# Timeline of Sunderland

Following is a list of dates in the history of Sunderland, the ancient city in North East England. Facts and figures, important dates in Sunderland's history.
Sunderland was famous for ship building

## Early times

* 674 CE – Building of St. Peter's Church.
* 1069 – Edgar Ætheling sailed for Scotland from Wearmouth.
* 1183 – Bishop Hugh du Puiset's charter creates the first Borough of Sunderland
* 1346
** Thomas Menvil authorised to build ships at Hendon
** The first recorded shipbuilding on the River Wear

## 17th & 18th centuries

* 1634 – Bishop Morton's Charter created Sunderland's first Mayor and Corporation.
* 1698 – Formation of Sunderland Company of Glassmakers
* 1669 – Letters patent permitted the erection of a pier and lighthouse.
* 1719 – Sunderland Parish's Holy Trinity Church opened
* 1793 – Philip and John Laing established a shipyard on Monkwearmouth Shore. (The oldest surviving shipbuilding firm in Sunderland when it was absorbed into Sunderland Shipbuilders Ltd.)
* 1795 – Birth of Sir Henry Havelock at Ford Hall in Bishopwearmouth.
* 1796 – Wearmouth Bridge opened.

## 19th century

* 1822 – Opening of the railway line from Hetton to Sunderland coal staithes, one of the earliest uses of locomotive power. The engineer was George Stephenson.
* 1826 – Sinking of Wearmouth Colliery
* 1826 – (15 June) Birth of Harry Watts, a Sunderland diver who rescued over 40 people from drowning – and assisted in the rescue of another 120 people.
* 1831 – (October); the first UK outbreak of cholera occurred in Sunderland – 200 people died.
* 1832 – Sunderland became a parliamentary borough under the Reform Act, returning two members of Parliament.
* 1835 – St Mary's Church, Sunderland completed.
* 1835/6 – Establishment of the modern Borough Council, with the first modern Mayor
* 1850 – Opening of the South Docks by George Hudson MP
* 1856 – Birth of Sir William Mills, (1856 – 1932) inventor of the WW1 Mills bomb
* 1858
** The tongue of 'Big Ben' was forged at Hopper's foundry, Houghton
** Wearmouth Bridge widened under the direction of Robert Stephenson.
* 1873 – Foundation of the Sunderland Echo
* 1875 – A record of 64 days was set for the run to Australia by the Wear built sailing vessel The Torrens. Launched in 1875, the novelist Joseph Conrad served on her for a time as mate
* 1879
** Sunderland A.F.C. was founded by Thomas Allen as Sunderland and District Teachers Association Football Club
** Sunderland station opened.
* 1888 – Sunderland granted County Borough status
* 1890 – Sunderland Town Hall opened.
* 1891 – Population: 131,686.
* 1892 – Sunderland A.F.C. win the Football League Championship
* 1893 – Sunderland A.F.C. win the Football League Championship
* 1895 – Sunderland A.F.C. win the Football League Championship
* 1900 – Sunderland Corporation Tramways started.

## 20th century

* 1901 – Population: 146,077.
* 1902 – Sunderland A.F.C. win the Football League Championship
* 1903 – Roker Pier – the harbour's northern breakwater is opened at 2,790 feet long.
* 1909 – The then heaviest bridge in Britain was opened. The Queen Alexandra Bridge carried road and rail traffic, the railway deck remained in use for barely 12 years
* 1913 – Sunderland AFC win the Football League Championship
* 1923 – Police Boxes, model for the TARDIS pioneered by Chief Constable Frederick Crawley
* 1936 – Sunderland A.F.C. win the Football League Championship
* 1937 – Sunderland A.F.C. win the FA Cup
* 1954 – Sunderland Corporation Tramways closed.
* 1964 – Washington designated as a New Town
* 1967 – Ryhope, Silksworth, Tunstall, East & Middle Herrington, South Hylton, part of Offerton, Castletown and Whitburn South Bents added to the County Borough of Sunderland
* 1969 – Sunderland Technical & Art Colleges merged to form Sunderland Polytechnic (now the University of Sunderland)
* 1970 – Opening of new Basil Spence-designed Sunderland Civic Centre by the Princess Margaret
* 1971 – Sunderland Town Hall demolished.
* 1973 – Sunderland A.F.C. win the FA Cup for the second time
* 1974 – Washington, Hetton-le-Hole and Houghton-le-Spring become part of the new Borough of Sunderland
* 1978 – First Wearside Jack hoax letter sent to West Yorkshire Police
* 1984 – Nissan chose Sunderland for their new European manufacturing base
* 1986 – Abolition of Tyne and Wear County Council increases Sunderland Council's powers and duties
* 1988 – Announcement of closure of the shipyards on Wearside
* 1992 – The City of Sunderland was created a by the Queen on 23 March
* 1993 – The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visit Sunderland to unveil the city's new coat of arms
* 1997 – Stadium of Light opens

## 21st century

* 2001 – The entire council housing stock of 39,000 homes is transferred to private landlord Gentoo after a referendum of tenants found 95% support in favour of the move
* 2008 – Sunderland Aquatic Centre opens, the only Olympic-sized pool between Glasgow and Leeds, on a site adjacent to the Stadium of Light