Timeline of Winston-Salem, North Carolina

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.

Prior to 20th century

 * 1769 – Single Brothers' House built in Salem.
 * 1771 – Moravian cemetery ("God's Acre") in use in Salem.
 * 1784 – Salem Tavern rebuilt.
 * 1802 – Salem Academy for girls founded.
 * 1840 – Arista Cotton Mill and Fries Woolen Mills in business in Salem.
 * 1843 – Salem Vigilant Fire Company established.
 * 1849 – Salem becomes part of the newly formed Forsyth County.
 * 1851 – New town "Winston" created as seat of Forsyth County.
 * 1852 – Western Plank Road (Wilmington-Salem) built.
 * 1856
 * Salem incorporated.
 * Charles Brietz becomes first mayor of Salem.
 * Western Sentinel newspaper begins publication in Salem.
 * 1859
 * Winston incorporated.
 * William Barrow becomes first mayor of Winston.
 * 1861
 * St. Philips Moravian Church built in Salem.
 * May 20: State of North Carolina secedes from the Union.
 * 1866 – First National Bank of Salem established.
 * 1871 – First tobacco factory in Winston begins operating.
 * 1872 – P.H. Hanes & Co. tobacco in business in Winston.
 * 1875 – R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in business in Winston.
 * 1879 – Wachovia National Bank established in Winston.
 * 1890 – Twin-City Daily Sentinel newspaper in publication.
 * 1891 – First Catholic Mass held at St. Leo's original church site in the West End.
 * 1896 – Population: 5,500 in Salem; 13,500 in Winston.
 * 1897 – The Journal newspaper begins publication.
 * 1899 – Winston-Salem post office established in Winston.

20th century

 * 1905 – Baseball comes to Winston-Salem
 * 1912 – Winston-Salem Hebrew Congregation formed.
 * 1913 – Towns of Salem and Winston merge to form Winston-Salem municipality.
 * 1918 – November: Racial unrest.
 * 1923 – North Carolina Baptist Hospital opens.
 * 1927 –
 * Nissen Building completed - would later be the first building in the Southeastern US to install air conditioning.
 * Miller Municipal Airport established.
 * 1929 – Reynolds Building (hi-rise) constructed.
 * 1930
 * WSJS radio begins broadcasting.
 * Shell-shaped Shell Service Station built.
 * 1935 – State Theatre active.
 * 1937
 * WAIR radio begins broadcasting.
 * Krispy Kreme donuts in business.
 * 1948 – Piedmont Airlines headquartered in city.
 * 1951 – Flamingo Drive-In cinema opens.
 * 1952 – Temple Emanuel synagogue built.
 * 1953 – WSJS-TV begins broadcasting.
 * 1956 – Wake Forest College relocates to Winston-Salem.
 * 1960 – Winston-Salem exceeds 100,000 for the first time.
 * 1965
 * Hanes Corporation headquartered in city.
 * Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts established.
 * Parkway Theatre opens.
 * 1966 – Wachovia Building (hi-rise) constructed.
 * 1967 – November: Racial unrest.
 * 1971 – Black Panther Party, Winston-Salem, North Carolina Chapter established.
 * 1975 – Hanes Mall opens.
 * 1979 – WGNN-TV begins broadcasting.
 * 1981 – Wake Forest University's Layton Field baseball park opens.
 * 1982
 * Second Harvest Food Bank begins operating.
 * Southern Garden History Society headquartered in Winston-Salem.
 * RJR Plaza Building constructed.
 * 1989
 * Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum opens.
 * Tornadoes hit the Winston-Salem area and Forsyth County on May 5. These tornadoes were part of the May 1989 tornado outbreak across Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia.
 * 1993 – Mel Watt becomes U.S. representative for North Carolina's 12th congressional district.
 * 1995 – Wachovia Center (hi-rise) built.
 * 1997
 * City website online (approximate date).
 * Winston Net (computer training nonprofit) established.
 * Jack Cavanagh becomes mayor.
 * 2000
 * Population exceeds 200,000 for the first time.
 * Sister city relationship established with Ungheni, Moldova.

21st century

 * 2001
 * Allen Joines becomes mayor.
 * Sister city relationship established with Kumasi, Ghana.
 * 2005 – Winston Cup Museum opened by Will Spencer.
 * 2006 – Sister city relationship established with Nassau, Bahamas and Shanghai, China.
 * 2008 – Wachovia Bank is acquired by Wells Fargo.
 * 2010 – Population: 229,617.
 * 2011
 * Sister city relationship established with Buchanan, Liberia.
 * Tennis tournament Winston-Salem Open moves here from New Haven, Connecticut
 * 2014 – Alma Adams becomes U.S. representative for North Carolina's 12th congressional district.
 * 2019
 * Confederate soldier statue on the former grounds of the Forsyth County Courthouse removed after protests and legal challenges.
 * BB&T acquires SunTrust Banks, forming Truist Financial headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina
 * 2022
 * A fire at the Weaver Fertilizer Plant on North Cherry Street forces an evacuation within one mile of the plant out of concern for a large-scale explosion