The timeline of Cardiff history shows the significant events in the history of

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

which transformed it from a small

Roman fort In the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, the Latin word ''castrum'', plural ''castra'', was a military-related term. In Latin usage, the singular form ''castrum'' meant 'fort', while the plural form ''castra'' meant 'camp'. The singular and ...

into the modern

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...

city of

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

. The word ''Caerdyf'' has its origins in post-Roman Brythonic words meaning "the fort of the

Taff Taff may refer to: * River Taff, a large river in Wales * ''Taff'' (TV series), a German tabloid news programme * Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund, an organisation for science fiction fandom People * a demonym for anyone from south Wales * Jerry Taff ( ...

". The

fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

probably refers to that established by the

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

. ''Caer'' is Welsh for ''fort'' and ''-dyf'' is in effect a form of ''Taf'' (Taff), the river which flows by Cardiff Castle.Hywel Wyn Owen and Richard Morgan, ''Dictionary of the Place-names of Wales''. University of Wales Press, 2007, , p. 70. Cardiff Castle (Roman wall)

The Roman settlement

50s AD: A settlement was established by the Romans. 75: A Roman fort at Cardiff, where

Cardiff Castle Cardiff Castle ( cy, Castell Caerdydd) is a medieval castle and Victorian Gothic revival mansion located in the city centre of Cardiff, Wales. The original motte and bailey castle was built in the late 11th century by Norman invaders on top ...

now is, was established. 380s: The Romans abandoned Cardiff.

The Viking settlement

850: The Vikings attacked the Welsh coast. They used Cardiff as a base and then as a port. Street names such as Dumballs Road and

Womanby Street Womanby Street is one of the oldest streets in Cardiff, the capital of Wales. Tracing its name back to origins within the Norse language, its original purpose was to link Cardiff Castle to its quay. In this way it became a trade hub and settling ...

come from the Vikings. The Keep Cardiff Castle

The Norman town

1081:

William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...

led an army through southern Wales and may have erected defences at Cardiff on the site of the old Roman fort. 1100: A small town outside the castle was establishing itself. It was made up primarily of

settler A settler is a person who has human migration, migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a ...

s Norman/Saxon people. 1111:

Cardiff town walls Cardiff's town walls were a Medieval defensive wall enclosing much of the present day centre of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, which included Cardiff Castle. It measured 1280 paces or in circumference and had an average thickness of betwe ...

were first mentioned by Caradoc of Llancarfan in his book ''

Brut y Tywysogion ''Brut y Tywysogion'' ( en, Chronicle of the Princes) is one of the most important primary sources for Welsh history. It is an annalistic chronicle that serves as a continuation of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s ''Historia Regum Britanniae''. ''Bru ...

''. 1126: Ralph "Prepositus de Kardi" took up office as the first Mayor of Cardiff. 1158:

Ifor Bach Ifor Bach (meaning Ivor the Short) (fl. 1158) also known as Ifor ap Meurig and in anglicised form Ivor Bach, Lord of Senghenydd, was a twelfth-century resident in and a leader of the Welsh in south Wales. Welsh Lord of Senghenydd At this perio ...

, Lord of Senghenydd attacked

and carried off William of Gloucester, Lord of Glamorgan. 1180: St John the Baptist Church built. 1294: The Glamorgan Welsh attacked

. 1315:

Llywelyn Bren Llywelyn Bren (), or Llywelyn ap Gruffudd ap Rhys / Llywelyn ap Rhys (also Llewelyn) or in en, Llywelyn of the Woods. He was a nobleman who led a 1316 revolt in Wales in the reign of King Edward II of England. It marked the last serious challen ...

, a great-grandson of Ifor Bach, attacked Cardiff Castle. 1318: Llewelyn Bren

executed Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...

at Cardiff as a traitor. 1324: Edward II.’s charter indicates that "Cardiff had become an important trading and shipping centre." 1327: Cardiff declared a Staple Port. 1340: Hugh le Despenser "grants an important early charter." 1404:

Owain Glyndŵr Owain ap Gruffydd (), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr or Glyn Dŵr (, anglicised as Owen Glendower), was a Welsh leader, soldier and military commander who led a 15 year long Welsh War of Independence with the aim of ending English rule in Wa ...

captured Cardiff Castle. John Speed's map of Cardiff, Wales (full)

The county town of Glamorganshire

1536: The legislative union of England and Wales (

Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542 The Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 ( cy, Y Deddfau Cyfreithiau yng Nghymru 1535 a 1542) were Acts of the Parliament of England, and were the parliamentary measures by which Wales was annexed to the Kingdom of England. Moreover, the legal sys ...

) was established. The

shire Shire is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries such as Australia and New Zealand. It is generally synonymous with county. It was first used in Wessex from the beginn ...

of Glamorgan was established and Cardiff became the

county town In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a county town is the most important town or city in a county. It is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county and the place where the county's members of Parliament are elect ...

and the Herbert family became the most powerful family in Cardiff. 1551: William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, became the first Baron Cardiff (Baron Herbert of Cardiff). 1542: Cardiff became a free borough. 1574:

Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, KG, KB (in or after 153819 January 1601) was a Welsh nobleman, peer and politician of the Elizabethan era. He was the nephew of Catherine Parr, and brother-in-law of Lady Jane Grey, through his first wif ...

, began restoration work to Cardiff Castle. 1595: The first shipment of coal was exported from Cardiff docks. 1608:

King James I James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...

granted a

Royal Charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, bu ...

to the town of Cardiff. 1610: A map of Cardiff was produced by

John Speed John Speed (1551 or 1552 – 28 July 1629) was an English cartographer, chronologer and historian of Cheshire origins.S. Bendall, 'Speed, John (1551/2–1629), historian and cartographer', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (OUP 2004/ ...

. 1645: Charles I. visited the town after the

Battle of Naseby The Battle of Naseby took place on 14 June 1645 during the First English Civil War, near the village of Naseby in Northamptonshire. The Parliamentarian New Model Army, commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell, destroyed the main R ...

. 1648: The

Battle of St. Fagans The Battle of St Fagans was a pitched battle during the Second English Civil War in 1648. A detachment from the New Model Army defeated an army of former Parliamentarian soldiers who had rebelled and were now fighting against Parliament. ...

was fought between the Parliamentarian Army and the

Royalists A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governm ...

. It was the last major battle to occur in Wales; some 8,000 Royalists were defeated in a two-hour fight by 3,000 Parliamentarian troops of the

New Model Army The New Model Army was a standing army formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians during the First English Civil War, then disbanded after the Stuart Restoration in 1660. It differed from other armies employed in the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Th ...

with about 200 soldiers, mainly Royalists, killed. 1737:

Flat Holm Flat Holm ( cy, Ynys Echni) is a Welsh island lying in the Bristol Channel approximately from Lavernock Point in the Vale of Glamorgan. It includes the most southerly point of Wales. The island has a long history of occupation, dating at le ...

Lighthouse was built. 1766:

John Stuart, 1st Marquess of Bute John Stuart, 1st Marquess of Bute PC, FRS (30 June 1744 – 16 November 1814), styled Lord Mount Stuart until 1792 and known as The Earl of Bute between 1792 and 1794, was a British nobleman, coalfield owner, diplomat and politician who sat in ...

married into the Herberts, the great local landowning family. 1774: An

Act of Parliament Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...

established the

Improvement Commissioners Boards of improvement commissioners were ''ad hoc'' urban local government boards created during the 18th and 19th centuries in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and its predecessors the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Irel ...

, responsible for paving, cleaning streets and providing oil lamp lighting in Cardiff. 1776: John Stuart was created Baron Cardiff of Cardiff Castle. 1778: The reconstruction of

began.

John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute

19th-century growth of Cardiff

1793:

John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute, KT, FRS (10 August 1793 – 18 March 1848), styled Lord Mount Stuart between 1794 and 1814, was a wealthy aristocrat and industrialist in Georgian and early Victorian Britain. He developed the coal ...

was born. He is later described as the creator of modern Cardiff, building the Port of Cardiff. 1794:

Glamorganshire Canal The Glamorganshire Canal in South Wales, UK, was begun in 1790. It ran along the valley of the River Taff from Merthyr Tydfil to the sea at Cardiff. The final section of canal was closed in 1951. History Construction started in 1790; being ...

opened, it ran from

Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil (; cy, Merthyr Tudful ) is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydf ...

to the sea at Cardiff. 1801: Population: 1,870. 1815: Boat service between Cardiff and

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

was established, running twice a week. 1819: Cardiff Free School for boys and girls was opened. 1821: Cardiff Gas Works was established. 1826: The first theatre in Cardiff, the Theatre Royal, was opened. 1831: Population: 6,187. 1832: A new county

gaol A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correct ...

was built in the Spital Field (the site of the present

Cardiff Prison HM Prison Cardiff (Welsh: ) is a Category B men's prison, located in the Adamsdown area of Cardiff, Wales. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service. History By 1814, the existing Cardiff Gaol was deemed insufficient for coping ...

). 1835: Elections take place on 26 December to Cardiff's new Borough Council. 1836: The first meeting of Cardiff's Borough Council takes place on 1 January. Thomas Revel Guest became the first elected Mayor of Cardiff and also Judge of the Borough Court of Record. 1839: West Bute Dock opened. 1840: The first railway station in Cardiff opened at Crockherbtown, owned by the

Taff Vale Railway The Taff Vale Railway (TVR) was a standard gauge railway in South Wales, built by the Taff Vale Railway Company to serve the iron and coal industries around Merthyr Tydfil and to connect them with docks in Cardiff. It was opened in stag ...

. The service ran from Cardiff to Navigation House (now Abercynon). The line was extended from Navigation House to Merthyr Tydfil in 1841 (the Taff Vale Railway, ''DSM Barrie'' 1969). 1850: Cardiff Water Company was established to provide water for Cardiff. Town Hall, Cardiff

1853: The new Town Hall opened. 1855: The

began a train service from the

Rhondda Valley Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley ( cy, Cwm Rhondda ), is a former coalmining area in South Wales, historically in the county of Glamorgan. It takes its name from the River Rhondda, and embraces two valleys – the larger Rhondda Fawr valley ...

to Cardiff. 1857: The last public execution in Cardiff was held. 1857: ''

The Cardiff Times ''The Cardiff Times'' was a Welsh newspaper that was published from 1857 to 1928 and again from 1930 to 1955. From 1857 until 1928 it was owned by Duncan & Sons, and circulated in the County of Glamorgan, Monmouthshire, Carmarthenshire, Pembrok ...

'' was published from 1857 to 1928. 1858:

Rhymney Railway The Rhymney Railway was a railway company in South Wales, founded to transport minerals and materials to and from collieries and ironworks in the Rhymney Valley of South Wales, and to docks in Cardiff. It opened a main line in 1858, and a limite ...

opened a main line and a limited passenger service. 1859:

Cardiff Bridge Cardiff Bridge (also known locally as Canton Bridge) is the road bridge crossing the River Taff at the approximate site of the original river crossing, close to Cardiff Castle in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. Early history A bridge link crossi ...

was built, a new stone bridge. 1860: The

Principality Building Society The Principality Building Society ( cy, Cymdeithas Adeiladu'r Principality) is a building society based in Cardiff, Wales. With assets of £10bn it is the largest building society in Wales and the sixth largest in the United Kingdom. Principali ...

was established. 1861: Population: 32,954. 1862: The Guildford Crescent Baths were opened in April by the Cardiff Baths Company Ltd, including two swimming pools, a

Turkish bath A hammam ( ar, حمّام, translit=ḥammām, tr, hamam) or Turkish bath is a type of steam bath or a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It is a prominent feature in the culture of the Muslim world and was inherited ...

and a gymnasium. 1863: The

Royal Arcade Royal Arcade can refer to a number of structures: * Royal Arcade, Boscombe * Royal Arcade, Cardiff * Royal Arcade, Charters Towers * Royal Arcade, London * Royal Arcade, Melbourne The Royal Arcade is a historic shopping arcade in the centra ...

opened, the first of many shopping arcades in Cardiff. 1865: James Howell established Howells department store. 1867:

Cardiff Cricket Club Cardiff Cricket Club is a cricket club based in Whitchurch, Cardiff, Wales. It was established in 1819 and forms the cricket section of Cardiff Athletic Club with its headquarters at Cardiff Arms Park. The first team plays in the South Wales ...

was established with

Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Arms Park ( cy, Parc yr Arfau Caerdydd), also known as The Arms Park, is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. It is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green. The Arms Park was host to the British E ...

as its ground. 1867: '' Western Mail'' founded by

John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute John Patrick Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, (12 September 1847 – 9 October 1900) was a landed aristocracy, aristocrat, industrial magnate, antiquarian, scholar, philanthropist, and architectural patron. Succeeding to the Marquess of ...

. 1872:

Clock Tower was completed. 1873: Swiss Bridge, Cardiff Castle built for

. 1876: Cardiff Arms Park hosted the first

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

game between Cardiff Rugby Club and Swansea Rugby Club. 1879: The Cardiff Town Council took over responsibility of the water supply from the Cardiff Water Company. 1881: The first grandstand was built at

; it held 300 spectators. 1882: Opening of the new Cardiff Free Library, Museum and Schools for Science and Art in The Hayes. 1883:

Cardiff Royal Infirmary Cardiff Royal Infirmary ( cy, Ysbyty Brenhinol Caerdydd) (also known as the CRI or YBC) is a hospital in central Cardiff, Wales. It is managed by the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. History The hospital has its origins in the Cardiff ...

current building opened. 1883: The

National Eisteddfod The National Eisteddfod of Wales (Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competitors ...

was held in Cardiff. 1883:

Aberdare Hall Aberdare Hall ( cy, Neuadd Aberdâr) is a Grade II-listed Gothic revival hall of residence at Cardiff University in Wales. It was built at the end of the nineteenth century. History Aberdare Hall was established in 1883 by the University Coll ...

established, it is University hall of residence. 1884: The Cardiff Arms Park hosted its first international match, a rugby union encounter between

and Ireland. 1885/6: In the rugby season, Frank Hancock

Cardiff RFC Cardiff Rugby Football Club ( cy, Clwb Rygbi Caerdydd) is a rugby union club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876Parry-Jones (1989), pg 59 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, shortly after ...

, introduced new 'two-centre' tactical innovation, since adopted worldwide. 1886: The

Coal Exchange The Coal Exchange (also known as the Exchange Building) is an historic building in Cardiff, Wales. It is designed in Renaissance Revival style. Built in 1888 as the Coal and Shipping Exchange to be used as a market floor and office building for ...

was opened to conduct trade for the growing industry. Pierhead Building Cardiff Bay

1889: Cardiff became a

county borough County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control, similar to the unitary authorities created since the 1990s. An equivalent ter ...

Cardiff County Borough Council Cardiff County Borough Council, known as Cardiff City Council after Cardiff achieved city status in 1905, was the elected local authority that administered the town (later city) and county borough of Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales between 1889 and ...

was independent of the new

Glamorgan County Council Glamorgan County Council was established in 1889 together with the administrative county of Glamorganshire under the Local Government Act 1888. The first elections to the council were held in January 1889. The council was abolished under the Local ...

. 1893: Ivor Novello was born in Cowbridge Road East, Cardiff. 1893: University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire became the

University of Wales The University of Wales (Welsh language, Welsh: ''Prifysgol Cymru'') is a confederal university based in Cardiff, Wales. Founded by royal charter in 1893 as a federal university with three constituent colleges – Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff � ...

. 1894
Cardiff Masonic Hall Company Ltd
was established after purchasing the thirty-year-old Methodist chapel at Guildford Street. 1895: The first

Welsh Grand National The Coral Welsh Grand National is a Premier Handicap National Hunt racing, National Hunt Steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to Horse racing, horses aged four years ...

hunt race was run at Ely Racecourse. 1897: The

Pierhead Building The Pierhead Building ( cy, Adeilad y Pierhead) is a Grade I listed building in Cardiff Bay, Wales. One of Cardiff's most familiar landmarks, it was built in 1897 as the headquarters for the Bute Dock Company. The Pierhead Building is part of th ...

was built. 1899: Riverside Football Club, later to be renamed Cardiff City, was formed. 1901: Population: 164,333. 1903: The first building in

Cathays Park Cathays Park ( cy, Parc Cathays) or Cardiff Civic Centre is a civic centre area in the city centre of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, consisting of a number of early 20th century buildings and a central park area, Alexandra Gardens. It in ...

, the University of Wales, Registry, was opened. 1904:

Cardiff Town Hall Cardiff Town Hall was the name given to four buildings which successively served as the centre of local government in Cardiff, the capital of Wales between the Middle Ages and Cardiff's elevation from ''town'' to ''city'' status in 1905. Upon the ...

opened, later renamed City Hall. Cardiff City Hall cropped

The city of Cardiff – the largest coal port in the world

1905: Cardiff was granted

city status City status is a symbolic and legal designation given by a national or subnational government. A municipality may receive city status because it already has the qualities of a city, or because it has some special purpose. Historically, city status ...

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...

and the

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

became the Lord Mayor, with the right to use "

The Right Honourable ''The Right Honourable'' ( abbreviation: ''Rt Hon.'' or variations) is an honorific style traditionally applied to certain persons and collective bodies in the United Kingdom, the former British Empire and the Commonwealth of Nations. The term is ...

". 1907: Queen Alexandra Dock was opened; it was the largest in Cardiff. 1909: The University building in Cathays Park was opened. The first Clark's Pies were produced. 1910: Cardiff City played their first match at

Ninian Park Ninian Park was a football stadium in the Leckwith area of Cardiff, Wales, that was the home of Cardiff City F.C. for 99 years. Opened in 1910 with a single wooden stand, it underwent numerous renovations during its lifespan and hosted fixture ...

. 1912:

National Museum Cardiff National Museum Cardiff ( cy, Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd) is a museum and art gallery in Cardiff, Wales. The museum is part of the wider network of Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales. Entry is kept free by a grant from the Welsh Go ...

established, opening to the public in 1922. 1913: The record amount of around 10.7 million tons of coal were exported through Cardiff docks. This was the high point of the docks. Cardiff, Cogan, Penarth Heath & Taffs Well RJD 12

Cardiff, Cogan, Penarth Heath & Taffs Well RJD 12

The decline of the docks

1916:

Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short-story writer, poet, screenwriter, and wartime fighter ace of Norwegian descent. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. Dahl has be ...

was born in

Llandaff Llandaff (; cy, Llandaf ; from 'church' and '' Taf'') is a district, community and coterminous electoral ward in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It was incorporated into the city in 1922. It is the seat of the Bishop of Llandaff, whose ...

, Cardiff. 1919: Four days of race riots take place in June, leading to the deaths of three men. 1923: The

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

The Roman settlement

The Viking settlement

The Norman town

The county town of Glamorganshire

19th-century growth of Cardiff

The city of Cardiff – the largest coal port in the world

The decline of the docks

The regeneration of Cardiff Bay and the city

See also

Notes

Bibliography