Timeline of San Juan, Puerto Rico

The following is a timeline of the history of the municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

16th–18th centuries

 * 1511 – First Catholic Diocese established in San Juan
 * 1521 – "Ciudad de San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico" founded by Spanish colonists from nearby Caparra.
 * 1523 – Convento de Santo Tomas de Aquino founded.
 * 1524 – Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion hospital built.
 * 1526 – October 4: St. Francis Hurricane occurs.
 * 1529 – October 18: Harbor attack by Caribs.
 * 1530
 * August 5: Hurricane occurs.
 * Casa Blanca built.
 * 1532 – San José Church construction begins.
 * 1540 – La Fortaleza built.
 * 1542 – Cathedral of San Juan Bautista construction begins.
 * 1560 – City wall construction begins.
 * 1560s – San Antonio Bridge built across Condado Lagoon.
 * 1568 – September 7: Hurricane occurs.
 * 1582 – Population: 850 (approximate estimate).
 * 1591 – Castillo San Felipe del Morro construction begins.
 * 1595 – November 22: Battle of San Juan begins.
 * 1598 – June: San Juan taken by British forces; Boquerón battery sacked.
 * 1605 – Cabildo constructed in Plaza de San Juan.
 * 1615 – September 12: Hurricane occurs.
 * 1625 – September 24: Town besieged by Dutch forces.
 * 1733 – Palacio Episcopal construction begins (approximate date).
 * 1769 – Powder house built.
 * 1780 – Capilla del Santo Cristo de la Salud (chapel) built.
 * 1783 – Castillo de San Cristóbal built.
 * 1787
 * May 2: 1787 Boricua earthquake.
 * May 3: Fiesta de Cruz begins.
 * 1797 – April: San Juan besieged by British forces.

19th century

 * 1806 – Gaceta de Puerto Rico newspaper begins publication.
 * 1813 – Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País en Puerto Rico founded.
 * 1820 – Population: 7,658.
 * 1822 – Board of charity established.
 * 1823 – Sociedad Filarmónica (philharmonic society) formed.
 * 1832
 * established.
 * Teatro Municipal (theatre) opens.
 * 1840 – Colegio de Abogados founded.
 * 1845 – Town divided into barrios San Francisco, San Juan, Santa Barbara, Santo Domingo, and Ballaja.
 * 1848 – Cafe de La Mallorquina in business.
 * 1850 – Real Intendencia Building constructed.
 * 1853
 * Cataño-San Juan steamship begins operating.
 * Marketplace built in Santa Barbara barrio.
 * 1859 – Barrios De la Marina and Puerta de Tierra become part of San Juan.
 * 1863
 * Santurce becomes part of San Juan.
 * Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery established.
 * 1864 – Ballajá Barracks built.
 * 1865 – Colegio de Párvulos built.
 * 1873 – Slavery officially abolished in Puerto Rico.
 * 1876 – Ateneo Puertorriqueño (cultural entity) founded.
 * 1877 – Cárcel de la Princesa (prison) built.
 * 1879 – José Ramón Becerra y de Gárate becomes mayor.
 * 1882 – Ponce de León statue erected in the.
 * 1885 – Civil Hospital built.
 * 1888 – La Carbonera barrio becomes part of San Juan.
 * 1893
 * Sociedad Anónima de Economías y Préstamos (later Banco Popular de Puerto Rico) founded.
 * Christopher Columbus statue erected in the Plaza Colón.
 * 1894 – Population: 23,414.
 * 1898
 * May 12: Bombardment of San Juan by United States forces.
 * June 22: Second Battle of San Juan.
 * June 28: Third Battle of San Juan.
 * August 12: End of hostilities between US and Spanish military forces. United States Military Government begins.
 * October: Francisco del Valle becomes mayor.
 * Carretera Central (Ponce-San Juan road) built.
 * San Juan News begins publication.
 * Railway built (approximate date).
 * 1899
 * April 11: Town becomes part of United States-annexed Puerto Rico per Treaty of Paris.
 * Chamber of commerce founded.
 * Population: 32,048.
 * 1900
 * May 1: Foraker Act comes into force, civil government for Puerto Rico begins. United States Military Government ends.
 * Supreme Court of Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico Department of Education headquartered in San Juan.
 * Insane asylum established.
 * La Perla settlement begins (approximate date).

1900s–1950s

 * 1901
 * Trolley de San Juan begins operating.
 * San Juan high school opens.
 * 1902 – City government formed into legislative and executive branches.
 * 1903
 * University of Puerto Rico established.
 * Roberto H. Todd Weels becomes mayor.
 * 1909 – Harbor enlarged.
 * 1910
 * Dos Hermanos Bridge opens.
 * Puerto Rico Ilustrado begins publication.
 * Population: 48,716.
 * 1913 – Cine Luna opens.
 * 1918 – October 11: 1918 San Fermín earthquake.
 * 1919
 * San Juan Asamblea Municipal (municipal assembly) and Concejo de Administración (administrative council) created.
 * Condado Vanderbilt Hotel in business.
 * 1920 – Population: 70,707.
 * 1921 – Academia del Perpetuo Socorro founded.
 * 1922 – WKAQ radio begins broadcasting.
 * 1923
 * U.S. military Fort Buchanan established.
 * Mansion Georgetti (residence) built.
 * 1925 – Academia San Jorge founded.
 * 1928
 * Luis Muñoz Rivera Park laid out.
 * September: San Felipe Segundo Hurricane occurs.
 * 1929
 * Women's suffrage begins in Puerto Rico.
 * Capitol of Puerto Rico building constructed.
 * 1930 – Population: 114,715.
 * 1932 – September–October: San Ciprian hurricane.
 * 1935 – Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration headquartered in San Juan.
 * 1939 – Martín Peña Bridge built.
 * 1940
 * United States Naval Air Station Isla Grande established.
 * Population: 169,247.
 * 1946 – Felisa Rincón de Gautier becomes mayor.
 * 1947 – WAPA, WIAC, WITA, and WRSJ radio begin broadcasting.
 * 1948 – design adopted.
 * 1949
 * Caribe Hilton Hotel built.
 * San Juan National Historic Site United States National Park Service established.
 * 1950
 * October 30: San Juan Nationalist revolt.
 * Residencial Las Casas housing complex built.
 * Population: 224,767.
 * 1951 – Río Piedras becomes part of San Juan municipality.
 * 1952 – City becomes part of newly created Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
 * 1954
 * WAPA-TV and WKAQ-TV (television) begin broadcasting.
 * Ballets de San Juan founded.
 * 1955
 * Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport opens.
 * Institute of Puerto Rican Culture and Archivo General de Puerto Rico headquartered in city.
 * 1956 – Casals Festival of music begins.
 * 1958
 * Supreme Court Building constructed.
 * Casa del Libro established.
 * 1959
 * June: U.S. National Governors Association meets in San Juan.
 * Regional Puerto Rico Metropolitan Bus Authority established.
 * The San Juan Star English-language newspaper begins publication.

1960s–1990s

 * 1960
 * Office of Secretario de la Asamblea Municipal (secretary of the municipal assembly) created.
 * Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico opens.
 * Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Juan de Puerto Rico formed.
 * Population: 451,658.
 * 1962 – Hotel El Convento in business.
 * 1966
 * Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico and San Juan Children's Choir established.
 * July: 1966 Central American and Caribbean Games held.
 * 1968 – Plaza Las Américas shopping mall in business.
 * 1970
 * San Sebastián Street Festival active.
 * Population: 452,749.
 * 1971 – San Juan Botanical Garden inaugurated.
 * 1973 – Puerto Rico National Library headquartered in city.
 * 1974 – April: Association of Caribbean Historians organized during meeting in San Juan.
 * 1976 – June: 2nd G7 summit held near city.
 * 1979 – July: 1979 Pan American Games held.
 * 1981 – Centro de Bellas Artes (opera house) opens.
 * 1983 – Old San Juan designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
 * 1984 – Puerto Rico Museum of Contemporary Art established.
 * 1986
 * June: U.S. Conference of Mayors held in San Juan.
 * San Juan Philharmonic Chorale formed.
 * 1988 – Archivo Histórico Arquidiocesano de San Juan (historical archives) established.
 * 1989
 * September: Hurricane Hugo.
 * Sociedad Puertorriqueña de Genealogía headquartered in San Juan.
 * 1991 – Autonomous Municipalities Act of 1991 created.
 * 1992
 * Plaza del Quinto Centenario built.
 * Museo de Las Américas established in the former Ballajá Barracks.
 * 1994 – Teodoro Moscoso Bridge opens.
 * 2000 – Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico established.

21st century

 * 2004
 * September: Hurricane Jeanne occurs.
 * Tren Urbano (regional rapid transit system) begins operating.
 * Martín Peña Channel "G-8" group formed.
 * 2008 – September: Hurricane Kyle occurs.
 * 2009 – May: Economic protest.
 * 2010 – Population: 395,326.
 * 2012 – November 6: Territorial Puerto Rican status referendum, 2012 held.
 * 2013 – Carmen Yulín Cruz becomes Mayor of San Juan.
 * 2017 - September 20: Hurricane Maria occurs and is covered extensively by CBS journalist David Begnaud
 * 2019 - July 8 - August 12: Protests throughout San Juan in response to Telegramgate
 * 2021 - Miguel Romero becomes Mayor of San Juan.

Published in 17th–19th centuries

 * in English


 * in Spanish


 * in other languages

Published in 20th century

 * in English
 * (Includes bibliographic information relevant to San Juan, p. 53+ etc.)
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 * in Spanish
 * (Directory)

Published in 21st century

 * in English


 * in Spanish
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