Timeline of Vilnius

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Vilnius, Lithuania.

Prior to 17th century

 * 1323
 * Gediminas relocates Lithuanian capital to Vilnius from Trakai.
 * Castle on Gediminas Hill expanded.
 * 1330 – Coat of arms of Vilnius granted.
 * 1345 – Pyatnitzkaya Church built.
 * 1348 – Cathedral of the Theotokos built.
 * 1387
 * Magdeburg rights granted.
 * St. Nicholas Church built.
 * 1397 – Cathedral School active (approximate date).
 * 1409 – Gediminas' Tower built.
 * 1413 – City becomes capital of the newly formed Vilnius Voivodeship by the Union of Horodło.
 * 1426 – Church of St. John built.
 * 1469 – Church of Saints Bernard and Francis founded.
 * 1500 – St. Anne's Church consecrated.
 * 1501 – First mentions of Armenians in the city.
 * 1522
 * City walls and Gate of Dawn built.
 * Francysk Skaryna sets up printing press.
 * 1555 – Lutheran Church built on Nyemetzkaya Street.
 * 1557 – Vilnius Cathedral rebuilt.
 * 1560 – St. Paraskeva Church rebuilt.
 * 1570 – Jesuit library established.
 * 1572 – Synagogue built.
 * 1579 – Alma Academia et Universitas Vilnensis Societatis Iesu founded.
 * 1588 – Plague.
 * 1597 – Monastery of the Holy Ghost founded.

17th-18th centuries

 * 1610 – Fire.
 * 1626 – Church of St. Theresa founded.
 * 1630 – All Saints Church built.
 * 1633 – Great Synagogue built.
 * 1644 – Biblioteca Sapehana willed to Vilnia University.
 * 1653 – Radziwill Palace built.
 * 1655 – July: Battle of Vilnius; Russians in power.
 * 1656 – Town becomes part of Russia.
 * 1658 – Battle of Werki.
 * 1697 – Sapieha Palace built.
 * 1701 – St. Peter and St. Paul's Church built.
 * 1702 – Swedes in power.
 * 1710 – Plague.
 * 1739 – Green Bridge constructed.
 * 1749 – Divine Mercy Sanctuary built.
 * 1778 – Lithuanian 5th Infantry Regiment relocated from Pińsk to Wilno.
 * 1779 – 5th Infantry Regiment relocated from Wilno to Mścibów.
 * 1781 – University Botanical Garden established.
 * 1783 – 5th Infantry Regiment relocated from Mścibów back to Wilno.
 * 1787 – Lithuanian 4th Infantry Regiment stationed in Wilno.
 * 1788 – Russians in power.
 * 1790
 * 4th Infantry Regiment relocated from Wilno to Borysów.
 * Lithuanian 3rd Infantry Regiment relocated from Kowno to Wilno.
 * 1791
 * Lithuanian 3rd Infantry Regiment relocated from Wilno back to Kowno.
 * Lithuanian 7th Infantry Regiment stationed in Wilno.
 * 1794 – Vilnius Uprising.
 * 1795
 * Town becomes part of Russia, and capital of Vilna Governorate.
 * St. Paraskeva Church rebuilt.
 * 1799
 * Town Hall rebuilt.
 * Romm publishing house relocates to Vilnius.

19th century

 * 1801
 * Rasos Cemetery consecrated.
 * Royal Palace demolished.
 * 1809 – Antakalnis Cemetery established.
 * 1810 – Bernardine Cemetery established.
 * 1812
 * Napoleon uses the city as a military base.
 * Vilnian National Guard formed.
 * 5 July: 3rd Light Cavalry Regiment of the Polish Guards founded in Wilno.
 * 22 September: Polish 21st Mounted Rifles Regiment founded in Wilno.
 * 1823 – Population: 20,900.
 * 1825 – Tuskulenai Manor built.
 * 1828 – Jewish cemetery established in Uzupis (approximate date).
 * 1831 – Uprising.
 * 1832 – University closed.
 * 1834 – Presidential Palace renovated.
 * 1836 – St. George Avenue laid out.
 * 1845 – Theatre opens.
 * 1852 – Central Archive of Early Register Books established.
 * 1855 – Museum of Antiquities established.
 * 1856 – Public library established.
 * 1861 – Demonstration against Russian Empire.
 * 1863 – Uprising against Russian Empire.
 * 1866 – St. Nicholas Orthodox Church reconsecrated.
 * 1867 – Pretchistenski Cathedral rebuilt.
 * 1881 – Population: 89,560.
 * 1883 – Population: 93,760.
 * 1897 – Jewish Labor Bund founded in Vilnius.
 * 1898 – St. Alexander Nevsky Church and District Court built.
 * 1900 – Population: 162,633.

20th century

 * 1901 – Kaziukas Fair relocates to Place Lukiskim.
 * 1903 – Power Plant, Choral Synagogue and Our Lady of the Sign Church built.
 * 1904 – Lukiškės Prison built.
 * 1905 – December: Great Seimas of Vilnius held.
 * 1906
 * Society of Friends of Science organized.
 * Vileišis Palace built.
 * 1907 – Lithuanian Art Society founded.
 * 1911 – St. Casimir Church, Naujoji Vilnia built.
 * 1913
 * Orthodox Church of St. Michael and St. Constantine built.
 * Population: 204,290.
 * 1915
 * 19 September: Germans in power.
 * City becomes capital of Lithuania District.
 * 1916 – Vilna Troupe active.
 * 1918
 * 16 February: Lithuania declares independence from German Empire.
 * Museum of History and Ethnography established.
 * 1919
 * April: Vilna offensive by Polish army.
 * Central Library of Lithuania organized.
 * Jabłkowski Brothers department store opens.
 * 1920 – October: Żeligowski's Mutiny.
 * 1925
 * Darius Stadium opens.
 * Elektrit Radiotechnical Society, Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Vilnius, and Yiddish Scientific Institute established.
 * 6 May: School massacre.
 * 1926 – City becomes capital of Wilno Voivodeship.
 * 1928 – Northern Trade Fair begins.
 * 1931 – Population: 195,000.
 * 1933
 * City Museum established.
 * Śmigły Wilno soccer team formed.
 * 1939
 * 18–19 September: Battle of Wilno (1939) between the Poles and the invading Soviets at the start of World War II.
 * Soviets in power.
 * 28 October: Lithuanians in power.
 * Vilnius Pedagogical Institute established.
 * 1940
 * City becomes capital of Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic.
 * Vilnius State Theatre established.
 * 1941
 * June: Germans in power.
 * July: Ponary massacre begins.
 * 5 July: Dulag transit camp for prisoners of war deployed in the city.
 * August: Dulag transit camp for prisoners of war relocated to Lida.
 * August: Subcamp of the Stalag 336 POW camp established by the Germans.
 * 9 September: Subcamp of Stalag 336 converted into the Stalag 344 POW camp.
 * December: Wehrmacht military prison established.
 * 1942 – Fareynikte Partizaner Organizatsye formed in Vilna Jewish Ghetto.
 * 1943 – HKP 562 forced labor camp set up by Germans.
 * 1944
 * Wehrmacht military prison relocated to Tarnów.
 * 6–15 July: Operation Ostra Brama; Soviets in power.
 * Airport begins operating.
 * 1945 – Music School founded.
 * 1946 – Russian Drama Theatre re-established.
 * 1950 – Žalgiris Stadium opens.
 * 1951 – Vilnius Heat Plant commissioned.
 * 1955 – Šeškinė village becomes part of the city.
 * 1956
 * Trolleybuses begin operating.
 * Vilnius Gediminas Technical University established.
 * 1963
 * National Library of Lithuania relocates to Vilnius.
 * Polish Theater founded.
 * 1964 – Statyba basketball team formed.
 * 1965
 * Žirmūnai Bridge constructed.
 * Vingis Park renovated.
 * Population: 293,000.
 * 1967 – Technika (publisher) established.
 * 1968 – Ratilio ensemble formed.
 * 1971 – Palace of Concerts and Sports opens.
 * 1972 – Valakampiai Bridge constructed.
 * 1974
 * Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre built.
 * Evangelical Cemetery demolished.
 * 1979 – Population: 503,000.
 * 1980 – Seimas Palace and Vilnius TV Tower built.
 * 1983 – Vilnius Combined Heat and Power Plant commissioned.
 * 1985 – Population: 544,000.
 * 1987 – Vilnius Jazz Festival begins.
 * 1989 – Jewish State Museum established.
 * 1990
 * 11 March: Lithuania declares independence from USSR.
 * Vilnius Lyceum and Vilniaus lietuvių namai (school) established.
 * 1991 – January: City besieged by Soviet forces.
 * 1992
 * Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania and Verkiai Regional Park established.
 * Museum of Genocide Victims opens.
 * 1994 – Military Academy of Lithuania established.
 * 1995 – Alis Vidūnas becomes mayor.
 * 1997
 * 1 April: Užupis neighborhood declares itself an independent republic.
 * Rolandas Paksas becomes mayor.
 * Kalnai Park established.
 * 1999
 * Vilnius Book Fair begins.
 * Juozas Imbrasas becomes mayor.
 * 2000
 * House of the Signatories museum opens.
 * Artūras Zuokas becomes mayor.

21st century

 * 2001 – Sportima Arena opens.
 * 2002
 * Vilnius Ice Palace opens.
 * Energy and Technology Museum established.
 * 2003
 * Mindaugas Bridge opens.
 * 750th anniversary of the coronation of Mindaugas.
 * FK Vetra relocates to Vilnius.
 * 2004
 * Siemens Arena and Vetra Stadium open.
 * European Humanities University relocates to Vilnius.
 * Europa Tower built.
 * Mykolas Romeris University and Vilnius Academy of Business Law established.
 * Vilnius Marathon begins.
 * 2005 – Lietuvos rytas Arena opens.
 * 2006 – May: City hosts regional democracy conference.
 * 2007
 * Juozas Imbrasas becomes mayor again.
 * Jonas Mekas Visual Arts Center opens.
 * 2008
 * February: City hosts NATO meeting.
 * Vilnius Airport railway station opens.
 * Gariunai Market pavilion built.
 * 2009
 * Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania rebuilt.
 * City designated a European Capital of Culture.
 * 2011
 * Vilniaus viesasis transportas (bus company) established.
 * Population: 554,060.
 * Artūras Zuokas becomes mayor again.
 * 2015 – Remigijus Šimašius becomes mayor.
 * 2023
 * July: City hosts NATO meeting.