title: Timeline of Rotterdam
text: # Timeline of Rotterdam
  
  The following is a timeline of the history of the municipality of Rotterdam, Netherlands.
  
  ## Prior to 19th century
  
  * ca. 950 - Settlement at the lower end of the fen stream Rotte
  * 1270 - Dam built on Rotte.
  * 1299 - John I, Count of Holland granted rights to the people of Rotterdam, marking the origin of the town.
  * 1328 - Latin school established
  * 1340 - City rights granted by William IV, Count of Holland.
  * 1350 - Rotterdamse Schie (canal) constructed (approximate date).
  * 1466 - Erasmus, philosopher and Catholic theologian born.
  * 1477 - Saint Lawrence Church consecrated.
  * 1489 - Rotterdam besieged by forces of Frans van Brederode.
  * 1563 - Fire.
  * 1572 - Spanish in power.
  * 1574 - Admiralty of Rotterdam organized.
  * 1611 - Guild of Saint Luke active (approximate date).
  * 1622 - Erasmus statue by Hendrick de Keyser erected.
  * 1626 - Collegium Mechanicum established.
  * 1632 - Population: 20,000 (approximate).
  * 1643 - Scottish Presbyterian church built.
  * 1722 - Exchange built.
  * 1769 - Batavian Society for Experimental Philosophy founded.
  * 1773 - Studium Scientiarum Genetrix literary society formed.
  * 1780 - Birth of Hendrik Tollens, poet.
  * 1781 - Rotterdamse Academie established.
  * 1796 - Population: 53,212.
  * 1797 - Netherlands Missionary Society founded.
  * 1798 - Organ installed in Saint Lawrence Church.
  
  ## 19th century
  
  * 1813 - Johan François van Hogendorp van Heeswijk becomes mayor.
  * 1835 - Town Hall rebuilt.
  * 1838 - Population: 72,000.
  * 1844 - Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant begins publication.
  * 1847 - Delftsche Poort railway station opens.
  * 1849 - Boymans Museum opens.
  * 1851 - Royal Maas Yacht Club founded.
  * 1857 - Zoo opens.
  * 1859 - Rotterdamsch Leeskabinet (library) founded.
  * 1863 - Rotterdam Bank established.
  * 1866 - Population: 115,277.
  * 1869 - Feijenoord becomes part of city.
  * 1870 - Municipal waterworks established.
  * 1872 - Nieuwe Waterweg constructed.
  * 1873 - Netherlands-America Steamship Company in business.
  * 1874
     * Katendrecht village becomes part of city.
     * Oldenzeel art gallery in business.
     * Fountain installed at Nieuwe Markt.
     * Maritime Museum founded.
  * 1875
     * Post office built.
     * Koninklijke Rotterdamsche Lloyd [nl] shipping firm in business.
  * 1876 - Rotterdamsche reinigingsdienst formed.
  * 1877 - Railway Bridge, Rotterdam Zuid railway station, and Rotterdam Beurs railway station open.
  * 1878 - Willemsbrug opens.
  * 1879
     * Horsecar trams begin operating.
     * Passage (arcade) built.
  * 1882 - Fish Market built.
  * 1885 - Museum for Geography and Ethnology opens.
  * 1886 - Delfshaven becomes part of city.
  * 1891 - Population: 203,500.
  * 1894 - Municipal gas and electricity established.
  * 1895 - Charlois and Kralingen become part of city.
  * 1898 - Witte Huis built.
  * 1900 - "Record office" established.
  
  ## 20th century
  
  * 1904
     * Museum van Oudheden (city history museum) in operation in the Schielandshuis.
     * Schiecentrale built.
  * 1905
     * Electric trams begin operating.
     * Population: 379,017.
  * 1908
     * Rotterdam Hofplein railway station opens.
     * Wilhelmina football club formed.
  * 1913 - Netherlands School of Commerce founded.
  * 1920 - Voorwaarts newspaper begins publication.
  * 1925 - Economic Faculty Association established.
  * 1927 - Natural History Museum established.
  * 1930
     * Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra active.
     * Naamlooze Vennootschap Margarine Unie in business.
     * Rotterdams Conservatorium founded.
  * 1931
     * Rotterdamse Dansschool founded.
     * Van Nelle Factory built.
  * 1934
     * Hoogvliet and Pernis become part of city.
     * De Doelen (concert hall and convention centre) built.
  * 1937
     * Stadion Feijenoord and Rotterdam Stadion railway station open.
     * Museum of Taxation founded.
  * 1938
     * Pieter Oud becomes mayor.
     * Yevhen Konovalets is assassinated in Rotterdam by Pavel Sudoplatov.
  * 1940
     * May 14: Rotterdam Blitz.
     * Diergaarde Blijdorp (zoo) re-opens.
  * 1941 - Hillegersberg, IJsselmonde, Overschie, and Schiebroek become part of city.
  * 1945 - Pieter Oud becomes mayor again.
  * 1946
     * Plan for the Reconstruction of Rotterdam [nl] adopted.
     * Algemeen Dagblad begins publication.
  * 1953
     * Rotterdam Blaak railway station and Rotterdam Noord railway station open.
     * Groothandelsgebouw built.
  * 1956 - Airport opens.
  * 1957 - Rotterdam Centraal railway station opens.
  * 1958 - Arboretum Trompenburg opens.
  * 1960
     * Euromast tower built.
     * City hosts Floriade horticulture exhibition.
  * 1962 - Port of Rotterdam ranked world's busiest port by cargo tonnage.
  * 1964
     * Rotterdam Lombardijen railway station opens.
     * Hilton Hotel built.
  * 1965 - Regional Rinjmond Public Authority created.
  * 1966 - De Doelen (concert hall and convention centre) rebuilt.
  * 1968 - Rotterdam Metro begins operating.
  * 1969 - Rotterdam Alexander railway station opens.
  * 1970
     * Poetry International first performance.
     * NRC Handelsblad begins publication, after the merger between Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant and Algemeen Handelsblad
     * Nedlloyd shipping firm in business.
     * Kralingen Music Festival held.
  * 1972 International Film Festival Rotterdam first started.
  * 1973
     * Charlois, Hoogvliet, and Hoek van Holland sub-municipalities created.
     * Maasvlakte in operation.
  * 1974 - André van der Louw becomes mayor.
  * 1975
     * Prins Alexander sub-municipality created.
     * Werkcentrum Dans founded.
  * 1976
     * IJsselmonde and Centrum Noord sub-municipalities created.
     * Stoom Stichting Nederland railway museum founded.
  * 1977 - Sviib (student association) organized.
  * 1979 - HNLMS Buffel museum ship opens.
  * 1981
     * Rotterdam Marathon begins.
     * Baroeg (music venue) in business.
  * 1982 - Bram Peper becomes mayor.
  * 1984
     * Zomercarnaval begins.
     * Cube houses built near Oude Haven.
  * 1986 - Port of Rotterdam ranked world's busiest container port.
  * 1988 - Hogeschool Rotterdam established.
  * 1990 - Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art and Shipping and Transport College established.
  * 1991 - Gebouw Delftse Poort built.
  * 1992 - Kunsthal art museum opens.
  * 1993
     * Netherlands Architecture Institute relocates to Rotterdam.
     * Chabot Museum opens.
  * 1994 - V2 Institute for the Unstable Media active.
  * 1996
     * Erasmus Bridge opens.
     * Schouwburgplein (square) redesigned.
  * 1997 - MAMA project established by Public Art Squad Foundation.
  * 1999
     * Ivo Opstelten becomes mayor.
     * WORM (Rotterdam) active.
  * 2000
     * Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam begins.
     * Codarts University for the Arts opens.
     * KPN Tower built.
  
  ## 21st century
  
  * 2001
     * World Port Center built.
     * Oceanium (aquarium) opens.
     * City designated a European Capital of Culture.
  * 2002 - Regio Randstad regional governance group formed.
  * 2003 - Netherlands Photo Museum opens.
  * 2005 - Montevideo (residential skyscraper) built.
  * 2006
     * North Sea Jazz Festival begins in Rotterdam.
     * Rotterdam Circus Arts founded.
  * 2007 - RandstadRail and Betuweroute in operation.
  * 2009
     * Ahmed Aboutaleb becomes first Muslim mayor of a major European city.
     * Maastoren skyscraper built.
  * 2010
     * Rozenburg becomes part of city.
     * Pernis sub-municipality created.
     * New Orleans (residential skyscraper) built.
     * 2010 Tour de France cycling race starts from Rotterdam.
  * 2012 - Population: 616,250.
  * 2013 Maasvlakte 2 in operation.
  * 2014
     * Market Hall built.
     * Rotterdam Centraal station in operation.
  * 2020 - Population: 651,376
  * 2021
     * Depot Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen.
     * De Zalmhaven built.
     * Floating Office Rotterdam (FOR) built, accommodating the Global Center on Adaptation.
  