Timeline of Jacksonville, Florida
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Jacksonville, Florida, United States.
Prior to 20th century
- Prior to 1564 - One early map shows a village called Ossachite at the site of what is now downtown Jacksonville; this may be the earliest recorded name for that area.
- 1564 - French Fort Caroline established by René Goulaine de Laudonnière.[1]
- 1565 - Spanish forces take Fort Caroline.
- 1822
- Settlement named "Jacksonville" to honor Andrew Jackson.[2]
- Town grid laid out.[3]
- Jacksonville becomes seat of newly formed Duval County.[1]
- 1832
- Town incorporated.[4][3]
- William J. Mills becomes mayor.[1]
- 1838 - Bethel Baptist Church established.[5]
- 1845 - Florida becomes part of the United States.
- 1846 - October 12: Gale.[6]
- 1857 - City Park created.
- 1858 - Florida, Atlantic & Gulf Central Railroad begins operating.[7]
- 1862 - Town occupied by Union forces.
- 1869 - St. James Hotel built.[8]
- 1871 - Furchgott, Benedict & Co. dry goods store in business.[9]
- 1872 - Cookman Institute established.[3]
- 1873 - Florida Circulating Library active.[10]
- 1875 - Windsor Hotel built.[11]
- 1876
- Duval High School established.[12]
- Union Congregational Church built.[12][13]
- 1877 - Board of Health established.[12]
- 1878 - Library and Literary Association formed.
- 1881 - Florida Daily Times begins publication.[14]
- 1882
- Synagogue dedicated.[15]
- Florida Baptist Academy established.
- 1884 - Board of Trade organized.[16]
- 1885 - Park Opera House in business.[17]
- 1886 - Boylan Industrial Home and school established.[18]
- 1887
- Yellow fever epidemic.[19][3]
- The Metropolis newspaper begins publication.[14]
- St. Andrew's Episcopal Church built.
- 1888 - Subtropical Exposition held.
- 1890 - Population: 17,201.[3]
- 1892 - Edward Waters College active.[20]
- 1893 - Streetcars began operating.
- 1897 - Woman's Club founded.[21]
- 1900 -
- "Lift Every Voice and Sing" song first performed.[22]
- Population: 28,429.[3]
20th century
1900s-1950s
- 1901
- May 3: Great Fire of 1901.[1][3]
- Brewster Hospital established.[23]
- Continental Hotel opens.[21]
- 1903
- 1904
- Lincoln Park opens.[21]
- First Baptist Church built.
- 1905
- Jacksonville Free Public Library opens.
- Protestant Union Revival held.[21]
- 1907
- 1908 - Filmmaker Kalem Studios active.[1]
- 1909 - YMCA building constructed.[21]
- 1910
- Atlantic Boulevard laid out.
- Population: 57,699.[24][3]
- 1912
- St. James Building constructed.
- City Rotary Club formed.
- 1914 - Jacksonville Zoological Park established.[25]
- 1917
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Jacksonville chapter established.[26]
- John W. Martin becomes mayor.
- 1920 – Population: 91,558.[24]
- 1921 - St. Johns River Bridge opens.[1]
- 1923 - John T. Alsop becomes mayor.
- 1925
- 1926 - Carling Hotel opens.
- 1927 - Florida Theatre and 5 Points Theatre built.[28]
- 1928 - Gator Bowl Stadium built.
- 1929 - Jacksonville Historical Society founded.
- 1930 – Population: 129,549.[24]
- 1934
- Jacksonville Junior College established.
- WMBR radio begins broadcasting.[27]
- 1938
- 1940
- U.S. military Naval Air Station Jacksonville commissioned.[1]
- Population: 173,065.[24]
- 1946 - Annual Gator Bowl college football game begins.
- 1947
- Jacksonville Urban League formed.[26]
- Hanna Park created.
- 1949
- WJXT (television) begins broadcasting.[29]
- W. Haydon Burns becomes mayor.
- 1950 - Population: 204,517.[24]
- 1953 - Mathews Bridge opens.
- 1955 - Jacksonville Expressway Authority established.
- 1957 - WFGA-TV (television) begins broadcasting.[29]
1960s-1990s
- 1960
- August: "Ax Handle Saturday" racial unrest.[23]
- Population: 201,030.[24]
- 1962 - Civic Auditorium opens.[17]
- 1963 - December, Hotel Roosevelt fire
- 1964 - September 10, Hurricane Dora occurs.[1]
- 1967
- Hart Bridge opens.[30]
- Mary Singleton and Sallye B. Mathis became the first female African Americans elected to the City Council.[23]
- 1968
- Consolidation of city and Duval County governments.
- Hans Tanzler becomes mayor.
- 1970 - Population: 528,865.[24]
- 1973 - Florida Municipal Home Rule Powers Act ratified.[31][nb 1]
- 1979 - Jake Godbold becomes mayor.
- 1980
- Foreign trade zone established.[32][33]
- Population: 540,920.[24]
- 1984 - Jacksonville Bulls football team formed.
- 1989 - The Jacksonville Skyway begins operating[34]
- 1990 - Population: 635,230.[24]
- 1993 - Corrine Brown becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 3rd congressional district.[35]
- 1995
- Jacksonville Jaguars football team formed.[1]
- Jacksonville Municipal Stadium opens.
- John Delaney becomes mayor.[36]
- 1998 - City website online (approximate date).[37][38][chronology citation needed]
- 2000
- "Better Jacksonville Plan" for urban growth approved.[39]
- Population: 735,617.[40]
21st century
- 2001 - Ander Crenshaw becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 4th congressional district.[41]
- 2003 - May 13: Jacksonville mayoral election, 2003 held; John Peyton wins.
- 2010 - Population: 821,784.[42]
- 2011 - March 22: Jacksonville mayoral election, 2011 held; Alvin Brown wins. He was the city's first elected African-American mayor.[23]
- 2013 - Corrine Brown becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 3rd congressional district again.[43]
- 2015 - Lenny Curry becomes mayor.
- 2022 - Jacksonville celebrates its bicentennial.
- 2023
- May 16 - 2023 Jacksonville mayoral election; Donna Deegan wins, becomes the city's first female mayor.
- August 26 - Mass shooting at a Jacksonville Dollar General store.[44]
