Timeline of Port Elizabeth

The following is a timeline of the history of Port Elizabeth in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, Eastern Cape province, South Africa.

Prior to 20th century

 * 1754 - Dutch settlements at the Cape extended eastwards to adjacent Algoa Bay.
 * 1799 - Fort Frederick built by British during the Napoleonic wars.
 * 1820 - Port Elizabeth settlement founded by British.
 * 1823 - Population: 319.
 * 1836 - Made a free warehousing port
 * 1841 - Jetty constructed in Algoa Bay.
 * 1845 - Eastern Province Herald newspaper begins publication.
 * 1856
 * Grey High School founded.
 * King George VI Art Gallery opens.
 * 1859 - St George's Park founded.
 * 1861 - Town of Port Elizabeth incorporated.
 * 1862 - Western-Road Synagogue formed.
 * 1865 - Hill Presbyterian Church consecrated.
 * 1866 - St. Augustine's Cathedral built.
 * 1873 - Railway station building starts.
 * 1875
 * Uitenhage-Port Elizabeth railway begins operating.
 * Port Elizabeth railway station built.
 * 1880 - Prince Alfred's Guard Drill Hall built.
 * 1881 - Horsecar tram begins operating.
 * 1882
 * Imbumba yama Nyama political group formed.
 * Conservatory built in St George's Park.
 * 1885 - "South African Exhibition" held
 * 1888 - Mighty Elephants rugby team formed.
 * 1889 - St George's Park Cricket Ground in use.
 * 1892 - Opera House built.
 * 1897 - Electric tram begins operating.
 * 1899 - Humewood Road railway station built.
 * 1900 - Post Office built.

20th century

 * 1900-1902 - Port Elizabeth Concentration Camp in operation
 * 1903 - New Brighton black township established.
 * 1905 - Horse Memorial erected.
 * 1907
 * (church) founded.
 * Prince Alfred's Guard Memorial unveiled.
 * 1908
 * Port Elizabeth Orthodox Hebrew Congregation formed.
 * Devastating flooding
 * 1912 - built.
 * 1913 - Port Elizabeth gains city status.
 * 1917 - Airplane flown from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth.
 * 1928 - (church) founded.
 * 1929 - Port Elizabeth Airport and (church) established.
 * 1936 - Campanile (belltower) installed.
 * 1937 -  newspaper begins publication.
 * 1940 - (church) founded.
 * 1940 - Victoria Park High School was founded
 * 1949 - suburb laid out (approximate date).
 * 1950 -  newspaper begins publication.
 * 1951 - (nature reserve) established near city.
 * 1952 - Govan Mbeki, Raymond Mhlaba and Vuyisile Mini were imprisoned for three months in Rooi Hel ('Red Hell' or North End Prison, Port Elizabeth) for participating in the Defiance Campaign.
 * 1954 - 20th Century Theatre in business.
 * 1960
 * Boet Erasmus Stadium opens.
 * Alliance Française of Port Elizabeth founded.
 * 1961 - 16 December: Bombings.
 * 1964 - University of Port Elizabeth established.
 * 1965 - Walmer, South Africa becomes part of Port Elizabeth.
 * 1969 - Kouga Dam begins operating in vicinity of city.
 * 1979 - Port Elizabeth Black Civic Organisation founded.
 * 1984
 * Port Elizabeth Youth Congress founded.
 * Development of Motherwell begins near city.
 * 1985
 * March: Labor strike.
 * 8 May: Disappearance of "Pebco Three" anti-apartheid activists.
 * 27 June: The deaths of "The Cradock Four" political activists.
 * 1986 - established.(de)
 * 1991 - Population: 303,353 city; 853,205 metro.
 * 1995
 * Nceba Faku elected mayor.
 * Part of 1995 Rugby World Cup contest played in Port Elizabeth.
 * 1996 - Part of 1996 Africa Cup of Nations football contest played in Port Elizabeth.

21st century

 * 2001
 * Port Elizabeth becomes the seat of the newly-created Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality.
 * Anti-apartheid leader Govan Mbeki dies at age 91.
 * 2004 - Website Mandelametro.gov.za launched.
 * 2005
 * First premier of the Eastern Cape and anti-apartheid leader Raymond Mhlaba dies at the ages of 85 years.
 * Nelson Mandela University formed.
 * Red Location Museum of apartheid opens.
 * 2006
 * 1 March: South African municipal elections, 2006 held.
 * Nondumiso Maphazi becomes mayor.(fr)
 * Bay United F.C. (football club) formed.
 * 2009
 * Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium opens.
 * Zanoxolo Wayile becomes mayor. (fr)
 * Southern Kings rugby team formed.
 * 2010
 * Gelvandale Stadium opens.
 * Part of 2010 FIFA World Cup football contest played in Port Elizabeth.
 * 2011 - Population: 312,392.
 * 2013
 * Part of 2013 Africa Cup of Nations football contest played in Port Elizabeth.
 * Ben Fihla becomes mayor.
 * 2015
 * Danny Jordaan becomes mayor.
 * Chippa United F.C. moved to the city from Cape Town.
 * 2016 - Athol Trollip becomes mayor.
 * 2021
 * Name officially changed from Port Elizabeth to Gqeberha.
 * 2023 - Eight people are killed in a mass shooting.