The following is a timeline of the

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

of the city of

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...

, United States.

Prior to 18th century

* 1620 - Erie Nation occupies area * 1651 - Seneca Nation destroys Erie Nation * 1679 - La Salle built Fort Conti and launched

Le Griffon ''Le Griffon'' (, ''The Griffin'') was a sailing vessel built by René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle in 1679. ''Le Griffon'' was constructed and launched at or near Cayuga Island on the Niagara River and was armed with seven cannons. The ...

. * 1687 -

Marquis de Denonville A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman ...

built

Fort Denonville Fort Denonville was a French fort built in 1688 at the current site of Fort Niagara. It replaced Fort Conti which had been built on the site in 1679 and had burned later that year. The fort was located at the mouth of the Niagara River on Lake ...

at the mouth of the river.

18th century

* 1784 - Area known as the ''Buffalo Creek region''. * 1793 -

Holland Land Purchase The Phelps and Gorham Purchase was the purchase in 1788 of of land in what is now western New York (state), New York State from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for $1,000,000 (Pound sterling, £300,000), to be paid in three annual installments, ...

is completed

19th century

1800s-1860s

* 1801 - Buffalo is founded by

Joseph Ellicott Joseph Ellicott (November 1, 1760 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania – August 19, 1826 in New York City) was an American surveyor, city planner, land office agent, lawyer and politician of the Quaker faith. Life Ellicott was born in Bucks Co ...

. * 1810 - Population: 1,508. * 1811 - ''Buffalo Gazette''

newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as p ...

begins publication. * 1813 - December 30: Battle of Buffalo fought during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

. * 1816 - Village incorporated in

Niagara County Niagara County is in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 212,666. The county seat is Lockport. The county name is from the Iroquois word ''Onguiaahra''; meaning ''the strait'' or ''thunder of waters''. Niaga ...

. * 1818 - ''Walk-in-the-Water'' Great Lakes passenger steamboat begins operating. It was named after

Walk-in-the-Water Walk-in-the-Water r My-ee-rahref name=":0"> (died c. 1817) was a Huron chief. Biography He was a member of the Wyandotte tribe. At the beginning of the War of 1812, he offered his services to Gen. William Hull, but they were declined, owing to th ...

a Huron chief. * 1820 - Population: 2,095. * 1821 - Buffalo designated seat of newly created Erie County. * 1825 -

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing t ...

opens. * 1830 -

Population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

: 8,668. * 1832 ** City of Buffalo incorporated. ** Ebenezer Johnson served as the first Mayor. * 1833 -

Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, established in 1833 and sometimes referred to as the Lake Shore, was a major part of the New York Central Railroad's Water Level Route from Buffalo, New York, to Chicago, Illinois, primarily along the ...

established. * 1834 - Cholera. * 1835 - November 11: " Cyclone" occurs. * 1836 ** Young Men's Association active. ** Buffalo Library ( social library) organized. * 1840 -

: 18,213. * 1842 - Joseph Dart invented the Dart's Elevator, a steam-powered grain elevator. * 1846 -

University of Buffalo The State University of New York at Buffalo, commonly called the University at Buffalo (UB) and sometimes called SUNY Buffalo, is a public research university with campuses in Buffalo and Amherst, New York. The university was founded in 18 ...

and its Medical School established. * 1847 -

Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo The Diocese of Buffalo is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church headquartered in Buffalo, New York, United States. It is a suffragan diocese within the metropolitan province of the Archdiocese of New York. The Diocese of Buffalo inclu ...

established. * 1848 - June: 1848 Free Soil Party national convention held in Buffalo;

Martin Van Buren Martin Van Buren ( ; nl, Maarten van Buren; ; December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862) was an American lawyer and statesman who served as the eighth president of the United States from 1837 to 1841. A primary founder of the Democratic Party, he ...

nominated as U.S. presidential candidate. * 1849 - Forest Lawn Cemetery established. * 1850 -

: 42,261. * 1851 ** St. Paul's Cathedral built. ** Buffalo Seminary founded. * 1853 -

New York Central Railroad The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected greater New York and Boston in the east with Chicago and St. Louis in the Mid ...

in operation. * 1854 -

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams (philanthropist), Georg ...

U.S. branch organized in Buffalo. * 1856 ** Chippewa Market opens. ** Manufacturers and Traders Bank in business. * 1858 - Broadway Arsenal opened. * 1860 -

: 81,129. * 1861 ** Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences founded. ** St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute founded. * 1862 -

Buffalo Historical Society The Buffalo History Museum (founded as the Buffalo Historical Society, and later named the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society) is located at 1 Museum Court (formerly 25 Nottingham Court) in Buffalo, New York, just east of Elmwood Avenue and ...

formed. * 1863 - St. Joseph Cathedral consecrated.

1870s-1890s

* 1870 **

Richardson Olmsted Complex The Richardson Olmsted Campus in Buffalo, New York, United States, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986. ''Note:'' This includes , , an''Accompanying three photographs''/ref> The site was designed by the American architect Henry Ho ...

built. ** Roman Catholic (Jesuit) Canisius College founded. **

: 117,714. * 1871 - Buffalo Normal School founded, became "State Normal and Training School" * 1873 ** Church of St. Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr established. **

International Railway Bridge The International Railway Bridge is a two-span swing bridge carrying the Stamford Subdivision of the Canadian National Railway across the Niagara River between Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, and Buffalo, New York, United States. It was originally b ...

to Canada opens. ** '' Buffalo Sunday Morning News'' begins publication. * 1874 - "The number of ships built at Buffalo was thirty-seven." * 1875 **

County and City Hall __NOTOC__ County and City Hall, also known as Erie County Hall, is a historic city hall and courthouse building located at Buffalo in Erie County, New York. It is a monumental granite structure designed by Rochester architect Andrew Jackson ...

constructed. ** Population: 134,238. * 1876 **

Delaware Park–Front Park System Delaware Park–Front Park System is a historic park system and national historic district in the northern and western sections of Buffalo in Erie County, New York. The park system was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux and de ...

developed. ** Delaware Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church built. * 1880 -

: 155,134. * 1881 - Architect

Louise Blanchard Bethune Louise Blanchard Bethune (July 21, 1856 – December 18, 1913) was the first American woman known to have worked as a professional architect. She was born in Waterloo, New York. Blanchard worked primarily in Buffalo, New York and partnered with h ...

in business. * 1882 -

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

becomes mayor. * 1886 ** Westinghouse AC electrical

power station A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid. Many ...

begins operating. ** University of Buffalo School of Pharmacy established. * 1887 -

University at Buffalo Law School The University at Buffalo School of Law (also known as State University of New York at Buffalo Law School, or SUNY Buffalo Law School) is a graduate professional school at the University at Buffalo. Founded in 1887 and affiliate with Niagara Univ ...

established. * 1890 -

: 255,664. * 1892 - University of Buffalo School of Dental Medicine established. * 1893 ** Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad in operation. ** Former mayor

becomes U.S. president. * 1894 - Twentieth Century Club founded. * 1896 - Ellicott Square Building completed. * 1899 - Labor strike of grain workers. * 1900 ** Manufacture of

Thomas Auto-Bi The Auto-Bi was an early motorcycle made by the Thomas Motor Company in Buffalo, New York. According to many sources, it was the first motorcycle widely available for sale in the United States. Production history Thomas had been manufacturing a D ...

motorcycle begins. **

: 352,387.

20th century

* 1901 ** May 1:

Pan-American Exposition The Pan-American Exposition was a World's Fair held in Buffalo, New York, United States, from May 1 through November 2, 1901. The fair occupied of land on the western edge of what is now Delaware Park, extending from Delaware Avenue to Elmwood A ...

opens in Delaware Park. ** September 6: Assassination of William McKinley, U.S. president. ** September 14: Inauguration of Theodore Roosevelt as U.S. president. ** September 23–24: Trial of assassin

Leon Czolgosz Leon Frank Czolgosz ( , ; May 5, 1873 – October 29, 1901) was an American laborer and anarchist who assassinated President William McKinley on September 6, 1901, in Buffalo, New York. The president died on September 14 after his wound became ...

held. * 1902 - YMCA Central Building built. * 1905 - Albright Art Gallery (of modern art) opens. * 1908 **

D'Youville College D'Youville University (D'Youville or DYU) is a private university in Buffalo, New York. It was founded as D'Youville College in 1908 and named by the Grey Nuns after the patroness saint Marie-Marguerite d'Youville. As of Fall 2020 D'Youville Co ...

founded. ** Hotel Statler in business (first in chain). * 1910 -

: 423,715. * 1914 - Art Theater in business. * 1917 - December 9: Snowstorm. * 1919 ** The new

was rebuilt as a barge canal. ** Rivoli Theatre in business. * 1920 **

University at Buffalo The State University of New York at Buffalo, commonly called the University at Buffalo (UB) and sometimes called SUNY Buffalo, is a public research university with campuses in Buffalo and Amherst, New York. The university was founded in 18 ...

raised an endowment of $5m. by popular subscription. **

: 506,775. * 1921 - Loew's State Theatre in business. * 1922 - WGR

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmi ...

begins broadcasting. * 1923 - On February 24, Phi Omega chapter of the National Omega Psi Phi fraternity was chartered at University of New York at Buffalo as first African American Greek-Lettered Fraternity established in western New York. * 1924 ** DuPont

cellophane Cellophane is a thin, transparent sheet made of regenerated cellulose. Its low permeability to air, oils, greases, bacteria, and liquid water makes it useful for food packaging. Cellophane is highly permeable to water vapour, but may be coated ...

manufactory begins operating. ** WEBR

begins broadcasting. * 1926 ** ''

Buffalo Courier-Express The ''Buffalo Courier-Express'' was a morning newspaper in Buffalo, New York. It ceased publication on September 19, 1982. History The ''Courier-Express'' was created in 1926 by a merger of the ''Buffalo Daily Courier'' and the ''Buffalo Morning ...

'' newspaper in publication (ceased 1982). **

Buffalo Niagara International Airport Buffalo Niagara International Airport is in Cheektowaga, New York. The airport serves Buffalo, New York and Niagara Falls, New York United States, and the southern Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario, Canada. It is the third-busiest airport i ...

, then known as "Buffalo Municipal Airport", opens in nearby

Cheektowaga Cheektowaga () is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town has grown to a population of 89,877. The town is in the north-central part of the county, and is an inner ring suburb of Buffalo. The town is the ...

Shea's Performing Arts Center Shea's Performing Arts Center (originally Shea's Buffalo) is a theater for touring Broadway musicals and special events in Buffalo, New York. Originally called Shea's Buffalo, it was opened in 1926 to show silent movies. It took one year to b ...

opens. * 1927 -

Peace Bridge The Peace Bridge is an international bridge between Canada and the United States at the east end of Lake Erie at the source of the Niagara River, about upriver of Niagara Falls. It connects Buffalo, New York, in the United States to Fort Er ...

to Canada opens. * 1929 - Buffalo Museum of Science and

Buffalo Central Terminal Buffalo Central Terminal is an historic former railroad station in Buffalo, New York. An active station from 1929 to 1979, the 17-story Art Deco style station was designed by architects Fellheimer & Wagner for the New York Central Railroad. Th ...

open to public. * 1932 -

Buffalo City Hall Buffalo City Hall is the city hall, seat for municipal government in the Buffalo, New York, City of Buffalo, New York (state), New York. Located at 65 Niagara Square, the 32-story Art Deco building was completed in 1931 by Dietel, Wade & Jones. ...

built. * 1936 -

Coin-operated A currency detector or currency validator is a device that determines whether notes or coins are genuine or counterfeit. These devices are used in a wide range of automated machines, such as retail kiosks, supermarket self checkout machines, ...

Launder-Ur-Own

laundromat A self-service laundry, coin laundry, laundromat, or coin wash is a facility where clothes are washed and dried without much personalized professional help. They are known in the United Kingdom as launderettes or laundrettes, and in the Unit ...

in business. * 1940 -

Buffalo Memorial Auditorium Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, colloquially known as The Aud, was a multipurpose indoor arena in downtown Buffalo, New York. Opened on October 14, 1940, it was home to the Canisius Golden Griffins (NCAA), the Buffalo Bisons ( AHL), the Buffalo Bis ...

opened * 1948 - WBEN-TV (

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

) begins broadcasting. * 1950 -

: 580,132. * 1953 - New zoning laws include parking minimums, these new zoning laws are a factor in the decline of Buffalo over the following decades. * 1954 - WGR-TV (television) begins broadcasting. * 1960 - Buffalo Bills Football Inaugural Season. Team is second professional team with the name and the third professional football franchise in the city. * 1966 ** January:

Blizzard A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong sustained winds and low visibility, lasting for a prolonged period of time—typically at least three or four hours. A ground blizzard is a weather condition where snow is not falling ...

. **

Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site preserves the Ansley Wilcox House, at 641 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, New York. Here, after the assassination of William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt took the oath of office as President of the ...

established. * 1967 - Race riot occurs in East Buffalo as part of

Long, hot summer of 1967 The long, hot summer of 1967 refers to the more than 150 race riots that erupted across the United States in the summer of 1967. In June there were riots in Atlanta, Boston, Cincinnati, Buffalo, and Tampa. In July there were riots in Birming ...

* 1970 **

Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...

Hockey Inaugural Season **

Buffalo Braves The Buffalo Braves were an American professional basketball franchise based in Buffalo, New York. The Braves competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division from 1970 ...

Basketball Inaugural Season. Team plays 8 seasons in Buffalo before relocating to

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...

and later

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

to become the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

* 1971 ** February 22: Blizzard. ** Erie Community College Buffalo campus established. * 1977 - January: Blizzard of '77. * 1979 ** Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park established. **

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

closes Buffalo Central Terminal, redirecting passenger rail service to the Exchange Street and Depew stations * 1984 - **

Buffalo Metro Rail Buffalo Metro Rail is the public transit rail system in Buffalo, New York, operated by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA). The system consists of a single, light rail line that runs for most of the length of Main Street ( New Y ...

begins service **

Republic Steel Republic Steel is an American steel manufacturer that was once the country's third largest steel producer. It was founded as the Republic Iron and Steel Company in Youngstown, Ohio in 1899. After rising to prominence during the early 20th Centu ...

shutters South Buffalo mill * 1988 -

Sahlen Field Sahlen Field is a baseball park in Buffalo, New York, United States. Originally known as Pilot Field, the venue has since been named Downtown Ballpark, North AmeriCare Park, Dunn Tire Park, and Coca-Cola Field. Home to the Buffalo Bisons of the ...

(then known as "Pilot Field") opens, replacing War Memorial Stadium * 1989 - Western New York Documentary Heritage Program headquartered in Buffalo. * 1990 -

: 328,123. * 1996 **

KeyBank Center KeyBank Center is a multipurpose indoor arena located in Buffalo, New York. Originally known as Marine Midland Arena, the venue has since been named HSBC Arena and First Niagara Center. Home to the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey Leagu ...

(then named Marine Midland Center) opens, replacing the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium **City website online (approximate date).

21st century

* 2000 -

: 292,648 * 2001 **

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) is a medical center of health care, life sciences research and medical education institutions, co-located on in Buffalo, New York. The BNMC was founded in 2001 by a consortium (including the University ...

established ** December: Snowstorm. * 2005 **

Byron Brown Byron William Brown II (born September 24, 1958) is an American politician who is the current mayor of Buffalo, New York. He has served as Buffalo's 62nd mayor since January 2006, the City's first African-American mayor and longest serving ...

becomes mayor. **

Brian Higgins Brian Michael Higgins (born October 6, 1959) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for , serving since 2005. The district, numbered as the 27th district from 2005 to 2013 but as the 26th since 2013, includes Buffalo and N ...

becomes

U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

for

New York's 27th congressional district The 27th congressional district of New York was a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in western New York. It included all of Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, and Livingston counties and parts of Erie, Monroe, Ni ...

. * 2006 - October 13: Lake Storm "Aphid" * 2008 - Canalside, then named Erie Canal Harbor, reopens to public after early phase of redevelopment work. * 2010 -

: 261,310. * 2014 - November 17–20: "Snowvember" snowstorm. * 2017 **

Minimum parking requirements A parking lot (American English) or car park (British English), also known as a car lot, is a cleared area intended for parking vehicles. The term usually refers to an area dedicated only for parking, with a durable or semi-durable surface ...

were eliminated citywide in order to revitalize the city after decades of decline. **

Tesla, Inc. Tesla, Inc. ( or ) is an American multinational automotive and clean energy company headquartered in Austin, Texas. Tesla designs and manufactures electric vehicles (electric cars and trucks), battery energy storage from home to grid- ...

opens

Giga New York Gigafactory New York (also known as Giga New York or Gigafactory 2) is a photovoltaic (PV) cell factory leased by Tesla in Riverbend, Buffalo, New York. The factory, owned by the State of New York, was built on brownfield land remediated from ...

solar panel factory on old Republic Steel site * 2020 **

: 278,349, Buffalo finally gains population again after 70 years. **

Buffalo police shoving incident On June 4, 2020, amid the George Floyd protests in New York state, police officers from the Buffalo Police Department pushed 75-year-old Martin Gugino during a confrontation in Buffalo's Niagara Square, causing him to fall to the ground whic ...

occurs as part of

George Floyd protests The George Floyd protests were a series of protests and civil unrest against police brutality and racism that began in Minneapolis on May 26, 2020, and largely took place during 2020. The civil unrest and protests began as part of internat ...

*2022 ** May 14: The deadliest shooting in the city's 221-year history occurs. 13 people are shot, and 10 of them die. ** December 23 - 27: A

snowstorm A winter storm is an event in which wind coincides with varieties of precipitation that only occur at freezing temperatures, such as snow, mixed snow and rain, or freezing rain. In temperate continental climates, these storms are not necessar ...

kills 41 people, becoming the deadliest snowstorm in the city's history. * 2023 ** Mayor Byron Brown begins his historical 5th term as the City's mayor. ** A magnitude 3.8 earthquake affects the Buffalo area in February.

References

Bibliography

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External links

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Digital Public Library of America The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is a US project aimed at providing public access to digital holdings in order to create a large-scale public digital library. It officially launched on April 18, 2013, after two and a half years of dev ...

) * {{City of Buffalo, New York * Buffalo