# Timeline of Abidjan

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

## Prior to 20th century

* 1898 - Village of Abidjan founded.

## 20th century

* 1903 - Abidjan becomes a town.
* 1910 - Dimbokro-Abidjan railway constructed.
* 1920 - Population: 1,000.
* 1927 - Port-Bouët wharf commissioned.
* 1934
** French administrative capital relocated to Abidjan from Bingerville.
** Bobo-Dioulasso-Abidjan railway constructed.
* 1938 - Theatre Indigene formed.
* 1942 - Museum established.
* 1945 - City council election held.
* 1946 - Population: 48,000.
* 1948 - ASEC Mimosas football club formed.
* 1950 - Vridi Canal opens.
* 1951 - Autonomous Port of Abidjan in operation.
* 1952
** Bibliothèque municipale established.
** Stade Andre Geo opens.
* 1953 - Banco National Park and Stella Club d'Adjamé (football club) established.
* 1954 - Abidjan Matin newspaper begins publication.
* 1955
** Ouagadougou-Abidjan railway begins operating.
** Catholic Archdiocese of Abidjan established.
** Population: 127,585.
* 1956
** Municipality established.
** Félix Houphouët-Boigny becomes mayor.
** City Hall built.
* 1958
** 1st bridge completed connecting the mainland to Petit-Bassam Island.
* 1960
** City becomes capital of independent Republic of Côte d'Ivoire.
** Antoine Konan Kanga becomes mayor.
** Abidjan Transport Company founded.
* 1961 - Centre d'Edition et de Diffusion Africaines established.
* 1962
** Presidential palace inaugurated.
** Institut Africain pour le Développement économique et Social headquartered in Abidjan.
** Centre Culturel Français active.
* 1963
** Radio Télévision Ivoirienne (television) begins broadcasting.
** Population: 246,700 urban agglomeration.
* 1964 - Fraternité Matin newspaper begins publication.
* 1965
** African Development Bank headquartered in Abidjan.
** Nour-al-Hayat Mall built.
* 1967
** Charles de Gaulle bridge built.
** Higher Institute of Religious Culture founded.
* 1968 - National Library of Ivory Coast established.
* 1969 - Ivoire InterContinental Abidjan Hotel built.
* 1971 - Abidjan Institute of Criminology established (approximate date).
* 1972 - International Community School of Abidjan founded.
* 1974 - Abidjan Stock Exchange established.
* 1975 - Population: 951,216.
* 1976 - Ivorian Society of Bank building and Department of Finances building constructed.
* 1978
** Palais des Sports de Treichville established.
** Population: 1,269,071.
* 1980
** City of Abidjan organized into ten communes: Abobo, Adjamé, Attécoubé, Cocody, Koumassi, Marcory, Plateau, Port-Bouët, Treichville, Yopougon.
** Emmanuel Dioulo becomes mayor.
* 1983 - Political capital of Ivory Coast relocated from Abidjan to Yamoussoukro.
* 1984
** March: 1984 African Cup of Nations held.
** Cité Administrative Tour C, D and E built.
* 1985
** St. Paul's Cathedral, Abidjan built.
** Ernest N’Koumo Mobio becomes mayor.
** Population: 1,716,000 (urban agglomeration).
* 1986 - Sister city relationship established with San Francisco, USA.
* 1988
** Maquis du Val eatery opens.
** Population: 1,934,342.
* 1990
** Demonstration against Houphouët-Boigny national regime.
** Population: 2,102,000 (urban agglomeration).
* 1992 - African Publishers Network headquartered in city.
* 1993 - Marche des Arts et du Spectacle Africains (festival) begins.
* 1994 - Le Jour plus [fr] newspaper begins publication.
* 1995
** Abidjan-Ouagadougou railway concessioned.
** Population: 2,535,000 (urban agglomeration).
* 1996
** Université d'Abobo-Adjamé founded.
** Inades-Formation Côte d'Ivoire relocated to Abidjan.
* 1998
** West African regional Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières (stock exchange) headquartered in Abidjan.
** Population: 2,877,948.
* 1999 - Palais de la culture d'Abidjan [fr] built.
* 2000
** Area of city: 627 square kilometers.
** Population: 3,028,000 (urban agglomeration).

## 21st century

* 2001 - August: City administration decentralized into 13 communes: Abobo, Adjamé, Anyama, Attécoubé, Bingerville, Cocody, Koumassi, Marcory, Plateau, Port-Bouët, Songon, Treichville, Yopougon.
* 2002
** September: First Ivorian Civil War begins.
** Pierre Djédji Amondji becomes Abidjan district governor.
* 2003 - December: "Attack on state TV building."
* 2004
** March: Political protest; violence ensues.
** November: Anti-French riots.
** Anoumabo Open Theatre built.
* 2005 - Population: 3,564,000 (urban agglomeration).
* 2007 - Ivory Coast National Film Festival begins.
* 2008 - Pont d'Azito [fr] (bridge) construction begins.
* 2009
** 29 March: 2009 Houphouët-Boigny stampede.
** Unite de Police Anti-Pollution active.
** University of Science and Technology of Ivory Coast established.
* 2010
** November: Pre-election unrest.
** December: Political protest.
** City website online (approximate date).
** Population: 4,151,000 (urban agglomeration).
* 2011
** February: Protest in Abobo against Gbagbo regime.
** March: Second Ivorian Civil War begins.
** April: "French army take over Abidjan's airport."
** May: Robert Beugré Mambé becomes Abidjan district governor.
* 2012
** May: TEDx Abidjan begins.
** November: Association Internationale des Maires Francophones conference held.
** Population: 4,476,397.
* 2013
** 1 January: 2013 Houphouët-Boigny stampede.
** Yamoussoukro-Abidjan highway built.
** InnovAfrica meets in Abidjan.
* 2014
** Henri Konan Bédié Bridge opens.
** Population: 4,395,243.
* 2017 - July: 2017 Jeux de la Francophonie to be held in Abidjan.