# Timeline of Johannesburg

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The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Johannesburg, in the Gauteng province in South Africa.

## 19th century

* 1886 – Johannesburg township established by Boer government after discovery of gold in vicinity.
* 1887
** The Star newspaper in publication.
** St. Mary's Church built.
** Johannesburg Stock Exchange founded.
** Theatre Royal opens.
* 1888 – St Mary's School was founded.
* 1890
** Library opens.
** Jeppe High School for Boys was founded.
* 1891
** Horse-drawn tram begins operating.
** Standard Theatre opens.
* 1892 – Prison built.
* 1895 – Railway in operation.
* 1896
** January: Uprising against Boer government.
** 19 February: Braamfontein Explosion.
* 1897
** Johannesburg Park station opens.
** Johan Zulch de Villiers becomes the first mayor.
* 1898 – St John's College was founded.
* 1899 – Fort built.
* 1900 – 31 May: Town captured by British forces during the Second Boer War.

## 20th century
### 1900s–1950s

* 1902
** King Edward VII School was founded.
** St. Andrew's School for Girls was founded.
* 1903
** Johannesburg Stock Exchange building constructed.
** Observatory built near town.
** Sophiatown developed.
** Roedean School for Girls was founded.
* 1904
** Johannesburg Zoo and Transvaal Technical Institute established.
** April: Brickfields burned.
** Drill Hall built.
** Population: 99,022.
* 1905
** Town administrative wards created.
** Johannesburg Statistics begins publication.
** Alexandra developed near Johannesburg.
* 1906
** Electric trams begin operating.
** Sunday Times newspaper begins publication.
** Meeting of the Municipal Associations of South Africa held in Johannesburg.
* 1907 – Redhill School was founded.
* 1908 – Population: 180,687.
* 1919 – Jeppe High School for Girls was founded.
* 1920 – Parktown Boys' High School was founded.
* 1921 – Helpmekaar Kollege was founded.
* 1922
** University of the Witwatersrand incorporated.
** January–March: Miner's strike.
* 1923 – Parktown High School for Girls was founded.
* 1925 – Technikon Witwatersrand established.
* 1927 – Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra founded.
* 1928
** Johannesburg gains city status.
** Ellis Park Stadium was opened.
* 1929 – South African Institute of Race Relations headquartered in city.
* 1931 – Airport opens in Germiston.
* 1933 – Kingsmead College was founded.
* 1935 – Johannesburg City Library building opens.
* 1936 – 15 September: The Empire Exhibition, South Africa World's Fair opens
* 1937 – 15 January: The Empire Exhibition, South Africa closes.
* 1941 – St David's Marist, Inanda was founded.
* 1942 – Springbok Legion's Fighting Talk begins publication.
* 1944 – Hoërskool Florida was founded.
* 1946 – Population: 603,470 city; 762,910 urban agglomeration.
* 1948 – Polly Street Centre founded.
* 1950 – Springbok Radio begins broadcasting.
* 1951
** Drum magazine begins publication.
** Population: 631,911 city; 884,007 urban agglomeration.
** Waverley High School for Girls was founded.
* 1952 – Jan Smuts Airport established in Kempton Park.
* 1953 – St Stithians College was founded.
* 1956
** December: Treason Trial begins.
** Purple Renoster literary magazine begins publication.
* 1957 – 1957 Alexandra bus boycott.
* 1958 – St Benedict's College was founded.

### 1960s–1990s

* 1960
** 21 March: Sharpeville massacre.
** Johannesburg Planetarium opens.
* 1961
** City becomes part of the Republic of South Africa.
** Greenside High School was founded.
* 1962 – Sentech Tower built.
* 1963
** 11 July: The arrest of Umkhonto we Sizwe high commanders known as Rivonia Trialist.
** 11 August: Four of the defendants who had been arrested on July 11, at the Liliesleaf Farm near Johannesburg, were able to escape their South African jail after a bribe was promised to their guard by the ANC.
** Classic magazine begins publication.
* 1964
** July: The arrest of Umkhonto we Sizwe high commanders known as Little Rivonia Trialist.
** Johannesburg Botanical Garden established.
* 1966 – Rand Afrikaans University founded.
* 1968 – Bryanston High School was founded.
* 1969
** Hyde Park Corner (shopping centre) in business.
** Northcliff High School was founded.
* 1970
** Tollman Towers and Trust Bank Building constructed.
** Population: 654,682 city; 1,432,643 urban agglomeration.
* 1971 – Hillbrow Tower built.
* 1973 – Marble Towers, Carlton Centre, and Sandton City shopping centre built.
* 1974 – Beeld newspaper begins publication.
* 1975 – Ponte City Apartments built.
* 1976
** 16 June: Soweto uprising.
** Market Theatre opens.
* 1978 – Staffrider literary magazine begins publication.
* 1980
** Municipal workers' strike.
** Federated Union of Black Artists Academy established.
* 1981 – The Sowetan newspaper begins publication.
* 1982
** City Press newspaper begins publication.
** Afrapix active.
* 1984
** 3 September: Sharpeville Six
** 11 Diagonal Street built.
* 1985
** Weekly Mail newspaper begins publication.
** Mormon Temple dedicated.
** Population: 632,369 city; 1,609,408 urban agglomeration.
* 1987 – Water Institute of Southern Africa headquartered in city.
* 1988 – 31 August: Bombing of Khotso House.
* 1989
** Soccer City stadium opens.
** Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation established.
* 1991 – Population: 712,507 city; 1,916,061 metro.
* 1992
** Johannesburg Stadium opens.
** Centre for Policy Studies headquartered in Johannesburg.
* 1994
** 28 March: Shooting at Shell House.
** City becomes seat of the new Gauteng province.
** South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance established.
* 1995
** Gallagher Convention Centre opens.
** Centre for Development and Enterprise headquartered in Johannesburg.
** Johannesburg Biennale art exhibit begins.
* 1996
** 3 February: 1996 Africa Cup of Nations Final football contest played in Johannesburg.
** Population: 752,349 city.
* 1997
** MTN Sundrome opens.
** Flag of Johannesburg revised design adopted.
* 1998 – Website Joburg.org.za launched.
* 1998 – St Peter's College was founded.
* 1999 – September: 1999 All-Africa Games held in city.
* 2000
** City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality and Johannesburg City Parks created.
** Stoned Cherrie in business.
** Population: 2,732,000 (urban agglomeration).

## 21st century
### 2000s

* 2001
** Amos Masondo becomes mayor.
** Monash University, South Africa campus established.
** Population: 3,226,055.
* 2002
** Soweto becomes part of city.
** City hosts Earth Summit 2002.
* 2003 – Nelson Mandela Bridge built.
* 2004
** Constitutional Court of South Africa building opens in Constitution Hill.
** Drill Hall rebuilt.
** Creative Commons South Africa headquartered at University of the Witwatersrand.
* 2005
** University of Johannesburg established.
** 2 July: Live 8 concert.
** Population: 3,272,000 (urban agglomeration).
* 2008
** Joburg Art Fair begins.
** Google office in business.
** Species Australopithecus sediba discovered near Johannesburg.
* 2009
** 28 June: 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Final football contest played in Johannesburg.

### 2010s

* 2010 – 11 July: 2010 FIFA World Cup Final held.
* 2011
** Parks Tau becomes mayor.
** Air pollution in Johannesburg reaches annual mean of 41 PM2.5 and 85 PM10, more than recommended.
** Population: 4,434,827.
* 2013
** 10 February: 2013 Africa Cup of Nations Final football contest played in Johannesburg.
** 5 December: Nelson Mandela dies in Johannesburg.
* 2015 – October: #FeesMustFall protest.
* 2016
** 22 August: Herman Mashaba becomes mayor
** Mduduzi Edmund Tshabalala died in Johannesburg
** October: #FeesMustFall protest revival.
* 2018
** Winnie Madikizela-Mandela died in Johannesburg.
** International 10th BRICS summit held at Sandton Convention Centre.
** 24 October: Jabulani Tsambo died in Johannesburg

### 2020s

* 2021
** 9 July 2021: Geoff Makhubo dies.
** 10 August 2021: Jolidee Matongo becomes mayor.
** 18 September 2021: Jolidee Matongo dies from a car accident
* 2023
** 19 July 2023: Gas explosion destroys road in downtown.