Timeline of Orlando, Florida
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Orlando, Florida, United States.
19th century
- 1843 - Orlando settled as "Jernigan"
- 1875
- * Town of Orlando incorporated.
- * William Jackson Brack becomes mayor.
- 1878 - Orange County Reporter newspaper begins publication.
- 1880
- * South Florida Railroad begins operating.
- * Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church established.
- 1884 - Orange County Jail built.
- 1886
- * Orlando Black opens.
- * Orlando Street Railway begins operating.
- * English Club formed.
- 1889 - Church Street Station built.
- 1891 - St. James Cathedral built.
- 1892
- * Courthouse built.
- * Lake Eola Park established.
- 1900 - Florida Christian Recorder newspaper begins publication.
20th century
1900s-1960s
- 1905 - City Hall built.
- 1910 - Population: 3,894.
- 1913 - Grand Theater opens.
- 1914 - Commission form of government effected.
- 1918 - Orange General Hospital opens.
- 1920 - Population: 9,282.
- 1921
- * Beacham Theater opens.
- * Jones High School active.
- 1923
- * Orlando Utilities Commission established; municipal electric plant begins operating.
- * Albertson Public Library opens.
- * Angebilt Hotel opened on March 14.
- 1924
- * Edgewater Heights, Lorna Doone Park, and Orwin Manor become part of Orlando.
- * WDBO radio begins broadcasting.
- * Orlando Museum of Art founded.
- * Orange Court Hotel built.
- 1925 - Glendonjo Park and Spring Lake Terrace become part of Orlando.
- 1926
- * Country Club Estates, Ivanhoe Plaza, Oakhurst Subdivision, Orlando Highlands, Princeton Court, and Silver Lake Park become part of Orlando.
- * Atlantic Coast Line Railroad station, Cathedral Church of St. Luke, and Municipal Auditorium built.
- * Well'sbuilt Hotel in business.
- 1927 - Orange County Courthouse built.
- 1928 - Orlando Municipal Airport begins operating.
- 1930 - Population: 27,330.
- 1934 - Orlando Dixie Sun newspaper begins publication.
- 1936
- * Orlando Stadium opens.
- * Cypress Gardens opens in nearby Winter Haven.
- 1940 - Orlando Army Air Base established.
- 1943
- * Pinecastle Army Airfield in operation.
- * DDT pesticide "Neocide" developed in United States Department of Agriculture lab in Orlando.
- 1945 - Negro Chamber of Commerce established.
- 1946 - Ben White Raceway opens.
- 1949 - Gatorland opens.
- 1950
- * Population: 52,367.
- * Florida Symphony Orchestra established
- 1952 - William R. Boone High School and Edgewater High School are built.
- 1954
- * WDBO-TV begins broadcasting.
- * Bishop Moore High School built.
- 1956 - Colonial Plaza shopping centre in business.
- 1957
- * Orange County Historical Commission established.
- * Martin Company missile manufactory begins operating near Orlando.
- * Interstate 4 highway constructed.
- 1958 - WLOF-TV begins broadcasting.
- 1960
- * Central Florida Museum opens.
- * Population: 88,135.
- 1961 - Harry P. Leu Gardens deeded to city.
- 1963 - UCF founded in East Orlando
- 1967
- * Carl T. Langford becomes mayor of Orlando.
- * Disney-controlled City of Bay Lake and City of Reedy Creek incorporated near Orlando.
- 1968
- * Florida Technological University opens.
- * Naval Training Center Orlando and Roman Catholic Diocese of Orlando established.
1970s-1990s
- 1970
- * Lake Highland Preparatory School founded.
- * Population: 99,006 city; 344,311 county.
- * University Drive-In cinema built.
- 1971
- * Disney World in business.
- * Historical Society of Central Florida headquartered in Orlando.
- 1973
- * Orlando Fashion Square Mall opens
- * Sentinel Star newspaper began publication.
- * SeaWorld theme park in business.
- 1974
- * East-West Expressway constructed.
- * Disney's Discovery Island in business.
- 1975 - Metropolitan Orlando Women's Political Caucus and Orlando Lutheran Academy founded.
- 1976
- * Orlando International Airport in operation.
- * Harbor House of Central Florida founded as Spouse Abuse, Inc.
- 1977
- * Orlando Regional Medical Center established.
- * Wet 'n Wild Orlando theme park in business.
- 1979
- * Orlando Opera incorporated.
- * Basilica of Mary built.
- 1980
- * July: Racial unrest.
- * Bill Frederick becomes mayor.
- * Population: 128,291 city; 471,016 county.
- 1981 - Bill McCollum becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 5th congressional district.
- 1982
- * Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida established.
- *Epcot theme park in business in nearby Lake Buena Vista.
- 1983 - Orange County Convention Center opens.
- 1984 - Orlando Science Center active.
- 1986 - The Peabody Orlando hotel and Disney's Living Seas in business.
- 1987 - Dr. Phillips High School opens.
- 1989
- * Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival begins.
- * Orlando Arena opens.
- * Orlando Magic begin play.
- 1990
- * Universal Orlando theme park in business.
- * Orlando Weekly newspaper begins publication.
- * Population: 164,693 city; 677,491 county.
- * Zora Neale Hurston Festival begins in nearby Eatonville.
- 1991
- * UCF Arena opens.
- * Orlando Predators football team formed.
- 1992
- * Cypress Creek High School and Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra established.
- * Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival begins.
- 1993
- * Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division in operation.
- * Glenda Hood becomes mayor.
- * Florida Symphony Orchestra ceases operations
- 1994
- * June–July: Some 1994 FIFA World Cup games held in Orlando.
- * Mormon temple built.
- 1996 - City website online.
- 1998
- * Muvico Pointe cinema in business.
- * Mennello Museum opens.
- * Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park in business.
- 1999 - Cinemark Festival Bay Mall in business.
21st century
- 2001 - Olympia High School established
- 2002 - Millenia Mall in business.
- 2003
- * Freedom High School established.
- * Buddy Dyer becomes mayor.
- 2004 - Hurricane Charley directly strikes Orlando area with wind gusts to at least 105 mph Over 60% of Orlando loses power.
- 2007 - CFE Arena opens.
- 2010
- * Amway Center event venue opens.
- * Orlando City Soccer Club formed.
- * Population: 238,300.
- 2011 - Daniel Webster becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 8th congressional district.
- 2015
- * Orlando Eye ferris wheel built.
- * Population: 270,917.
- 2016 - Murder of Christina Grimmie and Orlando nightclub shooting
- 2017 - Universal's Volcano Bay in business