# Timeline of Messina

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Messina, Sicily, Italy.

## Prior to 18th century

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* 730 BCE - Chalcidians take settlement from the Siculi; town renamed "Zancle".
* 671 BCE - Samians take Zancle.
* 397 BCE - Settlement sacked by Carthaginian forces in the Battle of Messene.
* 343 BCE - Carthaginians ousted by forces of Timoleon.
* 282 BCE - Mamertines take Messina (approximate date).
* 241 BCE - Messina becomes a civitas foederata.
* 35 BCE - Messina attacked by forces of Octavian.
* 520 CE - Roman Catholic diocese of Messina active (approximate date).
* 535 CE - Belisarius of the Byzantine Empire takes Sicily.
* 843 - Arabs in power.
* 1061 - Normans in power.
* 1098 - Messina Cathedral construction begins.
* 1190 - Messina sacked by forces of Richard I of England.
* 1194 - Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor in power in Sicily.
* 1197 - Messina Cathedral consecrated.
* 1232
** Messina issues gold coin.
** Economic unrest.
* 1282
** Messina revolts against the Angevin Kingdom of Naples, joining the other rest of Sicily in the Sicilian Vespers.
** The city is besieged for five weeks by an Angevin army under Charles I of Anjou, before the approach of an Aragonese army relives the city.
** Aragonese rule begins.
* 1296 - Fair [it] begins.
* ca.1430 - Birth of Antonello da Messina a painter.
* 1473 - Printing press in operation.
* 1535 - Entry of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor into Messina.
* 1545 - Forte Gonzaga (fort) built.
* 1546 - Forte del Santissimo Salvatore (fort) built.
* 1548 - Jesuit College (Messina) [it] founded.
* 1616 - Palazzo del Monte di Pietà (Messina) built.
* 1638 - Orto Botanico "Pietro Castelli" dell'Università di Messina (garden) established.
* 1674 - Messina revolt against Spanish rule begins.
* 1686 - Real Cittadella (fort) built.
* 1693 - 1693 Sicily earthquake.

## 18th-19th centuries

* 1713 - Spanish rule ends.
* 1728 - Accademia Peloritana dei Pericolanti (learned society) founded.
* 1743 - Plague.
* 1757 - Statua dell'Immacolata (Messina) [it] (monument) erected.
* 1783 - Earthquake.
* 1806 - Museum opens.
* 1838 - University of Messina established.
* 1848 - Sicilian revolution of 1848.
* 1850 - Population: 97,074.
* 1854
** State Archive of Messina established.
** Cholera outbreak.
* 1860 - July: Garibaldi enters city.
* 1866 - Railway station opens.
* 1871
** Ferrovia Messina-Siracusa (railway) in operation.
** Population: 111,854.
* 1881 - Population: 126,497.
* 1889
** Ferrovia Palermo-Messina (railway) begins operating.
** Messina Marittima railway station opens.
* 1890 - Messina-Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto Tram [it] begins operating.
* 1892 - First section of Messina-Giampilieri Tram [it] begins operating.
* 1896 - Strait of Messina ferry [it] begins operating.
* 1900 - Messina Football Club formed.

## 20th century

* 1908 - 28 December: 1908 Messina earthquake.
* 1911 - Population: 126,557.
* 1921 - Population: 177,196.
* 1932 - Stadio Giovanni Celeste (stadium) opens.
* 1935 - Archivio Storico Comunale (city archives) established.
* 1936 - Population: 191,966.
* 1943 - City bombed in the Allied invasion of Sicily during World War II.
* 1952 - Gazzetta del Sud newspaper begins publication.
* 1955
** June: International conference on European economic integration held in Messina.
** Pylons erected in the Strait of Messina to hold an electric power line.
* 1959 - Messina Grand Prix (car race) begins.
* 1979 - International Rally of Messina (car race) begins.
* 1985 - March: Sicilian local election, 1985 [it] held.

## 21st century

* 2003 - Tram begins operating.
* 2004 - Stadio San Filippo (stadium) opens.
* 2009
** October: 2009 Messina floods and mudslides.
** Palazzo della cultura built.
* 2010 - S.S.D. Città di Messina (football club) formed.
* 2013
** June: Local election held; Renato Accorinti becomes mayor.
** Population: 242,267.
* 2018 - Local election held; Cateno De Luca becomes mayor.
* 2022 - Local election held; Federico Basile becomes mayor.