Timeline of Huntsville, Alabama

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Huntsville, Alabama, USA.

Prior to 20th century

 * 1809 - Town of Twickenham incorporated in U.S. Mississippi Territory.
 * 1811 - Twickenham renamed "Huntsville".
 * 1812 - Green Academy established.
 * 1817
 * Town becomes part of U.S. Alabama Territory.
 * Huntsville Republican newspaper in publication.
 * 1818 - Huntsville social library active.
 * 1819
 * Alabama Territory constitutional convention held in Huntsville.
 * Town becomes part of new U.S. state of Alabama.
 * Newly formed Alabama Legislature convenes in Huntsville.
 * 1820 - Alabama state capital relocated from Huntsville to Cahaba.
 * 1822 - Maple Hill Cemetery in use (approximate date).
 * 1825 - Southern Advocate and Huntsville Advertiser newspaper in publication.
 * 1835 - A large fire near the Courthouse Square destroys about a dozen buildings.
 * 1840 - Population: 2,496.
 * 1844 - Huntsville was chartered as a city.
 * 1855 - Memphis and Charleston Railroad begins operating.
 * 1860 - Huntsville Depot built.
 * 1862 - Huntsville occupied by Union forces during the American Civil War.
 * 1870 - Population: 4,907.
 * 1888 - Old Federal Square U.S. Post Office and Courts built on corner of Randolph St and Green St
 * 1888 - Monte Sano Railroad Workers' House built.
 * 1896 - Oakwood College founded.
 * 1898 - B’nai Israel Synagogue built.
 * 1900 - Population: 8,068.

20th century

 * 1904 - An angry mob sets fire to the city jail during the lead up to the Lynching of Horace Maples.
 * 1910 - Huntsville Daily Times newspaper begins publication.
 * 1912 - Lyric Theatre in business.
 * 1916 - Carnegie Public Library building opens.
 * 1932 - United States Courthouse and Post Office built.
 * 1935 - Monte Sano State Park established near city.
 * 1937 - WBHP radio begins broadcasting.
 * 1938 - Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge established in vicinity of Huntsville.
 * 1941 - U.S. military Redstone Arsenal begins operating.
 * 1943 - (August) Community Chest, later to become United Way of Madison County, founded by community leaders
 * 1947 - Keller (automobile) production begins.
 * 1950
 * Area of city: 4 square miles.
 * Population: 16,437.
 * 1951 - Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society formed.
 * 1955
 * Huntsville Symphony Orchestra formed.
 * Memorial Parkway is constructed as a bypass around downtown.
 * 1957 - Lee High School built.
 * 1959 - WAFG-TV (television) begins broadcasting.
 * 1960
 * U.S. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center established.
 * Area of city: 51 square miles.
 * Population: 72,365.
 * 1962 - Arts Council formed.
 * 1964 - Huntsville News begins publication.
 * 1968 - Joe W. Davis becomes mayor.
 * 1969 - Virgil I. Grissom High School established.
 * 1970 - Population: 139,282.
 * 1974 - Oakwood Adventist Academy established.
 * 1975
 * Von Braun Civic Center (convention centre) opens.
 * Madison County Nature Trail established.
 * 1976 - Huntsville Depot museum established.
 * 1982
 * Panoply Arts Festival begins.
 * Alabama Constitution Village museum established.
 * 1984 - Madison Square Mall in business.
 * 1986 - Interstate 565 highway construction starts.
 * 1988 - Steve Hettinger becomes mayor.
 * 1989 - November 1989 tornado outbreak.
 * 1990 - Population: 159,880.
 * 1993 - Big Spring Jam (music festival) begins.
 * 1995 - May 18: Anderson Hills tornado.
 * 1996
 * Loretta Spencer becomes mayor.
 * Huntsville News ceases publication.
 * 1997 - United States Army Aviation and Missile Command headquartered in Huntsville.

21st century

 * 2006 - November 20: 2006 Huntsville bus crash.
 * 2008 - Tommy Battle becomes mayor.
 * 2010
 * February 12: 2010 University of Alabama in Huntsville shooting.
 * Population: 180,105.
 * 2014
 * Area of city: 210 square miles.
 * Twickenham Square shopping/residential complex built.
 * Restore our Roads initiative created to fund a large amount of infrastructure projects to handle projected growth.
 * 2018 - A Huntsville police officer, William Darby, shoots and kills a suicidal man seconds after arriving at the scene. The city council votes to pay the officer's legal defense. Cleared of wrong-doing by the police review board, Darby is convicted of murder. The mayor and police chief continued to support the officer after the guilt verdict.
 * 2020
 * Construction begins on the next segment of the Northern Bypass, connecting Interstate 565 to US 231/431.
 * A George Floyd protest on June 3, 2020, was ended by Huntsville Police along with SWAT and Incident Response Team using tear gas, pepper spray, and rubber bullets.