Timeline of Johannesburg
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Johannesburg, in the Gauteng province in South Africa.
19th century
- 1886 – Johannesburg township established by Boer government after discovery of gold in vicinity.[1][2]
- 1887
- 1888 – St Mary's School was founded.
- 1890
- Library opens.[7]
- Jeppe High School for Boys was founded.
- 1891
- 1892 – Prison built.
- 1895 – Railway in operation.[4]
- 1896
- January: Uprising against Boer government.[4]
- 19 February: Braamfontein Explosion.
- 1897
- Johannesburg Park station opens.
- Johan Zulch de Villiers becomes the first mayor.
- 1898 – St John's College was founded.
- 1899 – Fort built.
- 1900 – 31 May: Town captured by British forces during the Second Boer War.[1][4]
20th century
1900s–1950s
- 1902
- King Edward VII School was founded.
- St. Andrew's School for Girls was founded.
- 1903
- Johannesburg Stock Exchange building constructed.[2]
- Observatory built near town.[4]
- Sophiatown developed.[8]
- Roedean School for Girls was founded.
- 1904
- Johannesburg Zoo and Transvaal Technical Institute established.[4]
- April: Brickfields burned.
- Drill Hall built.
- Population: 99,022.[4]
- 1905
- 1906
- Electric trams begin operating.[4]
- Sunday Times newspaper begins publication.
- Meeting of the Municipal Associations of South Africa held in Johannesburg.
- 1907 – Redhill School was founded.
- 1908 – Population: 180,687.[4]
- 1919 – Jeppe High School for Girls was founded.
- 1920 – Parktown Boys' High School was founded.
- 1921 – Helpmekaar Kollege was founded.
- 1922
- University of the Witwatersrand incorporated.
- January–March: Miner's strike.[10]
- 1923 – Parktown High School for Girls was founded.
- 1925 – Technikon Witwatersrand established.
- 1927 – Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra founded.[11]
- 1928
- Johannesburg gains city status.[1]
- Ellis Park Stadium was opened.
- 1929 – South African Institute of Race Relations headquartered in city.[citation needed]
- 1931 – Airport opens in Germiston.
- 1933 – Kingsmead College was founded.
- 1935 – Johannesburg City Library building opens.[7]
- 1936 – 15 September: The Empire Exhibition, South Africa World's Fair opens[12]
- 1937 – 15 January: The Empire Exhibition, South Africa closes.
- 1941 – St David's Marist, Inanda was founded.
- 1942 – Springbok Legion's Fighting Talk begins publication.[13]
- 1944 – Hoërskool Florida was founded.
- 1946 – Population: 603,470 city; 762,910 urban agglomeration.[14]
- 1948 – Polly Street Centre founded.[15]
- 1950 – Springbok Radio begins broadcasting.
- 1951
- Drum magazine begins publication.[15]
- Population: 631,911 city; 884,007 urban agglomeration.[14]
- Waverley High School for Girls was founded.
- 1952 – Jan Smuts Airport established in Kempton Park.
- 1953 – St Stithians College was founded.
- 1956
- December: Treason Trial begins.
- Purple Renoster literary magazine begins publication.[16]
- 1957 – 1957 Alexandra bus boycott.[17]
- 1958 – St Benedict's College was founded.
1960s–1990s
- 1960
- 21 March: Sharpeville massacre.
- Johannesburg Planetarium opens.
- 1961
- City becomes part of the Republic of South Africa.
- Greenside High School was founded.
- 1962 – Sentech Tower built.
- 1963
- 11 July: The arrest of Umkhonto we Sizwe high commanders known as Rivonia Trial.
- 11 August: Four of the defendants who had been arrested on July 11, at the Liliesleaf Farm near Johannesburg, were able to escape their South African jail after a bribe was promised to their guard by the ANC.[18][19]
- Classic magazine begins publication.
- 1964
- July: The arrest of Umkhonto we Sizwe high commanders known as Little Rivonia Trialist.
- Johannesburg Botanical Garden established.
- 1966 – Rand Afrikaans University founded.[20]
- 1968 – Bryanston High School was founded.
- 1969
- Hyde Park Corner (shopping centre) in business.
- Northcliff High School was founded.
- 1970
- Tollman Towers and Trust Bank Building constructed.
- Population: 654,682 city; 1,432,643 urban agglomeration.[21]
- 1971 – Hillbrow Tower built.
- 1973 – Marble Towers, Carlton Centre, and Sandton City shopping centre built.
- 1974 – Beeld newspaper begins publication.
- 1975 – Ponte City Apartments built.[22]
- 1976
- 16 June: Soweto uprising.[9]
- Market Theatre opens.[23]
- 1978 – Staffrider literary magazine begins publication.[24]
- 1980
- 1981 – The Sowetan newspaper begins publication.
- 1982
- City Press newspaper begins publication.
- Afrapix active.[24]
- 1984
- 3 September: Sharpeville Six
- 11 Diagonal Street built.
- 1985
- Weekly Mail newspaper begins publication.
- Mormon Temple dedicated.
- Population: 632,369 city; 1,609,408 urban agglomeration.[26]
- 1987 – Water Institute of Southern Africa headquartered in city.[27]
- 1988 – 31 August: Bombing of Khotso House.
- 1989
- Soccer City stadium opens.
- Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation established.[27]
- 1991 – Population: 712,507 city; 1,916,061 metro.[26][28]
- 1992
- Johannesburg Stadium opens.
- Centre for Policy Studies headquartered in Johannesburg.[27][29]
- 1994
- 28 March: Shooting at Shell House.[30]
- City becomes seat of the new Gauteng province.
- South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance established.
- 1995
- Gallagher Convention Centre opens.
- Centre for Development and Enterprise headquartered in Johannesburg.[31]
- Johannesburg Biennale art exhibit begins.[15]
- 1996
- 3 February: 1996 Africa Cup of Nations Final football contest played in Johannesburg.
- Population: 752,349 city.[32]
- 1997
- MTN Sundrome opens.
- Flag of Johannesburg revised design adopted.
- 1998 – Website Joburg.org.za launched.[33]
- 1998 – St Peter's College was founded.
- 1999 – September: 1999 All-Africa Games held in city.
- 2000
- City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality and Johannesburg City Parks created.
- Stoned Cherrie in business.[34]
- Population: 2,732,000 (urban agglomeration).[35]
21st century
2000s
- 2001
- Amos Masondo becomes mayor.[36]
- Monash University, South Africa campus established.
- Population: 3,226,055.[37]
- 2002
- Soweto becomes part of city.
- City hosts Earth Summit 2002.
- 2003 – Nelson Mandela Bridge built.
- 2004
- Constitutional Court of South Africa building opens in Constitution Hill.
- Drill Hall rebuilt.
- Creative Commons South Africa headquartered at University of the Witwatersrand.
- 2005
- University of Johannesburg established.
- 2 July: Live 8 concert.
- Population: 3,272,000 (urban agglomeration).[35]
- 2008
- Joburg Art Fair begins.[15]
- Google office in business.[38][39]
- Species Australopithecus sediba discovered near Johannesburg.
- 2009 - 28 June: 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Final football contest played in Johannesburg.
2010s
- 2010 – 11 July: 2010 FIFA World Cup Final held.
- 2011
- Parks Tau becomes mayor.[40]
- Air pollution in Johannesburg reaches annual mean of 41 PM2.5 and 85 PM10, more than recommended.[41]
- Population: 4,434,827.[37]
- 2013
- 10 February: 2013 Africa Cup of Nations Final football contest played in Johannesburg.
- 5 December: Nelson Mandela dies in Johannesburg.
- 2015 – October: #FeesMustFall protest.[42]
- 2016
- 22 August: Herman Mashaba becomes mayor
- Mduduzi Edmund Tshabalala died in Johannesburg
- October: #FeesMustFall protest revival.
- 2018
- Winnie Madikizela-Mandela died in Johannesburg.
- International 10th BRICS summit held at Sandton Convention Centre.
- 24 October: Jabulani Tsambo died in Johannesburg
2020s
- 2021
- 9 July 2021: Geoff Makhubo dies.
- 10 August 2021: Jolidee Matongo becomes mayor.
- 18 September 2021: Jolidee Matongo dies from a car accident
- 2023: 19 July - Gas explosion destroys road in downtown.[43]
See also
- History of Johannesburg
- Mayor of Johannesburg
- City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality
- Timelines of other cities in South Africa: Cape Town, Durban, Gqeberha, Pietermaritzburg, Pretoria
