Timeline of Knoxville, Tennessee

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee, USA.

Prior to 19th century

 * 1786 – White's Fort built.
 * 1791
 * Knoxville founded as the capital of the Southwest Territory, named for Henry Knox
 * Knoxville Gazette newspaper begins publication.
 * 1792 – Blount Mansion built.
 * 1793 – First Presbyterian Church established.
 * 1794 – Blount College (later the University of Tennessee) established.
 * 1796 – Knoxville becomes capital of new U.S. state of Tennessee.

19th century

 * 1806 – Hampden and Sydney School incorporated.
 * 1815 – City of Knoxville incorporated.
 * 1816 – Thomas Emmerson becomes mayor.
 * 1817 – Knoxville Hotel in business.
 * 1818 – Craighead-Jackson House (residence) built.
 * 1827 – Knoxville Female Academy established.
 * 1828 – The Atlas becomes the first steamboat to reach Knoxville, having successfully navigated the lower Tennessee River
 * 1834 – East Tennessee Historical and Antiquarian Society founded.
 * 1844 – Tennessee Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb established.
 * 1845 – Warner Tabernacle AME Zion Church congregation established.
 * 1849 – Brownlow's Whig newspaper relocates to Knoxville.
 * 1850
 * Old Gray Cemetery established.
 * Population: 2,076.
 * First Baptist Church built.
 * 1854
 * James C. Luttrell becomes mayor.
 * Market Square established
 * 1855
 * East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad begins operating.
 * William Graham Swan becomes mayor.
 * 1863
 * Siege of Knoxville.
 * Battle of Fort Sanders.
 * Knoxville National Cemetery established.
 * 1864 – E.J. Sanford and Company in business.
 * 1868 – City Hall built on Market Square.
 * 1869 – Knoxville Industrial Association founded.
 * 1870
 * Ebenezer Mill built (approximate date).
 * Population: 8,682.
 * 1871 – Cowan, McClung and Co. building constructed.
 * 1872 – Staub's Theatre opens.
 * 1873 – William Rule becomes mayor.
 * 1874
 * Customs House built.
 * Peter Staub becomes mayor.
 * 1875 – Knoxville College founded.
 * 1885
 * Knoxville Fire Department and Lawson McGhee Library established.
 * Knox County Courthouse built.
 * 1886 – Sentinel newspaper (later the Knoxville News Sentinel) begins publication.
 * 1887
 * Knoxville Negro World newspaper begins publication.
 * Chamber of Commerce established.
 * 1888
 * Sterchi Brothers Furniture Company in business.
 * Martin Condon becomes mayor.
 * 1890
 * Peter Kern becomes mayor.
 * Population: 22,535.
 * Electric streetcar begins operating.
 * 1891 – H. T. Hackney Company in business.
 * 1892 – St. John's Cathedral rebuilt.
 * 1896 - Flag of Knoxville, Tennessee is designed
 * 1897
 * "Million Dollar Fire" destroys part of Gay Street.
 * Market House rebuilt on Market Square.
 * North Knoxville (modern Old North Knoxville) becomes part of city
 * 1898
 * West Knoxville (modern Fort Sanders) becomes part of city.
 * Gay Street Bridge constructed.

20th century



 * 1905
 * Knoxville Railway and Light Company established.
 * L&N Station (Knoxville) built.
 * 1909 – Knoxville City Beautiful League organized.
 * 1910
 * First Appalachian Exposition held.
 * Population: 36,346.
 * 1911 – Second Appalachian Exposition held.
 * 1912 – The city replaces its mayor-alderman form of government with a commission.
 * 1913 – National Conservation Exposition held.
 * 1914 – Candoro Marble Works in operation.
 * 1917
 * Park City becomes part of the city.
 * South Knoxville becomes part of the city.
 * 1919
 * Riot of 1919 takes place.
 * October: Streetcar strike.
 * 1920 – Population: 77,818.
 * 1921 – WNAV radio begins broadcasting.
 * 1923 – The city replaces its commission with a city manager-council form of government; Louis Brownlow hired as first city manager
 * 1925 – City government moves to City Hall on Summit Hill Drive.
 * 1926
 * Knoxville News Sentinel in publication.
 * Lincoln Park United Methodist Church built.
 * 1927
 * WROL radio begins broadcasting.
 * Daylight Building constructed.
 * 1928
 * Tennessee Theatre opens.
 * James Alexander Fowler becomes mayor.
 * 1930
 * Andrew Johnson Building constructed.
 * Population: 105,802.
 * 1931 – Henley Street Bridge constructed.
 * 1932 – Church Street Methodist Episcopal Church built.
 * 1933 – Tennessee Valley Authority headquartered in Knoxville.
 * 1934 – United States Post Office and Courthouse built.
 * 1938 – Park Theatre opens.
 * 1940 – Population: 111,580.
 * 1942 – Town of Oak Ridge developed near Knoxville.
 * 1943 – Oak Ridge National Laboratory established near Knoxville.
 * 1946
 * Cas Walker becomes mayor.
 * Journalist John Gunther dubs Knoxville the "ugliest city" in America, sparking beautification efforts
 * 1947 – Office of City Manager merged with Mayor's office
 * 1950 – Population: 124,769.
 * 1951 - Municipal Zoo established.
 * 1952 – George Roby Dempster becomes mayor.
 * 1953 - WATE-TV and WTVK (television) begin broadcasting.
 * 1956 - WBIR-TV (television) begins broadcasting.
 * 1959 – John Duncan, Sr. becomes mayor.
 * 1960
 * Protest by African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement.
 * Population: 111,827.
 * 1962
 * Fountain City and Bearden become part of the city.
 * Highlander Research and Education Center relocates to Knoxville from Monteagle.
 * 1970 – Population: 174,587.
 * 1972 – Kyle Testerman becomes mayor.
 * 1974 – Streaking occurs.
 * 1976 – Randy Tyree becomes mayor.
 * 1980 – Population: 175,045.
 * 1981 – Knoxville Community Food Cooperative organized.
 * 1982 – 1982 World's Fair held; Sunsphere built.
 * 1983
 * Knoxville Opera Company active.
 * Halls Cinema in business.
 * 1984 – Doyle Park established.
 * 1985 – Riverview Tower built.
 * 1987 – Victor Ashe becomes mayor.
 * 1988
 * WCKS radio begins broadcasting.
 * Jimmy Duncan Jr. becomes U.S. representative for Tennessee's 2nd congressional district.
 * 1990 – Population: 165,121.
 * 1991 – City bicentennial.
 * 1992 – Petro's Chili & Chips franchise headquartered in Knoxville.
 * 1994 – Home & Garden Television headquartered in Knoxville.
 * 1995 - City website online.
 * 1996
 * Knoxville-Oak Ridge Regional Network online.
 * Adair Park built.
 * 1998 - Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership organized.

21st century

 * 2003 – Bill Haslam becomes mayor.
 * 2005
 * Knoxville Marathon begins.
 * Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound and Three Rivers Market food co-op established.
 * 2010 – Population: 178,874.
 * 2011 – Daniel Brown becomes mayor, succeeded by Madeline Rogero.
 * 2019 - Indya Kincannon becomes mayor.
 * 2020 Population 190,740.

Published in the 20th century

 * City of Knoxville, Tennessee and Vicinity (Knoxville: Knoxville Board of Trade, 1906)
 * Knoxville, Tennessee Directory, 1915 (Knoxville: Knoxville Directory Company, 1915).
 * Knoxville City Directory, 1960 (Knoxville: City Directory Company, 1960)
 * East Tennessee Historical Society, Lucile Deaderick (ed.), Heart of the Valley: A History of Knoxville, Tennessee (Knoxville, Tenn.: East Tennessee Historical Society, 1976)
 * (fulltext)
 * Knoxville City Directory, 1960 (Knoxville: City Directory Company, 1960)
 * East Tennessee Historical Society, Lucile Deaderick (ed.), Heart of the Valley: A History of Knoxville, Tennessee (Knoxville, Tenn.: East Tennessee Historical Society, 1976)
 * (fulltext)
 * Knoxville City Directory, 1960 (Knoxville: City Directory Company, 1960)
 * East Tennessee Historical Society, Lucile Deaderick (ed.), Heart of the Valley: A History of Knoxville, Tennessee (Knoxville, Tenn.: East Tennessee Historical Society, 1976)
 * (fulltext)
 * (fulltext)
 * (fulltext)
 * (fulltext)