Timeline of Port Harcourt

19th century

• 1869 – A civil war in the Bonny Kingdom splits the polity into rival houses; Jaja leads the Opobo group to found Opobo at the Imo River estuary, reshaping trade routes across the Bonny–Imo river corridor near the future Port Harcourt area.
• 1884–1885 – Britain proclaims the Oil Rivers Protectorate over the Niger Delta, extending consular jurisdiction over the Bonny River approaches and adjacent creeks.
• 1893 – The Oil Rivers Protectorate is renamed the Niger Coast Protectorate, consolidating British administration across the eastern Niger Delta prior to amalgamation into Southern Nigeria in 1900.

20th century

• 1925 – Braithwaite Memorial Hospital begins operating.
• 1961 – Roman Catholic Diocese of Port Harcourt established.
• 1965 – Port Harcourt Refining Company founded at Alesa-Eleme.
• 1971 – Newspaper The Tide begins publication.
• 1972
• * Rivers State College of Science and Technology opens.
• * Sharks F.C. formed in Port Harcourt.
• 1975
• * University College, Port Harcourt created.
• * Port Harcourt Zoo established.
• 1977 – University College gains university status and becomes the University of Port Harcourt.
• 1980
• * Rivers State University of Science and Technology replaces Rivers State College of Science and Technology.
• * University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital begins operation.
• 1981 – Radio Rivers begins broadcasting.
• 1984 – Rivers State School of Basic Studies commences in Port Harcourt.
• 1985 – Rivers State Television inaugurated.
• 1988 – Dolphins football club founded.
• 1993 – Sister-city relationship with Kansas City formed.
• 1995 – Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni Nine are buried in Port Harcourt Cemetery.
• 1996 – Meridian Hospital begins operating.
• 1999 – Rivers State School of Basic Studies is revamped and renamed Rivers State College of Arts and Science.

21st century

• 2001 – Liberation Stadium opens.
• 2004
• * National Network newspaper begins publication.
• 2005 – Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145 crashes.
• 2006
• * Port Harcourt International Airport stops operations for maintenance.
• 2008
• * Garden City Literary Festival begins.
• * Street Rhymes Studios opens for business.
• 2009 – Port Harcourt International Airport named Nigeria's third-busiest airport.
• 2010 – Bus electrocutions accident occurs in the region.
• 2011 – 91.7 FM begins broadcasting.
• 2012
• * Port Harcourt selected 2014 World Book Capital.
• * Massacre of four Uniport students.
• 2013
• * Kelsey Harrison Hospital and Rivers State Dental and Maxillofacial Hospital begin operations.
• * I'm on Fire becomes a successful Port Harcourt–based mixtape release.
• * Port Harcourt International Fashion Week begins.
• * Garden City Literary Festival is renamed the Port Harcourt Book Festival.
• 2014 – Port Harcourt hosts the World Book Capital programme events.