Timeline of Rotterdam

The following is a timeline of the history of the municipality of Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Prior to 19th century



 * ca. 950 - Settlement at the lower end of the fen stream Rotte
 * 1270 - Dam built on Rotte.
 * 1299 - John I, Count of Holland granted rights to the people of Rotterdam, marking the origin of the town.
 * 1328 - Latin school established
 * 1340 - City rights granted by William IV, Count of Holland.
 * 1350 - Rotterdamse Schie (canal) constructed (approximate date).
 * 1466 - Erasmus, philosopher and Catholic theologian born.
 * 1477 - Saint Lawrence Church consecrated.
 * 1489 - Rotterdam besieged by forces of Frans van Brederode.
 * 1563 - Fire.
 * 1572 - Spanish in power.
 * 1574 - Admiralty of Rotterdam organized.
 * 1611 - Guild of Saint Luke active (approximate date).
 * 1622 - Erasmus statue by Hendrick de Keyser erected.
 * 1626 - Collegium Mechanicum established.
 * 1632 - Population: 20,000 (approximate).
 * 1643 - Scottish Presbyterian church built.
 * 1722 - Exchange built.
 * 1769 - Batavian Society for Experimental Philosophy founded.
 * 1773 - Studium Scientiarum Genetrix literary society formed.
 * 1780 - Birth of Hendrik Tollens, poet.
 * 1781 - Rotterdamse Academie established.
 * 1796 - Population: 53,212.
 * 1797 - Netherlands Missionary Society founded.
 * 1798 - Organ installed in Saint Lawrence Church.

19th century

 * 1813 - Johan François van Hogendorp van Heeswijk becomes mayor.
 * 1835 - Town Hall rebuilt.
 * 1838 - Population: 72,000.
 * 1844 - Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant begins publication.
 * 1847 - Delftsche Poort railway station opens.
 * 1849 - Boymans Museum opens.
 * 1851 - Royal Maas Yacht Club founded.
 * 1857 - Zoo opens.
 * 1859 - Rotterdamsch Leeskabinet (library) founded.
 * 1863 - Rotterdam Bank established.
 * 1866 - Population: 115,277.
 * 1869 - Feijenoord becomes part of city.
 * 1870 - Municipal waterworks established.
 * 1872 - Nieuwe Waterweg constructed.
 * 1873 - Netherlands-America Steamship Company in business.
 * 1874
 * Katendrecht village becomes part of city.
 * Oldenzeel art gallery in business.
 * Fountain installed at Nieuwe Markt.
 * Maritime Museum founded.
 * 1875
 * Post office built.
 * shipping firm in business.
 * 1876 - Rotterdamsche reinigingsdienst formed.
 * 1877 - Railway Bridge, Rotterdam Zuid railway station, and Rotterdam Beurs railway station open.
 * 1878 - Willemsbrug opens.
 * 1879
 * Horsecar trams begin operating.
 * Passage (arcade) built.
 * 1882 - Fish Market built.
 * 1885 - Museum for Geography and Ethnology opens.
 * 1886 - Delfshaven becomes part of city.
 * 1891 - Population: 203,500.
 * 1894 - Municipal gas and electricity established.
 * 1895 - Charlois and Kralingen become part of city.
 * 1898 - Witte Huis built.
 * 1900 - "Record office" established.

20th century

 * 1904
 * Museum van Oudheden (city history museum) in operation in the Schielandshuis.
 * Schiecentrale built.
 * 1905
 * Electric trams begin operating.
 * Population: 379,017.
 * 1908
 * Rotterdam Hofplein railway station opens.
 * Wilhelmina football club formed.
 * 1913 - Netherlands School of Commerce founded.
 * 1920 - Voorwaarts newspaper begins publication.
 * 1925 - Economic Faculty Association established.
 * 1927 - Natural History Museum established.
 * 1930
 * Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra active.
 * Naamlooze Vennootschap Margarine Unie in business.
 * Rotterdams Conservatorium founded.
 * 1931
 * Rotterdamse Dansschool founded.
 * Van Nelle Factory built.
 * 1934
 * Hoogvliet and Pernis become part of city.
 * De Doelen (concert hall and convention centre) built.
 * 1937
 * Stadion Feijenoord and Rotterdam Stadion railway station open.
 * Museum of Taxation founded.
 * 1938
 * Pieter Oud becomes mayor.
 * Yevhen Konovalets is assassinated in Rotterdam by Pavel Sudoplatov.
 * 1940
 * May 14: Rotterdam Blitz.
 * Diergaarde Blijdorp (zoo) re-opens.
 * 1941 - Hillegersberg, IJsselmonde, Overschie, and Schiebroek become part of city.
 * 1945 - Pieter Oud becomes mayor again.
 * 1946
 * adopted.
 * Algemeen Dagblad begins publication.
 * 1953
 * Rotterdam Blaak railway station and Rotterdam Noord railway station open.
 * Groothandelsgebouw built.
 * 1956 - Airport opens.
 * 1957 - Rotterdam Centraal railway station opens.
 * 1958 - Arboretum Trompenburg opens.
 * 1960
 * Euromast tower built.
 * City hosts Floriade horticulture exhibition.
 * 1962 - Port of Rotterdam ranked world's busiest port by cargo tonnage.
 * 1964
 * Rotterdam Lombardijen railway station opens.
 * Hilton Hotel built.
 * 1965 - Regional Rinjmond Public Authority created.
 * 1966 - De Doelen (concert hall and convention centre) rebuilt.
 * 1968 - Rotterdam Metro begins operating.
 * 1969 - Rotterdam Alexander railway station opens.
 * 1970
 * Poetry International first performance.
 * NRC Handelsblad begins publication, after the merger between Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant and Algemeen Handelsblad
 * Nedlloyd shipping firm in business.
 * Kralingen Music Festival held.
 * 1972 International Film Festival Rotterdam first started.
 * 1973
 * Charlois, Hoogvliet, and Hoek van Holland sub-municipalities created.
 * Maasvlakte in operation.
 * 1974 - André van der Louw becomes mayor.
 * 1975
 * Prins Alexander sub-municipality created.
 * Werkcentrum Dans founded.
 * 1976
 * IJsselmonde and Centrum Noord sub-municipalities created.
 * Stoom Stichting Nederland railway museum founded.
 * 1977 - Sviib (student association) organized.
 * 1979 - HNLMS Buffel museum ship opens.
 * 1981
 * Rotterdam Marathon begins.
 * Baroeg (music venue) in business.
 * 1982 - Bram Peper becomes mayor.
 * 1984
 * Zomercarnaval begins.
 * Cube houses built near Oude Haven.
 * 1986 - Port of Rotterdam ranked world's busiest container port.
 * 1988 - Hogeschool Rotterdam established.
 * 1990 - Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art and Shipping and Transport College established.
 * 1991 - Gebouw Delftse Poort built.
 * 1992 - Kunsthal art museum opens.
 * 1993
 * Netherlands Architecture Institute relocates to Rotterdam.
 * Chabot Museum opens.
 * 1994 - V2 Institute for the Unstable Media active.
 * 1996
 * Erasmus Bridge opens.
 * Schouwburgplein (square) redesigned.
 * 1997 - MAMA project established by Public Art Squad Foundation.
 * 1999
 * Ivo Opstelten becomes mayor.
 * WORM (Rotterdam) active.
 * 2000
 * Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam begins.
 * Codarts University for the Arts opens.
 * KPN Tower built.

21st century

 * 2001
 * World Port Center built.
 * Oceanium (aquarium) opens.
 * City designated a European Capital of Culture.
 * 2002 - Regio Randstad regional governance group formed.
 * 2003 - Netherlands Photo Museum opens.
 * 2005 - Montevideo (residential skyscraper) built.
 * 2006
 * North Sea Jazz Festival begins in Rotterdam.
 * Rotterdam Circus Arts founded.
 * 2007 - RandstadRail and Betuweroute in operation.
 * 2009
 * Ahmed Aboutaleb becomes first Muslim mayor of a major European city.
 * Maastoren skyscraper built.
 * 2010
 * Rozenburg becomes part of city.
 * Pernis sub-municipality created.
 * New Orleans (residential skyscraper) built.
 * 2010 Tour de France cycling race starts from Rotterdam.
 * 2012 - Population: 616,250.
 * 2013 Maasvlakte 2 in operation.
 * 2014
 * Market Hall built.
 * Rotterdam Centraal station in operation.
 * 2020 - Population: 651,376
 * 2021
 * Depot Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen.
 * De Zalmhaven built.
 * Floating Office Rotterdam (FOR) built, accommodating the Global Center on Adaptation.