# Timeline of Gqeberha

The following is a timeline of the history of Gqeberha in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, Eastern Cape province, South Africa.

## Prior to 20th century

* 1754 - Dutch settlements at the Cape extended eastwards to adjacent Algoa Bay.
* 1799 - Fort Frederick built by British during the Napoleonic wars.
* 1820 - Port Elizabeth settlement founded by British.
* 1823 - Population: 319.
* 1836 - Made a free warehousing port
* 1841 - Jetty constructed in Algoa Bay.
* 1845 - Eastern Province Herald newspaper begins publication.
* 1856
** Grey High School founded.
** King George VI Art Gallery opens.
* 1859 - St George's Park founded.
* 1861 - Town of Port Elizabeth incorporated.
* 1862 - Western-Road Synagogue formed.
* 1865 - Hill Presbyterian Church consecrated.
* 1866 - St. Augustine's Cathedral built.
* 1873 - Railway station building starts.
* 1875
** Uitenhage-Port Elizabeth railway begins operating.
** Port Elizabeth railway station built.
* 1880 - Prince Alfred's Guard Drill Hall built.
* 1881 - Horsecar tram begins operating.
* 1882
** Imbumba yama Nyama political group formed.
** Conservatory built in St George's Park.
* 1885 - "South African Exhibition" held
* 1888 - Mighty Elephants rugby team formed.
* 1889 - St George's Park Cricket Ground in use.
* 1892 - Opera House built.
* 1897 - Electric tram begins operating.
* 1899 - Humewood Road railway station built.
* 1900 - Post Office built.

## 20th century

* 1900-1902 - Port Elizabeth Concentration Camp in operation
* 1903 - New Brighton black township established.
* 1905 - Horse Memorial erected.
* 1907
** NG gemeente Port Elizabeth [af] (church) founded.
** Prince Alfred's Guard Memorial unveiled.
* 1908
** Port Elizabeth Orthodox Hebrew Congregation formed.
** Devastating flooding
* 1912 - Raleigh Street Synagogue [de] built.
* 1913 - Port Elizabeth gains city status.
* 1917 - Airplane flown from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth.
* 1928 - NG gemeente Port Elizabeth-Sentraal [af] (church) founded.
* 1929 - Port Elizabeth Airport and Gereformeerde kerk Port Elizabeth [af] (church) established.
* 1936 - Campanile (belltower) installed.
* 1937 - Oosterlig [af] newspaper begins publication.
* 1940 - NG gemeente Port Elizabeth-Wes [af] (church) founded.
* 1940 - Victoria Park High School was founded
* 1949 - Adcockvale [af] suburb laid out (approximate date).
* 1950 - Evening Post [af] newspaper begins publication.
* 1951 - Van Stadens-veldblomreservaat [af] (nature reserve) established near city.
* 1952 - Govan Mbeki, Raymond Mhlaba and Vuyisile Mini were imprisoned for three months in Rooi Hel ('Red Hell' or North End Prison, Port Elizabeth) for participating in the Defiance Campaign.
* 1954 - 20th Century Theatre in business.
* 1960
** Boet Erasmus Stadium opens.
** Alliance Française of Port Elizabeth founded.
* 1961 - 16 December: Bombings.
* 1964 - University of Port Elizabeth established.
* 1965 - Walmer, South Africa becomes part of Port Elizabeth.
* 1969 - Kouga Dam begins operating in vicinity of city.
* 1979 - Port Elizabeth Black Civic Organisation founded.
* 1984
** Port Elizabeth Youth Congress founded.
** Development of Motherwell begins near city.
* 1985
** March: Labor strike.
** 8 May: Disappearance of "Pebco Three" anti-apartheid activists.
** 27 June: The deaths of "The Cradock Four" political activists.
* 1986 - Jewish Pioneer's Memorial Museum [de] established.
* 1991 - Population: 303,353 city; 853,205 metro.
* 1995
** Nceba Faku elected mayor.
** Part of 1995 Rugby World Cup contest played in Port Elizabeth.
* 1996 - Part of 1996 Africa Cup of Nations football contest played in Port Elizabeth.

## 21st century

* 2001
** Port Elizabeth becomes the seat of the newly created Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality.
** Anti-apartheid leader Govan Mbeki dies at age 91.
* 2004 - Website Mandelametro.gov.za launched.
* 2005
** First premier of the Eastern Cape and anti-apartheid leader Raymond Mhlaba dies at the ages of 85 years.
** Nelson Mandela University formed.
** Red Location Museum of apartheid opens.
* 2006
** 1 March: South African municipal elections, 2006 held.
** Nondumiso Maphazi becomes mayor.
** Bay United F.C. (football club) formed.
* 2009
** Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium opens.
** Zanoxolo Wayile becomes mayor.
** Southern Kings rugby team formed.
* 2010
** Gelvandale Stadium opens.
** Part of 2010 FIFA World Cup football contest played in Port Elizabeth.
* 2011 - Population: 312,392.
* 2013
** Part of 2013 Africa Cup of Nations football contest played in Port Elizabeth.
** Ben Fihla becomes mayor.
* 2015
** Danny Jordaan becomes mayor.
** Chippa United F.C. moved to the city from Cape Town.
* 2016 - Athol Trollip becomes mayor.
* 2021
** Name officially changed from Port Elizabeth to Gqeberha.
* 2023 - Eight people are killed in a mass shooting.