Timeline of Asmara

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Asmara, Eritrea. Asmara was under Italian colonial rule from 1889 until 1941.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Prior to 20th century

• circa 1515 CE - Four villages merge to become "Asmera" (traditional date).^[1]
• 16th century - Asmara sacked by Muslim forces.^[1]
• 1889 - 3 August: Asmara occupied by Italian forces under command of Baldissera.^[2]
• 1895 - Governor's Palace built.^[3]
• 1900 - Capital of colonial Italian Eritrea moved to Asmara from Massawa.^[4]

20th century

• 1905 - Congresso Coloniale Italiano held in Asmara.^[5]
• 1906 - Asmara Synagogue built.
• 1911 - Ferrovia Massaua-Asmara begins operating; Asmara Station [it] opens.^[6]
• 1920
  • Teatro Asmara (theatre) opens.
  • Population: 14,711.^[7]
• 1922 - Airport begins operating.
• 1923 - Church of Our Lady of the Rosary built.
• 1930s - New Governor's Palace built (now City Hall).^[8]
• 1935 - Population: 16,000 (12,000 Africans + 4,000 Italians).^[9]
• 1936 - Apartheid begins; city racially divided into nazionali (white) and indigeni (black) areas.^[10]
• 1937
  • Asmara-Massawa Cableway begins operating.
  • Albergo CIAAO (hotel) built for the Compagnia Immobiliare Alberghi Africa Orientale.^[11]
  • Cinema Excelsior and Cinema Teatro Augustus open.^[12]
• 1938
  • Great Mosque of Asmara, Cicero Stadium, and Fiat Tagliero Building^[13] constructed.
  • Cinema Impero opens.^[12]
• 1939
  • Asmara Brewery in business.
  • Population: 84,000 (36,000 Africans + 48,000 Italians).^[9]
• 1941
  • March. British occupy city.^[1]
  • Asmara Brewery FC (football club) formed.^{[citation needed]}
• 1945 - Red Sea FC (football club) formed.^{[citation needed]}
• 1951 - British occupation ends.^[10]
• 1952 - City becomes part of Ethiopia per United Nations decision.^[14]
• 1953 - United States military signals intelligence Kagnew Station in operation.
• 1957 - Scuola materna italiana di Asmara [it] (school) active.
• 1958
  • Catholic College of the Santa Famiglia founded.
  • Denden Stadium opens.
• 1959 - Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Asmara active.^[15]
• 1962 - Population: 120,000.^[16]
• 1964 - Population: 131,800.^[17]
• 1968
  • January: Part of 1968 African Cup of Nations football contest held in Asmara.
  • University of Asmara active.^[10]
• 1969 - Kidane Mehret Cathedral built.
• 1974
  • Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police, and Territorial Army (Derg) in power.^[10]
  • 28 December: Massacre occurs during the Eritrean War of Independence.
• 1975
  • February: Fighting, Massacre occurs.^[18]
  • July: Fighting occurs.^[19]
• 1985 - Population: 284,748 (estimate).^[20]
• 1990
  • Siege of city begins.^[21]
  • Population: 358,100 (estimate).^[22]
• 1991
  • 24 May: Eritrean People's Liberation Front take city; Derg rule ends.^[21]
  • Haddas Ertra [no] newspaper begins publication.^[23]
• 1993
  • 24 May: Asmara becomes capital of independent Eritrea.^[24]
  • Eri-TV begins broadcasting.^[23]
• 1998 - 5 June: Airport bombed by Ethiopian forces during the Eritrean–Ethiopian War.

21st century

• 2002 - Semere Russom becomes mayor of Asmara and administrator of the Central Region.
• 2013 - 21 January: 2013 Eritrean Army mutiny occurs at Eri-TV building.^[14]
• 2017 - Italian city centre designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site.^[25]
• 2018 - Population: 501,203 (estimate).^[26]
• 2020 - Rocket attacks.

See also

• Asmara history
• Asmara under Italy, 1889-1941
• Timeline of the Italian Empire [it]