# Timeline of Huntsville, Alabama

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The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Huntsville, Alabama, USA.

## Prior to 20th century

* 1809 - Town of Twickenham incorporated in U.S. Mississippi Territory.
* 1811 - Twickenham renamed "Huntsville".
* 1812 - Green Academy established.
* 1817
** Town becomes part of U.S. Alabama Territory.
** Huntsville Republican newspaper in publication.
* 1818 - Huntsville social library active.
* 1819
** Alabama Territory constitutional convention held in Huntsville.
** Town becomes part of new U.S. state of Alabama.
** Newly formed Alabama Legislature convenes in Huntsville.
* 1820 - Alabama state capital relocated from Huntsville to Cahaba.
* 1822 - Maple Hill Cemetery in use (approximate date).
* 1825 - Southern Advocate and Huntsville Advertiser newspaper in publication.
* 1835 - A large fire near the Courthouse Square destroys about a dozen buildings.
* 1840 - Population: 2,496.
* 1844 - Huntsville was chartered as a city.
* 1855 - Memphis and Charleston Railroad begins operating.
* 1860 - Huntsville Depot built.
* 1862 - Huntsville occupied by Union forces during the American Civil War.
* 1870 - Population: 4,907.
* 1888
** Old Federal Square U.S. Post Office and Courts built on corner of Randolph St and Green St
** Monte Sano Railroad Workers' House built.
* 1896 - Oakwood College founded.
* 1898 - B’nai Israel Synagogue built.
* 1900 - Population: 8,068.

## 20th century

* 1904 - An angry mob sets fire to the city jail during the lead up to the Lynching of Horace Maples.
* 1910 - Huntsville Daily Times newspaper begins publication.
* 1912 - Lyric Theatre in business.
* 1916 - Carnegie Public Library building opens.
* 1932 - United States Courthouse and Post Office built.
* 1935 - Monte Sano State Park established near city.
* 1937 - WBHP radio begins broadcasting.
* 1938 - Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge established in vicinity of Huntsville.
* 1941 - U.S. military Redstone Arsenal begins operating.
* 1943 - (August) Community Chest, later to become United Way of Madison County, founded by community leaders
* 1947 - Keller (automobile) production begins.
* 1950
** Area of city: 4 square miles.
** Population: 16,437.
* 1951 - Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society formed.
* 1955
** Huntsville Symphony Orchestra formed.
** Memorial Parkway is constructed as a bypass around downtown.
* 1957 - Lee High School built.
* 1959 - WAFG-TV (television) begins broadcasting.
* 1960
** U.S. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center established.
** Area of city: 51 square miles.
** Population: 72,365.
* 1962 - Arts Council formed.
* 1964 - Huntsville News begins publication.
* 1968 - Joe W. Davis becomes mayor.
* 1969 - Virgil I. Grissom High School established.
* 1970 - Population: 139,282.
* 1974 - Oakwood Adventist Academy established.
* 1975
** Von Braun Civic Center (convention centre) opens.
** Madison County Nature Trail established.
* 1976 - Huntsville Depot museum established.
* 1982
** Panoply Arts Festival begins.
** Alabama Constitution Village museum established.
* 1984 - Madison Square Mall in business.
* 1986 - Interstate 565 highway construction starts.
* 1988 - Steve Hettinger becomes mayor.
* 1989 - November 1989 tornado outbreak.
* 1990 - Population: 159,880.
* 1993 - Big Spring Jam (music festival) begins.
* 1995 - May 18: Anderson Hills tornado.
* 1996
** Loretta Spencer becomes mayor.
** Huntsville News ceases publication.
* 1997 - United States Army Aviation and Missile Command headquartered in Huntsville.

## 21st century

* 2006 - November 20: 2006 Huntsville bus crash.
* 2008 - Tommy Battle becomes mayor.
* 2010
** February 12: 2010 University of Alabama in Huntsville shooting.
** Population: 180,105.
* 2014
** Area of city: 210 square miles.
** Twickenham Square shopping/residential complex built.
** Restore our Roads initiative created to fund a large amount of infrastructure projects to handle projected growth.
* 2018 - A Huntsville police officer, William Darby, shoots and kills a suicidal man seconds after arriving at the scene. The city council votes to pay the officer's legal defense. Cleared of wrong-doing by the police review board, Darby is convicted of murder. The mayor and police chief continued to support the officer after the guilt verdict.
* 2020
** Construction begins on the next segment of the Northern Bypass, connecting Interstate 565 to US 231/431.
** A George Floyd protest on June 3, 2020, was ended by Huntsville Police along with SWAT and Incident Response Team using tear gas, pepper spray, and rubber bullets.