Timeline of Orlando, Florida

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Orlando, Florida, United States.

19th century

 * 1843 - Orlando settled as "Jernigan"
 * 1875
 * Town of Orlando incorporated.
 * William Jackson Brack becomes mayor.
 * 1878 - Orange County Reporter newspaper begins publication.
 * 1880
 * South Florida Railroad begins operating.
 * Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church established.
 * 1884 - Orange County Jail built.
 * 1886
 * Orlando Black (school) opens.
 * Orlando Street Railway begins operating (approximate date).
 * English Club formed.
 * 1889 - Church Street Station built.
 * 1891 - St. James Cathedral built.
 * 1892
 * Courthouse built.
 * Lake Eola Park established.
 * 1900 - Florida Christian Recorder newspaper begins publication.

1900s-1960s

 * 1905 - City Hall built.
 * 1910 - Population: 3,894.
 * 1913 - Grand Theater opens.
 * 1914 - Commission form of government effected.
 * 1918 - Orange General Hospital opens.
 * 1920 - Population: 9,282.
 * 1921
 * Beacham Theater opens.
 * Jones High School active.
 * 1923
 * Orlando Utilities Commission established; municipal electric plant begins operating.
 * Albertson Public Library opens.
 * Angebilt Hotel opened on March 14.
 * 1924
 * Edgewater Heights, Lorna Doone Park, and Orwin Manor become part of Orlando.
 * WDBO radio begins broadcasting.
 * Orlando Museum of Art founded.
 * Orange Court Hotel built.
 * 1925 - Glendonjo Park and Spring Lake Terrace become part of Orlando.
 * 1926
 * Country Club Estates, Ivanhoe Plaza, Oakhurst Subdivision, Orlando Highlands, Princeton Court, and Silver Lake Park become part of Orlando.
 * Atlantic Coast Line Railroad station, Cathedral Church of St. Luke, and Municipal Auditorium built.
 * Well'sbuilt Hotel in business.
 * 1927 - Orange County Courthouse built.
 * 1928 - Orlando Municipal Airport begins operating.
 * 1930 - Population: 27,330.
 * 1934 - Orlando Dixie Sun newspaper begins publication.
 * 1936
 * Orlando Stadium opens.
 * Cypress Gardens opens in nearby Winter Haven.
 * 1940 - Orlando Army Air Base established.
 * 1943
 * Pinecastle Army Airfield in operation.
 * DDT pesticide "Neocide" developed in United States Department of Agriculture lab in Orlando.
 * 1945 - Negro Chamber of Commerce established.
 * 1946 - Ben White Raceway opens.
 * 1949 - Gatorland opens.
 * 1950 - Population: 52,367.
 * 1952 - William R. Boone High School and Edgewater High School are built.
 * 1954
 * WDBO-TV (television) begins broadcasting.
 * Bishop Moore High School built.
 * 1956 - Colonial Plaza shopping centre in business.
 * 1957
 * Orange County Historical Commission established.
 * Martin Company missile manufactory begins operating near Orlando.
 * Interstate 4 highway constructed.
 * 1958 - WLOF-TV (television) begins broadcasting.
 * 1960
 * Central Florida Museum opens.
 * Population: 88,135.
 * 1961 - Harry P. Leu Gardens deeded to city.
 * 1963 - UCF founded in East Orlando
 * 1967
 * Carl T. Langford becomes mayor of Orlando.
 * Disney-controlled City of Bay Lake and City of Reedy Creek incorporated near Orlando.
 * 1968
 * Florida Technological University opens.
 * Naval Training Center Orlando and Roman Catholic Diocese of Orlando established.

1970s-1990s

 * 1970
 * Lake Highland Preparatory School founded.
 * Population: 99,006 city; 344,311 county.
 * University Drive-In cinema built.
 * 1971
 * Disney World in business.
 * Historical Society of Central Florida headquartered in Orlando.
 * 1973
 * Orlando Fashion Square Mall opens
 * Sentinel Star newspaper began publication.
 * SeaWorld theme park in business.
 * 1974
 * East-West Expressway constructed.
 * Disney's Discovery Island in business.
 * 1975 - Metropolitan Orlando Women's Political Caucus and Orlando Lutheran Academy founded.
 * 1976 - Orlando International Airport in operation.
 * 1977
 * Orlando Regional Medical Center established.
 * Wet 'n Wild Orlando theme park in business.
 * 1979
 * Orlando Opera incorporated.
 * Basilica of Mary (church) built.
 * 1980
 * July: Racial unrest.
 * Bill Frederick becomes mayor.
 * Population: 128,291 city; 471,016 county.
 * 1981 - Bill McCollum becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 5th congressional district.
 * 1982
 * Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida established.
 * Epcot theme park in business in nearby Lake Buena Vista.
 * 1983 - Orange County Convention Center opens.
 * 1984 - Orlando Science Center active.
 * 1986 - The Peabody Orlando hotel and Disney's Living Seas in business.
 * 1987 - Dr. Phillips High School opens.
 * 1989 - Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival begins.
 * Orlando Arena (later the Amway Arena) opens.
 * Orlando Magic begin play.
 * 1990
 * Universal Orlando theme park in business.
 * Orlando Weekly newspaper begins publication.
 * Population: 164,693 city; 677,491 county.
 * Zora Neale Hurston Festival begins in nearby Eatonville.
 * 1991
 * UCF Arena opens.
 * Orlando Predators football team formed.
 * 1992
 * Cypress Creek High School and Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra established.
 * Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival begins.
 * 1993
 * Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division in operation.
 * Glenda Hood becomes mayor.
 * 1994
 * June–July: Some 1994 FIFA World Cup games held in Orlando.
 * Mormon temple built.
 * 1996 - City website online (approximate date).
 * 1998
 * Muvico Pointe cinema in business.
 * Mennello Museum opens.
 * Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park in business.
 * 1999 - Cinemark Festival Bay Mall (cinema) in business.

21st century

 * 2001 - Olympia High School established
 * 2002 - Millenia Mall in business.
 * 2003
 * Freedom High School established.
 * Buddy Dyer becomes mayor.
 * 2004 - Hurricane Charley directly strikes Orlando area with wind gusts to at least 105 mph Over 60% of Orlando loses power.
 * 2007 - CFE Arena opens.
 * 2010
 * Amway Center event venue opens.
 * Orlando City Soccer Club formed.
 * Population: 238,300.
 * 2011 - Daniel Webster becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 8th congressional district.
 * 2015
 * Orlando Eye ferris wheel built.
 * Population: 270,917 (estimate).
 * 2016 - Orlando nightclub shooting
 * 2017 - Universal's Volcano Bay in business