Timeline of Cotonou
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Prior to 20th century
20th century
- 1904 - Cotonou becomes part of colonial French Dahomey.
- 1908 - Deepwater harbor opens.[1]
- 1912 - Cotonou becomes a "commune mixte."[4]
- 1920s - Population: 8,500.[4]
- 1928 - Ancien Pont (bridge) built.
- 1955 - Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cotonou established.[5]
- 1957 - January: Pan-African General Union of Negro African Workers founded at a conference in Cotonou.
- 1960s - Tomety photo studio in operation.[6]
- 1963
- Dantokpa Market established.[citation needed]
- Presidential Palace built.[2]
- 1964
- 1965 - Port constructed.[2]
- 1967 - Les Muses theatre troupe formed.[9]
- 1968 - Orchestre Poly Rythmo de Cotonou (musical group) and Société Béninoise de Textiles[2][10] established in Cotonou.
- 1970 - Université du Dahomey founded.
- 1975 - City becomes part of the People's Republic of Benin.
- 1980 - Association des écrivains et critiques littéraires du Bénin founded.[11][12]
- 1981 - Population: 383,250 (estimate).[13]
- 1982 - Stade de l'Amitié (stadium) opens.
- 1988 - Musée olympique du Bénin opens.
- 1986 - Sister city relationship established with Salvador, Brazil.[14]
- 1990 - February: Benin constitutional conference held.[15]
- 1992 - Population: 536,827.[16]
- 1995
- Centre de conferences international opens.[17]
- December: Meeting of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie held in city.[3]
- 1996 - University of Science and Technology of Benin established.
21st century
- 2001 - L'Informateur newspaper begins publication.[10][18]
- 2002 - Maison des Médias du Bénin founded.[19][20]
- 2003
- 25 December: Airplane crash.[21]
- Nicéphore Soglo becomes mayor.
- 2005 - Fondation Zinsou (museum) opens.[17]
- 2009 - Population: 815,041.[22]
- 2011 - Population: 924,000.[23]
- 2013 - Population: 679,012.[24]
