# Timeline of Leuven

The following is a timeline of the history of the municipality of Leuven, Belgium.

## Pre-20th century

Part of a series on the :
History of Belgium :
PrehistoryNeolithic flint mines of Spiennes 4300–2200 BC :
Ancient Belgae, Eburones & Treveri ~51 BC Gallic Wars 58–50 BC • Ambiorix's revolt 54–53 BC Roman rule 51 BC–c.500 AD :
Early Middle Ages Franks   Merovingians 481–751 Carolingians 751–987 Prince-Bishopric of Liège 980–1789 :
Middle Ages Franco-Flemish War 1297–1305 Burgundian rule 1384–1482 • Wars of Liège 1465–68 Habsburg rule 1482–1556 :
Early Modern Northern Renaissance 15th–16th century Spanish rule 1556–1714 • Seventeen Provinces 1549–81 • Dutch Revolt 1568–1648 • Southern Netherlands Austrian rule 1714–93 • Brabant Revolution 1789–90 • Liège Revolution 1789–91 French rule 1793–1815 :
19th century Dutch rule 1815–30 Belgian Revolution 1830–31 Reign of Leopold I 1831–65 • Treaty of London1839 Reign of Leopold II 1865–1909 • School War 1879–84 • Congo Free State 1885–1908 :
20th and 21st centuries Belgian Congo1908–60 Reign of Albert I1909–34 World War I1914–18 • Invasion1914 • Atrocities1914 • German occupation1914–18 Ruanda-Urundi1922–62 Reign of Leopold III1934–51 World War II 1940–45 • Invasion 1940 • German occupation1940–44 • Holocaust1941–44 Royal Question1944–50 Reign of Baudouin1951–93 Reign of Albert II1993–2013 Reign of Philippe 2013~ :
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* 883 – Battle of Leuven (883) [nl].
* 891 – Battle of Leuven (891).
* 950 - Birth of Lambert I, Count of Louvain the first Count of Leuven.
* 1090 – Hospital established (approximate date).
* 1100 – St. Peter's Church built (approximate date).
* 1165 – Saint Michael's Church, Leuven [de] built.
* 1183 – Leuven becomes part of the Duchy of Brabant of the Holy Roman Empire.
* 1222 – Saint Quentin's Church built (approx. date).
* 1225 – Arnold Nobel [nl] becomes mayor.
* 1230 – Saint Jacob's Church, Leuven [nl] built.
* 1317 – Lakenhal (Leuven) [nl] (cloth hall) built.
* 1356 - Louvain was the scene of the Joyeuse Entrée of Wenceslas.
* 1379 – Defenestration of Leuven [nl] (political unrest).
* 1425 – Old University of Leuven founded by John IV, Duke of Brabant.
* 1463 – Leuven Town Hall built.
* 1474 – Printing press in operation.
* 1497 – St. Peter's Church rebuilt.
* 1502 – Erasmus moves to Leuven.
* 1547 - Leuven Vulgate edited by Hentenius published in Louvain.
* 1571 – City Archive relocated to City Hall.
* 1635 – June–July: Siege of Leuven. Siege of Leuven in 1635
* 1717 – Artois brewery in business.
* 1727 – Public celebration on 10 November of the third centenary of the university's founding.
* 1738 – Hortus Botanicus Lovaniensis (botanical garden) established.
* 1786 – Seminary established.
* 1795 – City becomes part of the Dyle (department) of the French First Republic.
* 1804 – City becomes part of the First French Empire.
* 1815 – City becomes part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.
* 1830 – City becomes part of the Kingdom of Belgium.
* 1831 – 12 August: Battle of Leuven (1831).
* 1834 – Catholic University of Leuven established.
* 1837 - Leuven railway station opened.
* 1843 – Heilige Drievuldigheidscollege (school) established.
* 1867 – Leuven City Theatre [nl] built on Statiestraat.
* 1883 – Population: 36,813.
* 1899 – Keizersberg Abbey founded.

## 20th century

* 1903 – K. Stade Leuven football club formed.
* 1904 - Population: 42,194.
* 1914
** Burning of Louvain Library of the Catholic University of Leuven destroyed.
** Population: 42,490.
* 1919 – Population: 40,069.
* 1921
** Post war reconstruction well underway, about 700 out of 1,200 houses had been rebuilt.
** New purpose-built library was begun, helped by John Rylands Library in Manchester.
* 1928
** UZ Leuven (hospital) active.
** Library of the Catholic University of Leuven rebuilt.
* 1940 – Library of the Catholic University of Leuven destroyed again.
* 1947 – Alfons Smets [nl] becomes mayor.
* 1967 – November: French–Flemish Affaire de Louvain [fr] begins.
* 1968
** Katholieke Universiteit Leuven established.
** Lemmensinstituut (music conservatory) active.
** Studio 1 cinema in business.
* 1977
** Heverlee, Kessel-Lo, and Wilsele become part of city.
** Alfred Vansina [nl] becomes mayor.
* 1982 – Marktrock music fest begins.
* 1988 – Vlaams Filmmuseum en -archief (Flemish film museum) established.
* 1995
** Louis Tobback becomes mayor.
** City becomes part of the Flemish Brabant province.
** Katholieke Hogeschool Leuven [nl] (school) established.
* 1998 – Grand Béguinage designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

## 21st century

* 2002
** Oud-Heverlee Leuven football club formed.
* 2008 – Anheuser-Busch InBev headquartered in city.
* 2011 – Cyclocross Leuven begins.
* 2013 – Population: 97,656.
* 2021 - 2021 UCI Road World Championships road race events finish in Leuven.