# Timeline of Vilnius

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Vilnius, Lithuania.

## Prior to 17th century

* 1323
** Gediminas relocates Lithuanian capital to Vilnius from Trakai.
** Castle on Gediminas Hill expanded.
* 1330 – Coat of arms of Vilnius granted.
* 1345 – Pyatnitzkaya Church built.
* 1348 – Cathedral of the Theotokos built.
* 1387
** Magdeburg rights granted.
** St. Nicholas Church built.
* 1397 – Cathedral School active (approximate date).
* 1409 – Gediminas' Tower built.
* 1413 – City becomes capital of the newly formed Vilnius Voivodeship by the Union of Horodło.
* 1426 – Church of St. John built.
* 1469 – Church of Saints Bernard and Francis founded.
* 1500 – St. Anne's Church consecrated.
* 1501 – First mentions of Armenians in the city.
* 1522
** City walls and Gate of Dawn built.
** Francysk Skaryna sets up printing press.
* 1555 – Lutheran Church built on Nyemetzkaya Street.
* 1557 – Vilnius Cathedral rebuilt.
* 1560 – St. Paraskeva Church rebuilt.
* 1570 – Jesuit library established.
* 1572 – Synagogue built.
* 1579 – Alma Academia et Universitas Vilnensis Societatis Iesu founded.
* 1588 – Plague.
* 1597 – Monastery of the Holy Ghost founded.

## 17th-18th centuries

* 1610 – Fire.
* 1626 – Church of St. Theresa founded.
* 1630 – All Saints Church built.
* 1633 – Great Synagogue built.
* 1644 – Biblioteca Sapehana willed to Vilnia University.
* 1653 – Radziwill Palace built.
* 1655 – July: Battle of Vilnius; Russians in power.
* 1656 – Town becomes part of Russia.
* 1658 – Battle of Werki.
* 1697 – Sapieha Palace built.
* 1701 – St. Peter and St. Paul's Church built.
* 1702 – Swedes in power.
* 1710 – Plague.
* 1739 – Green Bridge constructed.
* 1749 – Divine Mercy Sanctuary built.
* 1778 – Lithuanian 5th Infantry Regiment relocated from Pińsk to Wilno.
* 1779 – 5th Infantry Regiment relocated from Wilno to Mścibów.
* 1781 – University Botanical Garden established.
* 1783 – 5th Infantry Regiment relocated from Mścibów back to Wilno.
* 1787 – Lithuanian 4th Infantry Regiment stationed in Wilno.
* 1788 – Russians in power.
* 1790
** 4th Infantry Regiment relocated from Wilno to Borysów.
** Lithuanian 3rd Infantry Regiment relocated from Kowno to Wilno.
* 1791
** Lithuanian 3rd Infantry Regiment relocated from Wilno back to Kowno.
** Lithuanian 7th Infantry Regiment stationed in Wilno.
* 1794 – Vilnius Uprising.
* 1795
** Town becomes part of Russia, and capital of Vilna Governorate.
** St. Paraskeva Church rebuilt.
* 1799
** Town Hall rebuilt.
** Romm publishing house relocates to Vilnius.

## 19th century

* 1801
** Rasos Cemetery consecrated.
** Royal Palace demolished.
* 1809 – Antakalnis Cemetery established.
* 1810 – Bernardine Cemetery established.
* 1812
** Napoleon uses the city as a military base.
** Vilnian National Guard formed.
** 5 July: 3rd Light Cavalry Regiment of the Polish Guards founded in Wilno.
** 22 September: Polish 21st Mounted Rifles Regiment founded in Wilno.
* 1823 – Population: 20,900.
* 1825 – Tuskulenai Manor built.
* 1828 – Jewish cemetery established in Uzupis (approximate date).
* 1831 – Uprising.
* 1832 – University closed.
* 1834 – Presidential Palace renovated.
* 1836 – St. George Avenue laid out.
* 1845 – Theatre opens.
* 1852 – Central Archive of Early Register Books established.
* 1855 – Museum of Antiquities established.
* 1856 – Public library established.
* 1861 – Demonstration against Russian Empire.
* 1863 – Uprising against Russian Empire.
* 1866 – St. Nicholas Orthodox Church reconsecrated.
* 1867 – Pretchistenski Cathedral rebuilt.
* 1881 – Population: 89,560.
* 1883 – Population: 93,760.
* 1897 – Jewish Labor Bund founded in Vilnius.
* 1898 – St. Alexander Nevsky Church and District Court built.
* 1900 – Population: 162,633.

## 20th century

* 1901 – Kaziukas Fair relocates to Place Lukiskim.
* 1903 – Power Plant, Choral Synagogue and Our Lady of the Sign Church built.
* 1904 – Lukiškės Prison built.
* 1905 – December: Great Seimas of Vilnius held.
* 1906
** Society of Friends of Science organized.
** Vileišis Palace built.
* 1907 – Lithuanian Art Society founded.
* 1911 – St. Casimir Church, Naujoji Vilnia built.
* 1913
** Orthodox Church of St. Michael and St. Constantine built.
** Population: 204,290.
* 1915
** 19 September: Germans in power.
** City becomes capital of Lithuania District.
* 1916 – Vilna Troupe active.
* 1918
** 16 February: Lithuania declares independence from German Empire.
** Museum of History and Ethnography established.
* 1919
** April: Vilna offensive by Polish army.
** Central Library of Lithuania organized.
** Jabłkowski Brothers department store opens.
* 1920 – October: Żeligowski's Mutiny.
* 1925
** Darius Stadium opens.
** Elektrit Radiotechnical Society, Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Vilnius, and Yiddish Scientific Institute established.
** 6 May: School massacre.
* 1926 – City becomes capital of Wilno Voivodeship.
* 1928 – Northern Trade Fair begins.
* 1931 – Population: 195,000.
* 1933
** City Museum established.
** Śmigły Wilno soccer team formed.
* 1939
** 18–19 September: Battle of Wilno (1939) between the Poles and the invading Soviets at the start of World War II.
** Soviets in power.
** 28 October: Lithuanians in power.
** Vilnius Pedagogical Institute established.
* 1940
** City becomes capital of Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic.
** Vilnius State Theatre established.
* 1941
** June: Germans in power.
** July: Ponary massacre begins.
** 5 July: Dulag transit camp for prisoners of war deployed in the city.
** August: Dulag transit camp for prisoners of war relocated to Lida.
** August: Subcamp of the Stalag 336 POW camp established by the Germans.
** 9 September: Subcamp of Stalag 336 converted into the Stalag 344 POW camp.
** December: Wehrmacht military prison established.
* 1942 – Fareynikte Partizaner Organizatsye formed in Vilna Jewish Ghetto.
* 1943 – HKP 562 forced labor camp set up by Germans.
* 1944
** Wehrmacht military prison relocated to Tarnów.
** 6–15 July: Operation Ostra Brama; Soviets in power.
** Airport begins operating.
* 1945 – Music School founded.
* 1946 – Russian Drama Theatre re-established.
* 1950 – Žalgiris Stadium opens.
* 1951 – Vilnius Heat Plant commissioned.
* 1955 – Šeškinė village becomes part of the city.
* 1956
** Trolleybuses begin operating.
** Vilnius Gediminas Technical University established.
* 1963
** National Library of Lithuania relocates to Vilnius.
** Polish Theater founded.
* 1964 – Statyba basketball team formed.
* 1965
** Žirmūnai Bridge constructed.
** Vingis Park renovated.
** Population: 293,000.
* 1967 – Technika (publisher) established.
* 1968 – Ratilio ensemble formed.
* 1971 – Palace of Concerts and Sports opens.
* 1972 – Valakampiai Bridge constructed.
* 1974
** Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre built.
** Evangelical Cemetery demolished.
* 1979 – Population: 503,000.
* 1980 – Seimas Palace and Vilnius TV Tower built.
* 1983 – Vilnius Combined Heat and Power Plant commissioned.
* 1985 – Population: 544,000.
* 1987 – Vilnius Jazz Festival begins.
* 1989 – Jewish State Museum established.
* 1990
** 11 March: Lithuania declares independence from USSR.
** Vilnius Lyceum and Vilniaus lietuvių namai (school) established.
* 1991 – January: City besieged by Soviet forces.
* 1992
** Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania and Verkiai Regional Park established.
** Museum of Genocide Victims opens.
* 1994 – Military Academy of Lithuania established.
* 1995 – Alis Vidūnas becomes mayor.
* 1997
** 1 April: Užupis neighborhood declares itself an independent republic.
** Rolandas Paksas becomes mayor.
** Kalnai Park established.
* 1999
** Vilnius Book Fair begins.
** Juozas Imbrasas becomes mayor.
* 2000
** House of the Signatories museum opens.
** Artūras Zuokas becomes mayor.

## 21st century

* 2001 – Sportima Arena opens.
* 2002
** Vilnius Ice Palace opens.
** Energy and Technology Museum established.
* 2003
** Mindaugas Bridge opens.
** 750th anniversary of the coronation of Mindaugas.
** FK Vetra relocates to Vilnius.
* 2004
** Siemens Arena and Vetra Stadium open.
** European Humanities University relocates to Vilnius.
** Europa Tower built.
** Mykolas Romeris University and Vilnius Academy of Business Law established.
** Vilnius Marathon begins.
* 2005 – Lietuvos rytas Arena opens.
* 2006 – May: City hosts regional democracy conference.
* 2007
** Juozas Imbrasas becomes mayor again.
** Jonas Mekas Visual Arts Center opens.
* 2008
** February: City hosts NATO meeting.
** Vilnius Airport railway station opens.
** Gariunai Market pavilion built.
* 2009
** Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania rebuilt.
** City designated a European Capital of Culture.
* 2011
** Vilniaus viesasis transportas (bus company) established.
** Population: 554,060.
** Artūras Zuokas becomes mayor again.
* 2015 – Remigijus Šimašius becomes mayor.
* 2023
** July: City hosts NATO meeting.