Timeline of Leuven

The following is a timeline of the history of the municipality of Leuven, Belgium.

Pre-20th century

 * 883 –.
 * 891 – Battle of Leuven (891).
 * 950 - Birth of Lambert I, Count of Louvain the first Count of Leuven.
 * 1090 – Hospital established (approximate date).
 * 1100 – St. Peter's Church built (approximate date).
 * 1165 – built.
 * 1183 – Leuven becomes part of the Duchy of Brabant of the Holy Roman Empire.
 * 1222 – Saint Quentin's Church built (approx. date).
 * 1225 – becomes mayor.
 * 1230 – built.
 * 1317 – (cloth hall) built.
 * 1356 - Louvain was the scene of the Joyeuse Entrée of Wenceslas.
 * 1379 – (political unrest).
 * 1425 – Old University of Leuven founded by John IV, Duke of Brabant.
 * 1463 – Leuven Town Hall built.
 * 1474 – Printing press in operation.
 * 1497 – St. Peter's Church rebuilt.
 * 1502 – Erasmus moves to Leuven.
 * 1547 - Leuven Vulgate edited by Hentenius published in Louvain.
 * 1571 – City Archive relocated to City Hall.
 * 1635 – June–July: Siege of Leuven. Peter Snayers - The Relief of Louvain.jpg in 1635]]
 * 1717 – Artois brewery in business.
 * 1727 – Public celebration on 10 November of the third centenary of the university's founding.
 * 1738 – Hortus Botanicus Lovaniensis (botanical garden) established.
 * 1786 – Seminary established.
 * 1795 – City becomes part of the Dyle (department) of the French First Republic.
 * 1804 – City becomes part of the First French Empire.
 * 1815 – City becomes part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.
 * 1830 – City becomes part of the Kingdom of Belgium.
 * 1831 – 12 August: Battle of Leuven (1831).
 * 1834 – Catholic University of Leuven established.
 * 1837 - Leuven railway station opened.
 * 1843 – Heilige Drievuldigheidscollege (school) established.
 * 1867 – built on Statiestraat.
 * 1883 – Population: 36,813.
 * 1899 – Keizersberg Abbey founded.

20th century

 * 1903 – K. Stade Leuven football club formed.
 * 1904 - Population: 42,194.
 * 1914
 * Burning of Louvain Library of the Catholic University of Leuven destroyed.
 * Population: 42,490.
 * 1919 – Population: 40,069.
 * 1921
 * Post war reconstruction well underway, about 700 out of 1,200 houses had been rebuilt.
 * New purpose-built library was begun, helped by John Rylands Library in Manchester.
 * 1928
 * UZ Leuven (hospital) active.
 * Library of the Catholic University of Leuven rebuilt.
 * 1940 – Library of the Catholic University of Leuven destroyed again.
 * 1947 – becomes mayor.
 * 1967 – November: French–Flemish begins.
 * 1968
 * Katholieke Universiteit Leuven established.
 * Lemmensinstituut (music conservatory) active.
 * Studio 1 cinema in business.
 * 1977
 * Heverlee, Kessel-Lo, and Wilsele become part of city.
 * becomes mayor.
 * 1982 – Marktrock music fest begins.
 * 1988 – Vlaams Filmmuseum en -archief (Flemish film museum) established.
 * 1995
 * Louis Tobback becomes mayor.
 * City becomes part of the Flemish Brabant province.
 * (school) established.
 * 1998 – Grand Béguinage designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

21st century

 * 2002
 * Oud-Heverlee Leuven football club formed.
 * 2008 – Anheuser-Busch InBev headquartered in city.
 * 2011 – Cyclocross Leuven begins.
 * 2013 – Population: 97,656.
 * 2021 - 2021 UCI Road World Championships road race events finish in Leuven.