Timeline of Laredo, Texas

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Laredo, Texas, USA.

18th-19th centuries

 * 1755 - May 15: Villa de Laredo founded by Tomás Sánchez and others in Spanish colonial Nuevo Santander, Viceroyalty of New Spain.
 * 1760 - Chapel built.
 * 1767 - San Agustin Church founded.
 * 1790 - Population: 708.
 * 1821 - Laredo becomes part of independent Mexican Empire.
 * 1840 - Laredo becomes capital of the Mexican insurgent Republic of the Rio Grande during the Mexican Federalist War.
 * 1846 - Laredo taken by U.S. Texas Rangers during the Mexican–American War.
 * 1847 - U.S. forces occupy town.
 * 1848
 * Laredo becomes part of the U.S. per Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo at end of Mexican–American War.
 * Webb County, Texas created.
 * 1849 - U.S. military Camp Crawford established.
 * 1852 - Laredo "chartered as a Texas city."
 * 1860 - Population: 1,256.
 * 1872 - San Agustin Church rebuilt.
 * 1880
 * Corpus Christi-Laredo railway begins operating.
 * Population: 3,521.
 * 1881
 * Mexico-Laredo railway begins operating.
 * St. Peter's neighborhood development begins.
 * City plan for Laredo and Nuevo Laredo, "'Plano de los Dos Laredos' created by E.R. Laroche."
 * 1882
 * Laredo Seminary and city water works established.
 * County Courthouse built.
 * 1883 - Daily Laredo Times newspaper begins publication.
 * 1888 - Laredo Improvement Company formed.
 * 1889
 * Street railway begins operating.
 * "Foot and wagon bridge built across the Rio Grande" at Convent Avenue.
 * 1890 - Population: 11,319.
 * 1898 - Onion farming begins (approximate date).
 * 1900 - Population: 13,429.

20th century

 * 1904 - Laredo Academy established.
 * 1907 - Laredo United States Post Office, Court House and Custom House built.
 * 1908 - Discovery of natural gas in vicinity of Laredo.
 * 1909 - Webb County Courthouse built.
 * 1910 - Population: 14,855.
 * 1911 - Liga Femenil Mexicanista (women's group) founded in Laredo.
 * 1915 - Laredo public library active (approximate date).
 * 1920
 * Texas Mexican Railway International Bridge opened.
 * Population: 22,710.
 * 1922
 * International Bridge opens.
 * Azteca Theater opens.
 * 1937 - Foundry Workers' Union of Laredo formed.
 * 1938 - KPAB radio begins broadcasting.
 * 1946 - Fort McIntosh, Texas de-activated.
 * 1947 - Laredo Junior College established.
 * 1950 - Population: 51,910.
 * 1954 - Flood.
 * 1956 - KGNS-TV (television) begins broadcasting.
 * 1969 - Texas A&M International University established.
 * 1970
 * River Drive Mall in business.
 * Population: 69,678.
 * 1977 - Mall del Norte in business.
 * 1978 - Aldo Tatangelo becomes mayor.
 * 1980
 * Webb County Heritage Foundation established.
 * Population: 91,449.
 * 1990
 * Saul N. Ramirez, Jr. becomes mayor.
 * Population: 122,899.
 * 1993
 * Laredo Community College active.
 * Cinemark Movies 12 (cinema) in business.
 * 1998 - Betty Flores becomes mayor.
 * 2000
 * Roman Catholic Diocese of Laredo established.
 * Population: 176,576.

21st century

 * 2001 - City website online (approximate date).
 * 2005 - Henry Cuellar becomes U.S. representative for Texas's 28th congressional district.
 * 2006 - Raul G. Salinas becomes mayor.
 * 2007 - Cinemark Mall Del Norte (cinema) in business.
 * 2008 - Rio Grande Detention Center opens, housing up to 1900 federal prisoners for the U.S. government
 * 2010 - Population: 236,091.
 * 2014 - Pete Saenz becomes mayor.