Timeline of Lisbon

Prior to 15th century

• 205 BCE – Romans in power; Olisipo designated a municipio in Lusitania province.
• 57 CE – Theatre built.
• 4th C. CE – Catholic diocese of Olisipo established; Potamius becomes bishop.
• 407 CE – Alans in power.
• 585 – Visigoths in power.
• 710s – Olisipo taken by Moors; renamed "al-Ushbuni".
• 844 – City attacked by Norman forces.
• 1108 – City taken by Norwegian crusaders.
• 1110 – City taken by Almoravids under Sir b. Abi Bakr.
• 1147
• * Siege of Lisbon by Christian forces under Afonso I.
• * Lisbon Cathedral construction begins.
• 1179 – City receives charter.
• 1184 – City attacked by Muslim forces under Abu Yaqub Yusuf.
• 1242 – Convento de São Domingos de Lisboa founded.
• 1256 – Lisbon becomes capital of the Kingdom of Portugal.
• 1290 – University founded.
• 1300 – Castle of São Jorge renovated.
• 1344 – Earthquake.
• 1348 – Plague.
• 1373 – City sacked by Castilian forces.
• 1375 – built.
• 1378 – National Archive installed in the São Jorge Castle.
• 1384 – Lisbon besieged by Castilian forces.
• 1389 – Carmo Convent founded.
• 1394 – Catholic Archdiocese of Lisbon established;
• 1395 – organized.

15th–17th centuries

• 1422 – Lisbon "made the capital of the kingdom by John I"
• 1441 – African slave trade begins.
• 1450 – Estaus Palace built.
• 1467 – built.
• 1495 – Printing press in operation.
• 1497 – Vasco da Gama departs from Lisbon on first voyage to India.
• 1501 – Jerónimos Monastery construction begins.
• 1504 – Hospital Real de Todos os Santos built.
• 1506 – April: Pogrom of Jews.
• 1511 – Ribeira Palace built.
• 1514 – Restelo Hermitage built.
• 1519 – Belém Tower built.
• 1531 – Earthquake.
• 1554 – Damião de Góis' Urbis Olisiponis Descriptio published.
• 1569 – Plague.
• 1571 – Casa de Despacho da Santa Inquisição begins functioning.
• 1572 – becomes Câmara Municipal senate president.
• 1574 – Duarte da Costa becomes mayor.
• 1580 – 25 August: Battle of Alcântara fought near Lisbon; Spanish in power.
• 1588 – 28 May: Military Spanish Armada departs from Lisbon for England.
• 1594 – Aula do Risco established.
• 1597
• * Earthquake.
• * Printer in business.
• 1598 - São Bento Palace originally built.
• 1601 – Jerónimos Monastery built.
• 1624 - English College, Lisbon opened.
• 1629 - Monastery of São Vicente de Fora completed.
• 1640 – December: Coup d'état; Spanish ousted.
• 1647 – founded.
• 1668 – February: Peace treaty between Spain and Portugal signed in Lisbon.
• 1681 – Church of Santa Engrácia construction begins.

18th century

• 1715 – newspaper begins publication.
• 1720 – founded.
• 1724 – British Cemetery opens, to cater for Protestants in the city.
• 1748 – Águas Livres Aqueduct begins operating.
• 1754 – Belém Palace built .
• 1755
• * 1 November: Earthquake, tsunami, and fire devastate city and killed thousands.
• * Ribeira Palace destroyed.
• * Baixa Pombalina planning begins.
• 1761 – Real Barraca built in Ajuda near Lisbon.
• 1764 – Passeio Público opens.
• 1768 – founded near city.
• 1769 – Lisbon Stock Exchange formed.
• 1774 – Lisbon City Archives moved into Lisbon City Hall.
• 1775 – erected in the Praça do Comércio.
• 1779 – Lisbon Science Academy founded.
• 1780
• * Street lighting installed.
• * Casa Pia orphanage founded.
• 1787 – Remodelled opens.
• 1790 – founded.
• 1793 – Teatro Nacional de São Carlos opens.
• 1796 – Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal established.

19th century

• 1801 – Street name signage installed.
• 1807 – 30 November: French forces take Lisbon.
• 1808
• * French ousted by British forces.
• * in publication.
• 1831 – "Military insurrection...suppressed."
• 1833 – Prazeres Cemetery established.
• 1834 – Portuguese Parliament begins meeting in the Palácio das Cortes.
• 1835 – Public established.
• 1836 – Academia de Belas-Artes established.
• 1837 – Sociedade Propagadora dos Conhecimentos Úteis founded.
• 1839 – Associação Marítima e Colonial headquartered in Lisbon.
• 1841 – Alto de São João Cemetery established.
• 1846
• * National Theatre D. Maria II built.
• * Grémio Literário de Lisboa founded.
• 1852 – Instituto Industrial established.
• 1856 – Associação Naval de Lisboa founded.
• 1859 – Yellow fever outbreak.
• 1864
• * Diário de Notícias newspaper begins publication.
• * Population: 190,311.
• 1865 – Santa Apolónia railway station opens.
• 1867 – Teatro da Trindade theatre opens.
• 1873
• * Horsecar tram begins operating.
• * Rua Augusta Arch erected.
• 1874 – Column of Pedro IV erected.
• 1875
• * Lisbon Geographic Society formed.
• * May: Boating accident on Tagus river kills dozens.
• 1877 – Construction of Linha do Norte to Porto completed.
• 1878
• * Astronomical Observatory of Lisbon and established.
• * Population: 246,343.
• 1880 – Alviella aqueduct begins operating.
• 1882
• *Marquess of Pombal Square laid out.
• *Anglo-Portuguese Telephone Company begins telephone services.
• 1883 – December: Dockyard fire occurs.
• 1884
• * National Museum of Ancient Art founded.
• * Lisbon Zoo founded.
• 1885
• * Glória Funicular begins operating.
• * Covered market built in Praça da Figueira.
• * Belém becomes part of city.
• 1886 – Avenida da Liberdade laid out; Monument to the Restorers unveiled.
• 1887 – Linha de Sintra begins operating.
• 1890
• * Coliseu dos Recreios founded.
• * Population: 300,964.
• 1891 – Central Station and open.
• 1892 – Campo Pequeno bullring built.
• 1893 – National Archaeology Museum founded.
• 1894
• * June: Bakers conduct labor strike.
• * becomes mayor.
• 1895
• * June: "Chamber of deputies" burns down.
• * Linha de Cascais railway begins operating; Cais do Sodré railway station opens.
• 1897
• * established.
• * Zófimo Consiglieri Pedroso becomes mayor.
• 1900
• * Santa Justa Lift begins operating.
• * Population: 351,210 city; 709,509 district.

20th century

1900s–1940s

• 1901
• * Electric tram begins operating.
• * António José de Ávila becomes mayor.
• 1902
• * established.
• * Ancient "chapel and tombs" discovered.
• 1903 - Visit by Edward VII commemorated by Edward VII Park.
• 1904
• * becomes mayor.
• * Grupo Sport Lisboa formed.
• 1905
• * Café A Brasileira opens.
• * National Coach Museum created.
• 1906
• * Colonial School and Sporting Clube de Portugal founded.
• * Lisbon Tropical Botanical Garden opens.
• 1908 – 1 February: Carlos I and his son, Luís Filipe, are assassinated in the Praça do Comércio.
• 1909
• * 23 April: Earthquake.
• * City Museum established.
• 1910
• * Anselmo Braamcamp Freire becomes mayor.
• * City becomes capital of the First Portuguese Republic.
• 1911
• * University of Lisbon and Edward VII Park established.
• * in business.
• * Population: 435,359 city; 853,415 district.
• 1916
• * 23 February: German ships seized at Lisbon; Germany subsequently declares war on Portugal, which officially enters World War I.
• * Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro Museum opens.
• 1919 – Clube de Futebol Os Belenenses founded.
• 1920 – Population: 484,664.
• 1922 – Parque Mayer theater complex opens.
• 1926
• * Ditadura Nacional begins in Portugal.
• * Setúbal District splits away from the Lisbon District.
• 1929 – headquartered in city.
• 1930
• * Technical University of Lisbon established.
• * Lisbon Book Fair begins.
• * Population: 591,939.
• 1931
• * founded.
• * Teatro Capitólio opens.
• 1932 – opens.
• 1933 – City becomes capital of the fascist Portuguese Second Republic .
• 1934 – Monsanto Forest Park formed.
• 1938
• * Duarte Pacheco becomes mayor.
• * headquartered in Lisbon.
• 1940
• * 23 June: Portuguese World Exhibition opens; closes 2 December.
• * Population: 694,389.
• 1941 – 15 February: Cyclone occurs.
• 1942 – Lisbon Portela Airport opens.
• 1945 – A Bola sports newspaper begins publication.
• 1946 – Clube Oriental de Lisboa founded.
• 1947 – Grupo Surrealista de Lisboa formed.
• 1949 – Record sports newspaper begins publication.

1950s–1990s

• 1950
• * opens.
• * Population: 783,226 city.
• 1952 – Centro Desportivo Universitário de Lisboa founded.
• 1953 - Hospital de Santa Maria opened.
• 1954 – Estádio da Luz opens.
• 1956
• * Estádio José Alvalade and Teatro ABC open.
• * Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation established.
• 1959
• * Lisbon Metro begins operating.
• * becomes mayor.
• * Cristo Rei statue erected.
• 1960 – Padrão dos Descobrimentos monument erected.
• 1963 – Navy Museum opens.
• 1965
• * National Museum of Ethnology established.
• * Museu Nacional do Azulejo formed.
• 1966 – 25 de Abril Bridge opens.
• 1968 – A Capital newspaper begins publication.
• 1969
• * Teatro Maria Matos opens.
• * Calouste Gulbenkian Museum opens.
• 1970
• * becomes mayor.
• * Population: 769,410 city; 1,611,887 metro.
• 1971 – founded.
• 1972 – António Jorge da Silva Sebastião becomes mayor.
• 1973
• * Teatro da Cornucópia founded.
• * English College, Lisbon closed.
• 1974
• * 25 April: Military coup d'état; Lisbon subsequently becomes capital of the democratic Third Portuguese Republic.
• * Joaquim Caldeira Rodrigues becomes mayor.
• 1975
• * Lino José Góis Ferreira becomes mayor.
• * Teatro Aberto formed.
• 1977
• * Aquilino Ribeiro Machado becomes mayor.
• * National Museum of Costume and Fashion inaugurated.
• 1979 – Correio da Manhã newspaper begins publication.
• 1980
• * headquartered in city.
• * becomes mayor.
• 1981 – Population: 807,167 city.
• 1985
• * Lisbon joins the newly formed União das Cidades Capitais Luso-Afro-Américo-Asiáticas.
• * built.
• * IAAF World Cross Country Championships held.
• 1986
• * Lisbon Marathon begins.
• * March: meets in Lisbon.
• 1989 – Diário Económico newspaper begins publication.
• 1990
• * Público newspaper begins publication.
• * Electricity Museum opens.
• * Jorge Fernando Branco de Sampaio becomes mayor.
• 1991 – Population: 663,394 city.
• 1992 – Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo formed.
• 1993 – Belém Cultural Center built.
• 1994
• * World Junior Championships in Athletics held.
• * unveiled.
• 1995
• * Blue Line (Lisbon Metro) and Yellow Line (Lisbon Metro) in operation.
• * Macau Science and Culture Centre initiated.
• * João Barroso Soares becomes mayor.
• 1996 – Community of Portuguese Language Countries summit held.
• 1998
• * Fado Museum, Gare do Oriente, Lisbon Oceanarium, Teatro Camões, and Vasco da Gama Bridge open.
• * Expo '98 and Ibero-American Championships in Athletics held in Lisbon.
• * newspaper begins publication.
• * Pavilhão Atlântico and Vasco da Gama Tower built.
• * Dom Fernando II e Glória restored.
• * Cm-lisboa.pt website online.
• * Green Line (Lisbon Metro) and Red Line (Lisbon Metro) in operation.

21st century

• 2001
• * IAAF World Indoor Championships held.
• * Population: 564,657.
• 2002
• * Euronext Lisbon founded.
• * Pedro Miguel de Santana Lopes becomes mayor.
• 2003
• * Doclisboa film festival begins.
• * Estádio da Luz and Estádio José Alvalade built.
• 2004
• * built.
• * António Pedro Nobre Carmona Rodrigues becomes mayor.
• * Allied Joint Command Lisbon formed.
• 2005 – Pedro Miguel de Santana Lopes becomes mayor, succeeded by António Pedro Nobre Carmona Rodrigues.
• 2006
• * 29 January: Snow storm occurs.
• * W.A.K.O. European Championships held.
• 2007
• * December: EU Treaty signed in Lisbon.
• * António Luís dos Santos da Costa becomes mayor.
• * Berardo Collection Museum established.
• 2008
• * 7 August: Kidnapping of hostages at Banco Espírito Santo branch in Campolide parish.
• * Museum of the Orient opens.
• * Contraditório headquartered in city.
• 2011 – Population: 547,733 city; 2,821,876 metro.
• 2012 –14 November: Anti-austerity protests.
• 2015 – Population: 504,471.
• 2017 – 1 October: Portuguese local election, 2017 held.
• 2025 - 3 September: Ascensor da Glória derailment

in English

• Neill Lochery. Lisbon: War in the Shadows of the City of Light, 1939-1945. New York: Public Affairs.
• Annemarie Jordan Gschwend and K.J.P. Lowe, eds.. The Global City: On the Streets of Renaissance Lisbon. London: Paul Holberton Publishing.
• Barry Hatton. Queen of the Sea: A History of Lisbon. London: C. Hurst & Co. Ltd.
• Joke Langens and Dirk Timmerman. 10 Lisbon Stories. Algés, Portugal: Casa Das Letras. Nonfiction.

in Portuguese

• *,
• +