Timeline of Baltimore

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

18th century

• 1729 - Town of Baltimore founded.
• 1752 - 25 houses and 200 inhabitants.^[1]
• 1763 - Mechanical Fire Company organized.^[2]
• 1767 - Baltimore designated county seat.^[1]
• 1770 - Henry Fite House built.
• 1773 - Maryland Journal, and the Baltimore Advertiser newspaper begins publication.^[3]
• 1775 - Population: 5,934
• 1776 - December - Second Continental Congress meeting begins.
• 1782 - Lexington Market founded.
• 1784 - Christmas Conference (Methodism)
• 1787 - 1,955 dwellings in town.^[4]
• 1790 - Population: 13,503 people.^[5]
• 1794 - James Calhoun becomes mayor.
• 1795 - Holliday Street Theater opens.
• 1796
  • City of Baltimore incorporated.
  • Library Company of Baltimore founded.^[6]

19th century

Map of Baltimore, 1867

• 1800 - Population: 26,504 people.^[7]
• 1803
  • Fort McHenry built.^[8]
  • Dispensary incorporated.^[5]
• 1806 - St. Mary's College and Theological Seminary incorporated.
• 1807
  • University of Maryland founded.
  • Baltimore Museum established.^[9]
  • Baltimore Circulating Library in business.^[10]
• 1809 - Joseph Robinson's Circulating Library in business.^[10]
• 1810
  • Population: 46,535 people.^[7]
  • Alex. Brown & Sons incorporated.
• 1814
  • September - Battle of Baltimore
  • Peale Museum opens.
• 1815
  • Battle Monument erected.^[1]
  • Baltimore Exchange opens.^[11]
• 1816
  • Asbury College founded.
  • Delphian Club founded.^[12]
• 1819 - Independent Order of Odd Fellows founded.
• 1820 - Population: 62,738 people
• 1821
  • Maryland Academy of Science and Literature established.^[5]
  • Basilica consecrated.
• 1822 - Adelphi Theatre opens.^[13]
• 1823 - Athenaeum founded.^[14]
• 1826 - Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts founded.
• 1827
  • Washington Medical College established.
  • Franklin Lyceum active.^[11]
• 1829
  • Mount Clare Station built.
  • George Washington monument erected.^[1]
  • Circus building constructed.^[5]
• 1830
  • Baltimore and Ohio Railroad begins operating.
  • Population: 80,620 people
• 1832
  • Cholera epidemic.^[5]
  • 1832 Democratic National Convention
• 1835
  • 1835 Democratic National Convention
  • Bank riot.
• 1837
  • Baltimore Sun newspaper begins publication.^[3]
  • Washington Hall opens.^[13]
  • Orchard Street United Methodist Church built.
• 1839
  • High School opens.
  • Mercantile Library Association established.^[6]
  • Green Mount Cemetery dedicated.
  • Municipal Record Office of Baltimore built.
• 1840
  • Madison Lyceum active.^[11]
  • 1840 Democratic National Convention
  • Population: 102,313 people
• 1844
  • Maryland Historical Society incorporated.
  • Western High School (Baltimore) opens.
  • 1844 Democratic National Convention
  • 1844 Whig National Convention
  • Baltimore-Washington telegraph line opens.
• 1845 - Newton University established.^[15]
• 1848
  • Howard Athenaeum and Gallery of Arts opens.^[13]
  • Olympic Theatre opens.^[13]
  • Concordia Club founded.^{[citation needed]}
  • 1848 Democratic National Convention
• 1849 - Baltimore Female College in operation.^[15]
• 1850
  • President Street Station built.
  • Population: 169,054 people
• 1851
  • Baltimore becomes independent city.
  • New Assembly-Rooms open.^[13]
  • Baltimore Wecker newspaper begins publication.
• 1852
  • Loyola College established.^[1]
  • Apollo Hall opens.^[13]
  • 1852 Democratic National Convention
  • 1852 Whig National Convention
• 1853 - Baltimore Police Department established.
• 1856
  • Know-Nothing Riot.
  • 1856 Whig National Convention
• 1857 - Peabody Institute founded.
• 1859 - City Fire Department formed.
• 1860
  • 1860 Constitutional Union Convention
  • Population: 212,418
• 1861 - Pratt Street Riot.
• 1864
  • St. Francis Xavier Church dedicated.
  • 1864 Republican National Convention
• 1865 - Concordia Opera House opens.^[13]
• 1867
  • Concordia Hall is founded.
  • Morgan College established.
  • Normal school opens.^[1]
• 1870 - Population: 267,354
• 1871 - Ford's Grand Opera-House opens.^[13]
• 1872
  • Mount Auburn Cemetery established.
  • 1872 Democratic National Convention
• 1873 - Leadenhall Street Baptist Church built.
• 1875
  • City Hall built.
  • Academy of Music opens.^[13]
  • Free Summer Excursion Society incorporated.^[13]
• 1876
  • Johns Hopkins University founded.
  • The Maryland Zoo opens.
• 1877 - Railroad Strike.
• 1878 - George Peabody Library opens.
• 1880
  • Woman's Industrial Exchange founded.
  • Celebration of 150th anniversary of city.^[16]
  • Population: 332,313
• 1881 - Faultless Pajama Company in business.
• 1882 - Enoch Pratt Free Library established.
• 1883
  • Baltimore Manual Training School founded.
  • Colored High and Training School founded.
  • Baltimore Young Women's Christian Association founded.
• 1885 - Goucher College established.^[1]
• 1890
  • Post office built.^[1]
  • Population: 434,439 people.^[1]
  • Riverview Park opens.
• 1891 - Union Park baseball field opens.
• 1892 - Baltimore Afro-American begins publication.
• 1894 - Lyric Opera House opens.
• 1895 - Clifton Park opens (approximate date).^[1]
• 1896
  • Electric Park opens.
  • Colored Young Women's Christian Association founded.
• 1898 - Sharp Street Memorial United Methodist Church and Community House built.

20th century

• 1900
  • Population: 508,957 people.^[1]
  • City courthouse dedicated.
  • Baltimore Morning Herald newspaper begins publication.

Lexington Market in 1903.

• 1903 - Belvedere Hotel opens.
• 1904 - Great Baltimore Fire.
• 1908 - Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway begins operating.
• 1910 - Population: 558,485
• 1911 - Pennsylvania Station (Baltimore) built.
• 1912
  • Arch Social Club founded.
  • 1912 Democratic National Convention
• 1914
  • Baltimore Museum of Art founded.

Baltimore Museum of Art

• • Hippodrome Theatre built.
• 1916
  • Baltimore Symphony Orchestra formed.
  • Baltimore Black Sox baseball team formed.
• 1917
  • Fort Holabird established.
  • Lithuanian Hall opens.
• 1918
  • William Frederick Broening was elected mayor.^[17]
• 1920 - Population: 733.826
• 1922
  • Memorial Stadium built.
  • Royal Theatre opens.
• 1923 - Howard W. Jackson becomes mayor.
• 1925 - University of Baltimore founded.
• 1930
  • Baltimore Colored Symphony Orchestra organized.
  • U.S. Post Office and Courthouse built.
  • Population: 804,874
• 1934 - Walters Art Museum established.

Walters Art Museum

• 1940 - Population: 859,100
• 1949 - Edgar Allan Poe House opens.
• 1950
  • Baltimore Civic Opera Company established.
  • Population: 949,708
• 1953 - B&O Railroad Museum opens.
• 1954
  • Orioles baseball team relocates to Baltimore.
  • Cylburn Wildflower Preserve and Garden Center formed.
• 1955 - Civil rights protest at Read's Drug Store.
• 1956 - Desegregation of the Baltimore City Public School System
• 1960 - Population: 939,024
• 1962 - CFG Bank Arena opens.
• 1963 - Center Stage (theater) opens.
• 1964 - Baltimore News-American newspaper begins publication.
• 1968
  • Baltimore riot of 1968
  • Baltimore American Indian Center is established.
• 1970 - Population: 905,787
• 1971 - William Donald Schaefer becomes mayor.
• 1974 - Baltimore municipal strike of 1974
• 1976 - Maryland Science Center opens.
• 1977 - Baltimore World Trade Center opens.

Baltimore World Trade Center

• 1979
  • Baltimore Convention Center opens.
  • Baltimore School for the Arts founded.
• 1980
  • Harborplace opens.
  • Baltimore Area Convention & Visitors Association formed.
  • Population: 786,741
• 1981
  • National Aquarium in Baltimore opens.
  • Baltimore Museum of Industry opens.
• 1982 - Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall opens.
• 1983
  • Baltimore Metro Subway begins operating.
  • Great Blacks in Wax Museum established.
• 1986 - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People headquarters relocates to Baltimore.^[18]
• 1987 - Kurt Schmoke becomes mayor.
• 1989 - Contemporary Museum Baltimore founded.
• 1990 - Population: 736,016
• 1992
  • Baltimore Light Rail begins operating.
  • Oriole Park at Camden Yards opens.
• 1996 - Baltimore Ravens football team established.
• 1998 - Ravens Stadium opens.
• 1999 - Martin O'Malley becomes mayor.

A universal transit vehicle on the Baltimore Metro SubwayLink departing Milford Mill station

21st century

• 2000
  • National Katyń Memorial is constructed.
  • Population: 651,154
• 2002 - The Portal (community center) opens.
• 2005 - Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture opens.
• 2006 - The Baltimore Examiner begins publication.
• 2008 - Hilton Baltimore built.
• 2009 - Sheila Dixon trial.
• 2010
  • Stephanie Rawlings-Blake becomes mayor.
  • Population: 620,961 people.
• 2011
  • Occupy Baltimore begins.

Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse

• • Lyric Opera Baltimore established.
• 2015 - Freddie Gray protests
• 2016 - Catherine Pugh becomes mayor.
• 2019 - Jack Young becomes mayor.
• 2020
  • Brandon Scott becomes mayor.
  • Population: 585,708
• 2024 - The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapses in a mass casualty incident.

See also

• History of Baltimore
• List of mayors of Baltimore
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Baltimore, Maryland
• List of museums in Baltimore
• Baltimore portal
• Maryland portal