Timeline of Miami

19th century

• 1870 – William Brickell establishes a trading post on the south side of the Miami River.
• 1880 – Population: county 100.
• 1884 – The first hotel, The Peacock Inn, is established in Coconut Grove.
• 1886
• * Ralph Munroe builds a home on the bay in Coconut Grove.
• * Kirk Munroe establishes a home in Coconut Grove.
• 1889 – Teaching begins in the first school building in Coconut Grove.
• 1891 – Julia Tuttle moves to Miami.
• 1895 – The first public library is established in Coconut Grove by the ladies of the Pine Needles Club.
• 1896
• * Miami incorporated; John B. Reilly becomes mayor.
• * Florida East Coast Railway arrives in Miami.
• * Miami Metropolis newspaper begins publication.
• * Biscayne Hotel built.
• 1897
• * Royal Palm Hotel in business.
• * City of Miami Cemetery established.
• 1898
• * Burdines in business.
• * David Fairchild establishes the USDA Plant Introduction Garden.
• 1899
• *Dade County seat relocated to Miami from Juno.
• *Telephone service begins in Miami.
• 1900
• * Flagler Public Library, Miami Board of Trade, and Woman's Club founded.
• * Population: 1,681.

  20th century

1900s-1940s

• 1902 – Carpenters Local 993 labor union established.
• 1903
• * John Sewell becomes mayor.
• * Ransom Everglades School is established in Coconut Grove.
• * The Miami Herald newspaper begins publication.
• 1906
• * Streetcars begin operating.
• * Automobile parade.
• 1909
• * City Hall built.
• * Lummus Park opens.
• 1910 – Population: 5,471; county 11,933.
• 1912 – Airport established near Miami.
• 1913
• * Bridge to Miami Beach constructed.
• * Lyric Theater opens.
• 1914 – Construction of Vizcaya begins.
• 1915
• * Miami Chamber of Commerce established.
• * Town of Miami Beach incorporated near Miami.
• 1916 – David Fairchild establishes The Kampong, his winter home in Coconut Grove.
• 1917 – Elser Pier opens.
• 1918 – Airdrome Theatre and Strand Theatre open.
• 1919
• * Coconut Grove is incorporated.
• * Great Miami Employers' Association established.
• * Seybold Canal Bridge built.
• 1920
• * Universal Negro Improvement Association chapter established.
• * Population: 29,549; county 42,753.
• 1921
• * Commission-manager form of government adopted.
• * WQAM radio begins broadcasting.
• * Tamiami Canal Bridge built.
• 1923 – Miami Times newspaper begins publication.
• 1924
• * Buena Vista becomes part of Miami.
• * Miami River Canal Swing Bridge built.
• * Fotosho Theatre opens.
• 1925
• * Allapattah, Coconut Grove, Lemon City, Silver Bluff, and West Little River become part of Miami.
• * Bayfront Park opens.
• * Towns of Coral Gables and Hialeah incorporated near Miami.
• * University of Miami established in Coral Gables.
• 1926
• * January 10: Prinz Valdemar ship sinks offshore.
• * September: Hurricane.
• * WIOD radio begins broadcasting.
• * Player's State Theater built.
• * Booker T. Washington High School, Olympia Theater, and Tower Theater open.
• * Town of Miami Shores incorporated near Miami.
• * Wometco – first movie theater, the Capital, opens.
• 1927
• * Flagler Theater opens.
• * E. G. Sewell becomes mayor.
• * Greater Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church built.
• * Jewish Floridian newspaper begins publication.
• 1928
• * Pan American Field begins operating.
• * Dade County Agricultural High school built.
• * Al Capone buys a home in Miami Beach.
• 1929 - Sears, Roebuck and Company Department Store opens.
• 1930
• * Miami Civic Center opens.
• * Population: 110,637.
• 1933
• * February 15: Chicago mayor Anton Cermak killed by anarchist in Bayfront Park.
• * E. G. Sewell becomes mayor again.
• * Ryder, the truck leasing company, founded in Miami.
• 1935
• * January 1: Orange Bowl football contest begins.
• * November: Hurricane.
• 1936 – Parrot Jungle established.
• 1937 – Burdine Stadium, and Liberty Square open.
• 1938 – Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden opens to the public.
• 1939 – E. G. Sewell becomes mayor yet again.
• 1940
• * Historical Association of Southern Florida established.
• * Population: 172,172; county 267,739.
• 1941 – Dorsey Memorial Library opens.
• 1942
• * May: Portero del Llano ship sinks offshore during World War II.
• * Submarine Chaser Training Center established.
• 1943 – Urban League of Greater Miami established.
• 1946 – National Association for the Advancement of Colored People branch established in Liberty City.
• 1948 – Coconut Grove Citizens Committee for Slum Clearance and Civil Rights Congress chapter organized.
• 1949 – WTVJ begins broadcasting.

  1950s-1970s

• 1950 – Population: 249,276; county 495,084.
• 1952 – Museum of Science and Natural History opens on Bayshore Drive.
• 1953
• * Diario Las Américas Spanish-language newspaper begins publication.
• * Howard Hughes Medical Institute founded in Miami.
• 1954 – Burger King founded in Miami.
• 1955 – Miami Seaquarium established.
• 1956 – WCKT begins broadcasting.
• 1957
• * WPST-TV begins broadcasting.
• * DuPont Plaza Hotel opens for business.
• * Robert King High elected mayor of Miami.
• 1958 – Catholic Diocese of Miami established.
• 1959
• * City public schools racially desegregated.
• * Dade County Junior College and Centro Hispano Católico founded.
• * Miami International Airport dedicated.
• 1960 – Population: 291,688; county 935,047.
• 1961 – Colegio de Belén relocates to Miami from Cuba.
• 1962 – Historical Museum of Southern Florida and Cruzada Educativa Cubana established.
• 1964
• * February 25. Cassius Clay defeats Sonny Liston for heavyweight champion of the world.
• * Chuck Hall becomes mayor of Dade County.
• 1965
• * Cuban exiles begin to arrive in city via U.S.-sponsored "freedom flights".
• * Florida International University established.
• * Ediciones Universal in business.
• 1966 The Miami Dolphins enter the American Football League as an expansion franchise
• 1968
• * August 5–8: 1968 Republican National Convention held in nearby Miami Beach.
• * August 7–8: 1968 Miami riot.
• * Miami Pop Festivals held near city in May and December.
• 1970
• * David T. Kennedy becomes mayor of city; Stephen P. Clark becomes mayor of Dade County.
• * Population: 334,859; county 1,267,792.
• 1971 – Latin Chamber of Commerce established.
• 1972
• * July: 1972 Democratic National Convention is held in nearby Miami Beach.
• * August: 1972 Republican National Convention is also held in Miami Beach.
• * September: Florida International University opens.
• * One Biscayne Tower is built.
• * Miami Dolphins have their undefeated "perfect" season.
• * Jack Orr becomes mayor of Dade County.
• * November: "Decade of Progress" bond is passed, providing the funding for the Center for the Fine Arts.
• 1973
• * April: U.S.-sponsored "freedom flight" arrivals to Miami of Cuban exiles ends.
• * Barnacle Historic State Park established.
• * Maurice Ferre becomes city mayor.
• 1974
• * Stephen P. Clark becomes mayor of Dade County again.
• * Spanish American League Against Discrimination headquartered in city.
• 1975
• * The Bee Gees move to Miami Beach.
• 1976
• * El Miami Herald Spanish-language newspaper begins publication.
• * Bicentennial Park opens.
• 1977
• * Foreign trade zone established.
• * Black Archives History & Research Foundation of South Florida headquartered in city.
• * Omni International Mall in business.

  1980s-1990s

• 1980
• * May: race riots in Overtown and Liberty City after the death of Arthur McDuffie.
• * April–October: Cubans arrive in city via Mariel boatlift.
• * Miami MetroZoo opens near city.
• * Population: 346,865;
• 1981
• * Palace apartment building constructed.
• * Cuban American National Foundation headquartered in city.
• 1982
• * Knight International Center opens.
• * Facts About Cuban Exiles organization established.
• * 1982 Overtown riot occurs.
• 1983
• * The movie Scarface, which is set in Miami, is released.
• * Christo unveils Surrounded Islands.
• 1984
• * Metrorail begins operating.
• * Center for Fine Arts
• * Miami International Film Festival begins.
• * Southeast Financial Center built on Biscayne Boulevard.
• * Miami Vice, a crime drama television series, debuts on NBC. It will run from 1984 to 1989.
• * First edition of the Miami International Book Fair.
• 1985
• * Miami SunPost newspaper begins publication.
• * Xavier Suarez becomes city mayor.
• * Stephen P. Clark Government Center built.
• * The Golden Girls, a television sitcom set in Miami, begins its seven-year run.
• * Miami City Ballet debuts.
• 1986 – Lincoln Center built.
• 1987
• * November: Pope John Paul II visits city.
• * Miami New Times newspaper in publication.
• * Miami Tower built.
• 1989
• * Ileana Ros-Lehtinen becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 18th congressional district.
• 1990
• * Nelson Mandela visits city.
• * Knight Foundation headquartered in city.
• * Population: 358,548; county 1,937,094.
• 1992 – August: Hurricane Andrew.
• 1993
• * Stephen P. Clark becomes city mayor.
• * Carrie P. Meek becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 17th congressional district.
• 1994
• * Eleventh Street opens.
• * 1st Summit of the Americas held in city.
• 1996
• * Willy Gort becomes mayor of city, succeeded by Joe Carollo; Alex Penelas becomes mayor of Dade County.
• * City website online.
• * Pottinger v. City of Miami homeless-related lawsuit decided.
• * Liberty City Charter School established.
• 1997
• * May 12: Tornado.
• * November: Mayoral election held.
• * Dade County renamed Miami-Dade County.
• 1998
• * January: Xavier Suarez becomes mayor again.
• * March: Mayoral election results of 1997 judged invalid; Carollo becomes mayor again.
• 1999
• * American Airlines Arena opens.
• * Ultra Festival begins.