Timeline of Addis Ababa

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The following is a historical events of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, including its formation prior to 20th century by chronology.

Prior to 20th century

• 15th-century – "Barara" was identified as possible location of the city
• 1450 – Italian cartographer, Fra Mauro depicted the city standing between Mounts Zikwala and Menegasha
• 1529 — Ethiopian-Adal War, the Adal Sultanate entirely sacked the city under general Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi .
• 1884 – Mount Entoto was founded by Negus and later Emperor Menelik II
• 1886 — The city's former name called Finfinne renamed "Addis Ababa" ("New Flower") by Taytu Betul, Empress Consort of the Ethiopian Empire.^[1]
• 1889 — Population: 15,000 (estimate).^[2]
• 1891 — Ethiopian Empire capital relocated to Addis Ababa from Entoto (approximate date).^[3][4]
• 1896 — St. George's Cathedral built.
• 1897
  • Harar-Addis telephone line constructed.^[3]
  • Hospital opens.^[5]

20th century

• 1903 — Eucalyptus trees planted.^[1]
• 1904
  • Mint established.^[3]
  • Asmara — Addis telephone line constructed.^[3]
• 1906 — Telegraph office^[3] and Menelik II school established.^[6]
• 1907
  • Ras Makonnen bridge constructed.^[3]
  • Itegue Taitu Hotel in business.^[7]
• 1908 — Tefere Makonnen high school established.^[8]
• 1913 — Courrier d'Ethiopie newspaper begins publication.
• 1917 — Djibouti-Addis Ababa railway begins operating.^[9]
• 1922
  • Nasibu Emmanual becomes mayor.
  • Leprosy hospital built.^{[citation needed]}
• 1924 — Medhane Alem school established.^[6]
• 1928 — Empress Menen school established.^[6]

1930s–1940s

• 1930
  • 2 November: Haile Sellasie crowned "King of Kings of Ethiopia."
  • Guenete Leul Palace built.
  • Population: 80,000 (estimate).^[2]
• 1935 — Hager Fikir Association formed.^{[citation needed]}
• 1936
  • April: Aerial bombing by Italian forces.^[10]
  • 5 May: City taken by Italian forces.^[4]
  • City becomes capital of Italian East Africa.^[4]
  • Giuseppe Bottai becomes governor, succeeded by Alfredo Siniscalchi.
• 1937
  • 19 February - Attempted assassination of Rodolfo Graziani at Viceregal Palace.^[11][12]
  • 19–20 February: Crackdown by Italian forces on Ethiopian population.^[11][13]
• 1938 — Francesco Camero Medici becomes governor.
• 1939 — Enrico Cerulli becomes governor, succeeded by Guglielmo Nasi.
• 1940
  • Giuseppe Daodice becomes governor.
  • Hailé Sélassié Stadium opens.
• 1941
  • Agenore Frangipani becomes governor.
  • 5 May: Haile Selassie returns.
  • Addis Zemen Amharic-language newspaper begins publication.^[14]
• 1942 — Holy Trinity Cathedral built.
• 1943 — Haile Selassie I school established.^[6]
• 1944 — Public library inaugurated.^[8][15]
• 1945 — Anbessa City Bus Service founded.
• 1947 — Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce founded.^[16]

1950s–1960s

• 1950 — University College of Addis Ababa established.^[8]
• 1952 — Prince Makonnen school established.^[6]
• 1955 — Jubilee Palace^[5] and Haile Sellasie I Theatre built.^[1]
• 1958
  • Institute of Archaeology founded.
  • Economic Commission for Africa headquartered in city.^[17]
• 1960
  • December: Coup attempt.^[18]
  • Koka Dam constructed.
• 1961
  • Bole Airport established.
  • United Nations Economic Commission for Africa headquartered in Addis Ababa.
• 1963
  • Organization of African Unity headquartered in Addis Ababa.^[19]
  • Orchestra Ethiopia, Addis Ababa Bank, and Addis Ababa University's Institute of Ethiopian Studies^[5] established.
• 1965
  • Council of the Oriental Orthodox Churches held.^[19]
  • Population: 560,000.^[20]
• 1966
  • Centre International de Developpement et de Recherche^[21] and Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural History Society^[18] headquartered in Addis Ababa.
  • University Students' Union of Addis Ababa established.

1970s–1980s

• 1974
  • February: Demonstrations.^[11]
  • Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in operation.
• 1975
  • Population: 1,161,267.^[22]
  • Kebeles established.
• 1977
  • February: Coup at Menelik Palace.^[18]
  • Alemu Abebe becomes mayor.
• 1984
  • Addis Ababa Museum established.^[8]
  • Population: 1,412,575.^[23]
• 1987 — City becomes capital of People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

1990s

• 1991
  • Finfinne become the capital city of the Oromia Region.
  • City taken by Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front.^[4]
  • An ammunition warehouse explodes, killing 100^[24]
  • Ethiopian Economic Association headquartered in Addis Ababa.^[25]
• 1992 — Ethiopian International Institute for Peace and Development headquartered in Addis Ababa.^[21]
• 1994
  • Theological College of the Holy Trinity re-opens.^[26]
  • Population: 2,112,737.^[19]
• 1995
  • Addis Ababa "given the status of self-governed city."^[27]
  • The Reporter newspaper begins publication.^[28]
• 1996
  • Addis Chamber International Trade Fair begins (approximate date).^[29]
  • Goshu Art Gallery and Asni Gallery founded.^[8]
• 1998 — Addis Ababa Ring Road construction begins.
• 1999
  • Mojo-Addis Ababa highway constructed.^[30]
  • Ethiopian National Archives and Library established.^[15]

21st century

2000s

• 2000
  • City administrative areas reorganized into 10 sub-cities: Arada, Addis Ketema, Akaki Kalati, Bole, Cherkos, Gulele, Kolfe Keranio, Lideta, Nefas Silk, and Yeka.^[31]
  • Oromia's capital relocated from Finfinne to Adama.
  • Addis Ababa Women Entrepreneurs Association^[32] and Universal Arts and Crafts gallery^[8] established.
  • November: Burial of Haile Selassie.^[4]

• 2001 — City plan adopted.^[27]
• 2002
  • African Union headquartered in Addis Ababa.^[19]
  • AIDS Resource Center launched.^[33]
  • Population: 2,646,000.^[34]
  • Bole Airport new terminal opens.^[18]
• 2003 — Arkebe Oqubay becomes mayor.
• 2004 — Ethiopian Orthodox Library-Museum inaugurated.^[8]
• 2005
  • Oromia's capital restored to Addis Ababa
  • Election protest.^[35]
• 2006
  • 12 May: Bombings.^[36]
  • Federation of African Societies of Chemistry headquartered in Addis Ababa.^[37]
• 2007
  • Addis International Film Festival begins.^[38]
  • Dembel Mall built.
• 2008
  • Addis Ababa Women’s Affairs Bureau established.^[39]
  • Kuma Demeksa becomes mayor.
  • April–May: African Championships in Athletics held.
• 2009 — Cinema Yoftahe opens.^[40]

2010s

• 2011 — Jazzamba Lounge (nightclub) in business.^[41]
• 2012
  • Muslim protest.^[42]
  • African Union Conference Center inaugurated.^[43]
• 2013 — 2 June: Anti-government protest.^[44]
• 2017
  • Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway in operation.
  • The Koshe landfill collapses, burying stick and brick houses, killing many people.
  • Population: 4,215,965 (estimate).^[45]
• 2018
  • Takele Uma Benti becomes mayor.

2020s

• 2020
  • Adanech Abebe becomes a Deputy mayor, being the first female mayor to hold a position.
• 2021
  • Adanech Abebe reelected as a mayor
  • United Front of Ethiopian Federalist and Confederalist Forces groups close in on Addis Ababa and threaten to take it.^[46]

See also

• History of Addis Ababa
• Timeline of Ethiopia [fr]