Timeline of Kinshasa

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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

• 14th -18th Century Kongo Kingdom reigned victorious throughout the land
• 1881 - Léopoldville founded as a trading post by Henry Morton Stanley of the UK.
• 1885 - Town becomes part of Congo Free State.^[1][2]
• 1898 - Matadi–Kinshasa Railway built.

20th century

1900s-1950s

• 1908 - Town becomes part of Belgian Congo.
• 1909 - Banque du Congo Belge headquartered in Léopoldville (approximate date).^[3]
• 1914 - Grand Hotel ABC built.^[4]
• 1917 - Collège Saint-Joseph founded.
• 1920 - Ligne Aérienne du Roi Albert (airline) begins operating.
• 1923 - Capital of Belgian Congo relocated to Leopoldville from Boma.^[5]
• 1928 - Elima [fr] newspaper begins publication.^[3]
• 1935 - Association Sportive Vita Club formed.
• 1936 - Daring Club Motema Pembe (football club) formed.
• 1937
  • Stade Reine Astrid (stadium) opens.
  • Radio Leo begins broadcasting.^[6]
  • Hotel Memling built.^[4]
• 1938 - Amicale Sportive Dragons football club formed.
• 1939 - Albert I of Belgium monument inaugurated on Place de la Gare.^[4]
• 1940 - Radio Congo Belge begins broadcasting.^[7]
• 1940s - Ngoma recording studio in business.^[7]
• 1943 - École Saint-Luc à Gombe Matadi founded.
• 1952 - Stade Roi Baudouin (stadium) inaugurated.
• 1953
  • N'djili Airport inaugurated.
  • African Jazz (musical group) formed.^[7][8]
• 1954 - Lovanium University established.^[9]
• 1955
  • Boulevard Albert I constructed.^[4]
  • Presbyterian Community in Kinshasa founded.
• 1956
  • OK Jazz musical group formed.^[7]
  • Colonial Governor-General residence built.
• 1957 - Académie des Beaux-Arts (school) active.
• 1958
  • Trico Center for nuclear studies established.^[10]
  • Plantations Lever au Congo (part of Unilever) headquartered in city.
• 1959
  • Anti-colonial riots led by the ABAKO political party.^[11]
  • L'independance newspaper begins publication.^[12]

1960s-1990s

• 1960
  • City becomes capital of independent Republic of the Congo.
  • Joseph Kulumba becomes bourgmestre, succeeded by Daniel Kanza.
• 1961 - American School founded.
• 1962
  • National School of Law and Administration founded.^[13]
  • Revolutionary Government of Angola in Exile based in Léopoldville.
• 1963
  • Boulevard Albert I renamed "Boulevard du 30 Juin".^[4]
  • Zoao Boniface becomes bourgmestre.
• 1964
  • City becomes capital of Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  • Hotel Memling built.
  • Banque du Congo headquartered in city.^[3]
• 1965 - Centre d'etudes pour l'action sociale established.^{[citation needed]}
• 1966 - Léopoldville renamed "Kinshasa."^[14]
• 1967
  • September: Organisation of African Unity summit held.
  • National Conservatory of Music and Dramatic Art established.
• 1969
  • Kinshasa International Fair begins.
  • Zaiko Langa Langa musical group formed.
• 1971
  • City becomes capital of Republic of Zaire.
  • Office National des Transports headquartered in city.
  • Inter Continental hotel in business.
• 1972 - École d'Informatique d'Électronique founded.^{[citation needed]}
• 1974
  • September: Zaire 74 music festival held.
  • 30 October: The Rumble in the Jungle boxing match held.^[15]
  • Population: 2,008,352.^[16]
• 1975 - Sozacom building constructed.^[17]
• 1976 - Voix du Zaire broadcasting complex^[13] and BCZ building constructed.^[17]
• 1977 - Zekete-zekete musical style developed.^[7]
• 1979 - Palais du Peuple built.
• 1981 - University of Kinshasa established.^[9]
• 1982 - Le Potentiel newspaper begins publication.^[3][18]
• 1984 - Population: 2,664,309.^[19]
• 1985 - Meeting of the Association Internationale des Maires Francophones held in city.
• 1988 - Madiaba musical style developed.^[7]
• 1989
  • Athletic Club Sodigraf formed.
  • La Référence Plus newspaper begins publication.^[3]
• 1990 - Population: 3,564,000 (urban agglomeration).^[20]
• 1991
  • Fundu Kota becomes governor.
  • September: "Riots...by unpaid soldiers."^[11][21]
  • October: Anti-Mobutu demonstrations.^[22]
• 1992 - Kibabu Madiata Nzau becomes governor, succeeded by Bernardin Mungul Diaka.
• 1994
  • Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste founded.
  • Kamanyola Stadium opens.
• 1996
  • Mujinga Swana becomes governor, succeeded by Nkoy Mafuta.
  • L'Avenir (Newspaper) begins publication.
  • 8 January: Airplane crash.
• 1997
  • Théophile Mbemba Fundu becomes governor.
  • April: General Gabriel Amela Lokima Bahati becomes governor.^{[citation needed]}
  • May: City taken by anti-Mobutu forces led by Laurent-Désiré Kabila.^[11][23]
  • Central Bank of the Congo headquartered in city.
• 1998
  • August: Second Congo War begins; rebel forces move toward city.^[11]
  • September: Food shortage.^[24]
• 1999 - United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo headquartered in Kinshasa.
• 2000 - Population: 5,611,000 (urban agglomeration).^[20]

21st century

• 2001
  • Christophe Muzungu becomes governor, succeeded by Loka Ne Kongo [fr].
  • January: President Laurent-Désiré Kabila assassinated.^[25]
• 2002
  • David Nku Imbié becomes governor.
  • Lola ya Bonobo animal sanctuary located near city.
• 2004
  • March: Coup attempt.^[11]
  • May: Jean Kimbunda becomes governor.
• 2005
  • Kimbembe Mazunga becomes governor.
  • Population: 7,106,000 (urban agglomeration).^[20]
• 2006
  • Post-election unrest.^[26]
  • Baudoin Liwanga becomes governor.
• 2007
  • March: Conflict between Bemba supporters and government forces.^[11][27]
  • 16 March: André Kimbuta becomes governor.
  • City website online (approximate date).^{[28][chronology citation needed]}
• 2010 - 2 June: Activist Floribert Chebeya killed.^[11]
• 2011 - 27 February: Coup attempt.
• 2012
  • October: Organisation internationale de la Francophonie summit held.
  • Population: 9,046,000.
• 2013 - 30 December: December 2013 Kinshasa attacks by supporters of religious leader Mukungubila.^[11]
• 2014
  • 11 May: Stade Tata Raphaël stampede.
  • Hôpital du Cinquantenaire [fr] (hospital) opens.
  • It's discovered that the origin of the HIV virus traces back to Léopoldville in the 1920s.^[29]
• 2015 - January: 2015 Congolese protests.^[30]
• 2023: The 2023 Jeux de la Francophonie.

See also

• History of Kinshasa
• Urban history of Kinshasa (in French)
• List of governors of Kinshasa
• Communes of Kinshasa
• List of television stations in Kinshasa
• Timelines of other cities in DR Congo: Bukavu, Goma, Kisangani, Lubumbashi
• History of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Timeline and history of Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo (across Congo River from Kinshasa)