Timeline of Brussels

The following is a timeline of the history of Brussels, Belgium.

Prehistory

* 3000–2200 BCE – First known settlements in Brussels during Neolithic era, located in the Sonian Forest.

Roman Period

* 1st century CE – Roman villa constructed in Anderlecht, located near the /.
* 2nd century CE – Gallo-Roman villa constructed in Jette, located in the King Baudouin Park.
**

Middle Ages

* 580 – Saint Gaugericus builds a chapel on an island in the river Senne.

* 979 – Charles of Lorraine transfers the relics from Saint Gudula to the chapel built by Saint Gaugericus.
* 1012 – Guy of Anderlecht dies in Anderlecht on his return home from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
* 1015–1020 – Oldest written record of Brussels by Olbert of Gembloux.
* 1229 – Henry I, Duke of Brabant, issues charter of city rights for Brussels.
* 1273 – First stage of the rebuilding of the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula, Church of St Michael and St Gudula in the Gothic style completed (approximate date).
* 1304 – Church of Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon founded.
* 1308 – Meyboom first attested.
* 1348 – Ommegang of Brussels, Ommegang begins as a Marian procession.
* 1356
** Joyous Entry of 1356, Joyous Entry of Joanna and Wenceslaus into city.
** Expansion of fortifications of Brussels begins.
* 1370 – Brussels massacre occurs, followed by the expulsion of the city's remaining Jewish population.
* 1381 – Halle Gate built.
* 1393 – Anderlecht becomes part of Brussels.
* 1420 – Brussels Town Hall built.
* 1455 – Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament of the Miracle built.
* 1476 – Global spread of the printing press, Printing press in operation.
* 1477 – House of Habsburg, Habsburgs come to power in Burgundy.

16th century

* 1536 – Brussels City Museum, King's House built for Duke of Brabant.
* 1555 – Abdication of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V in the of the Palace of Coudenberg.
* 1568 – Counts of Lamoral, Count of Egmont, Egmont and Philip de Montmorency, Count of Horn, Horn executed.
* 1585 – City becomes capital of Spanish Netherlands.
* 1619 – Bronze ''Manneken Pis'' statue installed.
* 1622 – Funeral of Albert VII, Archduke of Austria, Albert VII of Austria
* 1695 – Bombardment of Brussels, City is bombarded by the French, destroying a third of its buildings, including the Grand-Place, Grand-Place/Grote Markt.
* 1700 – La Monnaie, Théâtre de la Monnoye built.

18th century

* 1713 – City becomes part of Austrian Netherlands.
* 1714 – Belfry of Brussels collapses.
* 1719 – Frans Anneessens, François Anneessens executed.
* 1731 – Palace of Coudenberg destroyed.
* 1746 – Siege of Brussels.
* 1772
** Imperial and Royal Academy of Brussels established.
** Opéra flamand established.
* 1774 – Rue Royale, Brussels, Rue Royale/Koningsstraat laid out.
* 1775 – Brussels Park laid out.
* 1782 – Place Royale, Brussels, Place Royale/Koningsplein laid out.
* 1787 – Vauxhall, Brussels, Vauxhall opens.
* 1783 – Royal Palace of Brussels construction begins.
* 1784 – City gates demolished, except for the Halle Gate.
* 1787 – Saint-Jacques-sur-Coudenberg, Church of St. James on Coudenberg consecrated.
* 1789 – Brabant Revolution reaches Brussels and makes the Austrian authorities flee.
* 1790 – December: The Austrians take the city back and pledge to reverse the reforms of Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, Joseph II.
* 1795 – French First Republic, French rule begins; city becomes part of the Dyle (department), department of the Dyle.
* 1796
** La Cambre Abbey and Forest Abbey abolished.
** Saint-Géry Island, Church of St. Gaugericus demolished.

19th century

* 1803 – Museum of Brussels opens.
* 1815
** Duchess of Richmond's ball.
** City becomes joint capital of United Kingdom of the Netherlands.
* 1819 – New La Monnaie, opera theatre inaugurated.
* 1822 – Société Générale de Belgique headquartered in city.
* 1826 – Botanical Garden of Brussels founded.

* 1830
** Belgian Revolution.
** City becomes capital of Kingdom of Belgium.
** Population: 98,279 city; 120,981 metro.
* 1832 – Royal Conservatory of Brussels founded.
* 1834 – Free University of Brussels (1834–1969), Free University of Brussels founded
* 1835 – Brussels-North railway station, Groendreef/Allée Verte railway station, Belgium's first, is inaugurated.
* 1846
** Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences founded.
** Population: 123,874.
* 1847
** Avenue Louise, Avenue Louise/Louizalaan commissioned.
** Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries open.
* 1848 – International Peace Congress held.
* 1850 – Population: 142,289 city; 222,424 metro.

* 1855 – Brussels-Luxembourg railway station built.
* 1856 – La Monnaie, Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie opens.
* 1859 – Congress Column erected.
* 1860 – Population: 185,982 city; 300,341 metro.
* 1861 – Bois de la Cambre, Bois de la Cambre/Ter Kamerenbos laid out.
* 1869 – Trams in Brussels, Trams begin operating.
* 1871
** Covering of the Senne.
** Central Boulevards of Brussels built.
** established.
* 1873 – New building for the Brussels Stock Exchange completed.
* 1877 – Ixelles Cemetery created.
* 1880
** Parc du Cinquantenaire, Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark created.
** White slave trade affair scandal is exposed and attracts international attention.
* 1881 – ''L'Echo'' newspaper begins publication.
* 1883 – Palais de Justice, Brussels, Palace of Justice inaugurated.
* 1885
** Saint Mary's Royal Church built.
** Population: 171,751.
* 1887
** ''Le Soir'' newspaper begins publication.
** Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Palace for Fine Arts built.
* 1888 – ''Het Laatste Nieuws'' newspaper begins publication.
* 1889 – November: Brussels Anti-Slavery Conference 1889–90 begins.
* 1890 – enter service as a central abattoir for the whole city.
* 1891 – August: International Socialist Labor Congress of Brussels, 1891, International Socialist Labor Congress held in city.
* 1893
** Brussels Cycling Classic, Paris–Brussels cycle race begins.
** Hôtel Tassel built.
** Hankar House built.
* 1894 – Société Belge d'Études Coloniales headquartered in city.
* 1895
** Royal Greenhouses of Laeken built.
** Hotel Métropole, Brussels, Hotel Métropole in business at the Place de Brouckère, Place de Brouckère/De Brouckèreplein.
* 1896 – Brussels City Museum, King's House rebuilt.
* 1897
** Brussels International Exposition (1897), Brussels International world's fair held.
** Avenue de Tervueren, Avenue de Tervueren/Tervurenlaan laid out.
* 1899 – Maison du Peuple, Brussels, Maison du Peuple/Volkshuis built.
* 1900
** Cantillon (brewery), Cantillon brewery founded.
** Saint-Jean Hospital built.

20th century

* 1901 – Horta Museum, Maison & Atelier Horta built.
* 1905
** Cauchie House built.
** Cinquantenaire's memorial arch finished.
* 1908 – Chapel of the Resurrection, Brussels, Chapel of the Resurrection built.
* 1910 – Brussels International (1910), Brussels International world's fair held.

* 1911
** Solvay Conference held in city.
** Stoclet Palace built.
* 1914 – World War I: German occupation of Belgium during World War I, City captured and occupied by the German Army.
* 1917 – Constant Vanden Stock Stadium opens.
* 1919
** Lignes Farman airline begins operating its Paris–Brussels route.
** Population: 685,268 metro.
* 1920 – Edmond Machtens Stadium, Oscar Bossaert Stadium opens.
* 1921 – Haren, Belgium, Haren, Laeken, and Neder-Over-Heembeek, merged into the City of Brussels.
* 1922 – Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels, Société du Palais des Beaux-Arts and (garden) established.
* 1923 – Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History opens.
* 1927 – Solvay Conference held.
* 1930 – King Baudouin Stadium, Jubilee Stadium opens.
* 1931 – National Orchestra of Belgium, Brussels Symphony Orchestra founded.
* 1934 – Villa Empain built.
* 1935
** Brussels International Exposition (1935), Brussels International world's fair held; ''Brussels Expo, Palais des Expositions'' built.
** Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Brussels, Basilica of the Sacred Heart consecrated.
** City co-hosts the 1935 European Wrestling Championships.
* 1937 – Queen Elisabeth Competition begins.
* 1939 – Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium#Meunier Museum, Constantin Meunier Museum opens.
* 1940
** World War II: German occupation begins.
** German Military Administration in Belgium and Northern France headquartered in city.
** July: Frontstalag 110 German prisoner-of-war camps in World War II, prisoner-of-war camp established by the Germans.
* 1941 – Frontstalag 110 POW camp dissolved.

* 1944
** 3–4 September: Liberation of Brussels by the Welsh Guards; Palais de Justice, Brussels, Palace of Justice burnt by Germans to destroy legal records during their retreat.
** 8 September: Belgian government in exile returns to city after four years in London.
** District of Brussels, formed by Nazi Germany, no longer in control of the territory.
* 1948
** Treaty of Brussels signed.
** Brussels Airport opens.
* 1949 – NATO headquarters established.
* 1950 – City hosts the 1950 European Athletics Championships.
* 1952 – North–South connection completed; Brussels Central Station and Brussels-South railway station open.
* 1953 – City hosts the 1953 World Fencing Championships.

* 1958
** Expo 58 world's fair held; Atomium built.
** City becomes one of the seats of the European Communities, European Community.
* 1960 – City hosts Congolese Round Table Conference.
* 1967 – L'Innovation department store fire.
* 1969 – Free University of Brussels (1834–1969), Free University of Brussels splits along linguistic lines into Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).
* 1971
** created.
** Flower carpet on Grand-Place begins.
* 1972 – City hosts the 1972 European Karate Championships.
* 1974 – Brussels Independent Film Festival begins.
* 1975
** Bank Brussels Lambert headquartered in city.
** Université catholique de Louvain's established.
* 1976 – Brussels Metro begins operating.
* 1978
** Brussels Ring constructed.
** RTBF Symphony Orchestra formed.
* 1979
** May: City hosts the 1979 European Judo Championships.
** Archives of the City of Brussels moves into the former .
* 1980
** Flemish Community and French Community of Belgium each designate Brussels as capital city.
** Population of Brussels-Capital Region: 1,008,715.
* 1985
** Pope John Paul II List of pastoral visits of Pope John Paul II outside Italy, visits city.
** 29 May: Heysel Stadium disaster.
* 1988 – Kinepolis Brussels opens.
* 1989
** Brussels-Capital Region formed; Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region and Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region established.
** Belgian Comic Strip Center opens.
** Mini-Europe opens.
* 1990 – Population of Brussels-Capital Region: 964,385.
* 1993 – Espace Léopold opens.
* 1994
** City of Brussels designated capital of Belgium and seat of Federal Government of Belgium, Federal Government.
** Freddy Thielemans becomes mayor.
*1995
**Erasmus Brussels University of Applied Sciences and Arts is established after a merger of some ten colleges in and around Brussels.
* 1996 – Belgacom Towers built.
* 1998 – Ancienne Belgique renovated.
* 1999 – Wedding of Prince Philippe and Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz.
* 2000
** City named European Capital of Culture alongside eight other European cities.
** Zinneke Parade begins.
** Musical Instrument Museum, Brussels, Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) relocates.

21st century

* 2004 – North Galaxy Towers built.
* 2006 – Atomium renovated.
* 2007 – Hogeschool-Universiteit Brussel established.
* 2009 – Magritte Museum opens.
* 2010 – Population of Brussels-Capital Region: 1,089,538.
* 2013
** Brussels Agreement (2013), Brussels Agreement signed.
** Yvan Mayeur becomes mayor.
** Rudi Vervoort becomes Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region.
** Fin-de-Siècle Museum opens.
* 2014 – Jewish Museum of Belgium shooting.
* 2016 – 2016 Brussels bombings, Brussels bombings occur, killing 34 and injuring 230.
* 2017
** 20 June: June 2017 Brussels attack.
** 25 August: August 2017 Brussels attack.

See also

*
* List of mayors of the City of Brussels (largest municipality in the Brussels-Capital Region)
* List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region
* Timeline of Belgian history
* :City timelines, Timelines of other List of most populous municipalities in Belgium, municipalities in Belgium: Timeline of Antwerp, Antwerp, Timeline of Bruges, Bruges, Timeline of Ghent, Ghent, Timeline of Leuven, Leuven, Timeline of Liège, Liège

References

Notes

''This article incorporates information from the French Wikipedia.''

Bibliography

In English

;Published in the 19th century
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;Published in the 20th century
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;Published in the 21st century
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* - translation of
L’intégration des nouveaux arrivants à Bruxelles : un puzzle institutionnel et politique

In other languages

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External links

* Europeana

various dates.

{{years in Belgium

History of Brussels,
Timelines of cities in Europe, Brussels
Belgium history-related lists, Brussels, Timeline
Years in Belgium
Timelines of capitals, Brussels