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.
 * 1763 - Mechanical Fire Company organized.
 * 1767 - Baltimore designated county seat.
 * 1770 - Henry Fite House built.
 * 1773 - Maryland Journal, and the Baltimore Advertiser newspaper begins publication.
 * 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.
 * 1790 - Population: 13,503 people.
 * 1794 - James Calhoun becomes mayor.
 * 1795 - Holliday Street Theater opens.
 * 1796
 * City of Baltimore incorporated.
 * Library Company of Baltimore founded.

19th century

 * 1800 - Population: 26,504 people.
 * 1803
 * Fort McHenry built.
 * Dispensary incorporated.
 * 1806 - St. Mary's College and Theological Seminary incorporated.
 * 1807
 * University of Maryland founded.
 * Baltimore Museum established.
 * Baltimore Circulating Library in business.
 * 1809 - Joseph Robinson's Circulating Library in business.
 * 1810
 * Population: 46,535 people.
 * Alex. Brown & Sons incorporated.
 * 1814
 * September - Battle of Baltimore
 * Peale Museum opens.
 * 1815
 * Battle Monument erected.
 * Baltimore Exchange opens.
 * 1816
 * Asbury College founded.
 * Delphian Club founded.
 * 1819 - Independent Order of Odd Fellows founded.
 * 1820 - Population: 62,738 people
 * 1821
 * Maryland Academy of Science and Literature established.
 * Basilica consecrated.
 * 1822 - Adelphi Theatre opens.
 * 1823 - Athenaeum founded.
 * 1826 - Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts founded.
 * 1827
 * Washington Medical College established.
 * Franklin Lyceum active.
 * 1829
 * Mount Clare Station built.
 * George Washington monument erected.
 * Circus building constructed.
 * 1830
 * Baltimore and Ohio Railroad begins operating.
 * Population: 80,620 people
 * 1832
 * Cholera epidemic.
 * 1832 Democratic National Convention
 * 1835
 * 1835 Democratic National Convention
 * Bank riot.
 * 1837
 * Baltimore Sun newspaper begins publication.
 * Washington Hall opens.
 * Orchard Street United Methodist Church built.
 * 1839
 * High School opens.
 * Mercantile Library Association established.
 * Green Mount Cemetery dedicated.
 * Municipal Record Office of Baltimore built.
 * 1840
 * Madison Lyceum active.
 * 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.
 * 1848
 * Howard Athenaeum and Gallery of Arts opens.
 * Olympic Theatre opens.
 * Concordia Club founded.
 * 1848 Democratic National Convention
 * 1849 - Baltimore Female College in operation.
 * 1850
 * President Street Station built.
 * Population: 169,054 people
 * 1851
 * Baltimore becomes independent city.
 * New Assembly-Rooms open.
 * Baltimore Wecker newspaper begins publication.
 * 1852
 * Loyola College established.
 * Apollo Hall opens.
 * 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.
 * 1867
 * Concordia Hall is founded.
 * Morgan College established.
 * Normal school opens.
 * 1870 - Population: 267,354
 * 1871 - Ford's Grand Opera-House opens.
 * 1872
 * Mount Auburn Cemetery established.
 * 1872 Democratic National Convention
 * 1873 - Leadenhall Street Baptist Church built.
 * 1875
 * City Hall built.
 * Academy of Music opens.
 * Free Summer Excursion Society incorporated.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 1890
 * Post office built.
 * Population: 434,439 people.
 * 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).
 * 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.
 * City courthouse dedicated.
 * Baltimore Morning Herald newspaper begins publication.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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.

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.
 * 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.