Timeline of Freetown
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Prior to 19th century
- 1540-50s - native Bullom people conquered by the Mane
- January 1568 - English slave raider John Hawkins helps destroy Bonga, a town of around 10 000 people located in the area that would become Freetown.[1]
- 1787
- 9 May: Settlers arrive from Portsmouth, England.[2]
- Granville Town, Province of Freedom established by the London-based Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor.
- 1789 - Granville Town burned down.[citation needed]
- 1792 - Freetown established by black American ex-slaves (called the Nova Scotian Settlers) under the auspices of the Sierra Leone Company.[2]
- 1794 - September: Settler Town attacked by French.[2]
- 1800
- September: Rebellion of Nova Scotian Settlers.[3]
- Jamaican Maroon settlers arrive.[2][4]
19th century
- 1805 - Martello Tower built.
- 1808
- Freetown settlement becomes a British crown colony.[5]
- "Slavers court" established.[2]
- 1811 - Population: 1,900.[6]
- 1812 - Wilberforce suburb founded for Liberated Africans."[2]
- 1816 - Krootown established.[7]
- 1822
- Rawdon Street Methodist Church built.[3][8]
- Population: 4,785.[9]
- 1827 - Fourah Bay College established.[10]
- 1828 - St. George's Cathedral, Freetown built.
- 1830s - Foulah Town Mosque built.[citation needed]
- 1845
- Church Mission Society Grammar School founded.[11]
- John Ezzidio becomes mayor.[citation needed]
- 1846 - Cline Town established.[12]
- 1847 - Female Institution (school) founded.[11]
- 1853 - Inhabitants become "British subjects."
- 1865 - Samuel Lewis becomes mayor.
- 1866 - St. Edward's Primary School founded.
- 1867 - Government Wharf built.[2]
- 1872 - Pope Hennessy Day festival begins.[13]
- 1873 - Independent newspaper begins publication.[14]
- 1874 - Wesleyan High School for Boys opens.[15]
- 1875 - West African Reporter newspaper begins publication.[16]
- 1884
- Sierra Leone Weekly News begins publication.[14]
- Leopold Educational Institute opens.[citation needed]
- Fire.[12]
- 1891 - Population: 30,033.[17]
- 1893 - Town attains city status;[2] Freetown City Council established.[18][10]
- 1895 - Governor's residence built.
- 1898 - Bank of British West Africa branch[19] and ice factory[20] established.
- 1899 - Songo Town-Freetown railway begins operating.[20]
20th century
- 1901 - Population: 34,463.[10]
- 1904
- John Henry Malamah Thomas becomes mayor.
- Albert Academy founded.
- 1905
- Madrasa Islamia active.[21]
- Lisk-Carew photo studio in business.[22]
- 1918 - Population: 34,000 (approximate).[23]
- 1919 - July: Strike and anti-Syrian riot.[24]
- 1922 - St. Edward's Secondary School founded.
- 1923 - Girls' Industrial and Technical Training School established.[25]
- 1925 - Prince of Wales School founded.
- 1926
- 1928 - East End Lions Football Club formed.
- 1930 - Women granted right to vote.[25]
- 1932
- 1938
- West African Youth League and League of Coloured Peoples branch headquartered in Freetown.[6][25]
- Freetown Secondary School for Girls established.[27]
- 1948
- Eustace Henry Taylor Cummings becomes mayor.
- Population: 64,576.[2]
- 1953 - Deep Water Quay construction begins.
- 1961 - City becomes capital of independent Sierra Leone.[5]
- 1962 - Siaka Stevens becomes mayor.
- 1963 - Population: 127,917.[28]
- 1964 - Bank of Sierra Leone headquartered in city.
- 1965 - Sierra Leone Port Authority established.[29]
- 1966 - Constance Cummings-John becomes mayor.
- 1971 - City becomes capital of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
- 1974 - Population: 214,443.[30]
- 1977 - Ode-lay Society (social club) formed.[31]
- 1980 - Siaka Stevens Stadium opens.
- 1983 - For Di People newspaper begins publication.
- 1985 - Population: 469,776.[32]
1990s
- 1990 - Population: 529,000 (urban agglomeration).[33]
- 1995 - Population: 603,000 (urban agglomeration).[33]
- 1996 - Freetown/New Haven Sister Cities established.[34]
- 1997
- 1998
- 1999
- January: City besieged by Armed Forces Revolutionary Council/Revolutionary United Front.[6]
- November: United Nations troops arrive.[6]
- 2000
21st century
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- 2002
- Sierra Leone Civil War ends.
- Special Court for Sierra Leone and Kallon Football Club established.
- 2003 - 14 April: Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Sierra Leone) convenes.[6]
- 2004
- Winstanley Bankole Johnson becomes mayor.
- Population: 772,873.
- 2005 - Njala University College established.[37]
- 2010 - Population: 945,423.[38]
- 2012
- Cholera epidemic.[39]
- Sam Franklyn Gibson becomes mayor.
- 2015 - Population: 1,055,964.[40]
