Timeline of Brest, France

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Brest, France.

Prior to 20th century

 * 1060s – Moat dug around the Château de Brest (approximate date).
 * 1240 - Ceded by a count of Léon to John I, Duke of Brittany
 * 14th C. – Tour Tanguy built (approximate date).
 * 1342 – 18 August: Battle of Brest (1342).
 * 1386 - Siege of Brest (1386)
 * 16th C. Château de Brest construction concluded.
 * 1512 – 10 August: Naval Battle of Saint-Mathieu occurs offshore.
 * 1631 - Richelieu constructed a harbour with wooden wharves.
 * 1680/88 - Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban fortified the harbour.
 * 1694 - (18 June) Battle of Camaret, an English squadron under John Berkeley, 3rd Baron Berkeley of Stratton, was miserably defeated.
 * 1702 – consecrated.
 * 1749 – Saint-Sauveur Church built in Recouvrance.
 * 1751 – Brest Prison built.
 * 1752 – Académie de Marine founded.
 * 1783 – Questel Fort built.
 * 1784 – Fort Montbarey built.
 * 1793
 * 2 January: Childers Incident occurs in the Goulet de Brest.
 * Population: 24,180.
 * 1794 - French fleet, under Villaret de Joyeuse, was beaten by the English Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe
 * 1805 – built.
 * 1848
 * Phare du Petit Minou and Phare du Portzic (lighthouses) built.
 * (school) founded.
 * 1851 – Chamber of Commerce established.
 * 1858
 * Nantes-Brest canal begins operating.
 * founded.
 * 1861 – Pont National (swing-bridge) built.
 * 1865 – Paris–Brest railway begins operating.
 * 1876 – Population: 66,828.
 * 1882 – Société de géographie de Brest founded.
 * 1886
 *  newspaper begins publication.
 * Population: 70,778.
 * 1898 – Brest tramway begins operating.

20th century

 * 1903 – Tramways Électrique du Finistère begins operating.
 * 1905 – football club formed.
 * 1911 – Population: 90,540.
 * 1930 – Plougastel Bridge built near city.
 * 1932 – Gare de Brest built.
 * 1939 – built.
 * 1940
 * begins.
 * Gegen Engeland German-language newspaper begins publication.
 * 1942 – built in the Arsenal.
 * 1944
 * August: Battle for Brest begins.
 * 9 September:.
 * 18 September: Germans ousted by Allied forces.
 * 1947
 * 28 July:.
 * begins operating.
 * 1951 – Pont de l'Harteloire (bridge) built.
 * 1954
 * Pont de Recouvrance (bridge) built.
 * founded.
 * 1957 – regional transit network created.
 * 1958 – rebuilt.
 * 1959 – becomes mayor.
 * 1970 – University of Western Brittany founded.
 * 1973 - Rïnkla Stadium built.
 * 1974 - Urban Community of Brest established.
 * 1975 - Population: 166,826.
 * 1976 – in business.
 * 1982
 * Pierre Maille becomes mayor.
 * Brest becomes part of the Brittany (administrative region).
 * 1986 – Brest European Short Film Festival begins.
 * 1997 – Socialist Party national congress held in Brest.

21st century

 * 2001 – becomes mayor.
 * 2012
 * Brest tramway begins operating.
 * Population: 141,315.
 * 2014 – Brest Arena built.
 * 2016 – begins operating.
 * 2017 –, a mall and cultural venue, opens.