Timeline of Rotterdam

Prior to 19th century

• ca. 950 - Settlement at the lower end of the fen stream Rotte
• 1270 - Dam built on Rotte.
• 1299 - John I, Count of Holland granted rights to the people of Rotterdam, marking the origin of the town.
• 1328 - Latin school established
• 1340 - City rights granted by William IV, Count of Holland.
• 1350 - Rotterdamse Schie constructed.
• 1466 - Erasmus, philosopher and Catholic theologian born.
• 1477 - Saint Lawrence Church consecrated.
• 1489 - Rotterdam besieged by forces of Frans van Brederode.
• 1563 - Fire.
• 1572 - Spanish in power.
• 1574 - Admiralty of Rotterdam organized.
• 1611 - Guild of Saint Luke active.
• 1622 - Erasmus statue by Hendrick de Keyser erected.
• 1626 - Collegium Mechanicum established.
• 1632 - Population: 20,000.
• 1643 - Scottish Presbyterian church built.
• 1722 - Exchange built.
• 1769 - Batavian Society for Experimental Philosophy founded.
• 1773 - Studium Scientiarum Genetrix literary society formed.
• 1780 - Birth of Hendrik Tollens, poet.
• 1781 - Rotterdamse Academie established.
• 1796 - Population: 53,212.
• 1797 - Netherlands Missionary Society founded.
• 1798 - Organ installed in Saint Lawrence Church.

19th century

• 1813 - Johan François van Hogendorp van Heeswijk becomes mayor.
• 1835 - Town Hall rebuilt.
• 1838 - Population: 72,000.
• 1844 - Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant begins publication.
• 1847 - Delftsche Poort railway station opens.
• 1849 - Boymans Museum opens.
• 1851 - Royal Maas Yacht Club founded.
• 1857 - Zoo opens.
• 1859 - Rotterdamsch Leeskabinet founded.
• 1863 - Rotterdam Bank established.
• 1866 - Population: 115,277.
• 1869 - Feijenoord becomes part of city.
• 1870 - Municipal waterworks established.
• 1872 - Nieuwe Waterweg constructed.
• 1873 - Netherlands-America Steamship Company in business.
• 1874
• * Katendrecht village becomes part of city.
• * Oldenzeel art gallery in business.
• * Fountain installed at Nieuwe Markt.
• * Maritime Museum founded.
• 1875
• * Post office built.
• * shipping firm in business.
• 1876 - Rotterdamsche reinigingsdienst formed.
• 1877 - Railway Bridge, Rotterdam Zuid railway station, and Rotterdam Beurs railway station open.
• 1878 - Willemsbrug opens.
• 1879
• * Horsecar trams begin operating.
• * Passage built.
• 1882 - Fish Market built.
• 1885 - Museum for Geography and Ethnology opens.
• 1886 - Delfshaven becomes part of city.
• 1891 - Population: 203,500.
• 1894 - Municipal gas and electricity established.
• 1895 - Charlois and Kralingen become part of city.
• 1898 - Witte Huis built.
• 1900 - "Record office" established.

20th century

• 1904
• * Museum van Oudheden in operation in the Schielandshuis.
• * Schiecentrale built.
• 1905
• * Electric trams begin operating.
• * Population: 379,017.
• 1908
• * Rotterdam Hofplein railway station opens.
• * Wilhelmina football club formed.
• 1913 - Netherlands School of Commerce founded.
• 1920 - Voorwaarts newspaper begins publication.
• 1925 - Economic Faculty Association established.
• 1927 - Natural History Museum established.
• 1930
• * Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra active.
• * Naamlooze Vennootschap Margarine Unie in business.
• * Rotterdams Conservatorium founded.
• 1931
• * Rotterdamse Dansschool founded.
• * Van Nelle Factory built.
• 1934
• * Hoogvliet and Pernis become part of city.
• * De Doelen built.
• 1937
• * Stadion Feijenoord and Rotterdam Stadion railway station open.
• * Museum of Taxation founded.
• 1938
• * Pieter Oud becomes mayor.
• * Yevhen Konovalets is assassinated in Rotterdam by Pavel Sudoplatov.
• 1940
• * May 14: Rotterdam Blitz.
• * Diergaarde Blijdorp re-opens.
• 1941 - Hillegersberg, IJsselmonde, Overschie, and Schiebroek become part of city.
• 1945 - Pieter Oud becomes mayor again.
• 1946
• * adopted.
• * Algemeen Dagblad begins publication.
• 1953
• * Rotterdam Blaak railway station and Rotterdam Noord railway station open.
• * Groothandelsgebouw built.
• 1956 - Airport opens.
• 1957 - Rotterdam Centraal railway station opens.
• 1958 - Arboretum Trompenburg opens.
• 1960
• * Euromast tower built.
• * City hosts Floriade horticulture exhibition.
• 1962 - Port of Rotterdam ranked world's busiest port by cargo tonnage.
• 1964
• * Rotterdam Lombardijen railway station opens.
• * Hilton Hotel built.
• 1965 - Regional Rinjmond Public Authority created.
• 1966 - De Doelen rebuilt.
• 1968 - Rotterdam Metro begins operating.
• 1969 - Rotterdam Alexander railway station opens.
• 1970
• * Poetry International first performance.
• * NRC Handelsblad begins publication, after the merger between Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant and Algemeen Handelsblad
• * Nedlloyd shipping firm in business.
• * Kralingen Music Festival held.
• 1972 International Film Festival Rotterdam first started.
• 1973
• * Charlois, Hoogvliet, and Hoek van Holland sub-municipalities created.
• * Maasvlakte in operation.
• 1974 - André van der Louw becomes mayor.
• 1975
• * Prins Alexander sub-municipality created.
• * Werkcentrum Dans founded.
• 1976
• * IJsselmonde and Centrum Noord sub-municipalities created.
• * Stoom Stichting Nederland railway museum founded.
• 1977 - Sviib organized.
• 1979 - HNLMS Buffel museum ship opens.
• 1981
• * Rotterdam Marathon begins.
• * Baroeg in business.
• 1982 - Bram Peper becomes mayor.
• 1984
• * Zomercarnaval begins.
• * Cube houses built near Oude Haven.
• 1986 - Port of Rotterdam ranked world's busiest container port.
• 1988 - Hogeschool Rotterdam established.
• 1990 - Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art and Shipping and Transport College established.
• 1991 - Gebouw Delftse Poort built.
• 1992 - Kunsthal art museum opens.
• 1993
• * Netherlands Architecture Institute relocates to Rotterdam.
• * Chabot Museum opens.
• 1994 - V2 Institute for the Unstable Media active.
• 1996
• * Erasmus Bridge opens.
• * Schouwburgplein redesigned.
• 1997 - MAMA project established by Public Art Squad Foundation.
• 1999
• * Ivo Opstelten becomes mayor.
• * WORM (Rotterdam) active.
• 2000
• * Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam begins.
• * Codarts University for the Arts opens.
• * KPN Tower built.

21st century

• 2001
• * World Port Center built.
• * Oceanium opens.
• * City designated a European Capital of Culture.
• 2002 - Regio Randstad regional governance group formed.
• 2003 - Netherlands Photo Museum opens.
• 2005 - Montevideo built.
• 2006
• * North Sea Jazz Festival begins in Rotterdam.
• * Rotterdam Circus Arts founded.
• 2007 - RandstadRail and Betuweroute in operation.
• 2009
• * Ahmed Aboutaleb becomes first Muslim mayor of a major European city.
• * Maastoren skyscraper built.
• 2010
• * Rozenburg becomes part of city.
• * Pernis sub-municipality created.
• * New Orleans built.
• * 2010 Tour de France cycling race starts from Rotterdam.
• 2012 - Population: 616,250.
• 2013 Maasvlakte 2 in operation.
• 2014
• * Market Hall built.
• * Rotterdam Centraal station in operation.
• 2020 - Population: 651,376
• 2021
• * Depot Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen.
• * De Zalmhaven built.
• * Floating Office Rotterdam built, accommodating the Global Center on Adaptation.