This is a timeline of major events in the history of

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

Prehistory

* Around 250,000 BCE: An

Old Stone Age The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός ''palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tool ...

settlement thrives on

Pallavaram Pallavaram (originally Pallava Puram) is a residential neighborhood of Chennai, India. Pallavaram was a part of Alandur until August 2015 and since then a new taluk with headquarters at Pallavaram was created. The town is known for its canto ...

Hill. * 1000 BCE:

Megalithic A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea. The ...

settlement at

Kundrathur Kundrathur is a south western suburb of the city of Chennai, India and it comes under Kanchipuram District limits. It is the birthplace of Sekkizhar, a well-known poet-saint who authored the Periyapuranam. The locality is known for the Kundra ...

Before common era

* 300 BCE–300 CE:

Sangam period The Sangam period or age (, ), particularly referring to the third Sangam period, is the period of the history of ancient Tamil Nadu, Kerala and parts of Sri Lanka (then known as Tamilakam) spanning from c. 6th century BCE to c. 3rd century CE. ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...

. Some Chennai neighbourhoods such as

Mylapore Mylapore, also spelt Mayilapur, is a neighbourhood in the central part of the city of Chennai, India. It is one of the oldest residential parts of the city. It is also called Tirumayilai. The locality is claimed to be the birthplace of the cel ...

appear to have been places of prominence during the

. Philosopher-saint

Valluvar Thiruvalluvar (Tamil language, Tamil: திருவள்ளுவர்), commonly known as Valluvar, was a celebrated Tamil people, Tamil poet and philosopher. He is best known as the author of the ''Tirukkuṟaḷ'', a collection of coup ...

is often associated with Mylapore. * 31 BCE: Politically estimated date of the birth of

1st millennium CE

* 52–70 CE: According to Christian tradition, one of the Christian apostles St. Thomas arrives in the vicinity of Chennai and preaches. He is allegedly killed on

St. Thomas Mount Parangimalai (known in English as St. Thomas Mount) is a small hillock in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, near the neighbourhood of Guindy and very close to Chennai International Airport. The ancient Syrian Christian community of India trace t ...

.The Encyclopedia of Christianity, Volume 5 by Erwin Fahlbusch. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing - 2008, Page 285. . * 6th century CE:

Parthasarathy Temple The Parthasarathy Temple is a 6th-century Hindu Vaishnavite temple dedicated to Vishnu in Chennai, India. Located in the neighbourhood of Thiruvallikeni, the temple is glorified in the ''Naalayira Divya Prabandham'', the early medieval Tamil ...

is built. * 7th century CE: Vedapureeswarar Temple,

Descent of the Ganges ''Descent of the Ganges'', known locally as ''Arjuna's Penance'', is a monument at Mamallapuram, on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, in the Chengalpattu district of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Measuring , it is a giant open-air roc ...

(

Mamallapuram Mamallapuram, also known as Mahabalipuram, is a town in Chengalpattu district in the southeastern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, best known for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of 7th- and 8th-century Hindu Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram. It is o ...

Kapaleeshwarar Temple Kapaleeshwarar Temple :ta:மயிலாப்பூர் கபாலீசுவரர் கோயில் is a Hindu temple dedicated to lord Shiva located in Mylapore, Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The form of Shiva's consor ...

, Tiruvottiyur Thyagaraja Temple, and

Marundeeswarar Temple Marundeeswarar Temple is a temple dedicated to Hindu deity Shiva, located in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai adjacent to the beach of Bay of Bengal. It is one of the 275 ''Paadal Petra Sthalams'' where two of the most revered Nayanars (Saivite Saints), ...

are built. * 806 CE: Date of the oldest surviving inscription in the city, a mixed Tamil-Sanskrit record of the

Pallava The Pallava dynasty existed from 275 CE to 897 CE, ruling a significant portion of the Deccan, also known as Tondaimandalam. The dynasty rose to prominence after the downfall of the Satavahana dynasty, with whom they had formerly served as fe ...

king

Dantivarman Dantivarman was an Indian monarch who ruled the Pallava kingdom from 795 to 846 CE He was the son of Nandivarman II. Reign Dantivarman ruled the Pallava kingdom for 51 years. During his reign, the decline of the kingdom had set in. Pandyan i ...

found in the Parthasarathi Temple at Triplicane. * 820 CE: Bhaktavatsala Perumal Temple is built. * 957–970 CE: Dhenupureeswarar Temple is built. * 900–1200 CE: Chennai forms a part of the Chola Empire. Neighbourhoods to the south of

Egmore Egmore is a neighbourhood of Chennai, India. Situated on the northern banks of the Coovum River, Egmore is an important residential area as well as a commercial and transportation hub. The Egmore Railway Station was the main terminus of the Madr ...

form part of the Chola province of

Puliyur Puliyur may refer to: * Puliyur, Karur Puliyur is a panchayat town in Karur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Geography Puliyur is located at . It has an average elevation of 106 metres (347 feet) . Demographics India cen ...

Kottam while those to the north form part of province of

Puzhal Pulhal is a Northwestern residential town in Chennai district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Pulhal is located on the banks of Pulhal Lake. The town is known for Pulhal Central Prison. The area is one of the 163 notified areas ( megalithic ...

Kottam. * 10th century CE:

Thiruporur Kandaswamy temple Thiruporur Kandaswamy temple (or Thiruporur Murugan temple or Kanthaswamy temple) in Thiruporur, a panchayat town in Chengalpattu district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is dedicated to the Hindu god Murugan. Constructed in the Dravi ...

is built.

11th century

Tirusoolanathar Temple Tirusoolanathar Tripurasundari Temple, also known as the Tirusoolanathar Temple, is a Hindu temple located in Tirusulam, a suburb of Chennai, India. The presiding deity is Shiva. The goddess is Tirupurasundari. The temple has inscriptions dating ...

Tiruvalithayam Tiruvallesvarar Temple Tiruvalithayam Tiruvallesvarar Temple is a temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva, located at Padi, a north-western neighbourhood of Chennai, India. Shiva is worshiped as Tiruvalleswarar, and is represented by the ''lingam'' and his consort ...

, and

Velveeswarar Temple Velveeswarar Temple, also known as Agasteeswarar Temple, is a Hindu temple in Chennai, India. Situated adjoining the Arcot Road in the neighbourhood of Valasaravakkam, the temple encloses a large pond and is dedicated to Shiva. The temple is of ...

are built.

12th century

Mylapore Karaneeswarar Temple Mylapore, also spelt Mayilapur, is a neighbourhood in the central part of the city of Chennai, India. It is one of the oldest residential parts of the city. It is also called Tirumayilai. The locality is claimed to be the birthplace of the cel ...

Kundrathur Murugan Temple Kundrathur Murugan Temple is a Hindu temple located in Kundrathur, a suburb of Chennai in the Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Subramaniar (Murugan) stayed on the hill during his travels from Tiruporur ...

, and

Kurungaleeswarar Temple Kurungaleeswarar Temple is a historically important Hindu temple in the neighbourhood of Koyambedu, Chennai, India. The temple encloses a large tank and dates from the Medieval Chola period. Etymology The name of the neighbourhood comes from ...

are built.

13th century

* 1241: Kundrathur Kandhalheeswarar Temple is built

16th century

* Early 16th century:

Ekambareswarar–Valluvar Temple The Ekambareswarar–Kamakshi Temple, commonly known as the Thiruvalluvar Temple, is a Hindu temple dedicated to the poet-saint Valluvar in the neighborhood of Mylapore in Chennai, India. The shrine is located within the Ekambareswarar temple comp ...

is built on an older structure. * 1516: Church of Our Lady of Light is built. * 1522: The Portuguese occupy Mylapore and set up a colony which they name São Tomé de Meliapore. * 1523: Portuguese establish San Thome Church in honour of St. Thomas.

17th century

* 1612: Dutch arrive and capture the region and establish near

Pulicat Pulicat or Pazhaverkadu is a historic seashore town in Chennai Metropolitan Area at Thiruvallur District, of Tamil Nadu state, India. It is about north of Chennai and from Elavur, on the southern periphery of the Pulicat Lake. Pulicat lake i ...

, just north of the city. * 1626: The

British East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

decide to build a factory on the east coast and select

Armagon Armagaon or Armagon was the second colony of the English East India Company in Southern India. Its original name was Durgarazpatnam (''Dugarazpatam'') or Duraspatam. It was chiefly inhabited by salt manufacturers. A small port 36 miles North o ...

(Dugarazpatnam), a village some 35 miles north of Pulicat, as its site. * 1637:

Francis Day Francis Talbot Day (2 March 1829 – 10 July 1889) was an army surgeon and naturalist in the Madras Presidency who later became the Inspector-General of Fisheries in India and Burma. A pioneer ichthyologist, he described more than three hund ...

, one of the officers of the East India Company, a member of the Masulipatam Council and the chief of the Armagon Factory, makes a voyage of exploration in 1637 down the coast as far as

Pondicherry Pondicherry (), now known as Puducherry ( French: Pondichéry ʊdʊˈtʃɛɹi(listen), on-dicherry, is the capital and the most populous city of the Union Territory of Puducherry in India. The city is in the Puducherry district on the sout ...

in order to choose a site for a new settlement. * 1639: The

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

secures a grant from the Damarla Venkatadri Nayaka,

Nayaks of Kalahasti The Nayakas of Kalahasti were a line of rulers of Kalahasti and Vandavasi principalities. Members of the group include Damarla Chennapa Nayaka, after whom the city of Chennai is named. These Nayakas served as vassals of the late Vijayanagara E ...

, for getting a three-mile-long strip of land and the city of Madras is founded (22 August). Foundation is laid for

Fort St. George Fort St. George (or historically, White Town) is a fortress in the coastal city of Chennai, India. Founded in 1639, it was the first English (later British) fortress in India. The construction of the fort provided the impetus for further ...

. :* The population of the Portuguese and Dutch settlers in the region reaches 10,000, although substantially outnumbered by the local population. Plan of Fort St George and the City of Madras 1726

Plan of Fort St George and the City of Madras 1726

* 1640:

and

Andrew Cogan Andrew Cogan also known as Andrew Coggan (born circa 1600, Greenwich, England; died circa 1660) was the first agent of the English East India Company to rule Madras (a. k. a. Chennai). He was the chief of the Masulipatnam factory wh ...

land with 25 Europeans (20 February). Fort St. George is completed (23 April). : *

Kalikambal Temple The Kālikāmbal Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shri Kāligāmbāl ( Kāmākshi) and Lord Kamadeswarar, located in Parry's corner (Old: George Town) locality of the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The temple is located in Thambu ...

is moved to the current location. * 1646: Population of the city recorded as 19,000. * 1664: First British hospital in the country is started in Fort St. George (16 November); later becomes the

Government General Hospital Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital is a major state-owned hospital situated in Chennai, India. The hospital is funded and managed by the state government of Tamil Nadu. Founded in 1664 by the British East India Company, it is the first moder ...

. * 1668:

Triplicane Triplicane, known in the vernacular as Thiruvallikeni, is one of the oldest neighbourhoods of Chennai, India. It is situated on the Bay of Bengal coast and about from Fort St George. The average elevation of the neighbourhood is 14 metres ...

is annexed to the city. * 1669: Population of the city increased to 40,000. * 1678: Foundation is laid for St. Mary's Church in Fort St. George. :*

was built in its new location. * 1679: St. Mary's Church is completed. * 1688: Madras City Municipal Corporation is inaugurated. * 1693:

Purasawalkam Purasawakkam, also known as Purasaiwakkam or Purasai / Purasawalkam, is a residential shopping area in the district of Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is close to the Chennai Central and Chennai Egmore railway stations. Etymo ...

and

Tondiarpet Tondiarpet is a northern neighbourhood of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Etymology This area got its name from a famous nineteenth-century Muslim Saint Kunangudi Masthan Sahib. His birthplace is located near Thondi in Ramanathapuram District. H ...

are annexed to the city.

18th century

* 1701: Emperor

Aurangazeb Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...

's general Daud Khan attacks Fort St. George. However, the British manage to hold the Fort. * 1708: Five neighbouring villages of

Thiruvottiyur Tiruvottriyur (Thiruvottiyur or TVT) is a neighbourhood in North Chennai, administered by the Greater Chennai Corporation. It is part of the Tondiarpet division, located to the north of Chennai. It is one of the fifteen administrative zones in ...

Nungambakkam Nungambakkam is a locality in downtown Chennai, India. The neighborhood abounds with multi-national commercial establishments, important government offices, foreign consulates, educational institutions, shopping malls, sporting facilities, to ...

Vyasarpadi Vyasarpadi is a neighbourhood of Chennai, India. It is located within Chennai district. The neighbourhood is served by station, one of the oldest stations in South India. The first train to Arcot started from this station. The old ruins still ...

kathivakkam Katthivakkam is an residential and industrial area located in the northern part of Chennai. It is a part of zone 1 in Greater Chennai Corporation. It is under Thiruvottiyur taluk in Chennai district. It is a part of Thiruvottiyur(state assembly ...

and Sathangadu are annexed to the city. :* Wall is built around Black Town. * 1711: First printing press is erected. * 1751: East India Company acquires Tondiarpet. * 1721:

Cyclone In meteorology, a cyclone () is a large air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from above (opposite to an anti ...

strikes (13 and 14 November). * 1726:

Coja Petrus Uscan Coja Petrus Uscan (1680/81 – 1751) was an Armenian merchant and leader of the Armenian community of Madras who was known for his immense wealth and unflinching devotion and loyalty to the British during the French occupation of Madras. Anc ...

constructs the 134 stone steps at

, which are still used to reach the summit of the 300-feet hillock. * 1735:

Chintadripet Chintadripet ('originally Chinna Thari Pettai) is a locality in Chennai, in India. Located on the southern banks of the Cooum River, it is a residential-cum-commercial area surrounded by Chepauk, Island Grounds, Pudupet, Egmore and Anna Salai ...

is formed. * 1742:

Vepery Vepery is a suburb in the north of Chennai, India. Abutting the transportation hub of Park Town, the neighbourhood covers a rectangular area north of the Poonamallee High Road. History Vepery is among those oldest neighbourhoods developed duri ...

Periamet Periamet, natively spelt as Periyamedu, is one of the most important neighborhoods in North Chennai, a metropolitan city in Tamil Nadu, India Location Periamet is located near Chennai Central Railway Station Chennai Central (station cod ...

Perambur Perambur is a neighbourhood located in the northern region of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Etymology In Tamil, ''pirambu (பிரம்பு)'' means bamboo and ''ur (ஊர்)'' means city or place. Before British rule, this place was wid ...

and Pudupakkam are annexed to the city. * 1744:

Robert Clive Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive, (29 September 1725 – 22 November 1774), also known as Clive of India, was the first British Governor of the Bengal Presidency. Clive has been widely credited for laying the foundation of the British ...

, who later goes on to become the hero of the Carnatic, works as a writer at Fort St. George. * 1746: The French Admiral La Bourdonnais capture Fort St George. * 1749: The French return Madras to the English through the

Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) The 1748 Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, sometimes called the Treaty of Aachen, ended the War of the Austrian Succession, following a congress assembled on 24 April 1748 at the Free Imperial City of Aachen. The two main antagonists in the war, Bri ...

. :*

Santhome Santhome is a locality in Mylapore in Chennai city (formerly Madras) in India. History The word ''Santhome'' or ''San Thome'' is derived from Saint Thomas. The tradition is that he was martyred in AD 72 at St.Thomas Mount in the city, and was ...

and

are annexed to the city. * 1758: French Commander Lawly sieges Madras. * 1759: French siege ends. * 1760: New Black Town is developed over the debris of the old Black Town. * 1767:

Hyder Ali Hyder Ali ( حیدر علی, ''Haidarālī''; 1720 – 7 December 1782) was the Sultan and ''de facto'' ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born as Hyder Ali, he distinguished himself as a soldier, eventually drawing the att ...

invades the city for the first time. * 1768:

Chepauk Palace Chepauk Palace was the official residence of the Nawab of Arcot from 1768 to 1855. It is situated in the neighbourhood of Chepauk in Chennai, India and is constructed in the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture. History By the end of the Carn ...

is built by

Nawab of Arcot The Carnatic Sultanate was a kingdom in South India between about 1690 and 1855, and was under the legal purview of the Nizam of Hyderabad, until their demise. They initially had their capital at Arcot in the present-day Indian state of Tamil N ...

. * 1769: Hyder Ali invades the city for the second time. * 1772: General Hospital at Fort St. George moves to its present location. :* Seven Wells Scheme, the city's first organised water supply, is started. * 1777: Veerappillai is appointed as first Kotthawal, giving rise to the name 'Kotthawal Chavadi'. * 1783: Fort St. George is repaired and attains the present shape. * 1784: The first newspaper, ''Madras Courier'', is founded. * 1785: First post office starts functioning. * 1786: William Petrie, a member of the Madras Government, builds a private astronomical observatory, the first observatory in the East. * 1788: Thomas Parry (Chennai merchant) lands in Madras and begins the oldest surviving mercantile name in the city—Parry's. * 1792: Systematic meteorological observations start, giving birth to the

Madras Observatory The Madras Observatory was an astronomical observatory which had its origins in a private observatory set up by William Petrie in 1786 and later moved and managed by the British East India Company from 1792 in Madras (now known as Chennai). The ...

and later the Regional Meteorological Centre. * 1794: The Government Survey School, the oldest engineering school outside Europe and now part of the

Anna University Anna University is a public state university located in Tamil Nadu, India. The main campus is in Chennai. It was originally established on 4 September 1978 and was named after C. N. Annadurai, the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. History & ...

, commences at Fort St. George. :* American merchant William Abbott is appointed the first American consular agent of the Madras Presidency, marking the first consular presence in the city (24 November). * 1795: Triplicane Wallajah Mosque is built. * 1798: The area of the city was demarcated as the 69 sq km area surrounding the Fort and contained 16 hamlets within it.

19th century

Company rule government hse fort stgeorge2

* 1817: Madras Literary Society is founded. * 1819: Madras Eye Infirmary, later the

Egmore Eye Hospital The Egmore Eye Hospital, officially the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology and Government Ophthalmic Hospital, is a public eye hospital in Chennai, India. Considered the oldest eye hospital in Asia, the institute was established in 1819 and i ...

, is established. * 1826: Board of Public Instructions is founded. * 1831: First Commercial Bank, Madras Bank, is founded. :* First census in the city is taken (population: 39,785). * 1832: Madras Club is founded. * 1834: First survey school is inaugurated; later develops as an engineering college. * 1835: First medical college is founded; later becomes

Madras Medical College Madras Medical College (MMC) is a public medical college located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Established on 2 February 1835, it is the second oldest medical college in India, established after Calcutta Medical College. History The Governme ...

. * 1836: First goods train in the country was operated from Redhills to Chindadripet Bridge. * 1840: Captain S. O. E. Ludlow begins hourly recording of meteorological observations. * 1841: Ice House is built, where ice brought from America through ships is stored; later gets renamed as Vivekananda House. * 1842: First

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mar ...

is built. :* General Hospital, originally meant only for the English, opens its doors to Indians. * 1844:

Higginbotham's Higginbotham's is an Indian bookstore chain and publisher based in the city of Chennai. The company's first bookstore at Mount Road, Chennai is India's oldest bookshop in existence. Madras Rediscovered, Pg 81 The company's second bookstore in B ...

, the first book store in the country, is opened. * 1846: Pachaiappan School is founded; later becomes

Pachaiyappa's College Pachaiyappa's College is one of the oldest educational institutions in Chennai, in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In addition, it is the first sole Indian college in Madras Presidency. History Pachaiyappa's College, Chennai is the resul ...

. * 1851:

Museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...

is formed. * 1853:

Zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for Conservation biology, conservation purposes. The term ''zoological g ...

is formed. * 1854: Imperial Hotel is opened, which later becomes the

Taj Connemara Taj Connemara, Chennai is a five-star hotel in Chennai, India. It is a heritage hotel in Chennai. Classified under the Taj Group's business hotels section, the 127-year-old hotel is considered the oldest hotel in the city. History The proper ...

, the oldest functioning hotel in the city. * 1855: University Board is formed. * 1856: First Railway line from

Royapuram Royapuram is a locality in the northern part of the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is best known for its beach, and for Royapuram Railway Station. The station is the first railway station of south India, opening in 1856, and is today ...

Arcot Arcot (natively spelt as Ārkāḍu) is a town and urban area of Ranipet district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Located on the southern banks of Palar River, the city straddles a trade route between Chennai and Bangalore or Salem, between t ...

is built. * 1857:

University of Madras The University of Madras (informally known as Madras University) is a public university, public State university (India), state university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Established in 1857, it is one of the oldest and among the most prestigiou ...

is founded. * 1862: First pier is constructed at the harbour. * 1864–65: Presidency College is built. * 1868: Attempt begins to protected water supply. :* Further developments at the harbour begin. * 1869:

Napier Bridge Napier Bridge is a bridge in Chennai, India, built over the Coovum River, connecting Fort St. George with the Marina beach. It is also one of the historic structures and landmark of the city. History One of the city's oldest bridges, it was ...

was constructed by Francis Napier over the

Cooum River The Cooum river, or simply Koovam, is one of the shortest classified rivers draining into the Bay of Bengal. This river is about in length, flowing in the city of Chennai (urban part) and the rest in rural part. The river is highly pollute ...

. * 1873: Birth registration begins. :* ''Madras Mail'' newspaper is founded. :* Cosmopolitan Club is founded. * 1874: University Senate House is built. * 1875: Madras observatory starts issuing daily weather reports. * 1876–78: Great Famine wipes the city. :*

Buckingham Canal The Buckingham Canal is a -long fresh water navigation canal, that parallels the Coromandel Coast of South India from Kakinada City in the Kakinada district of Andhra Pradesh to Viluppuram District in Tamil Nadu. The canal connects most of ...

is dug. * 1878: ''

The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper owned by The Hindu Group, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It began as a weekly in 1878 and became a daily in 1889. It is one of the Indian newspapers of record and the secon ...

'' newspaper is founded. * 1882: First telephone is installed. * 1885: Marina Beach road is formed. * 1886:

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...

meets at Madras. :*

Connemara Public Library * The Connemara Public Library at Egmore in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, is one of the four National Depository Libraries which receive a copy of all books, newspapers and periodicals published in India. Established in 1896, the library is a re ...

is founded. * 1889: High Court Building foundation is laid. * 1893: San Thome Church is rebuilt in neo-Gothic style. * 1894: First car is sold; A. J. Boag, director of Parry & Co, drives the car on city roads. * 1895: First tram car service is inaugurated. * 1899: First Tamil newspaper, ''Swadesamitran'', is founded.

20th century

* 1901: The city, covering an area of about 70 sq km, has a population of 540,000. * 1905:

Chennai Port Trust Chennai Port, formerly known as Madras Port, is the second largest container port of India, behind Mumbai's Nhava Sheva. The port is the largest one in the Bay of Bengal. It is the third-oldest port among the 13 major ports of India with offici ...

is formed. * 1906:

Indian Bank Indian Bank is an Indian public sector bank, established in 1907 and headquartered in Chennai. It serves over 100 million customers with 39,734 employees, 5,721 branches with 5,428 ATMs and Cash deposit machines. Total business of the bank has ...

is founded. :* King Institute,

Guindy Guindy is one of the most important neighborhoods of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and is nicknamed as ''The Gateway to Chennai''. The Kathipara junction where Anna Salai, Mount-Poonamallee Road, Inner Ring Road, 100 Feet Road or Jawaharlal Nehru Roa ...

is founded. * 1910: Parsi fire temple is built at

. * 1911:

Government Royapettah Hospital Government Royapettah Hospital is a major state-owned hospital situated in Royapettah in Chennai, India. The hospital with 712 beds is funded and managed by the state government of Tamil Nadu. It was founded in 1911 and is attached to Directora ...

is established. * 1914: Water mains and drainage are formed. :* Street lights are introduced. :*

Kilpauk Kilpauk is a semi residential area located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The distance from Chennai's city to Kilpauk is about 6 km. The region is situated off the Poonamallee High Road in the west. Adjacent areas of Kilpauk include Chetp ...

water works is inaugurated. :*

Bombardment of Madras The bombardment of Madras was an engagement of the First World War, at Madras (now Chennai), British India. The bombardment was initiated by the German light cruiser ''Emden'' at the outset of the war in 1914. With Captain Karl von Müller ...

—German fighter vessel Emden bombarded the sea shore and disappeared during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. * 1917: First aeroplane flies; Simpson & Co. arranges for the trial flight. * 1923: The city is expanded to occupy an area of about 80 sq km. * 1924: School of Indian Medicine is founded. :* Radio broadcasting begins (31 July). * 1925: Loyola College is founded. :* First bus transport begins. * 1928:

Tambaram TB Sanatorium Government Hospital of Thoracic Medicine, popularly known as the Tambaram TB Sanatorium, is a major state-owned hospital situated in Chennai, India. The hospital is funded and managed by the state government of Tamil Nadu. It was founded in 192 ...

is established (9 April). * 1930: First broadcasting station is founded at

Ripon Building The Ripon Building is the seat and headquarters of the Greater Chennai Corporation in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It is an example of neoclassical architecture, a combination of Ionic and Corinthian styles. The Ripon Building is an all-white structure ...

s complex. * 1931: Suburban electric train services start (from

Chennai Beach Chennai Beach (formerly known as Madras Beach) (station code: MSB) is a railway terminus of the Southern Railway network in Parry's Corner, Chennai, India. Built on reclaimed land, the station serves the suburban services of the Chennai Subu ...

Tambaram Tambaram is a southern suburb of Chennai, India. Located in the Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu, it is governed by Tambaram City Municipal Corporation and is a part of the Chennai Metropolitan Area. Etymology Tambaram is an ancient town ...

). * 1934: Raja Sir Muthiah Chettiyar is appointed first mayor of the city. * 1938:

All India Radio All or ALL may refer to: Language * All, an indefinite pronoun in English * All, one of the English determiners * Allar language (ISO 639-3 code) * Allative case (abbreviated ALL) Music * All (band), an American punk rock band * ''All'' (All a ...

is formed and broadcasting from Ripon Buildings ceases. :*

Government Stanley Hospital Stanley Medical College (SMC) is a government medical college with hospitals located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Though the original hospital is more than 200 years old, the medical college was formally established on 2 July 1938. The medic ...

is established. * 1942:

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

results in evacuation of Madras. * 1943: Japanese fighter plane drops bombs on city and disappears. :* Population of the city crosses the million mark. * 1945: Regional Meteorological Centre is established from the old Madras observatory. * 1946:

Mambalam West Mambalam is a residential and commercial area in Chennai, India. It is known for its shops, bazaars and Hindu temples. It is bounded by Kodambakkam to the north and Saidapet to the south. T. Nagar and Nandanam stretch all along its eastern ...

Saidapet Saidapet, also known as Saidai, is a neighbourhood in Chennai, India, situated in the northern banks of the Adyar River and serves as an entry point to Central Chennai. It is surrounded by West Mambalam in the North, C.I.T Nagar in the North- ...

, Government Farm,

Kodambakkam Kodambakkam (also known as K-Town or Kollywood) is a business and residential neighbourhood in Central Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The neighbourhood is served by Kodambakkam railway station of the Chennai Suburban Railway Network. Kodambakkam h ...

Saligramam Saligramam (சாலிகிராமம்) is a residential locality situated in the western part of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Saligramam is surrounded by Vadapalani in the east, Virugambakkam in the west, KK Nagar in the south and Koyambe ...

, Adayar and

Alandur Alandur is a zone of Chennai corporation, and an urban node in Chennai district in Guindy division in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is Surrounded by Guindy in the North and East, Adambakkam in the South, Pazhavanthangal in the South-Wes ...

villages, which formed part of Saidapet Municipality, are annexed to the city. Sembiyam, Siruvallur,

Peravallur Peravallur is a developed residential area, located on the north - western corner of Madras (renamed to Chennai), a metropolitan city in Tamil Nadu state, India. Out of 1018 places to be renamed by the government of Tamil Nadu, Peravallur is the ...

, Small Sembarambakkam and

Ayanavaram Ayanpuram, or Ayanavaram, is a neighbourhood in Chennai, India. Konnur High Road, one of the important connecting roads in Chennai runs through Ayanavaram. Etymology The neighbourhood was originally known as Ayanpuram, with Ayan meaning Brahma ...

, which formed part of Sembium Panchayat Board, are annexed to the city.

Aminjikarai Aminjikarai, originally Amaindakarai, is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The arterial Poonamallee High Road ( NH 4) runs through it. Aminjikarai was annexed to Madras District in the year 1946, and Arumbakkam an ...

, Periyakudal, Maduvankarai villages, which formed part of Aminjikarai Panchayat Board, are annexed to the city. Part of

Velacheri Velachery (''pronounced as'' veh·luh·cheh·ree) is a commercial and residential area in south Chennai, and is the largest commercial centre in south Chennai. It is surrounded by Guindy in the north, IIT Madras in the north-east, Taramani in ...

village, belonging to Velacheri Panchayat Board, is annexed to the city. * 1947:

Indian national flag The national flag of India, colloquially called the tricolour, is a horizontal rectangular tricolour flag of India saffron, white and India green; with the ', a 24-spoke wheel, in navy blue at its centre. It was adopted in its present form ...

is hoisted over Fort. St. George. :* Madras city chose capital of Madras state * 1950: Boundary of the city is extended to cover 129 sq km by the inclusion of

and

Sembium Sembium is a Neighbourhood in Chennai, near to Perambur and a developed residential area in North Chennai, a metropolitan city in Tamil Nadu, India, located at an altitude of 9 m above mean sea level. Sembium was a municipality (Sembium-Ay ...

* 1952: Nehru Stadium is built. :*

Integral Coach Factory Integral Coach Factory (ICF) is a manufacturer of ICF coach, rail coaches located in Perambur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It was established in 1955 and is owned and operated by the Indian Railways. It is located in Perambur, in the suburbs of ...

starts functioning. * 1953: Government Dental College is founded (10 August). * 1954:

Adyar Cancer Institute The Cancer Institute (WIA - Womens' Indian Association), also known as the Adyar Cancer Institute, is a non-profit cancer treatment and research centre based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The Cancer Institute (WIA) was established in the year 1952 u ...

is founded (18 June). * 1956: Gandhi Mandapam is built. * 1956: Madras city is made the capital of Tamil Nadu state. * 1957:

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

opens its

consulate A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of diplomatic mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth coun ...

. * 1959: Guindy Children's Park is inaugurated. :*

LIC Building LIC Building is a 15-storied building in Chennai, India, serving as the southern headquarters of the Life Insurance Corporation of India. It is the first skyscraper built in Chennai and an important landmark in the city. Located on the arteria ...

is built. * 1960:

Kilpauk Medical College Government Kilpauk Medical College (GKMC), founded in 1960, is a government medical institution in India. There are four hospitals attached to GKMC - Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital. They are Government Royapettah Hospital, Govern ...

starts functioning. * 1961:

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

opens its

. * 1965:

Heavy Vehicles Factory The Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) located at Avadi in Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu is a armoured vehicle and battle tank manufacturing factory of Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited. HVF was set up in 1961 by the Ordnance Factory Bo ...

is established at

Avadi Avadi () is a suburb of Chennai within Chennai Metropolitan Area limit, located in the Thiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu, India. It is a municipal corporation west of Chennai, about from Chennai Central Railway Station. It is surrounded by majo ...

. * 1966:

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

opens its

. :* Stedeford Hospital starts functioning (25 February). * 1969: First World Tamil Congress is held. :* Madras State was renamed Tamil Nadu, meaning Tamil country. * 1971: Snake Park is inaugurated. * 1972: Madras Metropolitan Development Authority is formed. * 1973:

Madras Corporation The Greater Chennai Corporation, formerly known as the Corporation of Madras (1688-1996) and Corporation of Chennai (1996-2016), is the civic body that governs the city of Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Inaugurated on 29 September ...

is superseded. * 1974: Rajaji Mandapam is built. :* Madras Television Centre is founded. :*

Taj Coromandel Taj Coromandel is a five-star luxury hotel located in Chennai, India. Named after the Coromandel Coast, the HACCP- and ISO 14001-certified hotel was opened in 1974. Owned by Oriental Hotels Limited, an associate of the Taj Group of Hotels, it ...

hotel, the first luxury hotel in Chennai, is opened (14 April). * 1975: Kamaraj Mandapam is built. :*

Valluvar Kottam Valluvar Kottam ( ta, வள்ளுவர் கோட்டம்) is a monument in Chennai, dedicated to the classical Tamil poet philosopher Valluvar. It is the city’s biggest Tamil cultural centre. Location Valluvar Kottam is located a ...

is built. * 1976: New (present) lighthouse is built. * 1977: Madras Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewage Board is formed. :* Kanagam,

Taramani Tharamani is an area in the south Indian city of Chennai. It is known for the presence of the city's first IT parks and numerous government educational and research institutions. It is located adjacent to the posh residential area of Adyar an ...

Thiruvanmiyur Thiruvanmiyur is a largely residential neighborhood in the south of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Thiruvanmiyur witnessed a spike in its economy with the construction of Chennai's first dedicated technology office space, the Tidel Information Te ...

Virugambakkam Virugambakkam is a residential neighbourhood of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is an important residential area of and is famous for its schools, market, residential colonies and residences of film artists. Virugambakkam had some of Chennai's o ...

Koyambedu Koyambedu is a neighbourhood in Chennai, India. Situated in the western part of Chennai city, the Koyambedu area has become a major hub of activity in Chennai City after the inauguration of the Koyambedu market in 1996 and the Chennai Mofussi ...

, Thirumangalam,

Villivakkam Villivakkam is a neighbourhood of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is served by the Villivakkam railway station on the Chennai Central–Arakkonam suburban section. Villivakkam is the largest state assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu in terms of ...

, Errukancheri, Kolathur and

Kodungaiyur Kodungaiyur is a residential neighbourhood in the northern part of the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It comes under Perambur Taluk of the Chennai District. Location and surroundings Kodungaiyur covers a vast area bordering Manali to th ...

panchayat areas are annexed to the city. * 1978:

Sankara Nethralaya Sankara Nethralaya is a not-for-profit missionary institution for ophthalmic care (i.e., an eye hospital) headquartered in Chennai, India. In the name "Sankara Nethralaya", "Sankara" is a reference to Adi Shankaracharya and "Nethralaya" means " ...

hospital is founded (6 September). * 1982:

Hindu Mission Hospital, Chennai The Hindu Mission Hospital is a 220-bed multidisciplinary health facility in Chennai, India. Spread over an area of 74,000 sq ft, the ISO 9001:2000-certified hospital is registered under Society Act of Tamil Nadu. Location The hospit ...

is founded (5 December). * 1983:

is shifted to

Vandalur Vandalur is a census town and residential locality in southern part of the metropolitan city of Chennai, India. It is a neighbourhood in the southwestern part of Chennai. Vandalur serves as the southern gateway to Chennai city. It has the Arig ...

. :*

Apollo Hospitals Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited is an Indian multinational healthcare group headquartered in Chennai. Along with the eponymous hospital chain, the company also operates pharmacies, primary care and diagnostic centres, telehealth clinics, ...

opens the country's first corporate hospital. * 1985:

Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre (SRMC) is a tertiary care multi-specialty university hospital in Chennai, India. With over 1,500 beds, 114 ICU beds, 25 operating rooms, and a campus spread over , SRMC is one of the largest private health care fa ...

is established (11 September). * 1987:

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

opens its consulate (17 September). :*

Madras Medical Mission The Madras Medical Mission is a hospital located in Chennai. The first unit of the hospital was set up in 1987. The hospital houses 300 beds including 76 intensive care beds. See also * Healthcare in Chennai * Medical missions Medical missi ...

hospital is established. * 1988: Periyar Science Park is formed. :*

Birla Planetarium Birla may refer to: * Birla family * Members of the Birla family: ** Aditya Vikram Birla ** Ananya Birla ** Basant Kumar Birla ** G. D. Birla ** K. K. Birla ** C. K. Birla ** Kumar Mangalam Birla See also * Burla (disambiguation) Burla may refer ...

is built. :* Madras Corporation's tercentenary is celebrated. :* Decentralisation of administration occurs. :* 10 circles are formed. * 1990:

Sundaram Medical Foundation Sundaram Medical Foundation (also referred to as SMF or Dr. Rangarajan Memorial Hospital) is a community-centred, non-profit, trust hospital established in 1990 by Dr. S. Rangarajan. Sundaram Medical Foundation's main hospital premises operates ...

is established. * 1995:

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

opens its consulate. * 1996: City of Madras is renamed as Chennai. * 1998: Maximum permissible height of tall buildings is raised from 40 m to 60 m. * 1999:

MIOT Hospital The Madras Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, known in short as the MIOT International Hospital, is a multi-specialty hospital in Manapakkam, Chennai, India. It is a specialty hospital in the field of joint replacement surgeries, Inte ...

is established.

21st century

* 2002: Intercity bus terminus at George Town gets shifted to

Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT) (officially Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G.R. Bus Terminus) is a bus terminus located in Chennai, India, providing inter-state bus transport services. It is located on the Inner Ring Road, Chennai, inner-ring ...

(CMBT) at

(18 November). * 2004:

Indian Ocean Tsunami An earthquake and a tsunami, known as the Boxing Day Tsunami and, by the scientific community, the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, occurred at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+7) on 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of northern Suma ...

wreaks havoc in the city, killing about 206 persons (26 December). * 2005:

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

opens its

. * 2010: First seawater desalination plant starts functioning at

Minjur Minjur is a town located in the outskirts of North Chennai, India. It is located in the Thiruvallur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Minjur is called 'Vada Kanchi' meaning North Kanchipuram. The town has two famous temples for Shiva ...

(25 July). * 2011: Nine municipalities, 8 town panchayats, and 25 village panchayats are annexed to the city. The city reaches the present stage of 426 km² from 174 km². * 2012: ITC Grand Chola, the largest hotel in South India, is inaugurated (15 September). * 2013: Second seawater desalination plant starts functioning at

Nemmeli Nemmeli is an agricultural village in Madukkur Panchayat Union, Pattukkottai taluk of Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, India, also known as 28.Nemmeli. Nemmeli village is division of Musugundha Nadu in Chola nadu. It comes under Pattukottai legi ...

(22 February). :*

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

opens its consulate (28 November) * 2014:

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

opens its consulate (7 February) * 2015: The

Chennai Metro The Chennai Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is the 4th longest metro system In india. The system commenced service in 2015 after partially opening the first phase of the project. The network c ...

starts functioning (29 June). :* The

2015 South Indian floods The 2015 South India floods resulted from heavy rainfall generated by the annual northeast monsoon in November–December 2015. They affected the Coromandel Coast region of the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. More than 500 ...

cause the deaths of hundreds of people and damages worth several billions of dollars. * 2020: The first Covid 19 case is detected (7 March) * 2021:

World Trade Center World Trade Centers are sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may refer to: Buildings * List of World Trade Centers * World Trade Center (2001–present), a building complex that includes five skyscrapers, a ...

starts functioning (September)

References

External links

Chennai District Profile
{{Years in India History of Chennai

Chennai-related lists

Prehistory

Before common era

1st millennium CE

11th century

12th century

13th century

16th century

17th century

18th century

19th century

20th century

21st century

See also

References

Further reading

External links