Timeline of Johannesburg
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Johannesburg, in the Gauteng province in South Africa.
19th century
- 1886 – Johannesburg township established by Boer government after discovery of gold in vicinity.
- 1887
- * The Star newspaper in publication.
- * St. Mary's Church built.
- * Johannesburg Stock Exchange founded.
- * Theatre Royal opens.
- 1888 – St Mary's School was founded.
- 1890
- * Library opens.
- * Jeppe High School for Boys was founded.
- 1891
- * Horse-drawn tram begins operating.
- * Standard Theatre opens.
- 1892 – Prison built.
- 1895 – Railway in operation.
- 1896
- * January: Uprising against Boer government.
- * 19 February: Braamfontein Explosion.
- 1897
- * Johannesburg Park station opens.
- * Johan Zulch de Villiers becomes the first mayor.
- 1898 – St John's College was founded.
- 1899 – Fort built.
- 1900 – 31 May: Town captured by British forces during the Second Boer War.
20th century
1900s–1950s
- 1902
- * King Edward VII School was founded.
- * St. Andrew's School for Girls was founded.
- 1903
- * Johannesburg Stock Exchange building constructed.
- * Observatory built near town.
- * Sophiatown developed.
- * Roedean School for Girls was founded.
- 1904
- * Johannesburg Zoo and Transvaal Technical Institute established.
- * April: Brickfields burned.
- * Drill Hall built.
- * Population: 99,022.
- 1905
- * Town administrative wards created.
- * Johannesburg Statistics begins publication.
- * Alexandra developed near Johannesburg.
- 1906
- * Electric trams begin operating.
- * Sunday Times newspaper begins publication.
- * Meeting of the Municipal Associations of South Africa held in Johannesburg.
- 1907 – Redhill School was founded.
- 1908 – Population: 180,687.
- 1919 – Jeppe High School for Girls was founded.
- 1920 – Parktown Boys' High School was founded.
- 1921 – Helpmekaar Kollege was founded.
- 1922
- * University of the Witwatersrand incorporated.
- * January–March: Miner's strike.
- 1923 – Parktown High School for Girls was founded.
- 1925 – Technikon Witwatersrand established.
- 1927 – Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra founded.
- 1928
- * Johannesburg gains city status.
- * Ellis Park Stadium was opened.
- 1929 – South African Institute of Race Relations headquartered in city.
- 1931 – Airport opens in Germiston.
- 1933 – Kingsmead College was founded.
- 1935 – Johannesburg City Library building opens.
- 1936 – 15 September: The Empire Exhibition, South Africa World's Fair opens
- 1937 – 15 January: The Empire Exhibition, South Africa closes.
- 1941 – St David's Marist, Inanda was founded.
- 1942 – Springbok Legion's Fighting Talk begins publication.
- 1944 – Hoërskool Florida was founded.
- 1946 – Population: 603,470 city; 762,910 urban agglomeration.
- 1948 – Polly Street Centre founded.
- 1950 – Springbok Radio begins broadcasting.
- 1951
- * Drum magazine begins publication.
- * Population: 631,911 city; 884,007 urban agglomeration.
- * Waverley High School for Girls was founded.
- 1952 – Jan Smuts Airport established in Kempton Park.
- 1953 – St Stithians College was founded.
- 1956
- * December: Treason Trial begins.
- * Purple Renoster literary magazine begins publication.
- 1957 – 1957 Alexandra bus boycott.
- 1958 – St Benedict's College was founded.
1960s–1990s
- 1960
- * 21 March: Sharpeville massacre.
- * Johannesburg Planetarium opens.
- 1961
- * City becomes part of the Republic of South Africa.
- * Greenside High School was founded.
- 1962 – Sentech Tower built.
- 1963
- * 11 July: The arrest of Umkhonto we Sizwe high commanders known as Rivonia Trialist.
- * 11 August: Four of the defendants who had been arrested on July 11, at the Liliesleaf Farm near Johannesburg, were able to escape their South African jail after a bribe was promised to their guard by the ANC.
- * Classic magazine begins publication.
- 1964
- * July: The arrest of Umkhonto we Sizwe high commanders known as Little Rivonia Trialist.
- * Johannesburg Botanical Garden established.
- 1966 – Rand Afrikaans University founded.
- 1968 – Bryanston High School was founded.
- 1969
- * Hyde Park Corner (shopping centre) in business.
- * Northcliff High School was founded.
- 1970
- * Tollman Towers and Trust Bank Building constructed.
- * Population: 654,682 city; 1,432,643 urban agglomeration.
- 1971 – Hillbrow Tower built.
- 1973 – Marble Towers, Carlton Centre, and Sandton City shopping centre built.
- 1974 – Beeld newspaper begins publication.
- 1975 – Ponte City Apartments built.
- 1976
- * 16 June: Soweto uprising.
- * Market Theatre opens.
- 1978 – Staffrider literary magazine begins publication.
- 1980
- * Municipal workers' strike.
- * Federated Union of Black Artists Academy established.
- 1981 – The Sowetan newspaper begins publication.
- 1982
- * City Press newspaper begins publication.
- * Afrapix active.
- 1984
- * 3 September: Sharpeville Six
- *11 Diagonal Street built.
- 1985
- * Weekly Mail newspaper begins publication.
- * Mormon Temple dedicated.
- * Population: 632,369 city; 1,609,408 urban agglomeration.
- 1987 – Water Institute of Southern Africa headquartered in city.
- 1988 – 31 August: Bombing of Khotso House.
- 1989
- * Soccer City stadium opens.
- * Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation established.
- 1991 – Population: 712,507 city; 1,916,061 metro.
- 1992
- * Johannesburg Stadium opens.
- * Centre for Policy Studies headquartered in Johannesburg.
- 1994
- * 28 March: Shooting at Shell House.
- * City becomes seat of the new Gauteng province.
- * South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance established.
- 1995
- * Gallagher Convention Centre opens.
- * Centre for Development and Enterprise headquartered in Johannesburg.
- * Johannesburg Biennale art exhibit begins.
- 1996
- * 3 February: 1996 Africa Cup of Nations Final football contest played in Johannesburg.
- * Population: 752,349 city.
- 1997
- * MTN Sundrome opens.
- * Flag of Johannesburg revised design adopted.
- 1998 – Website Joburg.org.za launched.
- 1998 – St Peter's College was founded.
- 1999 – September: 1999 All-Africa Games held in city.
- 2000
- * City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality and Johannesburg City Parks created.
- * Stoned Cherrie in business.
- * Population: 2,732,000.
21st century
2000s
- 2001
- * Amos Masondo becomes mayor.
- * Monash University, South Africa campus established.
- * Population: 3,226,055.
- 2002
- * Soweto becomes part of city.
- * City hosts Earth Summit 2002.
- 2003 – Nelson Mandela Bridge built.
- 2004
- * Constitutional Court of South Africa building opens in Constitution Hill.
- * Drill Hall rebuilt.
- * Creative Commons South Africa headquartered at University of the Witwatersrand.
- 2005
- * University of Johannesburg established.
- * 2 July: Live 8 concert.
- * Population: 3,272,000.
- 2008
- * Joburg Art Fair begins.
- * Google office in business.
- * Species Australopithecus sediba discovered near Johannesburg.
- 2009 - 28 June: 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Final football contest played in Johannesburg.
2010s
- 2010 – 11 July: 2010 FIFA World Cup Final held.
- 2011
- * Parks Tau becomes mayor.
- * Air pollution in Johannesburg reaches annual mean of 41 PM2.5 and 85 PM10, more than recommended.
- * Population: 4,434,827.
- 2013
- * 10 February: 2013 Africa Cup of Nations Final football contest played in Johannesburg.
- * 5 December: Nelson Mandela dies in Johannesburg.
- 2015 – October: #FeesMustFall protest.
- 2016
- * 22 August: Herman Mashaba becomes mayor
- * Mduduzi Edmund Tshabalala died in Johannesburg
- * October: #FeesMustFall protest revival.
- 2018
- * Winnie Madikizela-Mandela died in Johannesburg.
- * International 10th BRICS summit held at Sandton Convention Centre.
- * 24 October: Jabulani Tsambo died in Johannesburg
2020s
- 2021
- * 9 July 2021: Geoff Makhubo dies.
- * 10 August 2021: Jolidee Matongo becomes mayor.
- * 18 September 2021: Jolidee Matongo dies from a car accident
- 2023: 19 July - Gas explosion destroys road in downtown.
Published in 20th century
- Musiker, 2000. A Concise Historical Dictionary of Greater Johannesburg, Francolin Pubs., Cape Town, South Africa.
Published in 21st century
;2000s- +
*