Timeline of Rotterdam
The following is a timeline of the history of the municipality of Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Prior to 19th century
Image:Map of [Rotterdam by Joan Blaeu 1649.jpg|thumb|right|Map of Rotterdam, 1649]- 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.