Timeline of Johannesburg

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Johannesburg, in the Gauteng province in South Africa.

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.

19th century

• 1886 – Johannesburg township established by Boer government after discovery of gold in vicinity.^[1][2]
• 1887
  • The Star newspaper in publication.^[3]
  • St. Mary's Church built.^[4]
  • Johannesburg Stock Exchange founded.^[5]
  • Theatre Royal opens.^[6]
• 1888 – St Mary's School was founded.
• 1890
  • Library opens.^[7]
  • Jeppe High School for Boys was founded.
• 1891
  • Horse-drawn tram begins operating.^[4]
  • Standard Theatre opens.^[6]
• 1892 – Prison built.
• 1895 – Railway in operation.^[4]
• 1896
  • January: Uprising against Boer government.^[4]
  • 19 February: Braamfontein Explosion.
• 1897
  • Johannesburg Park station opens.
  • Johan Zulch de Villiers becomes the first mayor.
• 1898 – St John's College was founded.
• 1899 – Fort built.
• 1900 – 31 May: Town captured by British forces during the Second Boer War.^[1][4]

20th century

1900s–1950s

• 1902
  • King Edward VII School was founded.
  • St. Andrew's School for Girls was founded.
• 1903
  • Johannesburg Stock Exchange building constructed.^[2]
  • Observatory built near town.^[4]
  • Sophiatown developed.^[8]
  • Roedean School for Girls was founded.
• 1904
  • Johannesburg Zoo and Transvaal Technical Institute established.^[4]
  • April: Brickfields burned.
  • Drill Hall built.
  • Population: 99,022.^[4]
• 1905
  • Town administrative wards created.^[4]
  • Johannesburg Statistics begins publication.^[4]
  • Alexandra developed near Johannesburg.^[9]
• 1906
  • Electric trams begin operating.^[4]
  • Sunday Times newspaper begins publication.
  • Meeting of the Municipal Associations of South Africa held in Johannesburg.
• 1907 – Redhill School was founded.
• 1908 – Population: 180,687.^[4]
• 1919 – Jeppe High School for Girls was founded.
• 1920 – Parktown Boys' High School was founded.
• 1921 – Helpmekaar Kollege was founded.
• 1922
  • University of the Witwatersrand incorporated.
  • January–March: Miner's strike.^[10]
• 1923 – Parktown High School for Girls was founded.
• 1925 – Technikon Witwatersrand established.
• 1927 – Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra founded.^[11]
• 1928
  • Johannesburg gains city status.^[1]
  • Ellis Park Stadium was opened.
• 1929 – South African Institute of Race Relations headquartered in city.^{[citation needed]}
• 1931 – Airport opens in Germiston.
• 1933 – Kingsmead College was founded.
• 1935 – Johannesburg City Library building opens.^[7]
• 1936 – 15 September: The Empire Exhibition, South Africa World's Fair opens^[12]
• 1937 – 15 January: The Empire Exhibition, South Africa closes.
• 1941 – St David's Marist, Inanda was founded.
• 1942 – Springbok Legion's Fighting Talk begins publication.^[13]
• 1944 – Hoërskool Florida was founded.
• 1946 – Population: 603,470 city; 762,910 urban agglomeration.^[14]
• 1948 – Polly Street Centre founded.^[15]
• 1950 – Springbok Radio begins broadcasting.
• 1951
  • Drum magazine begins publication.^[15]
  • Population: 631,911 city; 884,007 urban agglomeration.^[14]
  • Waverley High School for Girls was founded.
• 1952 – Jan Smuts Airport established in Kempton Park.
• 1953 – St Stithians College was founded.
• 1956
  • December: Treason Trial begins.
  • Purple Renoster literary magazine begins publication.^[16]
• 1957 – 1957 Alexandra bus boycott.^[17]
• 1958 – St Benedict's College was founded.

1960s–1990s

• 1960
  • 21 March: Sharpeville massacre.
  • Johannesburg Planetarium opens.
• 1961
  • City becomes part of the Republic of South Africa.
  • Greenside High School was founded.
• 1962 – Sentech Tower built.
• 1963
  • 11 July: The arrest of Umkhonto we Sizwe high commanders known as Rivonia Trialist.
  • 11 August: Four of the defendants who had been arrested on July 11, at the Liliesleaf Farm near Johannesburg, were able to escape their South African jail after a bribe was promised to their guard by the ANC.^[18][19]
  • Classic magazine begins publication.
• 1964
  • July: The arrest of Umkhonto we Sizwe high commanders known as Little Rivonia Trialist.
  • Johannesburg Botanical Garden established.
• 1966 – Rand Afrikaans University founded.^[20]
• 1968 – Bryanston High School was founded.
• 1969
  • Hyde Park Corner (shopping centre) in business.
  • Northcliff High School was founded.
• 1970
  • Tollman Towers and Trust Bank Building constructed.
  • Population: 654,682 city; 1,432,643 urban agglomeration.^[21]
• 1971 – Hillbrow Tower built.
• 1973 – Marble Towers, Carlton Centre, and Sandton City shopping centre built.
• 1974 – Beeld newspaper begins publication.
• 1975 – Ponte City Apartments built.^[22]
• 1976
  • 16 June: Soweto uprising.^[9]
  • Market Theatre opens.^[23]
• 1978 – Staffrider literary magazine begins publication.^[24]
• 1980
  • Municipal workers' strike.^[25]
  • Federated Union of Black Artists Academy established.^[15]
• 1981 – The Sowetan newspaper begins publication.
• 1982
  • City Press newspaper begins publication.
  • Afrapix active.^[24]
• 1984
  • 3 September: Sharpeville Six
  • 11 Diagonal Street built.
• 1985
  • Weekly Mail newspaper begins publication.
  • Mormon Temple dedicated.
  • Population: 632,369 city; 1,609,408 urban agglomeration.^[26]
• 1987 – Water Institute of Southern Africa headquartered in city.^[27]
• 1988 – 31 August: Bombing of Khotso House.
• 1989
  • Soccer City stadium opens.
  • Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation established.^[27]
• 1991 – Population: 712,507 city; 1,916,061 metro.^[26][28]
• 1992
  • Johannesburg Stadium opens.
  • Centre for Policy Studies headquartered in Johannesburg.^[27][29]
• 1994
  • 28 March: Shooting at Shell House.^[30]
  • City becomes seat of the new Gauteng province.
  • South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance established.
• 1995
  • Gallagher Convention Centre opens.
  • Centre for Development and Enterprise headquartered in Johannesburg.^[31]
  • Johannesburg Biennale art exhibit begins.^[15]
• 1996
  • 3 February: 1996 Africa Cup of Nations Final football contest played in Johannesburg.
  • Population: 752,349 city.^[32]
• 1997
  • MTN Sundrome opens.
  • Flag of Johannesburg revised design adopted.
• 1998 – Website Joburg.org.za launched.^[33]
• 1998 – St Peter's College was founded.
• 1999 – September: 1999 All-Africa Games held in city.
• 2000
  • City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality and Johannesburg City Parks created.
  • Stoned Cherrie in business.^[34]
  • Population: 2,732,000 (urban agglomeration).^[35]

21st century

Aerial view of Johannesburg, 2006

2000s

• 2001
  • Amos Masondo becomes mayor.^[36]
  • Monash University, South Africa campus established.
  • Population: 3,226,055.^[37]
• 2002
  • Soweto becomes part of city.
  • City hosts Earth Summit 2002.
• 2003 – Nelson Mandela Bridge built.
• 2004
  • Constitutional Court of South Africa building opens in Constitution Hill.
  • Drill Hall rebuilt.
  • Creative Commons South Africa headquartered at University of the Witwatersrand.
• 2005
  • University of Johannesburg established.
  • 2 July: Live 8 concert.
  • Population: 3,272,000 (urban agglomeration).^[35]
• 2008
  • Joburg Art Fair begins.^[15]
  • Google office in business.^[38][39]
  • Species Australopithecus sediba discovered near Johannesburg.
• 2009
  • 28 June: 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Final football contest played in Johannesburg.

2010s

• 2010 – 11 July: 2010 FIFA World Cup Final held.
• 2011
  • Parks Tau becomes mayor.^[40]
  • Air pollution in Johannesburg reaches annual mean of 41 PM2.5 and 85 PM10, more than recommended.^[41]
  • Population: 4,434,827.^[37]
• 2013
  • 10 February: 2013 Africa Cup of Nations Final football contest played in Johannesburg.
  • 5 December: Nelson Mandela dies in Johannesburg.
• 2015 – October: #FeesMustFall protest.^[42]
• 2016
  • 22 August: Herman Mashaba becomes mayor
  • Mduduzi Edmund Tshabalala died in Johannesburg
  • October: #FeesMustFall protest revival.
• 2018
  • Winnie Madikizela-Mandela died in Johannesburg.
  • International 10th BRICS summit held at Sandton Convention Centre.
  • 24 October: Jabulani Tsambo died in Johannesburg

2020s

• 2021
  • 9 July 2021: Geoff Makhubo dies.
  • 10 August 2021: Jolidee Matongo becomes mayor.
  • 18 September 2021: Jolidee Matongo dies from a car accident

• 2023
  • 19 July 2023: Gas explosion destroys road in downtown.^[43]

See also

• History of Johannesburg
• Mayor of Johannesburg
• City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality
• Timelines of other cities in South Africa: Cape Town, Durban, Gqeberha, Pietermaritzburg, Pretoria