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. signs consent decree for the Cleveland Division of Police.
2016
* Cleveland Cavaliers win the NBA Championship.
* Lake Erie Monsters win the Calder Cup and then are renamed Cleveland Monsters.
* Republican National Convention held in Cleveland.
* The Cleveland Indians face the Chicago Cubs in the 2016 World Series.
2017 – Frank Jackson wins a fourth term as Mayor of Cleveland, becoming the city's longest-serving mayor.
2018 – Cleveland's population begins to flatten as Downtown population increases.
2019
* The Beacon completed in Downtown Cleveland.
* Cuyahoga River named "River of the Year" by the American Rivers conservation association.
2020
* Population: 372,624.
* The COVID-19 pandemic in Ohio begins when Ohio Governor Mike DeWine reports the earliest cases of the virus to be in Cuyahoga County.
* George Floyd protests take place in Cleveland and most major U.S. cities.
* The Lumen tower completed in Downtown Cleveland.
* Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic host the first 2020 U.S. presidential debate at the Health Education Campus.
2021
* 2021 NFL draft held in Cleveland at FirstEnergy Stadium.
* Frank Jackson announces that he will not pursue a fifth term as mayor.
* The Cleveland Indians assume the name the Cleveland Guardians.
* Justin Bibb elected mayor.