# Timeline of Orlando, Florida

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Orlando, Florida, United States.

## 19th century

* 1843 - Orlando settled as "Jernigan"
* 1875
** Town of Orlando incorporated.
** William Jackson Brack becomes mayor.
* 1878 - Orange County Reporter newspaper begins publication.
* 1880
** South Florida Railroad begins operating.
** Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church established.
* 1884 - Orange County Jail built.
* 1886
** Orlando Black (school) opens.
** Orlando Street Railway begins operating (approximate date).
** English Club formed.
* 1889 - Church Street Station built.
* 1891 - St. James Cathedral built.
* 1892
** Courthouse built.
** Lake Eola Park established.
* 1900 - Florida Christian Recorder newspaper begins publication.

## 20th century
### 1900s-1960s

* 1905 - City Hall built.
* 1910 - Population: 3,894.
* 1913 - Grand Theater opens.
* 1914 - Commission form of government effected.
* 1918 - Orange General Hospital opens.
* 1920 - Population: 9,282.
* 1921
** Beacham Theater opens.
** Jones High School active.
* 1923
** Orlando Utilities Commission established; municipal electric plant begins operating.
** Albertson Public Library opens.
** Angebilt Hotel opened on March 14.
* 1924
** Edgewater Heights, Lorna Doone Park, and Orwin Manor become part of Orlando.
** WDBO radio begins broadcasting.
** Orlando Museum of Art founded.
** Orange Court Hotel built.
* 1925 - Glendonjo Park and Spring Lake Terrace become part of Orlando.
* 1926
** Country Club Estates, Ivanhoe Plaza, Oakhurst Subdivision, Orlando Highlands, Princeton Court, and Silver Lake Park become part of Orlando.
** Atlantic Coast Line Railroad station, Cathedral Church of St. Luke, and Municipal Auditorium built.
** Well'sbuilt Hotel in business.
* 1927 - Orange County Courthouse built.
* 1928 - Orlando Municipal Airport begins operating.
* 1930 - Population: 27,330.
* 1934 - Orlando Dixie Sun newspaper begins publication.
* 1936
** Orlando Stadium opens.
** Cypress Gardens opens in nearby Winter Haven.
* 1940 - Orlando Army Air Base established.
* 1943
** Pinecastle Army Airfield in operation.
** DDT pesticide "Neocide" developed in United States Department of Agriculture lab in Orlando.
* 1945 - Negro Chamber of Commerce established.
* 1946 - Ben White Raceway opens.
* 1949 - Gatorland opens.
* 1950 - Population: 52,367.
* 1952 - William R. Boone High School and Edgewater High School are built.
* 1954
** WDBO-TV (television) begins broadcasting.
** Bishop Moore High School built.
* 1956 - Colonial Plaza shopping centre in business.
* 1957
** Orange County Historical Commission established.
** Martin Company missile manufactory begins operating near Orlando.
** Interstate 4 highway constructed.
* 1958 - WLOF-TV (television) begins broadcasting.
* 1960
** Central Florida Museum opens.
** Population: 88,135.
* 1961 - Harry P. Leu Gardens deeded to city.
* 1963 - UCF founded in East Orlando
* 1967
** Carl T. Langford becomes mayor of Orlando.
** Disney-controlled City of Bay Lake and City of Reedy Creek incorporated near Orlando.
* 1968
** Florida Technological University opens.
** Naval Training Center Orlando and Roman Catholic Diocese of Orlando established.

### 1970s-1990s

* 1970
** Lake Highland Preparatory School founded.
** Population: 99,006 city; 344,311 county.
** University Drive-In cinema built.
* 1971
** Disney World in business.
** Historical Society of Central Florida headquartered in Orlando.
* 1973
** Orlando Fashion Square Mall opens
** Sentinel Star newspaper began publication.
** SeaWorld theme park in business.
* 1974
** East-West Expressway constructed.
** Disney's Discovery Island in business.
* 1975 - Metropolitan Orlando Women's Political Caucus and Orlando Lutheran Academy founded.
* 1976 - Orlando International Airport in operation.
* 1977
** Orlando Regional Medical Center established.
** Wet 'n Wild Orlando theme park in business.
* 1979
** Orlando Opera incorporated.
** Basilica of Mary (church) built.
* 1980
** July: Racial unrest.
** Bill Frederick becomes mayor.
** Population: 128,291 city; 471,016 county.
* 1981 - Bill McCollum becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 5th congressional district.
* 1982
** Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida established.
** Epcot theme park in business in nearby Lake Buena Vista.
* 1983 - Orange County Convention Center opens.
* 1984 - Orlando Science Center active.
* 1986 - The Peabody Orlando hotel and Disney's Living Seas in business.
* 1987 - Dr. Phillips High School opens.
* 1989
** Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival begins.
** Orlando Arena (later the Amway Arena) opens.
** Orlando Magic begin play.
* 1990
** Universal Orlando theme park in business.
** Orlando Weekly newspaper begins publication.
** Population: 164,693 city; 677,491 county.
** Zora Neale Hurston Festival begins in nearby Eatonville.
* 1991
** UCF Arena opens.
** Orlando Predators football team formed.
* 1992
** Cypress Creek High School and Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra established.
** Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival begins.
* 1993
** Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division in operation.
** Glenda Hood becomes mayor.
* 1994
** June–July: Some 1994 FIFA World Cup games held in Orlando.
** Mormon temple built.
* 1996 - City website online (approximate date).
* 1998
** Muvico Pointe cinema in business.
** Mennello Museum opens.
** Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park in business.
* 1999 - Cinemark Festival Bay Mall (cinema) in business.

## 21st century

* 2001 - Olympia High School established
* 2002 - Millenia Mall in business.
* 2003
** Freedom High School established.
** Buddy Dyer becomes mayor.
* 2004 - Hurricane Charley directly strikes Orlando area with wind gusts to at least 105 mph Over 60% of Orlando loses power.
* 2007 - CFE Arena opens.
* 2010
** Amway Center event venue opens.
** Orlando City Soccer Club formed.
** Population: 238,300.
* 2011 - Daniel Webster becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 8th congressional district.
* 2015
** Orlando Eye ferris wheel built.
** Population: 270,917 (estimate).
* 2016 - Orlando nightclub shooting
* 2017 - Universal's Volcano Bay in business