Timeline of Miami

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States.

19th century

 * 1870 – William Brickell establishes a trading post on the south side of the Miami River.
 * 1880 – Population: county 100.
 * 1884 – The first hotel, The Peacock Inn, is established in Coconut Grove.
 * 1886
 * Ralph Munroe builds a home on the bay in Coconut Grove.
 * Kirk Munroe establishes a home in Coconut Grove.
 * 1889 – Teaching begins in the first school building in Coconut Grove.
 * 1891 – Julia Tuttle moves to Miami.
 * 1895 – The first public library is established in Coconut Grove by the ladies of the Pine Needles Club.
 * 1896
 * Miami incorporated; John B. Reilly becomes mayor.
 * Florida East Coast Railway (Jacksonville-Miami) arrives in Miami.
 * Miami Metropolis newspaper begins publication.
 * Biscayne Hotel built.
 * 1897
 * Royal Palm Hotel in business.
 * City of Miami Cemetery established.
 * 1898
 * Burdines in business.
 * David Fairchild establishes the USDA Plant Introduction Garden.
 * 1899
 * Dade County seat relocated to Miami from Juno.
 * Telephone service begins in Miami.
 * 1900
 * Flagler Public Library, Miami Board of Trade, and Woman's Club founded.
 * Population: 1,681.

1900s-1940s

 * 1902 – Carpenters Local 993 labor union established.
 * 1903
 * John Sewell becomes mayor.
 * Ransom Everglades School is established in Coconut Grove.
 * The Miami Herald newspaper begins publication.
 * 1906
 * Streetcars begin operating.
 * Automobile parade.
 * 1909
 * City Hall built.
 * Lummus Park opens.
 * 1910 – Population: 5,471; county 11,933.
 * 1912 – Airport established near Miami.
 * 1913
 * Bridge to Miami Beach constructed.
 * Lyric Theater opens.
 * 1914 – Construction of Vizcaya begins.
 * 1915
 * Miami Chamber of Commerce established.
 * Town of Miami Beach incorporated near Miami.
 * 1916 – David Fairchild establishes The Kampong, his winter home in Coconut Grove.
 * 1917 – Elser Pier opens.
 * 1918 – Airdrome Theatre and Strand Theatre open.
 * 1919
 * Coconut Grove is incorporated.
 * Great Miami Employers' Association established.
 * Seybold Canal Bridge built (approximate date).
 * 1920
 * Universal Negro Improvement Association chapter established.
 * Population: 29,549; county 42,753.
 * 1921
 * Commission-manager form of government adopted.
 * WQAM radio begins broadcasting.
 * Tamiami Canal Bridge built.
 * 1923 – Miami Times newspaper begins publication.
 * 1924
 * Buena Vista becomes part of Miami.
 * Miami River Canal Swing Bridge built.
 * Fotosho Theatre opens.
 * 1925
 * Allapattah, Coconut Grove, Lemon City, Silver Bluff, and West Little River become part of Miami.
 * Bayfront Park opens.
 * Towns of Coral Gables and Hialeah incorporated near Miami.
 * University of Miami established in Coral Gables.
 * 1926
 * January 10: Prinz Valdemar ship sinks offshore.
 * September: Hurricane.
 * WIOD radio begins broadcasting.
 * Player's State Theater built.
 * Booker T. Washington High School, Olympia Theater, and Tower Theater open.
 * Town of Miami Shores incorporated near Miami.
 * Wometco – first movie theater, the Capital, opens.
 * 1927
 * Flagler Theater opens.
 * E. G. Sewell becomes mayor.
 * Greater Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church built.
 * Jewish Floridian newspaper begins publication.
 * 1928
 * Pan American Field (airfield) begins operating.
 * Dade County Agricultural High school built.
 * Al Capone buys a home in Miami Beach.
 * 1929 - Sears, Roebuck and Company Department Store opens.
 * 1930
 * Miami Civic Center opens.
 * Population: 110,637.
 * 1933
 * February 15: Chicago mayor Anton Cermak killed by anarchist in Bayfront Park.
 * E. G. Sewell becomes mayor again.
 * Ryder, the truck leasing company, founded in Miami.
 * 1935
 * January 1: Orange Bowl football contest begins.
 * November: Hurricane.
 * 1936 – Parrot Jungle established.
 * 1937 – Burdine Stadium, and Liberty Square (housing complex) open.
 * 1938 – Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden opens to the public.
 * 1939 – E. G. Sewell becomes mayor yet again.
 * 1940
 * Historical Association of Southern Florida established.
 * Population: 172,172; county 267,739.
 * 1941 – Dorsey Memorial Library opens.
 * 1942
 * May: Portero del Llano ship sinks offshore during World War II.
 * Submarine Chaser Training Center established.
 * 1943 – Urban League of Greater Miami established.
 * 1946 – National Association for the Advancement of Colored People branch established in Liberty City.
 * 1948 – Coconut Grove Citizens Committee for Slum Clearance and Civil Rights Congress chapter organized.
 * 1949 – WTVJ (television) begins broadcasting.

1950s-1970s

 * 1950 – Population: 249,276; county 495,084.
 * 1952 – Museum of Science and Natural History opens on Bayshore Drive.
 * 1953
 * Diario Las Américas Spanish-language newspaper begins publication.
 * Howard Hughes Medical Institute founded in Miami.
 * 1954 – Burger King founded in Miami.
 * 1955 – Miami Seaquarium established.
 * 1956 – WCKT (television) begins broadcasting.
 * 1957
 * WPST-TV (television) begins broadcasting.
 * DuPont Plaza Hotel opens for business.
 * Robert King High elected mayor of Miami.
 * 1958 – Catholic Diocese of Miami established.
 * 1959
 * City public schools racially desegregated.
 * Dade County Junior College and Centro Hispano Católico founded.
 * Miami International Airport dedicated.
 * 1960 – Population: 291,688; county 935,047.
 * 1961 – Colegio de Belén relocates to Miami from Cuba.
 * 1962 – Historical Museum of Southern Florida and Cruzada Educativa Cubana established.
 * 1964
 * February 25. Cassius Clay defeats Sonny Liston for heavyweight champion of the world.
 * Chuck Hall becomes mayor of Dade County.
 * 1965
 * Cuban exiles begin to arrive in city via U.S.-sponsored "freedom flights".
 * Florida International University established.
 * Ediciones Universal in business.
 * 1966 The Miami Dolphins enter the American Football League as an expansion franchise
 * 1968
 * August 5–8: 1968 Republican National Convention held in nearby Miami Beach.
 * August 7–8: 1968 Miami riot.
 * Miami Pop Festivals held near city in May and December.
 * 1970
 * David T. Kennedy becomes mayor of city; Stephen P. Clark becomes mayor of Dade County.
 * Population: 334,859; county 1,267,792.
 * 1971 – Latin Chamber of Commerce established.
 * 1972
 * July: 1972 Democratic National Convention is held in nearby Miami Beach.
 * August: 1972 Republican National Convention is also held in Miami Beach.
 * September: Florida International University opens.
 * One Biscayne Tower is built.
 * Miami Dolphins have their undefeated "perfect" season.
 * Jack Orr becomes mayor of Dade County.
 * November: "Decade of Progress" bond is passed, providing the funding for the Center for the Fine Arts.
 * 1973
 * April: U.S.-sponsored "freedom flight" arrivals to Miami of Cuban exiles ends.
 * Barnacle Historic State Park established.
 * Maurice Ferre becomes city mayor.
 * 1974
 * Stephen P. Clark becomes mayor of Dade County again.
 * Spanish American League Against Discrimination headquartered in city.
 * 1975
 * The Bee Gees move to Miami Beach.
 * 1976
 * El Miami Herald Spanish-language newspaper begins publication.
 * Bicentennial Park opens.
 * 1977
 * Foreign trade zone established.
 * Black Archives History & Research Foundation of South Florida headquartered in city.
 * Omni International Mall in business.

1980s-1990s

 * 1980
 * May: race riots in Overtown and Liberty City after the death of Arthur McDuffie.
 * April–October: Cubans arrive in city via Mariel boatlift.
 * Miami MetroZoo opens near city.
 * Population: 346,865;
 * 1981
 * Palace apartment building constructed.
 * Cuban American National Foundation headquartered in city.
 * 1982
 * Knight International Center (convention center) opens.
 * Facts About Cuban Exiles organization established.
 * 1982 Overtown riot occurs
 * 1983
 * The movie Scarface is filmed in Miami.
 * Christo unveils Surrounded Islands.
 * 1984
 * Metrorail begins operating.
 * Center for Fine Arts
 * Miami International Film Festival begins.
 * Southeast Financial Center built on Biscayne Boulevard.
 * Fictional Miami Vice television program begins national broadcast founded and ran on NBC from 1984 to 1989.
 * First edition of the Miami International Book Fair.
 * First year of filming
 * 1985
 * Miami SunPost newspaper begins publication.
 * Xavier Suarez becomes city mayor.
 * Stephen P. Clark Government Center built.
 * The Golden Girls, a television sitcom, begins its seven-year run.
 * Miami City Ballet debuts.
 * 1986 – Lincoln Center built.
 * 1987
 * November: Pope John Paul II visits city.
 * Miami New Times newspaper in publication.
 * Miami Tower built.
 * 1989
 * Nelson Mandela visits city.
 * Ileana Ros-Lehtinen becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 18th congressional district.
 * 1990
 * Knight Foundation headquartered in city.
 * Population: 358,548; county 1,937,094.
 * 1992 – August: Hurricane Andrew.
 * 1993
 * Stephen P. Clark becomes city mayor.
 * Carrie P. Meek becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 17th congressional district.
 * 1994
 * Eleventh Street (Metromover station) opens.
 * 1st Summit of the Americas held in city.
 * 1996
 * Willy Gort becomes mayor of city, succeeded by Joe Carollo; Alex Penelas becomes mayor of Dade County.
 * City website online (approximate date).
 * Pottinger v. City of Miami homeless-related lawsuit decided.
 * Liberty City Charter School established.
 * 1997
 * May 12: Tornado.
 * November: Mayoral election held.
 * Dade County renamed Miami-Dade County.
 * 1998
 * January: Xavier Suarez becomes mayor again.
 * March: Mayoral election results of 1997 judged invalid; Carollo becomes mayor again.
 * 1999
 * American Airlines Arena opens.
 * Ultra Festival begins.

2000s

 * 2000
 * Elián González affair.
 * Population: 362,470; county 2,253,362.
 * Town of Miami Lakes incorporated near Miami.

2000s

 * 2001
 * Cuban Genealogy Club of Miami founded.
 * Manny Diaz becomes city mayor.
 * 2002 – Art Basel begins in Miami Beach.
 * 2003
 * Four Seasons Hotel Miami built.
 * City of Miami Gardens incorporated near Miami.
 * 2004 – Carlos Alvarez becomes mayor of Miami-Dade County.
 * 2006 – Carnival Center opens.
 * 2007
 * Ferguson U.S. Courthouse built.
 * Fictional Burn Notice television series begins its seven-year run.
 * 2008 – Marquis Residences and 900 Biscayne Bay built on Biscayne Boulevard.
 * 2009 – Tomás Regalado becomes city mayor.

2010s

 * 2010
 * Port of Miami Tunnel construction begins.
 * Population: 399,457; county 2,496,435; metro 5,564,635.
 * 2011
 * Carlos A. Giménez becomes mayor of Miami-Dade County.
 * Vice City Rollers (roller derby league) formed.
 * Frederica Wilson becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 17th congressional district.
 * 2015
 * Marco Rubio presidential campaign, 2016 headquartered in Miami.
 * The Miami Science Museum's Coconut Grove location closes
 * 2017
 * January: City revises its illegal-immigrant sanctuary policy.
 * The new Miami Science Museum's location opens

1900s-1940s

 * Miami City Directory (Miami, Florida, 1904)
 * 1918 ed.
 * 1920 ed.
 * map
 * Isador Cohen, Historical Sketches and Sidelights of Miami (Miami, 1925)
 * T. H. Weigall, Boom in Paradise (New York, 1932)
 * 1941-
 * Isador Cohen, Historical Sketches and Sidelights of Miami (Miami, 1925)
 * T. H. Weigall, Boom in Paradise (New York, 1932)
 * 1941-
 * Isador Cohen, Historical Sketches and Sidelights of Miami (Miami, 1925)
 * T. H. Weigall, Boom in Paradise (New York, 1932)
 * 1941-
 * 1941-
 * 1941-
 * 1941-
 * 1941-

1950s-1970s

 * Helen Muir, Miami, U. S. A. (New York, 1953)
 * Ruby Leach Carson, "Miami: 1896 to 1900", Tequesta, XVI (1956)
 * Paul S. George, "Colored Town: Miami's Black Community, 1896–1930", Florida Historical Quarterly (April 1978)
 * Paul S. George, "Colored Town: Miami's Black Community, 1896–1930", Florida Historical Quarterly (April 1978)

1980s-1990s

 * Paul George, "Passage to a New Eden", Florida Historical Quarterly, 59 (1981)
 * Arva Moore Parks. Miami: The magic city. Miami: Centennial Press, 1991.
 * (Abstract)
 * (fulltext)
 * Marvin Dunn, Black Miami in the Twentieth Century (Gainesville, Florida, 1997)
 * Arva Moore Parks. Miami: The magic city. Miami: Centennial Press, 1991.
 * (Abstract)
 * (fulltext)
 * Marvin Dunn, Black Miami in the Twentieth Century (Gainesville, Florida, 1997)
 * (Abstract)
 * (fulltext)
 * Marvin Dunn, Black Miami in the Twentieth Century (Gainesville, Florida, 1997)
 * Marvin Dunn, Black Miami in the Twentieth Century (Gainesville, Florida, 1997)
 * Marvin Dunn, Black Miami in the Twentieth Century (Gainesville, Florida, 1997)
 * Marvin Dunn, Black Miami in the Twentieth Century (Gainesville, Florida, 1997)