Timeline of Lille

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

Prior to 17th century

 * 1030 - Baldwin IV, Count of Flanders "surrounded a little town with walls".
 * 1213 - Town besieged by forces of Philip II of France.
 * 1236 - Hospice Comtesse built.
 * 1297 - Town besieged by forces of Philip IV of France.
 * 1304 - French in power.
 * 1369 - Louis II, Count of Flanders in power.
 * 1390 - Public clock installed (approximate date).
 * 1430 - Hotel de Ville built.
 * 1445 - Population: 25,000.
 * 1454 - Feast of the Pheasant.
 * 1459 - Noble Tower built.
 * 1460s - Hospice Gantois founded.
 * 1473 - Palais Rihour built.
 * 1531 - Lille customary laws codified (approximate date).
 * 1535 - Latin school established.
 * 1592 - Municipal college established.

17th-18th centuries

 * 1605 - Military hospital founded.
 * 1617 - Porte de Gand (gate) constructed.
 * 1622 - Porte de Roubaix (gate) constructed.
 * 1667 - Siege of Lille.
 * 1668
 * Lille becomes part of France.
 * Town fortified by Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban.
 * 1670 - Citadel constructed.
 * 1675 - St. Madeleine Church, Lille construction begins.
 * 1692 - Porte de Paris (Lille) (gate) constructed.
 * 1701
 * Pont-Neuf built.
 * Church of Saint-André, Lille construction begins.
 * 1708 - Siege of Lille.
 * 1717 - Grand' Garde built.
 * 1748 - Church of Saint-Étienne built.
 * 1785 - Opera house built.
 * 1790
 * Lille becomes part of the Nord souveraineté.
 * Municipal elections begin.
 * Public library founded.
 * 1792 - City besieged by Austrian forces.
 * 1793 - Population: 66,761.

19th century

 * 1802 - Société des amateurs des sciences et des arts founded.
 * 1809 - Art museum opens.
 * 1822 - Natural history museum founded.
 * 1837 - Palais de Justice built.
 * 1839 - Commission historique du Nord founded.
 * 1842 - Lille-Flandres station opened as the Gare de Lille.
 * 1844 - Column of the Goddess erected.
 * 1846 - Paris-Lille railway built.
 * 1852 - Lycée impérial re-built
 * 1854 - Faculty of sciences and École des arts industriels et des mines (École centrale de Lille) established.
 * 1855 - Notre Dame Cathedral construction begins.
 * 1856 - Population: 78,641.
 * 1858 - Esquermes, Fives, and Wazemmes become part of Lille.
 * 1860 - Christ Church, Lille proposed.
 * 1861 - Population: 131,727.
 * 1866 - Population: 154,749.
 * 1870 - Prefecture built.
 * 1872 - Institut industriel du Nord established ; Saint-Maurice church restored.
 * 1875 - Catholic University established.
 * 1876 - Population: 162,775.
 * 1878 - Palais Rameau built.
 * 1880 - Société de géographie de Lille founded.
 * 1886 - Population: 188,272.
 * 1888 - Musee Commercial et Colonial opens.
 * 1892
 * Palais des Beaux-Arts built.
 * Gare de Lille Flandres (rail station) rebuilt.
 * 1894 - Institut de chimie founded.
 * 1896 - Population: 216,276.
 * 1899 - Institut Pasteur established.

1900-1940s

 * 1906 - Population: 205,602.
 * 1909 - Tramway begins operating.
 * 1911 - Population: 217,807.
 * 1913
 * Roman Catholic diocese of Lille established.
 * Opéra de Lille built.
 * 1914 - German occupation begins (World War I).
 * 1918 - October 17: City liberated by British.
 * 1924 - Ecole Supérieure de Journalisme founded.
 * 1925 - Roger Salengro elected mayor.
 * 1932 - Hôtel de ville de Lille (City Hall) built.
 * 1938 - City co-hosts the 1938 FIFA World Cup.
 * 1940
 * May: Siege of Lille.
 * German occupation begins (see also: Lille during World War II).
 * August: Frontstalag 186 prisoner-of-war camp established by the Germans.
 * October: Frontstalag 102 prisoner-of-war camp established by the Germans.
 * December: Frontstalag 102 POW camp relocated to Amiens.
 * 1941
 * March: Frontstalag 186 POW camp dissolved.
 * April: Echo du Nord begins publication.
 * 1944
 * September - City liberated by Allied forces.
 * Lille Olympique Sporting Club formed.
 * 1947 - Lille Airport in operation.
 * 1948 - Jardin des Plantes de Lille established.

1950s-1990s

 * 1967 - Urban Community of Lille Métropole formed.
 * 1968 - Lille courthouse built.
 * 1970 - Lille 2 University of Health and Law and Jardin botanique de la Faculté de Pharmacie established.
 * 1973 - Pierre Mauroy becomes mayor.
 * 1976 - Orchestre national de Lille formed.
 * 1977 - Hellemmes becomes an associated part of Lille.
 * 1981 - City hosts the 1981 European Weightlifting Championships.
 * 1983 - Lille Metro begins operating.
 * 1984 - École de communication visuelle opens.
 * 1987 - Socialist Party national congress held in Lille.
 * 1986 - Lille Marathon begins.
 * 1988 - Advanced European Institute of Management established.
 * 1989 - Transpole formed.
 * 1990 - École Nouvelle d'Ingénieurs en Communication founded.
 * 1991 - Institut d'études politiques de Lille established.
 * 1992 - Institut Lillois d'Ingénierie de la Santé founded.
 * 1993
 * Paris-Lille TGV train begins operating.
 * Lille-Europe station built.
 * 1994
 * Euralille (shopping mall) opens.
 * Eurostar train begins operating.
 * 1999
 * Lille Cathedral built.
 * Population: 184,657.
 * 2000 - Lomme becomes an associated part of Lille.

21st century

 * 2001
 * March: Lille municipal election, 2001 held.
 * Martine Aubry becomes mayor.
 * 2003 - Institut technologique européen d'entrepreneuriat et de management established.
 * 2004 - Lille designated a European Capital of Culture.
 * 2006 - Population: 226,014.
 * 2009 - Université Lille Nord de France formed.
 * 2011 - Population: 227,533.
 * 2013 - City co-hosts the EuroBasket Women 2013.
 * 2014 - March: Lille municipal election, 2014 held.
 * 2015
 * September: City co-hosts the EuroBasket 2015.
 * December: 2015 Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie regional election held.
 * 2016 - Lille becomes part of the Hauts-de-France region.
 * 2021 - The historic Saint-Joseph Chapel of Saint-Paul College is controversially demolished.

in French

 * (fireworks); also via British Library