Timeline of Sunderland

Following is a list of dates in the history of Sunderland, the ancient city in North East England. Facts and figures, important dates in Sunderland's history.

Sunderland was famous for ship building

Early times

 * 674 CE – Building of St. Peter's Church.
 * 1069 – Edgar Ætheling sailed for Scotland from Wearmouth.
 * 1183 – Bishop Hugh du Puiset's charter creates the first Borough of Sunderland
 * 1346
 * Thomas Menvil authorised to build ships at Hendon
 * The first recorded shipbuilding on the River Wear

17th & 18th centuries

 * 1634 – Bishop Morton's Charter created Sunderland's first Mayor and Corporation.
 * 1698 – Formation of Sunderland Company of Glassmakers
 * 1669 – Letters patent permitted the erection of a pier and lighthouse.
 * 1719 – Sunderland Parish's Holy Trinity Church opened
 * 1793 – Philip and John Laing established a shipyard on Monkwearmouth Shore. (The oldest surviving shipbuilding firm in Sunderland when it was absorbed into Sunderland Shipbuilders Ltd.)
 * 1795 – Birth of Sir Henry Havelock at Ford Hall in Bishopwearmouth.
 * 1796 – Wearmouth Bridge opened.

19th century

 * 1822 – Opening of the railway line from Hetton to Sunderland coal staithes, one of the earliest uses of locomotive power. The engineer was George Stephenson.
 * 1826 – Sinking of Wearmouth Colliery
 * 1826 – (15 June) Birth of Harry Watts, a Sunderland diver who rescued over 40 people from drowning – and assisted in the rescue of another 120 people.
 * 1831 – (October); the first UK outbreak of cholera occurred in Sunderland – 200 people died.
 * 1832 – Sunderland became a parliamentary borough under the Reform Act, returning two members of Parliament.
 * 1835 – St Mary's Church, Sunderland completed.
 * 1835/6 – Establishment of the modern Borough Council, with the first modern Mayor
 * 1850 – Opening of the South Docks by George Hudson MP
 * 1856 – Birth of Sir William Mills, (1856 – 1932) inventor of the WW1 Mills bomb
 * 1858
 * The tongue of 'Big Ben' was forged at Hopper's foundry, Houghton
 * Wearmouth Bridge widened under the direction of Robert Stephenson.
 * 1873 – Foundation of the Sunderland Echo
 * 1875 – A record of 64 days was set for the run to Australia by the Wear built sailing vessel The Torrens. Launched in 1875, the novelist Joseph Conrad served on her for a time as mate
 * 1879
 * Sunderland A.F.C. was founded by Thomas Allen as Sunderland and District Teachers Association Football Club
 * Sunderland station opened.
 * 1888 – Sunderland granted County Borough status
 * 1890 – Sunderland Town Hall opened.
 * 1891 – Population: 131,686.
 * 1892 – Sunderland A.F.C. win the Football League Championship
 * 1893 – Sunderland A.F.C. win the Football League Championship
 * 1895 – Sunderland A.F.C. win the Football League Championship
 * 1900 – Sunderland Corporation Tramways started.

20th century

 * 1901 – Population: 146,077.
 * 1902 – Sunderland A.F.C. win the Football League Championship
 * 1903 – Roker Pier – the harbour's northern breakwater is opened at 2,790 feet long.
 * 1909 – The then heaviest bridge in Britain was opened. The Queen Alexandra Bridge carried road and rail traffic, the railway deck remained in use for barely 12 years
 * 1913 – Sunderland AFC win the Football League Championship
 * 1923 – Police Boxes, model for the TARDIS pioneered by Chief Constable Frederick Crawley
 * 1936 – Sunderland A.F.C. win the Football League Championship
 * 1937 – Sunderland A.F.C. win the FA Cup
 * 1954 – Sunderland Corporation Tramways closed.
 * 1964 – Washington designated as a New Town
 * 1967 – Ryhope, Silksworth, Tunstall, East & Middle Herrington, South Hylton, part of Offerton, Castletown and Whitburn South Bents added to the County Borough of Sunderland
 * 1969 – Sunderland Technical & Art Colleges merged to form Sunderland Polytechnic (now the University of Sunderland)
 * 1970 – Opening of new Basil Spence-designed Sunderland Civic Centre by the Princess Margaret
 * 1971 – Sunderland Town Hall demolished.
 * 1973 – Sunderland A.F.C. win the FA Cup for the second time
 * 1974 – Washington, Hetton-le-Hole and Houghton-le-Spring become part of the new Borough of Sunderland
 * 1978 – First Wearside Jack hoax letter sent to West Yorkshire Police
 * 1984 – Nissan chose Sunderland for their new European manufacturing base
 * 1986 – Abolition of Tyne and Wear County Council increases Sunderland Council's powers and duties
 * 1988 – Announcement of closure of the shipyards on Wearside
 * 1992 – The City of Sunderland was created a by the Queen on 23 March
 * 1993 – The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visit Sunderland to unveil the city's new coat of arms
 * 1997 – Stadium of Light opens

21st century

 * 2001 – The entire council housing stock of 39,000 homes is transferred to private landlord Gentoo after a referendum of tenants found 95% support in favour of the move
 * 2008 – Sunderland Aquatic Centre opens, the only Olympic-sized pool between Glasgow and Leeds, on a site adjacent to the Stadium of Light