# Timeline of Rotterdam

The following is a timeline of the history of the municipality of Rotterdam, Netherlands.

## Prior to 19th century

* ca. 950 - Settlement at the lower end of the fen stream Rotte
* 1270 - Dam built on Rotte.
* 1299 - John I, Count of Holland granted rights to the people of Rotterdam, marking the origin of the town.
* 1328 - Latin school established
* 1340 - City rights granted by William IV, Count of Holland.
* 1350 - Rotterdamse Schie (canal) constructed (approximate date).
* 1466 - Erasmus, philosopher and Catholic theologian born.
* 1477 - Saint Lawrence Church consecrated.
* 1489 - Rotterdam besieged by forces of Frans van Brederode.
* 1563 - Fire.
* 1572 - Spanish in power.
* 1574 - Admiralty of Rotterdam organized.
* 1611 - Guild of Saint Luke active (approximate date).
* 1622 - Erasmus statue by Hendrick de Keyser erected.
* 1626 - Collegium Mechanicum established.
* 1632 - Population: 20,000 (approximate).
* 1643 - Scottish Presbyterian church built.
* 1722 - Exchange built.
* 1769 - Batavian Society for Experimental Philosophy founded.
* 1773 - Studium Scientiarum Genetrix literary society formed.
* 1780 - Birth of Hendrik Tollens, poet.
* 1781 - Rotterdamse Academie established.
* 1796 - Population: 53,212.
* 1797 - Netherlands Missionary Society founded.
* 1798 - Organ installed in Saint Lawrence Church.

## 19th century

* 1813 - Johan François van Hogendorp van Heeswijk becomes mayor.
* 1835 - Town Hall rebuilt.
* 1838 - Population: 72,000.
* 1844 - Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant begins publication.
* 1847 - Delftsche Poort railway station opens.
* 1849 - Boymans Museum opens.
* 1851 - Royal Maas Yacht Club founded.
* 1857 - Zoo opens.
* 1859 - Rotterdamsch Leeskabinet (library) founded.
* 1863 - Rotterdam Bank established.
* 1866 - Population: 115,277.
* 1869 - Feijenoord becomes part of city.
* 1870 - Municipal waterworks established.
* 1872 - Nieuwe Waterweg constructed.
* 1873 - Netherlands-America Steamship Company in business.
* 1874
** Katendrecht village becomes part of city.
** Oldenzeel art gallery in business.
** Fountain installed at Nieuwe Markt.
** Maritime Museum founded.
* 1875
** Post office built.
** Koninklijke Rotterdamsche Lloyd [nl] shipping firm in business.
* 1876 - Rotterdamsche reinigingsdienst formed.
* 1877 - Railway Bridge, Rotterdam Zuid railway station, and Rotterdam Beurs railway station open.
* 1878 - Willemsbrug opens.
* 1879
** Horsecar trams begin operating.
** Passage (arcade) built.
* 1882 - Fish Market built.
* 1885 - Museum for Geography and Ethnology opens.
* 1886 - Delfshaven becomes part of city.
* 1891 - Population: 203,500.
* 1894 - Municipal gas and electricity established.
* 1895 - Charlois and Kralingen become part of city.
* 1898 - Witte Huis built.
* 1900 - "Record office" established.

## 20th century

* 1904
** Museum van Oudheden (city history museum) in operation in the Schielandshuis.
** Schiecentrale built.
* 1905
** Electric trams begin operating.
** Population: 379,017.
* 1908
** Rotterdam Hofplein railway station opens.
** Wilhelmina football club formed.
* 1913 - Netherlands School of Commerce founded.
* 1920 - Voorwaarts newspaper begins publication.
* 1925 - Economic Faculty Association established.
* 1927 - Natural History Museum established.
* 1930
** Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra active.
** Naamlooze Vennootschap Margarine Unie in business.
** Rotterdams Conservatorium founded.
* 1931
** Rotterdamse Dansschool founded.
** Van Nelle Factory built.
* 1934
** Hoogvliet and Pernis become part of city.
** De Doelen (concert hall and convention centre) built.
* 1937
** Stadion Feijenoord and Rotterdam Stadion railway station open.
** Museum of Taxation founded.
* 1938
** Pieter Oud becomes mayor.
** Yevhen Konovalets is assassinated in Rotterdam by Pavel Sudoplatov.
* 1940
** May 14: Rotterdam Blitz.
** Diergaarde Blijdorp (zoo) re-opens.
* 1941 - Hillegersberg, IJsselmonde, Overschie, and Schiebroek become part of city.
* 1945 - Pieter Oud becomes mayor again.
* 1946
** Plan for the Reconstruction of Rotterdam [nl] adopted.
** Algemeen Dagblad begins publication.
* 1953
** Rotterdam Blaak railway station and Rotterdam Noord railway station open.
** Groothandelsgebouw built.
* 1956 - Airport opens.
* 1957 - Rotterdam Centraal railway station opens.
* 1958 - Arboretum Trompenburg opens.
* 1960
** Euromast tower built.
** City hosts Floriade horticulture exhibition.
* 1962 - Port of Rotterdam ranked world's busiest port by cargo tonnage.
* 1964
** Rotterdam Lombardijen railway station opens.
** Hilton Hotel built.
* 1965 - Regional Rinjmond Public Authority created.
* 1966 - De Doelen (concert hall and convention centre) rebuilt.
* 1968 - Rotterdam Metro begins operating.
* 1969 - Rotterdam Alexander railway station opens.
* 1970
** Poetry International first performance.
** NRC Handelsblad begins publication, after the merger between Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant and Algemeen Handelsblad
** Nedlloyd shipping firm in business.
** Kralingen Music Festival held.
* 1972 International Film Festival Rotterdam first started.
* 1973
** Charlois, Hoogvliet, and Hoek van Holland sub-municipalities created.
** Maasvlakte in operation.
* 1974 - André van der Louw becomes mayor.
* 1975
** Prins Alexander sub-municipality created.
** Werkcentrum Dans founded.
* 1976
** IJsselmonde and Centrum Noord sub-municipalities created.
** Stoom Stichting Nederland railway museum founded.
* 1977 - Sviib (student association) organized.
* 1979 - HNLMS Buffel museum ship opens.
* 1981
** Rotterdam Marathon begins.
** Baroeg (music venue) in business.
* 1982 - Bram Peper becomes mayor.
* 1984
** Zomercarnaval begins.
** Cube houses built near Oude Haven.
* 1986 - Port of Rotterdam ranked world's busiest container port.
* 1988 - Hogeschool Rotterdam established.
* 1990 - Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art and Shipping and Transport College established.
* 1991 - Gebouw Delftse Poort built.
* 1992 - Kunsthal art museum opens.
* 1993
** Netherlands Architecture Institute relocates to Rotterdam.
** Chabot Museum opens.
* 1994 - V2 Institute for the Unstable Media active.
* 1996
** Erasmus Bridge opens.
** Schouwburgplein (square) redesigned.
* 1997 - MAMA project established by Public Art Squad Foundation.
* 1999
** Ivo Opstelten becomes mayor.
** WORM (Rotterdam) active.
* 2000
** Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam begins.
** Codarts University for the Arts opens.
** KPN Tower built.

## 21st century

* 2001
** World Port Center built.
** Oceanium (aquarium) opens.
** City designated a European Capital of Culture.
* 2002 - Regio Randstad regional governance group formed.
* 2003 - Netherlands Photo Museum opens.
* 2005 - Montevideo (residential skyscraper) built.
* 2006
** North Sea Jazz Festival begins in Rotterdam.
** Rotterdam Circus Arts founded.
* 2007 - RandstadRail and Betuweroute in operation.
* 2009
** Ahmed Aboutaleb becomes first Muslim mayor of a major European city.
** Maastoren skyscraper built.
* 2010
** Rozenburg becomes part of city.
** Pernis sub-municipality created.
** New Orleans (residential skyscraper) built.
** 2010 Tour de France cycling race starts from Rotterdam.
* 2012 - Population: 616,250.
* 2013 Maasvlakte 2 in operation.
* 2014
** Market Hall built.
** Rotterdam Centraal station in operation.
* 2020 - Population: 651,376
* 2021
** Depot Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen.
** De Zalmhaven built.
** Floating Office Rotterdam (FOR) built, accommodating the Global Center on Adaptation.