# Timeline of Asmara

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Asmara, Eritrea. Asmara was under Italian colonial rule from 1889 until 1941.

## Prior to 20th century

Part of a series on the :
History of Eritrea :
Pre-colonial Prehistory Land of Punt (c. 2500–980 BC) Kingdom of Dəmot (c. 980–400 BC) Aksumite Empire (c. 150 BC–AD 960) Sultanate of Dahlak (960–1557) Zagwe Dynasty (c. 1137–1270) Ethiopian Empire (1270–1974) Dankali Sultanate (c. Late 13th century–18th century) Sultanate of Aussa (1734–1936) :
Colonial Eyalet-i Habeş (1554–1872) Italian Eritrea (1882–1936) Eritrea Governorate of Italian East Africa (1936–1941) East African Campaign of World War II (1940–1941) British Military Administration (1941–1952) :
Post-Colonial Autonomy within Ethiopia (1952–1962) Eritrean War of Independence (1961–1991) Annexation as the Eritrea Province (1962–1993) Ethiopian Civil War (1974–1991) :
State of Eritrea 1990s in Eritrea Eritrean–Ethiopian War (1998–2000) 2000s in Eritrea 2010s in Eritrea :
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* circa 1515 CE - Four villages merge to become "Asmera" (traditional date).
* 16th century - Asmara sacked by Muslim forces.
* 1889 - 3 August: Asmara occupied by Italian forces under command of Baldissera.
* 1895 - Governor's Palace built.
* 1900 - Capital of colonial Italian Eritrea moved to Asmara from Massawa.

## 20th century

* 1905 - Congresso Coloniale Italiano held in Asmara.
* 1906 - Asmara Synagogue built.
* 1911 - Ferrovia Massaua-Asmara begins operating; Asmara Station [it] opens.
* 1920
** Teatro Asmara (theatre) opens.
** Population: 14,711.
* 1922 - Airport begins operating.
* 1923 - Church of Our Lady of the Rosary built.
* 1930s - New Governor's Palace built (now City Hall).
* 1935 - Population: 16,000 (12,000 Africans + 4,000 Italians).
* 1936 - Apartheid begins; city racially divided into nazionali (white) and indigeni (black) areas.
* 1937
** Asmara-Massawa Cableway begins operating.
** Albergo CIAAO (hotel) built for the Compagnia Immobiliare Alberghi Africa Orientale.
** Cinema Excelsior and Cinema Teatro Augustus open.
* 1938
** Great Mosque of Asmara, Cicero Stadium, and Fiat Tagliero Building constructed.
** Cinema Impero opens.
* 1939
** Asmara Brewery in business.
** Population: 84,000 (36,000 Africans + 48,000 Italians).
* 1941
** March. British occupy city.
** Asmara Brewery FC (football club) formed.
* 1945 - Red Sea FC (football club) formed.
* 1951 - British occupation ends.
* 1952 - City becomes part of Ethiopia per United Nations decision.
* 1953 - United States military signals intelligence Kagnew Station in operation.
* 1957 - Scuola materna italiana di Asmara [it] (school) active.
* 1958
** Catholic College of the Santa Famiglia founded.
** Denden Stadium opens.
* 1959 - Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Asmara active.
* 1962 - Population: 120,000.
* 1964 - Population: 131,800.
* 1968
** January: Part of 1968 African Cup of Nations football contest held in Asmara.
** University of Asmara active.
* 1969 - Kidane Mehret Cathedral built.
* 1974
** Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police, and Territorial Army (Derg) in power.
** 28 December: Massacre occurs during the Eritrean War of Independence.
* 1975
** February: Fighting, Massacre occurs.
** July: Fighting occurs.
* 1985 - Population: 284,748 (estimate).
* 1990
** Siege of city begins.
** Population: 358,100 (estimate).
* 1991
** 24 May: Eritrean People's Liberation Front take city; Derg rule ends.
** Haddas Ertra [no] newspaper begins publication.
* 1993
** 24 May: Asmara becomes capital of independent Eritrea.
** Eri-TV begins broadcasting.
* 1998 - 5 June: Airport bombed by Ethiopian forces during the Eritrean–Ethiopian War.

## 21st century

* 2002 - Semere Russom becomes mayor of Asmara and administrator of the Central Region.
* 2013 - 21 January: 2013 Eritrean Army mutiny occurs at Eri-TV building.
* 2017 - Italian city centre designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
* 2018 - Population: 501,203 (estimate).
* 2020 - Rocket attacks.