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

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a ...

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 fo ...

city of

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

. The word ''Caerdyf'' has its origins in post-Roman

Brythonic Brittonic or Brythonic may refer to: *Common Brittonic, or Brythonic, the Celtic language anciently spoken in Great Britain *Brittonic languages, a branch of the Celtic languages descended from Common Brittonic *Britons (Celtic people) The Br ...

words meaning "the fort of the 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. ''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 sett ...

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 Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 10 ...

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 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 pioneer. Settle ...

s Norman/Saxon people. 1111: Cardiff town walls were first mentioned by

Caradoc of Llancarfan Caradoc of Llancarfan ( Welsh: ''Caradog o Lancarfan'') was a Welsh cleric and author associated with Llancarfan in Wales in the 12th century. He is generally seen as the author of a ''Life of Gildas'' and a ''Life of Saint Cadog'', in Latin. Da ...

in his book '' Brut y Tywysogion''. 1126: Ralph "Prepositus de Kardi" took up office as the first Mayor of Cardiff. 1158: Ifor Bach, 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, 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 The staple right, also translated stacking right or storage right, both from the Dutch ''stapelrecht'', was a medieval right accorded to certain ports, the staple ports. It required merchant barges or ships to unload their goods at the port and to ...

. 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) 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 begin ...

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, 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 hi ...

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, b ...

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 ...

. 1648: The Battle of St. Fagans was fought between the Parliamentarian Army and the Royalists. 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 Lighthouse was built. 1766: John Stuart, 1st Marquess of Bute 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 legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of parliame ...

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 Ir ...

, 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.

19th-century growth of Cardiff

1793: John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute 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 T ...

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

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city, Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Glouces ...

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, English language in England, standard English, Australian English, Australian, and Huron Historic Gaol, historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention cen ...

was built in the Spital Field (the site of the present Cardiff Prison). 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'' was published from 1857 to 1928. 1858: Rhymney Railway opened a main line and a limited passenger service. 1859: Cardiff Bridge was built, a new stone bridge. 1860: The Principality Building Society 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 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 ...

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 aristocrat, industrial magnate, antiquarian, scholar, philanthropist, and architectural patron. Succeeding to the marquisate at the age ...

. 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 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. Competitor ...

was held in Cardiff. 1883: Aberdare Hall 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 afte ...

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

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. 1893:

Ivor Novello Ivor Novello (born David Ivor Davies; 15 January 1893 – 6 March 1951) was a Welsh actor, dramatist, singer and composer who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century. He was born into a musical ...

was born in

Cowbridge Road East Cowbridge Road East () is a major road in western-central Cardiff the capital of Wales. It is the principal road which passes through the busy district of Canton and connects Cowbridge Road West Cowbridge Road West () is a major road in w ...

, Cardiff. 1893: University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire became the

University of Wales , latin_name = , image = , caption = Coat of Arms , motto = cy, Goreu Awen Gwirionedd , mottoeng = The Best Inspiration is Truth , established = , , type = Confederal, non-member ...

. 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 steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Chepstow, Wales, over a distance of abo ...

hunt race was run at

Ely Racecourse Ely Racecourse was a horse racing venue in the Ely, Cardiff, Ely district of Cardiff, Wales. The racecourse opened in 1855, with the first race being held on 30 May. By 1864 racing at Ely was a regular event, the races that year were acclaimed as ...

. 1897: The Pierhead Building was built. 1899: Riverside Football Club, later to be renamed

Cardiff City Cardiff City Football Club ( cy, Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd) is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1899 as R ...

, was formed. 1901: Population: 164,333. 1903: The first building in Cathays Park, the

University of Wales, Registry The University of Wales Registry ( cy, Cofrestrfa Prifysgol Cymru) is the administrative headquarters of the University of Wales, located in Cathays Park, Cardiff, Wales. The University of Wales was a confederal University founded in 1893. It ...

, 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 ...

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 by

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 Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second chil ...

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 ...

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 ter ...

". 1907:

Queen Alexandra Dock Cardiff Docks ( cy, Dociau Caerdydd) is a port in southern Cardiff, Wales. At its peak, the port was one of the largest dock systems in the world with a total quayage of almost . Once the main port for the export of South Wales coal, the Port ...

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 fixtu ...

. 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 Gov ...

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 ''River Taff, Taf'') is a district, Community (Wales), 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 ...

, Cardiff. 1919: Four days of race riots take place in June, leading to the deaths of three men. 1923: The BBC began broadcasting from studios in Castle Street. 1927:

beat

Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostl ...

1–0 to win the

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football compet ...

. 1930: Cardiff Round Table, the local branch of Round Table Britain & Ireland, was founded, being the 26th table in the organisation. 1931:

Cardiff Municipal Airport Royal Air Force Pengam Moors (or more simply RAF Pengam Moors, or also known as RAF Cardiff) is a former Royal Air Force station and maintenance unit (MU), located on the Pengam Moors area of Tremorfa, 2 miles south east of Cardiff city centre ...

was opened on Pengam Moors. 1932: The first miners'

hunger march Hunger marches are a form of social protest that arose in the United Kingdom during the early 20th century. Often the marches involved groups of men and women walking from areas with high unemployment, to London where they would protest outside ...

to start in Cardiff, left for

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

to protest about unemployment. 1935: The first RAC Welsh Rally started from Cardiff. 1937:

Shirley Bassey Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Best known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the theme songs to three James Bond films, Bassey is widely regarded as one of the most popular vocalist ...

was born in Tiger Bay, Cardiff. 1939: Billy the Seal died. 1941: The heaviest German Luftwaffe raid of

World War II 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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, the Cardiff Blitz, occurred; 156 people were killed. 1946:

Welsh National Opera Welsh National Opera (WNO) ( cy, Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru) is an opera company based in Cardiff, Wales; it gave its first performances in 1946. It began as a mainly amateur body and transformed into an all-professional ensemble by 1973. In its ...

staged its first productions at the Prince of Wales Theatre. 1947: The Bute family gave Cardiff Castle to the city. 1948: The Welsh Folk Museum was opened at

St. Fagans St Fagans ( ; cy, Sain Ffagan) is a village and community in the west of the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It is home to the St Fagans National History Museum. History The name of the area invokes Saint Fagan, according to William of Mal ...

. 1952: The last execution took place in Cardiff Prison.

Mahmood Hussein Mattan Mahmood Hussein Mattan (1923 – 3 September 1952) was a British Somali former merchant seaman who was wrongfully convicted of the murder of Lily Volpert on 6 March 1952. The murder took place in the Docklands area of Cardiff, Wales, and Mat ...

was hanged for murder, but his conviction was quashed in 1998. 1954:

Cardiff Airport Cardiff Airport ( cy, Maes Awyr Caerdydd) is the only airport offering commercial passenger services in Wales. It has been under the ownership of the Welsh Government since March 2013, operating at an arm's length as a commercial business. ...

moved from Pengam Moors to its current home in Rhoose. 1955: Cardiff was officially recognised as the capital city of Wales. Cardiffmap1946

1956: Cardiff ceased being a fishing port after 70 years. 1958: The British Empire and Commonwealth Games opened at

. The

Wales Empire Pool The Wales Empire Pool, known locally as the Empire Pool, was an international standard swimming pool building, located in Cardiff, Wales from 1958 until it was demolished in 1998. It was a centrepiece for the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth ...

opened for the Games. 1959: The movie '' Tiger Bay'' was released. It was partly shot in Cardiff. 1961:

Public houses A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

in Cardiff were allowed to open for the first time on Sundays since the 1880s. 1963: The

Rover Rover may refer to: People * Constance Rover (1910–2005), English historian * Jolanda de Rover (born 1963), Dutch swimmer * Rover Thomas (c. 1920–1998), Indigenous Australian artist Places * Rover, Arkansas, US * Rover, Missouri, US * ...

car factory was opened. 1964: West Bute Dock closed as the last shipment of coal, just 229,000 tons, left the docks. 1966: The

Heath Hospital University Hospital of Wales ( cy, Ysbyty Athrofaol Cymru) (UHW), also known as the Heath Hospital, is a major 1,000-bed hospital in the Heath district of Cardiff, Wales. UHW is a teaching hospital of Cardiff University School of Medicine. Co ...

was officially opened. 1967:

Glamorgan County Cricket Club Glamorgan County Cricket Club ( cy, Criced Morgannwg) is one of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Glamorgan ( cy, Morgannwg). Founded in 1888, ...

played their first game at Sophia Gardens, having moved from Cardiff Arms Park. 1970: Bute East Dock was closed. Pearl Assurance House is opened in April, the tallest building in Wales. 1971: The National Sports Centre for Wales opened in Sophia Gardens. 1973: John Desmond Brayley MC DL was nominated for a peerage as Baron Brayley of the City of Cardiff and County Glamorgan. 1974:

South Glamorgan , Government= South Glamorgan County Council , Status= Non-metropolitan county (1974–1996) Preserved county (1996–) , Start= 1974 , End= 1996 , Arms= , HQ= ...

was established as part of the local government reorganisation. Cardiff lost the independent County Borough status it had since 1889. James Callaghan (1975)

1976:

James Callaghan Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, ( ; 27 March 191226 March 2005), commonly known as Jim Callaghan, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980. Callaghan is ...

, MP for

, became

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern p ...

. 1977: The Welsh Industrial and Maritime Museum was opened in

Cardiff Bay Cardiff Bay ( cy, Bae Caerdydd; historically Tiger Bay; colloquially "The Bay") is an area and freshwater lake in Cardiff, Wales. The site of a former tidal bay and estuary, it serves as the river mouth of the River Taff and Ely. The body of ...

. 1980: The

M4 motorway The M4, originally the London-South Wales Motorway, is a motorway in the United Kingdom running from west London to southwest Wales. The English section to the Severn Bridge was constructed between 1961 and 1971; the Welsh element was largely ...

to the north of the city was opened. 1982:

S4C S4C (, ''Sianel Pedwar Cymru'', meaning ''Channel Four Wales'') is a Welsh language free-to-air public broadcast television channel. Launched on 1 November 1982, it was the first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking ...

, the Welsh-language television channel was established. The Ely Link Road opens. 1983: BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition was launched. 1984: The National Stadium at

was opened. 1985: The Capel Llanilltern – Culverhouse Cross Link Road opens. 1986:

Wales National Ice Rink The Wales National Ice Rink (WNIR) was an ice rink in Cardiff, Wales. It was the former home of the Cardiff Devils ice hockey team. The WNIR was opened in September 1986, and was inaugurated by the Duchess of York on 27 April 1987. Meat Loaf perf ...

was opened and the

Cardiff Devils The Cardiff Devils are a Welsh ice hockey team who play in the British Elite Ice Hockey League. The team play at Ice Arena Wales in Cardiff Bay. Cardiff are the reigning EIHL play-off champions, winning their third title in a row after beati ...

ice hockey team established. Wales Millennium Centre

The regeneration of Cardiff Bay and the city

1987: The

Cardiff Bay Development Corporation The Cardiff Bay Development Corporation was set up by the United Kingdom Government on 3 April 1987 to redevelop one sixth of the area of Cardiff to create Cardiff Bay. Objectives The Secretary of State for Wales, Nicholas Edwards set out the ...

was established to transform derelict land that had been Cardiff docks into

. 1988: The new County Hall was completed in Cardiff Bay. The Grangetown Link Road opens. 1989:

Cardiff Athletics Stadium The Cardiff Athletics Stadium (also known as Leckwith Athletics Stadium) was an athletics and football stadium in Cardiff, Wales. It opened in 1989 and was demolished in 2007, replaced by the Cardiff International Sports Stadium. The Card ...

was opened in Leckwith. 1995: The Butetown Link Road opens. 1996:

became a

unitary authority A unitary authority is a local authority responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are usually performed by a higher level of sub-national government or the national governmen ...

in a local government reorganisation of 1996. Cardiff reverted to its previous status of administratively-independent city. 1997: Wales voted in favour of a

Welsh Assembly The Senedd (; ), officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English and () in Welsh, is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, it makes laws for Wales, agrees certain taxes and scrutinises the Welsh ...

in a national referendum, but Cardiff again voted against it. 1999: The

Millennium Stadium The Millennium Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm y Mileniwm), known since 2016 as the Principality Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm Principality) for sponsorship reasons, is the national stadium of Wales. Located in Cardiff, it is the home of the Wales national r ...

was opened to host the final of the

1999 Rugby World Cup The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial international rugby union championship. It was principally hosted by Wales, and was won by Australia. This was the first Rugby World Cup to be held in the sport's professi ...

. The

Cardiff Bay Barrage Cardiff Bay Barrage ( cy, Morglawdd Bae Caerdydd) lies across the mouth of Cardiff Bay, Wales between Queen Alexandra Dock and Penarth Head. It was one of the largest civil engineering projects in Europe during construction in the 1990s. Histo ...

was opened. 2001: The 2001 Census showed that the population of Cardiff was 305,353. 2004: The

Wales Millennium Centre Wales Millennium Centre ( cy, Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru) is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 an ...

was opened. Senedd Wales

2006: The

Senedd The Senedd (; ), officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English and () in Welsh, is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, it makes laws for Wales, agrees certain taxes and scrutinises the Welsh Gov ...

, the new debating chamber for the Welsh Assembly, was opened. 2008:

Cardiff International Pool Cardiff International Pool is an Olympic-sized swimming pool built as a public-private funded project; with a partnership between Cardiff Council (land owner), OLLC which is a partnership between Orion Land & Leisure and Explore Investments (d ...

opened to the public at the International Sports Village in

on 12 January, replacing the

that had been demolished in 1997 to make way for the

. The

was held in Cardiff. 2009:

Cardiff City Stadium The Cardiff City Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm Dinas Caerdydd) is a stadium in the Leckwith area of Cardiff, Wales. It is the home of Cardiff City Football Club and the Wales national football team. Following expansion of the Ninian Stand in July 2 ...

and

Cardiff International Sports Stadium Cardiff International Sports Campus ( cy, Campws Chwaraeon Rhyngwladol Caerdydd), is an athletics stadium and playing fields in the Leckwith area of Cardiff, Wales. The campus opened in 2009 as part of the major Leckwith Development, which in ...

both opened, while

was demolished, which was part of the

Leckwith development The Leckwith development is in the Leckwith area of southwest Cardiff, Wales. Work started in Autumn 2007 with the construction of a new stadium for Cardiff City F.C. The proposal The project consisted of: * A new 26,828 seat stadium for Cardi ...

. The new Central Library opened in March. 2010:

Cardiff International White Water Cardiff International White Water ( cy, Dŵr Gwyn Rhyngwladol Caerdydd) is an Olympic standard white water rafting centre based at the Cardiff International Sports Village in Cardiff Bay. The centre opened on 26 March 2010, after taking two year ...

, a

whitewater Whitewater forms in a rapid context, in particular, when a river's gradient changes enough to generate so much turbulence that air is trapped within the water. This forms an unstable current that froths, making the water appear opaque and ...

rafting centre, opened on 26 March at the International Sports Village. 2011: Wales voted in favour of extending the lawmaking powers of the

in a national referendum. This time Cardiff also voted "yes" to more powers, with over 61% of its people supporting the change. The 2011 Census showed that the population of Cardiff was 346,100, its highest actual recorded figure. 2013:

was promoted in the 2012–13 to football's

Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...

, 51 years since they were last in football's top tier in

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wor ...

, but the first since the Premier League came into being. They were relegated at the end of the 2013–14 season. BBC Cymru Wales (geograph 6226511) (cropped)

BBC Cymru Wales (geograph 6226511) (cropped)

2016: Ice Arena Wales opened to the public, while the previous temporary structure, the

Cardiff Arena The Cardiff Arena, also known as Cardiff Bay Ice Arena and also known by ice hockey fans as the Big Blue Tent, was a temporary ice rink in Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, Wales. It had a capacity of 2,500 for ice hockey and was home to the Cardiff Devils ...

closed. 2017: The first phase of the Eastern Bay Link Road opened, which will eventually complete the Peripheral Distributor Road around Cardiff. 2019: The BBC's New Broadcasting House opens in Central Square. 2020: William Morgan House, a UK Government office building for

HM Revenue and Customs HM Revenue and Customs (His Majesty's Revenue and Customs, or HMRC) is a non-ministerial government department, non-ministerial Departments of the United Kingdom Government, department of the His Majesty's Government, UK Government responsible fo ...

(HMRC) and the UK's

Department for International Trade The Department for International Trade (DIT) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for striking and extending trade agreements between the United Kingdom and foreign countries, as well as for encouraging foreign investment and ...

Cabinet Office The Cabinet Office is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for supporting the prime minister and Cabinet. It is composed of various units that support Cabinet committees and which co-ordinate the delivery of government object ...

and the office of the

Secretary of State for Wales The secretary of state for Wales ( cy, ysgrifennydd gwladol Cymru), also referred to as the Welsh secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Wales Office. The incumbent is a member ...

opened.

Notes

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cardiff history Timelines of cities in the United Kingdom History of Cardiff Welsh history timelines

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