# Timeline of Miami

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States.

## 19th century

* 1870 – William Brickell establishes a trading post on the south side of the Miami River.
* 1880 – Population: county 100.
* 1884 – The first hotel, The Peacock Inn, is established in Coconut Grove.
* 1886
** Ralph Munroe builds a home on the bay in Coconut Grove.
** Kirk Munroe establishes a home in Coconut Grove.
* 1889 – Teaching begins in the first school building in Coconut Grove.
* 1891 – Julia Tuttle moves to Miami.
* 1895 – The first public library is established in Coconut Grove by the ladies of the Pine Needles Club.
* 1896
** Miami incorporated; John B. Reilly becomes mayor.
** Florida East Coast Railway (Jacksonville-Miami) arrives in Miami.
** Miami Metropolis newspaper begins publication.
** Biscayne Hotel built.
* 1897
** Royal Palm Hotel in business.
** City of Miami Cemetery established.
* 1898
** Burdines in business.
** David Fairchild establishes the USDA Plant Introduction Garden.
* 1899
** Dade County seat relocated to Miami from Juno.
** Telephone service begins in Miami.
* 1900
** Flagler Public Library, Miami Board of Trade, and Woman's Club founded.
** Population: 1,681.

## 20th century
### 1900s-1940s

* 1902 – Carpenters Local 993 labor union established.
* 1903
** John Sewell becomes mayor.
** Ransom Everglades School is established in Coconut Grove.
** The Miami Herald newspaper begins publication.
* 1906
** Streetcars begin operating.
** Automobile parade.
* 1909
** City Hall built.
** Lummus Park opens.
* 1910 – Population: 5,471; county 11,933.
* 1912 – Airport established near Miami.
* 1913
** Bridge to Miami Beach constructed.
** Lyric Theater opens.
* 1914 – Construction of Vizcaya begins.
* 1915
** Miami Chamber of Commerce established.
** Town of Miami Beach incorporated near Miami.
* 1916 – David Fairchild establishes The Kampong, his winter home in Coconut Grove.
* 1917 – Elser Pier opens.
* 1918 – Airdrome Theatre and Strand Theatre open.
* 1919
** Coconut Grove is incorporated.
** Great Miami Employers' Association established.
** Seybold Canal Bridge built (approximate date).
* 1920
** Universal Negro Improvement Association chapter established.
** Population: 29,549; county 42,753.
* 1921
** Commission-manager form of government adopted.
** WQAM radio begins broadcasting.
** Tamiami Canal Bridge built.
* 1923 – Miami Times newspaper begins publication.
* 1924
** Buena Vista becomes part of Miami.
** Miami River Canal Swing Bridge built.
** Fotosho Theatre opens.
* 1925
** Allapattah, Coconut Grove, Lemon City, Silver Bluff, and West Little River become part of Miami.
** Bayfront Park opens.
** Towns of Coral Gables and Hialeah incorporated near Miami.
** University of Miami established in Coral Gables.
* 1926
** January 10: Prinz Valdemar ship sinks offshore.
** September: Hurricane.
** WIOD radio begins broadcasting.
** Player's State Theater built.
** Booker T. Washington High School, Olympia Theater, and Tower Theater open.
** Town of Miami Shores incorporated near Miami.
** Wometco – first movie theater, the Capital, opens.
* 1927
** Flagler Theater opens.
** E. G. Sewell becomes mayor.
** Greater Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church built.
** Jewish Floridian newspaper begins publication.
* 1928
** Pan American Field (airfield) begins operating.
** Dade County Agricultural High school built.
** Al Capone buys a home in Miami Beach.
* 1929 - Sears, Roebuck and Company Department Store opens.
* 1930
** Miami Civic Center opens.
** Population: 110,637.
* 1933
** February 15: Chicago mayor Anton Cermak killed by anarchist in Bayfront Park.
** E. G. Sewell becomes mayor again.
** Ryder, the truck leasing company, founded in Miami.
* 1935
** January 1: Orange Bowl football contest begins.
** November: Hurricane.
* 1936 – Parrot Jungle established.
* 1937 – Burdine Stadium, and Liberty Square (housing complex) open.
* 1938 – Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden opens to the public.
* 1939 – E. G. Sewell becomes mayor yet again.
* 1940
** Historical Association of Southern Florida established.
** Population: 172,172; county 267,739.
* 1941 – Dorsey Memorial Library opens.
* 1942
** May: Portero del Llano ship sinks offshore during World War II.
** Submarine Chaser Training Center established.
* 1943 – Urban League of Greater Miami established.
* 1946 – National Association for the Advancement of Colored People branch established in Liberty City.
* 1948 – Coconut Grove Citizens Committee for Slum Clearance and Civil Rights Congress chapter organized.
* 1949 – WTVJ (television) begins broadcasting.

### 1950s-1970s

* 1950 – Population: 249,276; county 495,084.
* 1952 – Museum of Science and Natural History opens on Bayshore Drive.
* 1953
** Diario Las Américas Spanish-language newspaper begins publication.
** Howard Hughes Medical Institute founded in Miami.
* 1954 – Burger King founded in Miami.
* 1955 – Miami Seaquarium established.
* 1956 – WCKT (television) begins broadcasting.
* 1957
** WPST-TV (television) begins broadcasting.
** DuPont Plaza Hotel opens for business.
** Robert King High elected mayor of Miami.
* 1958 – Catholic Diocese of Miami established.
* 1959
** City public schools racially desegregated.
** Dade County Junior College and Centro Hispano Católico founded.
** Miami International Airport dedicated.
* 1960 – Population: 291,688; county 935,047.
* 1961 – Colegio de Belén relocates to Miami from Cuba.
* 1962 – Historical Museum of Southern Florida and Cruzada Educativa Cubana established.
* 1964
** February 25. Cassius Clay defeats Sonny Liston for heavyweight champion of the world.
** Chuck Hall becomes mayor of Dade County.
* 1965
** Cuban exiles begin to arrive in city via U.S.-sponsored "freedom flights".
** Florida International University established.
** Ediciones Universal in business.
* 1966 The Miami Dolphins enter the American Football League as an expansion franchise
* 1968
** August 5–8: 1968 Republican National Convention held in nearby Miami Beach.
** August 7–8: 1968 Miami riot.
** Miami Pop Festivals held near city in May and December.
* 1970
** David T. Kennedy becomes mayor of city; Stephen P. Clark becomes mayor of Dade County.
** Population: 334,859; county 1,267,792.
* 1971 – Latin Chamber of Commerce established.
* 1972
** July: 1972 Democratic National Convention is held in nearby Miami Beach.
** August: 1972 Republican National Convention is also held in Miami Beach.
** September: Florida International University opens.
** One Biscayne Tower is built.
** Miami Dolphins have their undefeated "perfect" season.
** Jack Orr becomes mayor of Dade County.
** November: "Decade of Progress" bond is passed, providing the funding for the Center for the Fine Arts.
* 1973
** April: U.S.-sponsored "freedom flight" arrivals to Miami of Cuban exiles ends.
** Barnacle Historic State Park established.
** Maurice Ferre becomes city mayor.
* 1974
** Stephen P. Clark becomes mayor of Dade County again.
** Spanish American League Against Discrimination headquartered in city.
* 1975
** The Bee Gees move to Miami Beach.
* 1976
** El Miami Herald Spanish-language newspaper begins publication.
** Bicentennial Park opens.
* 1977
** Foreign trade zone established.
** Black Archives History & Research Foundation of South Florida headquartered in city.
** Omni International Mall in business.

### 1980s-1990s

* 1980
** May: race riots in Overtown and Liberty City after the death of Arthur McDuffie.
** April–October: Cubans arrive in city via Mariel boatlift.
** Miami MetroZoo opens near city.
** Population: 346,865;
* 1981
** Palace apartment building constructed.
** Cuban American National Foundation headquartered in city.
* 1982
** Knight International Center (convention center) opens.
** Facts About Cuban Exiles organization established.
** 1982 Overtown riot occurs.
* 1983
** The movie Scarface, which is set in Miami, is released.
** Christo unveils Surrounded Islands.
* 1984
** Metrorail begins operating.
** Center for Fine Arts
** Miami International Film Festival begins.
** Southeast Financial Center built on Biscayne Boulevard.
** Miami Vice, a crime drama television series, debuts on NBC. It will run from 1984 to 1989.
** First edition of the Miami International Book Fair.
* 1985
** Miami SunPost newspaper begins publication.
** Xavier Suarez becomes city mayor.
** Stephen P. Clark Government Center built.
** The Golden Girls, a television sitcom set in Miami, begins its seven-year run.
** Miami City Ballet debuts.
* 1986 – Lincoln Center built.
* 1987
** November: Pope John Paul II visits city.
** Miami New Times newspaper in publication.
** Miami Tower built.
* 1989
** Ileana Ros-Lehtinen becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 18th congressional district.
* 1990
** Nelson Mandela visits city.
** Knight Foundation headquartered in city.
** Population: 358,548; county 1,937,094.
* 1992 – August: Hurricane Andrew.
* 1993
** Stephen P. Clark becomes city mayor.
** Carrie P. Meek becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 17th congressional district.
* 1994
** Eleventh Street (Metromover station) opens.
** 1st Summit of the Americas held in city.
* 1996
** Willy Gort becomes mayor of city, succeeded by Joe Carollo; Alex Penelas becomes mayor of Dade County.
** City website online (approximate date).
** Pottinger v. City of Miami homeless-related lawsuit decided.
** Liberty City Charter School established.
* 1997
** May 12: Tornado.
** November: Mayoral election held.
** Dade County renamed Miami-Dade County.
* 1998
** January: Xavier Suarez becomes mayor again.
** March: Mayoral election results of 1997 judged invalid; Carollo becomes mayor again.
* 1999
** American Airlines Arena opens.
** Ultra Festival begins.

### 2000s

* 2000
** Elián González affair.
** Population: 362,470; county 2,253,362.
** Town of Miami Lakes incorporated near Miami.

## 21st century
### 2000s

* 2001
** Cuban Genealogy Club of Miami founded.
** Manny Diaz becomes city mayor.
* 2002 – Art Basel begins in Miami Beach.
* 2003
** Four Seasons Hotel Miami built.
** City of Miami Gardens incorporated near Miami.
* 2004 – Carlos Alvarez becomes mayor of Miami-Dade County.
* 2006 – Carnival Center opens.
* 2007
** Ferguson U.S. Courthouse built.
** Fictional Burn Notice television series begins its seven-year run.
* 2008 – Marquis Residences and 900 Biscayne Bay built on Biscayne Boulevard.
* 2009 – Tomás Regalado becomes city mayor.

### 2010s

* 2010
** Port of Miami Tunnel construction begins.
** Population: 399,457; county 2,496,435; metro 5,564,635.
* 2011
** Carlos A. Giménez becomes mayor of Miami-Dade County.
** Vice City Rollers (roller derby league) formed.
** Frederica Wilson becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 17th congressional district.
* 2015
** Marco Rubio presidential campaign, 2016 headquartered in Miami.
** The Miami Science Museum's Coconut Grove location closes
* 2017
** January: City revises its illegal-immigrant sanctuary policy.
** The new Miami Science Museum's location opens