Timeline of Beirut

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Beirut, Lebanon.

Prior to 20th century

 * 140 BC – City destroyed by Diodotus Tryphon.
 * 64 BC – Beirut conquered by Agrippa.
 * 14 BC – During the reign of Herod the Great, Berytus became a colonia.
 * 551 CE – Earthquake.
 * 635 – Beirut passes into Arab control.
 * 759 – Prince Arslan bin al-Mundhir founds the Principality of Sin-el-Fil in Beirut.
 * 1110 – Baldwin overtakes city, is absorbed into the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
 * 1187 – Saladin re-takes city.
 * early 17th.C. – Fakhr al-Din II fortifies the town.
 * 1763 – Ottomans reclaim the city.
 * 1772 – Russian occupations of Beirut.
 * 1832 – Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt in power.
 * 1840
 * October: Battle of Beirut.
 * Settlement of the hills surrounding the walled city begins, notably Moussaitbeh and Achrafieh
 * 1853 – Grand Serail built.
 * 1858 – Hadiqat al-Akhbar newspaper begins publication.
 * 1860
 * Druze–Maronite conflict.
 * Sursock House built.
 * 1866 – Syrian Protestant College established.
 * 1868 – Archaeological Museum of the American University of Beirut established.
 * 1875
 * Saint Joseph University founded.
 * Thamarāt al Funūn newspaper begins publication.
 * 1877 – Lisan al-Hal newspaper begins publication.
 * 1883 – Hôtel-Dieu de France founded.
 * 1888 – Beirut was made capital of a vilayet (governorate) in Syria,[37] including the sanjaks (prefectures) Latakia, Tripoli, Beirut, Acre and Bekaa.
 * 1894
 * Saint George Maronite Cathedral constructed.
 * Harbour, constructed by a French company.
 * 1895 – Railway completed "across the Lebanon to Damascus."
 * 1898 – Population: 120,000 (approximate).

1900s–1960s

 * 1999 al-Iqbāl newspaper begins publication.
 * 1907
 * Railway to Aleppo completed.
 * René Moawad Garden established.
 * Baidaphon (record label) in business (approximate date).
 * 1916 – Place des Canons renamed Martyrs' Square.
 * 1920 – Beirut Stock Exchange founded.
 * 1920 – 1 September: Lebanon Republic (Greater Lebanon) proclaimed a state.
 * 1921 – Beirut Traders Association founded.
 * 1924 – Al Joumhouria newspaper begins publication
 * 1925
 * National Conservatory of Music established.
 * Maghen Abraham Synagogue built.
 * 1927 – American Junior College for Women opens in Ras Beirut.
 * 1933
 * Parliament of Lebanon building erected.
 * An-Nahar newspaper begins publication.
 * L'Orient newspaper begins publication.
 * 1934 – Population: 162,000 (approximate).
 * 1936 – Kamel Abbas Hamieh takes office as Governor of Beirut.
 * 1937
 * Académie libanaise des beaux-arts founded.
 * Ararad newspaper begins publication.
 * Zartonk newspaper begins publication.
 * 1938 – Al Akhbar newspaper begins publication.
 * 1941 – Eastern Times newspaper begins publication.
 * 1942 – National Museum of Beirut opens.Zicht op Beiroet van een van de daken, Bestanddeelnr 255-6170.jpg
 * 1943 – Beirut becomes capital city of independent Lebanon.
 * 1946
 * Nicolas Rizk takes office as Governor of Beirut.
 * Al-Hayat newspaper begins publication.
 * 1950 – Population: 181,271. Straatbeeld in Beiroet, Bestanddeelnr 255-6189.jpg
 * 1951 – Lebanese University and Lycée Franco-Libanais Verdun founded.
 * 1952
 * George Assi takes office as Governor of Beirut.
 * The Daily Star newspaper begins publication.
 * 1954 – Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport opens.
 * 1956 – Bachour Haddad takes office as Governor of Beirut.
 * 1957 – Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium opens.
 * 1958 – Population: 400,000 (estimate).
 * 1959
 * Télé Liban (television) begins broadcasting.
 * Philip Boulos takes office as Governor of Beirut.
 * Al Anwar newspaper begins publication.
 * 1960
 * Beirut Arab University established.
 * Emile Yanni takes office as Governor of Beirut.
 * 1961
 * Orient-Institut Beirut established.
 * Sursock Museum and Phoenicia Beirut Hotel open.
 * 1963 – Gallery One (cultural space) opens.
 * 1964 – Saint Nicolas Garden opens.
 * 1966 – Al Ahed football team established, headquartered in Beirut.
 * 1967 – Chafik Abou Haydar takes office as Governor of Beirut.
 * 1968 – "Israel raids Beirut airport."

1970s–1990s

 * 1970
 * L'Orient Le Jour newspaper begins publication.
 * Population: 474,870 city; 938,940 urban agglomeration.
 * Sassine Square construction ends
 * 1972 – Manoukian Center established.
 * 1973 – Holiday Inn in business.
 * 1974 – As-Safir newspaper begins publication.
 * 1975
 * April: Lebanese Civil War begins.
 * Green Line established between mainly Muslim factions in West Beirut and the Christian Lebanese Front in East Beirut.
 * Centre for Arab Unity Studies founded.
 * 1976 – al-Murābiṭ newspaper begins publication.
 * 1977 – Mitri El Nammar takes office as Governor of Beirut.
 * 1978 – Syrian siege of Achrafiyeh, the main Christian district of Beirut.
 * 1982
 * Israeli invasion.
 * 14 September: Bachir Gemayel assassinated.
 * 1983 – French and US barracks bombed.
 * 1986 – Centre de Documentation et de Recherches Arabes Chretiennes founded.
 * 1987 – George Smaha takes office as Governor of Beirut.
 * 1988 – Ad-Diyar newspaper begins publication.
 * 1989 – Lebanese Center for Policy Studies headquartered in city.
 * 1990 – Center for Strategic Studies Research and Documentation
 * 1991 – Al Manar TV begins broadcasting.
 * 1992 – Nayef Al Maaloof takes office as Governor of Beirut
 * 1993
 * B 018 nightclub opens.
 * Future Television begins broadcasting.
 * 1994 – Solidere (redevelopment company) founded.
 * 1995 – Nicolas Saba takes office as Governor of Beirut
 * 1997
 * Arab Image Foundation established.
 * Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium rebuilt.
 * 1999
 * Yaacoub Sarraf takes office as Governor of Beirut.
 * Planet Discovery children's museum inaugurated.
 * Lebanese National Symphony Orchestra and Al-Kafaàt University founded.
 * 2000 – Museum of Lebanese Prehistory established.

2000s

 * 2001 – Beirut International Exhibition & Leisure Center opens.
 * 2003
 * Beirut Marathon begins.
 * Music Hall opens.
 * Al-Balad newspaper begins publication.
 * 2004
 * Souk el Tayeb farmer's market opens.
 * Helem (LGBT group) active.
 * Al-Saha Village restaurant in business.
 * 2005
 * Cedar Revolution
 * Nassif Kaloosh takes office as Governor of Beirut
 * Ya Libnan news website launched.
 * 2006
 * Political protests
 * Robert Mouawad Private Museum opens.
 * Sister city relationship established with Los Angeles, USA.
 * 2007 – Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque built.
 * 2008 – Platinum Tower built.
 * 2009
 * 2009 Jeux de la Francophonie held in Beirut.
 * Beirut Art Center opens.
 * Beirut Souks and Le Gray hotel in business.
 * City named World Book Capital by UNESCO.

2010s

 * 2010
 * Bilal Hamad becomes mayor.
 * Four Seasons Hotel Beirut opens.
 * 2011
 * Political protests
 * Zaitunay Bay pedestrian area opens.
 * 2012
 * Violent unrest related to Syrian uprising.
 * Al-Mayadeen television begins broadcasting.
 * 19 October: Bombing in Achrafieh.
 * 16 November: Überhaus nightclub opens.
 * 2013
 * 9 July: Bombing in Bir el-Abed.
 * 15 August: Bombing.
 * 19 November: Iranian embassy bombings.
 * 27 December: Bombing.
 * 2015
 * 21 July: Protests.
 * 12 November: Bombing.

2020s

 * 2020
 * 4 August: Explosion in port
 * 2021
 * 14 October: Clashes