title: Timeline of Porto Alegre
text: # Timeline of Porto Alegre
  
  The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Porto Alegre, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
  
  ## Prior to 20th century
  
  * 1743 - Porto dos Cazaes founded by Azoreans.
  * 1770 - Settlement becomes official residence of governor Jose Marcellino de Figuereido [pt]; renamed "Porto Alegre."
  * 1773 - Câmara Municipal (town council) convenes.
  * 1779 - Matriz de Porto Alegre [pt] (church) construction begins.
  * 1789 - Palacio de Barro [es] built.
  * 1803 - Porto Alegre becomes a vila.
  * 1807 - Capital of Portuguese colonial Sao Pedro do Rio Grande moves to Porto Alegre from Rio Grande.
  * 1822 - Porto Alegre attains city status.
  * 1824 - Palacete do Visconde de Pelotas [pt] (residence) built.
  * 1825 - German immigrants arrive.
  * 1827 - Diário de Porto Alegre [pt] newspaper begins publication.
  * 1854 - Ponte de Pedra [pt] (bridge) built.
  * 1858 - Praça do Comércio [pt] and São Pedro Theatre founded.
  * 1864 - Horse-drawn tram begins operating.
  * 1869 - Public Market built.
  * 1871 - Biblioteca Pública do Estado (Rio Grande do Sul) [pt] (library) founded.
  * 1872
     * Companhia Carris Porto-Alegrense (urban transport entity) formed.
     * Population: 43,998.
  * 1878 - Sociedade Filarmônica Porto Alegrense (musical group) formed.
  * 1881 - Exposição Brasileira-Allemã [pt] (international exposition) opens.
  * 1890 - Felicíssimo Manuel de Azevedo [pt] becomes mayor.
  * 1892 - O Exemplo [pt] newspaper begins publication.
  * 1895 - Correio do Povo newspaper begins publication.
  * 1898 - Velodrome built.
  * 1900 - Population: 73,574.
  
  ## 20th century
  
  * 1901
     * Town Hall of Porto Alegre (city hall) built.
     * Academia Rio-Grandense de Letras [pt] (learned society) founded.
     * Exposição Agropecuária e Industrial do Rio Grande do Sul de 1901 [pt] (exposition) held.
  * 1903 - Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense founded.
  * 1906
     * Porto Alegre general strike.
     * Arquivo Público do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul [pt] (regional archives) headquartered in city.
  * 1908 - Electric tram begins operating.
  * 1909 - Sport Club Internacional (football club) founded.
  * 1908 - Instituto de Belas Artes [pt] (art school) founded.
  * 1910 - Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Porto Alegre established.
  * 1913 - Population: 150,343.
  * 1920 - Instituto Histórico e Geográfico do Rio Grande do Sul [pt] (learned society) founded.
  * 1921 - Piratini Palace built.
  * 1925
     * Banda Municipal de Porto Alegre [pt] (musical group) formed.
     * Diário de Notícias [pt] newspaper begins publication.
  * 1927 - Auditório Araújo Vianna [pt] (auditorium) opens.
  * 1928
     * Usina do Gasômetro [pt] (power plant) commissioned.
     * Bank of the Rio Grande do Sul established.
     * Cine Theatro Capitólio [pt] (cinema) opens.
  * 1934 - Universidade de Porto Alegre established.
  * 1935
     * Farroupilha Park opens.
     * 20 September: Farroupilha Revolution centennial fair opens.
  * 1937 - Usina do Gasômetro 384-foot chimney erected.
  * 1940 - Palácio do Comércio [pt] built.
  * 1941 - Flood.
  * 1950
     * Penitenciária Feminina Madre Pelletier [pt] (prison) begins operating.
     * Orquestra Sinfônica de Porto Alegre (musical group) formed.
     * Population: 394,151.
  * 1954
     * Biblioteca Pública Infantil Central [pt] (children's library) founded.
     * Estádio Olímpico Monumental (stadium) opens.
  * 1955
     * Porto Alegre Book Fair begins.
     * Rio Grande do Sul Museum of Art opens.
  * 1958
     * Palácio Farroupilha [pt] built for the Legislative Assembly of Rio Grande do Sul.
     * Porto Alegre Botanical Garden opens.
  * 1959
     * Centro Histórico, Porto Alegre neighborhood created.
     * Central Prison [pt] begins operating.
  * 1960
     * Edifício Santa Cruz [pt] (hi-rise) built.
     * Population: 641,173.
  * 1961 - Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre founded.
  * 1963 - 1963 Summer Universiade sport contest held in city.
  * 1964 - Zero Hora newspaper begins publication.
  * 1969 - Estádio Beira-Rio (stadium) opens.
  * 1970
     * Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre inaugurated.
     * Population: 903,175.
  * 1972 - Rebuilding of Metropolitan Cathedral completed.
  * 1974 - Monument to the Azoreans erected.
  * 1976
     * 27 April: Fire.
     * City joins the newly formed Federação das Associações de Municípios do Rio Grande do Sul [pt] (regional city association).
  * 1978 - Biblioteca de Porto Alegre [pt] (library) established.
  * 1979 - Museu de Porto Alegre [pt] (museum) founded.
  * 1985
     * Porto Alegre Metro begins operating.
     * November: Porto Alegre municipal election, 1985 [pt] held.
  * 1988 - Arquivo Histórico de Porto Alegre Moysés Vellinho [pt] (city archives) founded.
  * 1989 - Participatory budgeting begins.
  * 1991 - Population: 1,263,239.
  * 1997 - Bienal do Mercosul [pt] (art exhibit) begins.
  * 1999 - City website online (approximate date).
  * 2000
     * City joins the União das Cidades Capitais Luso-Afro-Américo-Asiáticas (city association).
     * Zona Rural de Porto Alegre [pt] abolished.
  
  ## 21st century
  
  * 2001 - January: First World Social Forum of counter-hegemonic globalizers meets in Porto Alegre.
  * 2002 - World Social Forum meets again in Porto Alegre.
  * 2003 - World Social Forum meets yet again in Porto Alegre.
  * 2005 - Festival de Cinema Fantástico de Porto Alegre [pt] begins.
  * 2010 - José Fortunati becomes mayor.
  * 2011 - 25 February: Cycling incident [pt] occurs in Cidade Baixa.
  * 2012 - Arena do Grêmio (stadium) opens.
  * 2013 - Parada Gráfica (cultural event) begins.
  * 2014 - June: Part of 2014 FIFA World Cup (football contest) held in Porto Alegre.
  * 2016
     * October: Porto Alegre municipal election, 2016 [pt] held.
     * Population: 1,481,019.
  * 2017 - Nelson Marchezan Júnior [pt] becomes mayor.
  
  ## Images
  
  * Velodrome, built 1898 (photo circa 1900)
  * Opening of exposition, 1901
  * City Band, 1925
  * Brazilian Revolution of 1930 in Porto Alegre
  * View of Palácio do Comércio, built 1940 (photo 2011)
  * Aerial view of Porto Alegre, 2016
  