Timeline of Johannesburg

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Johannesburg, South Africa.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

19th century

• 1886 – Johannesburg township established by Boer government after discovery of gold in vicinity.
• 1887
  • The Star newspaper in publication.
  • St. Mary's Church built.
  • Johannesburg Stock Exchange founded.
  • Theatre Royal opens.
• 1890 – Library opens.
• 1891
  • Horse-drawn tram begins operating.
  • Standard Theatre opens.
• 1892 – Prison built.
• 1895 – Railway in operation.
• 1896
  • January: Uprising against Boer government.
  • 19 February: Braamfontein Explosion.
• 1897
  • Johannesburg Park Station opens.
  • Johan Zulch de Villiers becomes mayor.
• 1899 – Fort built.

20th century

• 1900 – 31 May: Town captured by British forces during the Second Boer War.
• 1903
  • Johannesburg Stock Exchange building constructed.
  • Observatory built near town.
  • Sophiatown developed.
• 1904
  • Johannesburg Zoo and Transvaal Technical Institute established.
  • April: Brickfields burned.
  • Population: 99,022.
• 1905
  • Town administrative wards created.
  • Johannesburg Statistics begins publication.
  • Alexandra developed near Johannesburg.
• 1906
  • Electric trams begin operating.
  • Sunday Times newspaper begins publication.
• 1908 – Population: 180,687.
• 1922
  • University of the Witwatersrand incorporated.
  • January–March: Miner's strike.
• 1925 – Technikon Witwatersrand established.
• 1927 - Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra founded.
• 1928 – Johannesburg gains city status.
• 1929 - South African Institute of Race Relations headquartered in city.
• 1931 – Airport opens in Germiston.
• 1935 – Johannesburg City Library building opens.
• 1936 -
  • September 15: The Empire Exhibition World's Fair opens
• 1948 - Polly Street Centre founded.
• 1951 - Drum magazine begins publication.
• 1952 – Jan Smuts Airport established in Kempton Park.
• 1957 – 1957 Alexandra Bus Boycott.
• 1960 – Johannesburg Planetarium opens.
• 1961 – City becomes part of the Republic of South Africa.
• 1962 – Sentech Tower built.
• 1964 – Johannesburg Botanical Garden established.
• 1966 – Rand Afrikaans University founded.
• 1969 – Hyde Park Corner (shopping centre) in business.
• 1970 – Tollman Towers and Trust Bank Building constructed.
• 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.
• 1976
  • 16 June: Soweto uprising.
  • Market Theatre opens.
• 1978 - Staffrider literary magazine begins publication.
• 1980
  • Municipal workers' strike.
  • Federated Union of Black Artists Academy established.
• 1981 – The Sowetan newspaper begins publication.
• 1982
  • City Press newspaper begins publication.
  • Afrapix active.
• 1984 – 11 Diagonal Street built.
• 1985
  • Weekly Mail newspaper begins publication.
  • Mormon Temple dedicated.
  • Population: 1,773,000 (urban agglomeration).
• 1987 - Water Institute of Southern Africa headquartered in city.
• 1989
  • Soccer City stadium opens.
  • Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation established.
• 1990 - Population: 1,898,000 (urban agglomeration).
• 1992
  • Johannesburg Stadium opens.
  • Centre for Policy Studies headquartered in Johannesburg.
• 1994
  • 28 March: Shooting at Shell House.
  • City becomes seat of 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.
  • Johannesburg Biennale art exhibit begins.
• 1996 – Population: 752,349.
• 1997
  • MTN Sundrome opens.
  • Flag of Johannesburg revised design adopted.
• 1999 – September: 1999 All-Africa Games held.

21st century

• 2000
  • City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality and Johannesburg City Parks created.
  • Stoned Cherrie in business.
  • Population: 2,732,000 (urban agglomeration).
• 2001
  • Amos Masondo becomes mayor.
  • Monash University, South Africa campus established.
  • Population: 3,226,055.
• 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.
• 2005
  • University of Johannesburg established.
  • 2 July: Live 8 concert.
  • Population: 3,272,000 (urban agglomeration).
• 2008
  • Joburg Art Fair begins.
  • Google office in business.
  • Species Australopithecus sediba discovered near Johannesburg.
• 2010 – 11 July: 2010 FIFA World Cup Final held.
• 2011
  • Parks Tau becomes mayor.
  • Population: 4,434,827.
• 2013 - 5 December: Nelson Mandela dies.
• 2015 - October: #FeesMustFall protest.

See also

• History of Johannesburg
• Mayor of Johannesburg
• City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality

Other cities in South Africa

• Timeline of Cape Town
• Timeline of Pretoria, Tshwane

Further reading

Published in the 20th century

Published in the 21st century

• Musiker, 2000. A Concise Historical Dictionary of Greater Johannesburg, Francolin Pubs., Cape Town, South Africa.
• + website
• (about Cape Town, Johannesburg, Libreville, Lomé)