# Timeline of Tampa, Florida

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Tampa in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States.

## 19th century

* 1821 – Spain transfers control of Florida to the United States per the Adams-Onis Treaty
* 1824 – Fort Brooke established by U.S. Army on Tampa Bay in the Territory of Florida.
* 1831 – Tampa Bay post office established.
* 1845 – Tampa Bay becomes part of the new U.S. state of Florida.
* 1848 – 1848 Tampa Bay hurricane.
* 1849 – Village of Tampa incorporated.
* 1850 – Oaklawn Cemetery established.
* 1855 – Town of Tampa incorporated.
* 1856 – Joseph B. Lancaster becomes mayor.
* 1859 – First Baptist Church established.
* 1861 – Florida secedes the US and joins the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War
* 1862 – June 30-July 1: Battle of Tampa.
* 1863 – October 16–18: Battle of Fort Brooke.
* 1873
** Yellow fever outbreak.
** Tampa Guardian newspaper in publication.
* 1877 – Gainesville-Tampa stagecoach begins operating.
* 1882 – Hillsborough High School opens.
* 1884 – Henry Plant's South Florida Railroad begins operating.
* 1885 – Board of Trade established.
* 1886 - Ybor City established by Vicente Martinez Ybor; first cigar factories open
* 1887
** Ybor City annexed by city of Tampa.
** Tampa Electric Company established.
* 1888 – Plant Park laid out.
* 1889 – Florida Railway begins operating.
* 1890
** Tampa Business College established.
** Telephone service established.
* 1891
** Tampa Bay Hotel built.
** Cuban José Martí speaks in Ybor City in support of Cuban independence.
* 1893 – Tampa Daily Times newspaper begins publication.
* 1895 – Tampa Fire Department established.
* 1899
** Burgert Brothers photo studio established.
** Circulo Cubano founded.
* 1900 – Tampa Woman's Club formed.

## 20th century
### 1900s-1950s

* 1901 – Jackson Rooming House in business.
* 1904 – South Florida Fair and Gasparilla Parade begin.
* 1905
** Columbia Restaurant in business.
** Sacred Heart Catholic Church and United States Courthouse Building constructed.
* 1907
** St. Andrew's Episcopal Church built.
** Havatampa Cigar Company in business.
* 1908 – YMCA built.
* 1912
** Union Station opens.
** El Centro Español de Tampa building constructed.
** El Comercio Spanish-language newspaper begins publication.
** Union Hotel in business.
* 1913 – Centro Asturiano de Tampa building constructed.
* 1914 – St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line begins operating.
* 1915 – Tampa City Hall built.
* 1916 – Heraldo Dominical Spanish-language newspaper begins publication.
* 1917
** Tampa Public Library opens.
** Circulo Cubano de Tampa rebuilt.
* 1918 – Unione Italiana building constructed.
* 1920 – Population: 51,608.
* 1922
** WDAE radio begins broadcasting.
** La Gaceta trilingual newspaper begins publication.
* 1924 – Gandy Bridge to St. Petersburg built.
* 1925
** West Tampa annexed by City of Tampa.
** Municipal Auditorium built.
** WFLA radio begins broadcasting.
* 1926
** Junior League of Tampa founded.
** Tampa Theatre opens.
* 1927
** Sulphur Springs Water Tower erected.
** Floridan Hotel in business.
* 1930 – Population: 101,161.
* 1931
** Labor strike of cigar workers.
** Tampa Junior College established.
* 1934 – Davis Causeway opens.
* 1938 – Janus Administration Building constructed.
* 1939 – U.S. Army Southeast Air Base established.
* 1940 – Population: 108,391.
* 1950 – Population: 124,681.
* 1955 - WFLA-TV and WTVT (television) begin broadcasting.
* 1956 – Britton Plaza Shopping Center in business.
* 1957 – Lowry Park Zoo opens.
* 1959 – Busch Gardens theme park in business.

### 1960s-1990s

* 1960 – Population: 274,970.
* 1962 – Museum of Science and Industry founded.
* 1965 - Curtis Hixon Hall opens
* 1966 – Franklin Exchange Building constructed.
* 1970 – Population: 277,767.
* 1972 - Sant'Yago Knight Parade begins.
* 1977
** New Florida State Fairgrounds hosts first fair
** Floriland Cinema in business.
* 1978 – Cracker Country (museum) established.
* 1979
** May 8: Storm.
** Tampa Museum of Art founded.
* 1980
** Hillsborough Area Regional Transit established.
** Population: 271,523.
* 1981 – Feeding America Tampa Bay active (approximate date).
* 1982 – Foreign trade zone and Ybor City Museum Society established.
* 1984 – Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System established.
* 1986 – Barnett Plaza (hi-rise) built.
* 1987
** Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center opens.
** Children's Museum founded.
* 1988 – Rivergate Tower built.
* 1989 – Tampa Bay History Center founded.
* 1990
** Tampa Convention Center opens
** Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival begins.
** Population: 280,015.
* 1992 – AmSouth Building and SunTrust Financial Centre constructed.
* 1995 – Florida Aquarium opens.
* 1996
** City website online.
** Ice Palace arena opens.
* 1997 - Tampa Police Museum founded.
* 2000 - Channelside 9 Cinemas in business.

## 21st century

* 2001
** Tampa Gallery of Photographic Arts opens.
** Ruby (programming language) conference held in city.
* 2002
** January 5: 2002 Tampa plane crash.
** TECO Line Streetcar begins operating; Centennial Park Station and Tampa Bay Federal Credit Union Station open.
* 2003 – Whiting Station opens.
* 2004
** Ford Amphitheatre opens.
** First segments of Tampa Riverwalk open
* 2007
** SkyPoint built.
** Kathy Castor becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 11th congressional district.
* 2009 – Tampa Bay History Center opens.
* 2010
** Population: city 335,709; metro 2,783,243.
** Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park opens
* 2011
** Florida Voices begins publication.
** Bob Buckhorn becomes mayor.
** Population: 346,037; metro 2,824,724.
* 2012 – 2012 Republican National Convention held in Tampa
* 2014 – Tampa Baseball Museum opens.
* 2018-21 – First phase of Water Street district construction