Timeline of Tampa, Florida

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Tampa in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States.

19th century

 * 1824 – Fort Brooke established by U.S. Army in the Territory of Florida.
 * 1831 – Tampa Bay post office established.
 * 1845 – Tampa Bay becomes part of the new U.S. state of Florida.
 * 1848 – 1848 Tampa Bay hurricane.
 * 1849 – Village of Tampa incorporated.
 * 1850 – Oaklawn Cemetery established.
 * 1855 – Town of Tampa incorporated.
 * 1856 – Joseph B. Lancaster becomes mayor.
 * 1859 – First Baptist Church established.
 * 1861 – Town becomes part of Confederate States of America.
 * 1862 – June 30-July 1: Battle of Tampa.
 * 1863 – October 16–18: Battle of Fort Brooke.
 * 1873
 * Yellow fever outbreak.
 * Tampa Guardian newspaper in publication.
 * 1877 – Gainesville-Tampa stagecoach begins operating.
 * 1882 – Hillsborough High School opens.
 * 1884 – South Florida Railroad begins operating.
 * 1885 – Board of Trade established.
 * 1886
 * Sanchez & Haya cigar factory begins operating.
 * Ybor Factory Building constructed.
 * 1887
 * Ybor City becomes part of Tampa.
 * Tampa Electric Company established.
 * 1888 – Plant Park laid out.
 * 1889 – Florida Railway begins operating.
 * 1890
 * Tampa Business College established.
 * Telephones begin operating.
 * 1891
 * Tampa Bay Hotel built.
 * Cuban José Martí gives speech "Los Pinos Nuevos".
 * 1893 – Tampa Daily Times newspaper begins publication.
 * 1895 – Tampa Fire Department established.
 * 1899
 * Burgert photo studio in business.
 * Circulo Cubano founded.
 * 1900 – Tampa Woman's Club formed.

1900s-1950s

 * 1901 – Jackson Rooming House in business.
 * 1904 – South Florida Fair and Gasparilla Parade begin.
 * 1905
 * Columbia Restaurant in business.
 * Sacred Heart Catholic Church and United States Courthouse Building constructed.
 * 1907
 * St. Andrew's Episcopal Church built.
 * Havatampa Cigar Company in business.
 * 1908 – YMCA built.
 * 1912
 * Union Station opens.
 * El Centro Español de Tampa building constructed.
 * El Comercio Spanish-language newspaper begins publication.
 * Union Hotel in business.
 * 1913 – Centro Asturiano de Tampa building constructed.
 * 1914 – St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line begins operating.
 * 1915 – Tampa City Hall built.
 * 1916 – Heraldo Dominical Spanish-language newspaper begins publication.
 * 1917
 * Tampa Public Library opens.
 * Circulo Cubano de Tampa rebuilt.
 * 1918 – Unione Italiana building constructed.
 * 1920 – Population: 51,608.
 * 1922
 * WDAE radio begins broadcasting.
 * La Gaceta trilingual newspaper begins publication.
 * 1924 – Gandy Bridge to St. Petersburg built.
 * 1925
 * West Tampa becomes part of Tampa.
 * Municipal Auditorium built.
 * WFLA radio begins broadcasting.
 * 1926
 * Junior League of Tampa founded.
 * Tampa Theatre opens.
 * 1927
 * Sulphur Springs Water Tower erected.
 * Floridan Hotel in business.
 * 1930 – Population: 101,161.
 * 1931
 * Labor strike of cigar workers.
 * Tampa Junior College established.
 * 1934 – Davis Causeway opens.
 * 1938 – Janus Administration Building constructed.
 * 1939 – U.S. Army Southeast Air Base established.
 * 1940 – Population: 108,391.
 * 1950 – Population: 124,681.
 * 1955 - WFLA-TV and WTVT (television) begin broadcasting.
 * 1956 – Britton Plaza Shopping Center in business.
 * 1957 – Lowry Park Zoo opens.
 * 1959 – Busch Gardens theme park in business.

1960s-1990s

 * 1960 – Population: 274,970.
 * 1961 - The Pinellas Manufacturers Association (now known as the Bay Area Manufacturers Association) was formed.
 * 1962 – Museum of Science and Industry founded.
 * 1966 – Franklin Exchange Building constructed.
 * 1968 - Hope Children's Home established.
 * 1970 – Population: 277,767.
 * 1972
 * Sant'Yago Knight Parade begins.
 * Floriland Cinema in business.
 * 1978 – Cracker Country (museum) established.
 * 1979
 * May 8: Storm.
 * Tampa Museum of Art founded.
 * 1980
 * Hillsborough Area Regional Transit established.
 * Population: 271,523.
 * 1981 – Feeding America Tampa Bay active (approximate date).
 * 1982 – Foreign trade zone and Ybor City Museum Society established.
 * 1984 – Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System established.
 * 1986 – Barnett Plaza (hi-rise) built.
 * 1987
 * Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center opens.
 * Children's Museum founded.
 * 1988 – Rivergate Tower built.
 * 1989 – Tampa Bay History Center founded.
 * 1990
 * Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival begins.
 * Population: 280,015.
 * 1992 – AmSouth Building and SunTrust Financial Centre constructed.
 * 1995 – Florida Aquarium opens.
 * 1996
 * City website online.
 * Ice Palace (arena) opens.
 * 1997
 * Jim Davis becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 11th congressional district.
 * Tampa Police Museum founded.
 * 2000 - Channelside 9 Cinemas in business.

21st century

 * 2001
 * The Stovall built.
 * Tampa Gallery of Photographic Arts opens.
 * Ruby (programming language) conference held in city.
 * 2002
 * January 5: 2002 Tampa plane crash.
 * TECO Line Streetcar begins operating; Centennial Park Station and Tampa Bay Federal Credit Union Station open.
 * 2003 – Whiting Station opens.
 * 2004
 * Ford Amphitheatre opens.
 * Tampa Riverwalk construction begins.
 * 2007
 * SkyPoint built.
 * Kathy Castor becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 11th congressional district.
 * 2009 – Tampa Bay History Center opens.
 * 2010 – Population: city 335,709; metro 2,783,243.
 * 2011
 * Florida Voices begins publication.
 * Bob Buckhorn becomes mayor.
 * Population: 346,037; metro 2,824,724.
 * 2012 – August: 2012 Republican National Convention held.
 * 2014 – Tampa Baseball Museum opens.
 * 2018-21 – Water Street Tampa construction takes place
 * 2019
 * Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute opens.
 * Jane Castor becomes mayor.