Timeline of Birmingham history

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is intended to show a timeline of events in the History of Birmingham, England, with a particular focus on the events, people or places that are covered in Wikipedia articles.

Contents 1 Pre-Norman invasion 2 1000 - 1099 3 1100 - 1199 4 1200 - 1299 5 1300 - 1399 6 1400 - 1499 7 1500 - 1599 8 1600 - 1699 9 1700 - 1799 9.1 1700-1709 9.2 1710-1719 9.3 1720-1729 9.4 1730-1739 9.5 1740-1749 9.6 1750-1759 9.7 1760-1769 9.8 1770-1779 9.9 1780-1789 9.10 1790-1799 10 1800 - 1899 10.1 1800-1809 10.2 1810-1819 10.3 1820-1829 10.4 1830-1839 10.5 1840-1849 10.6 1850-1859 10.7 1860-1869 10.8 1870-1879 10.9 1880-1889 10.10 1890-1899 11 1900 - 1999 11.1 1900-1909 11.2 1910-1919 11.3 1920-1929 11.4 1930-1939 11.5 1940-1949 11.6 1950-1959 11.7 1960-1969 11.8 1970-1979 11.9 1980-1989 11.10 1990-1999 12 2000s 12.1 2000-2007 12.2 Future events

[edit] Pre-Norman invasion

• 1200 BC: Radiocarbon date of charcoal taken from the Woodlands Park Prehistoric Burnt Mounds.
• Bronze Age: Small farming settlements constructed.
• AD 48: Construction of Metchley Fort begins as Icknield Street is constructed by Romans through Birmingham.
• AD 70: The Romans abandon Metchley Fort only to return a few years later.
• AD 120: The Romans abandon Metchley Fort again however do not return.
• 7th century: Possible creation of Birmingham as a hamlet.
• 968: Duddeston is first mentioned in a charter granted to Wulfget the Thane by Eadgar, King of the Angles.

[edit] 1000 - 1099

• Area passes into the hands of the De Birmingham family.
• 1086: Birmingham recorded as a village in the Domesday Book.
• 1086: William FitzAnsculf is recorded as having the Birmingham, Edgbaston, Aston, Erdington, Witton, Handsworth, Perry, and Little Barr manors.

[edit] 1100 - 1199

• 1154: Lord of the manor, Peter de Birmingham, obtains a charter to hold a market in Birmingham on every Thursday, transforming the village into a town.
• 1160: The first stone church building is erected on the site of St. Mary's Church, Handsworth.
• 1176: A road passing through Sutton Coldfield is recorded. This was probably part of a highway leading from Birmingham to Lichfield.

[edit] 1200 - 1299

• 1218: Flaxeye Farm in Stechford is mentioned.
• 1221: The manorial mill of King's Norton is recorded as being in the possession of Richard Clark.
• 1231: A manorial mill at Edgbaston is recorded.
• 1249: A ford over the River Cole is recorded.
• 1250: A road from Birmingham to Saltley and Castle Bromwich is recorded in a deed.
• 1250: William de Birmingham is granted permission to hold a four day fair in Birmingham during Ascensiontide annually.
• 1260: Summer Lane, a road leading to Perry and Walsall, is recorded.
• 1263: A church is documented at the site of the current St. Martin's Church.
• 1273: Several mills are recorded to be in existence in Northfield.
• 1276: Crossing of the River Rea at Deritend is reported.
• 1282: Two roads are mentioned as passing through Yardley and converging at Deritend Bridge.
• 1290: A lane crossing the River Tame at Salford Bridge leading in the direction of Erdington and Sutton Coldfield is mentioned.

[edit] 1300 - 1399

• 1317: A mill in Witton and Erdington is mentioned and this was probably located on the Hawthorn Brook.
• 1318: A bridge named Bromford Bridge is recorded.
• 1322: It is recorded that merchants were selling wool in Birmingham market.
• 1333: A mill in Erdington named Bromford Mill is recorded in a court roll.
• 1340: The road from Birmingham to Castle Bromwich is again mentioned in a deed.
• 1368: The Old Crown public house in Deritend is believed to have been constructed as a guildhall. If so, it is Birmingham's first school.
• 1379: A traveller records a bridge crossing the River Tame at Handsworth.
• 1381: Residents of Deritend and Bordesley given permission to build a chapel next to the River Rea.
• 1381: Sir John de Birmyneham provides the first reference to Deritend by name, written as Duryzatehende.
• 1390: Thomas de Birmingham is recorded as a cloth merchant.
• 1392: The Guild of the Holy Cross is established in Birmingham.

[edit] 1400 - 1499

• 1406: A goldsmith is referred to.
• 1435: The last known overlordship if Erdington manor is recorded.
• 1449: Three roads are recorded going from Birmingham to Edgbaston.
• 1460: Handsworth Old Town Hall in Handsworth is constructed.
• 1480: The tower of Church of Saints Peter and Paul, Aston is completed
• 1492: The Saracen's Head in King's Norton is constructed.

[edit] 1500 - 1599

• 1511: The Clerk of the Ordnance orders horseshoes, bits and weapons for the royal army. All the suppliers are from Birmingham.
• 1517: The Saint Margaret's Church in Ward End is built by Thomas Bond.
• 1524: Lord Middleton refers to a goldsmith from Birmingham who repairs two cups and making nine spoons.
• 1534: Saint Chad's Cathedral becomes the first Catholic cathedral erected in England after the Protestant Reformation initiated by King Henry VIII.
• 1527: Bishop Vesey's Grammar School is founded by Bishop John Vesey.
• 1536: A footbridge is mentioned crossing a ford in the River Rea at Deritend.
• 1536: The Priory of St. Thomas, north of the manor of Birmingham, is dissolved.
• 1542: Sarehole Mill is constructed as Biddle's Mill on the site of a former pool.
• 1547: The Guild of the Holy Cross are mentioned as maintaining to great stone bridges over the River Rea.
• 1547: The Priory of St. Thomas buildings are demolished.
• 1552: King Edward's School is founded.
• 1553: A survey shows that the major industry had become metal-using instead of cloth.
• 1560: A road in the direction of Dudley is recorded.
• 1590: Blakesley Hall is constructed by Richard Smalbroke.

[edit] 1600 - 1699

• 1612: A road is mentioned from Perry Bridge to Birmingham. It is named the "great way".
• 1612: The Handsworth Bridge Trust is set up by Nicholas Hodgetts.
• 1616: King James I grants Kings Norton the right to hold a market.
• 1635: Construction of Aston Hall is completed.
• 17 October 1642: A group of 300 soldiers led by Prince Rupert are attacked by surprise by Parliamentary soldiers whilst resting on Kings Norton Green.
• 1642: King Charles I travelled through Birmingham whilst travelling to Edge Hill.
• 1643: Aston Hall is severely damaged by Parliamentary troops.
• 1648: A paper mill is recorded as being in use in Perry Barr.
• 1697: John Pemberton purchases the land once the site of the Priory of St. Thomas.

[edit] 1700 - 1799

[edit] 1700-1709

• 1700: John Pemberton begins construction on his prestigious Priory Estate on the former site of the Priory of St. Thomas.
• 1702: The Old Cross, Birmingham's first public meeting place, is completed. It was located near the Bull Ring.
• 1707: The timber structure of the Guild Hall on New Street is demolished.
• 1708: The vacant New Street site becomes King Edward's School and a two-storey brick building is constructed on it.
• 1708: Parliament receives a petition for a new Anglican church as St. Martin's was overcrowded.

[edit] 1710-1719

• 1713: Old Square is constructed by John Pemberton on the former site of the Priory of St. Thomas.
• 1715: St. Philip's Church is dedicated however not completed.
• 1715: The Jacobite Rising sees a mob attack the Lower Meeting House in Digbeth.

[edit] 1720-1729

• 1724: The Blue Coat School on Colmore Row is completed.
• 1726: The Bristol Road, which had suffered from intense traffic, is turnpiked.
• 1728: A building known as 'Leather Hall' on New Street is demolished "while men slept" and three houses are constructed on it which were later replaced by a prison. 'Leather Hall' contained the town's last dungeon.
• 1728: Matthew Boulton is born to a toymaker in Snow Hill.

[edit] 1730-1739

• 1730: William Westley produces the first documentation of a newly constructed square named Old Square. It became one of the most prestigious addresses in Birmingham.
• 1731: The first map of Birmingham is produced by William Westley.
• 1732: The Birmingham Journal, Birmingham's first local newspaper, is printed by Thomas Warren.
• 1733: The town's first workhouse is constructed on Lichfield Street near to the current Victoria Law Courts' location.
• 1737: John Baskerville sets up in the Bull Ring as a writing-master.

[edit] 1740-1749

• 1740: Birmingham's first theatre opens on Moor Street however it would be soon closed down and converted into a Methodist chapel.
• 1741: Printing of The Birmingham Journal stops.
• 1742: Sampson Lloyd II purchases Owen's Farm in Sparkbrook for £1,290.
• 1745: John Baskerville leases an estate which he names 'Easy Hill' on which he builds a house and workshops on land which is currently occupied by Baskerville House.
• 1746: Nechells Slitting Mill is completed at a cost of £1,212.
• 1746: Ann Colmore obtains a private act of Parliament to sell land on her estate to Birmingham. This allowed a massive expansion of the town to the west and the creation of the Jewellery Quarter.

[edit] 1750-1759

• 1751: Methodists are attacked by Jacobites.
• 1752: Two theatres on Smallbrook Street and King Street open to the public.
• 1758: The land known as Duddeston Hall is renamed to Vauxhall Gardens after the London pleasure park and is opened to the public as an entertainment venue.
• 1759: It becomes known that 20,000 people are being employed in Birmingham's toymaking industry.
• 1759: The Quaker meeting house is seriously damaged for not sufficiently celebrating the English victories in Canada.

[edit] 1760-1769

• 1760: The Protestant Dissenting Charity School is established.
• 1761: Matthew Boulton acquires a five-year lease on Soho Mill.
• 1762: A glassworks is recorded as being in use at Snow Hill by Meyer Oppenheim.
• 1764: Charles Westley's sermon at the opening of a chapel on Moor Street is disrupted by rioting.
• 1765: Taylor's and Lloyds Bank, an ancestor to Lloyds Bank, opens on Dale End.
• 1765: Soho Manufactory on Handsworth heath is completed and becomes Birmingham's principle tourist attraction.
• 1766: Matthew Boulton moves into Soho House due to the completion of Soho Manufactory.
• 1766: An infirmary wing is added to the Lichfield Street workhouse.
• 1768: An act if obtained for Birmingham's first canal, the Birmingham Canal.
• 1769: The Birmingham Chronicle is printed for the first time.
• 1769: A bill for creating paving space, street lighting and street cleaning receives Royal Assent.

[edit] 1770-1779

• 1770: Discounting the monuments in the parish church courtyard, the first statues in the town are erected at the front of the Blue Coat School. They depicted a young boy and a young girl and were created by Edward Grubb.
• 4am November 15, 1772: An earthquake strikes Birmingham and is felt in Hall Green, Erdington and Yardley. No damage was sustained but a flock of sheep escaped in Yardley.
• August 31, 1773: The Birmingham Assay Office opens for the first time at the King's Head Inn at New Street.
• 1774: Birmingham's fourth theatre opens on New Street as the Theatre Royal.
• 1777: Construction of St Paul's Square commences.
• 1777: A bill is presented to Parliament for a licensed theatre however is rejected.
• 1779: Construction of St Paul's Square is completed and the church is consecrated.
• September 1779: Birmingham General Hospital opens to the public.
• 1779: The Birmingham Library is established by 19 subscribers.
• 1779: A button maker named John Pickard fits a crank and fly-wheel to his Newcomen engine to make a mill. It is adapted into a flour mill and his business increases.

[edit] 1780-1789

• 1780: William Hutton calls for the demolition of the prison at Peck Lane.
• 1780: Joseph Priestley arrives in Birmingham.
• 1781: The Birmingham Library moves to premises in Swan Yard.
• 1782: The Birmingham Old Brewery, Birmingham's first large scale brewery, opens on Moseley Street.
• 1783: An act for the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal is obtained which would connect the Birmingham Canal with the Coventry Canal.
• 1783: The Birmingham Commercial Committee is formed.
• 1783: A proposal for a major new workhouse is proposed to the Parliament however faces objections from William Hutton.
• 1784: The Old Cross is demolished.
• 1786: The theatre on King Street is closed and converted into a Methodist chapel.
• 1787: New Hall is put up for sale as demand for the area increases.
• 1787: 'Apollo Hotel' opens in Deritend, then a small hamlet.
• 1788: A turnpike is established on the main road into Deritend.

[edit] 1790-1799

• 1791: An act for the Worcester and Birmingham Canal is obtained.
• 1791: The Protestant Dissenting Charity School moves to a new building on Park Street.
• 1791: John Baskerville's house (though Baskerville was now deceased) is destroyed during riots.
• 1791: Birmingham's first synagogue begins construction in the Froggary.
• July 14 1791: Joseph Priestley's house on Easy Hill is looted during the Priestley Riots.
• 1792: The Theatre Royal in New Street is seriously damaged by fire.
• 1793: An act for the Warwick and Birmingham Canal is obtained.
• February 1793: An effigy of Tom Paine is hung and burned by a crowd singing 'God Save The King.'
• Summer 1793: A permanent military barracks is completed at Ashted.
• 1795: Pickard's Flour Mill is attacked by a mob of women after rumours he had wrongly increased the price of flour. The military arrive and break up the mob.
• 1797: 300 children are removed from the Lichfield Street workhouse to an Asylum for the Infant Poor on Summer Lane.
• 1797: The Birmingham Library moves to a purpose-built building on Union Street on land formerly Corbett's Bowling Green.
• 1797: The Anchor Inn in Digbeth opens.
• 1799: The Warwick and Birmingham Canal is completed.

[edit] 1800 - 1899

[edit] 1800-1809

• 1800: Another mob attack Pickard's Mill however instead of waiting for the military, John Pickard and his workers attacked the mob with rifles, killing one rioter.
• 1802: The lighting system of Soho Manufactory is displayed to the public. It was the first factory to be lit by gas.
• 1802: Horatio Nelson visits Birmingham and is greeted by large crowds.
• September 18, 1805: The foundation stone of a building complex consisting of public offices, a courtroom and prison in Moor Street is laid.
• January 1804: Joshua Toulmin appointed as a Unitarian minister.
• November 23 1805: A meeting his held to decide upon the creation of monument dedicated to Horatio Nelson.
• 1806: The prison on Moor Street opens.
• 1806: Another bill is presented to Parliament for a licensed theatre and this time is granted.
• June 13 1806: A decision is made that a statue should be created in memory of Horatio Nelson.
• 1807: Space becomes available on Park Street for the expansion of the graveyard at St. Martin's, Birmingham's only Anglican graveyard.
• October 1807: The building complex on Moor Street is completed and opened one year after the completion of the prison.
• 1809: The Nelson Monument in the Bull Ring is unveiled on the Jubilee Day of George III.
• 1809: Birmingham's second synagogue is completed on Severn Street.

[edit] 1810-1819

• 1813: The Birmingham Gun Barrel Proof House is established by an act of Parliament.
• 1813: Christ Church, in what is now Victoria Square, is completed.
• 1815: Birmingham Assay Office moves from the pub on New Street to offices on Little Cannon Street.
• 1816: The Birmingham Manor House is demolished by the Birmingham Street Commissioners and the moat filled in.
• May 29, 1817: The Smithfield Market is opened by the Street Commissioners on the site of the Birmingham manor house.
• 1817: William Murdoch moves to Sycamore Hill in Handsworth where he installs central heating and gas lighting.
• 1819: William Westmacott is hired by Alfred Bunn to redesign the Theatre Royal's interior.

[edit] 1820-1829

• 1820: The Theatre Royal on New Street is destroyed in a fire. Only two medallions of Shakespeare and Garrick are retrieved from the ruins.
• 1820: A canal is extended through an area behind what is now Centenary Square to create a wharf. The extension cut across Baskerville's tomb where the builder's found his body to be well preserved.
• 1823: The spire is added to St Paul's Church.
• 1825: The Birmingham Female Society for the Relief of Negro Slaves is established Mary Sturge, Maria Cadbury and Mary Samuel Lloyd.
• 1826: The Birmingham and Liverpool Junction canal is authorised and opened.
• 1827: After being broken into and seriously damaged years earlier, the Severn Street synagogue receives enough funds to reopen.
• 1828: The main road into Deritend is disturnpiked.

[edit] 1830-1839

• 1832: Construction of Birmingham Town Hall commences.
• 1834: Birmingham Town Hall opens for the Birmingham Triennial Music Festival.
• 1837: The first trains run between Birmingham and Liverpool.
• 1837: Duddeston railway station is opened as Vauxhall railway station.
• 1838: Birmingham gains the status of a municipal borough.
• 1838: The first trains run between Birmingham and London.
• 1838: Curzon Street railway station is opened.
• 1838: Perry Barr railway station is opened.
• 1838: King Edward's School moves into a Charles Barry designed building on New Street.
• 1839: Reconstruction of St Chad's Cathedral (then a church) by Augustus Pugin begins.

[edit] 1840-1849

• 1840: The Protestant Dissenting Charity School moves into new premises in Graham Street.
• 1840: The Hebrew National School is established.
• 1841: Saint Chad's is consecrated as a church.
• 1841: Five Ways is disturnpiked.
• 1842: The Moor Street prison is publicly condemned as being too ornate as the number of prisoners held in confinement there drops to zero.
• 1843: The Hebrew National School is replaced by a new building on Hurst Street.
• 1844: The Birmingham and Warwick Junction Canal is opened.
• 1844: Stechford railway station is opened.
• October 7, 1846: The Birmingham Baths Committee is officially established.
• 1846: St. Philip's School is completed and opened.
• October 29, 1849: Construction of Kent Street Baths commences.
• 1849: Kings Norton railway station is opened.

[edit] 1850-1859

• 1850: Saint Chad's is named a cathedral by Pope Pius IX.
• 1850: Bishop Vesey's Grammar School ceases to be a boarding school.
• 1850: The grounds known as Vauxhall Gardens is sold to the Victoria Land Society and the trees are cut down.
• May 12, 1851: Kent Street Baths are opened but are not yet completed.
• 1852: Snow Hill railway station is opened as Livery Street Station.
• 1852: Birmingham Philosophical Institute ceases its activities.
• 1852: Acocks Green railway station is opened.
• 1852: A major new workhouse with a capacity of 1,160 people at Winson Green is opened, 69 years after its proposal.
• 1852: Kent Street Baths are completed becoming Birmingham's first public baths.
• 1853: Birmingham Council buy lands for the Council House.
• 1854: New Street railway station is opened.
• 1854: Aston railway station is completed and opened.
• 1856: Singer's Hill synagogue, designed by Yeoville Thomason, is opened.
• 1858: Livery Street Station is renamed Snow Hill Station.
• July 25, 1859: Construction of Woodcock Street Baths in Duddeston commences.
• 1859: The Birmingham School of Music is formed.

[edit] 1860-1869

• August 27, 1860: Woodcock Street Baths are completed and opened.
• 1860: Adderley Park railway station is opened.
• 1862: Erdington railway station is opened.
• 1862: Gravelly Hill railway station is opened.
• 1862: Hamstead railway station is opened as Great Barr railway station.
• 1862: Sutton Coldfield railway station is opened.
• 1862: Wylde Green railway station is opened.
• 1862: Handsworth Grammar School is founded.
• 1863: The Great Western Hotel is constructed next to Snow Hill Station.
• 1863: Soho Manufactory is demolished.
• 1865: The first Birmingham Central Library is opened.
• 1868: St Augustine's Church, Edgbaston is completed.

[edit] 1870-1879

• 1870: Birmingham Council agree to build offices on lands bought in 1853.
• 1870: Northfield railway station is opened.
• 1871: Snow Hill Station is rebuilt to accommodate larger trains.
• 1872: Aston Villa F.C. is formed by Villa Cross Cricketers.
• 1872: The Bristol Road is disturnpiked.
• 1873: Joseph Chamberlain becomes Mayor of Birmingham.
• 1873: Birmingham Orthodox Cathedral is designed by J. A. Chatwin.
• 1874: Construction of the Birmingham Council House commences.
• 1874: Aston Villa F.C. is founded.
• March 1875: Riots on Navigation Street leads to 12 arrests and the murder of a police constable.
• 1875: Birmingham City F.C. is founded as Small Heath Alliance.
• 1876: Construction of the Great Western Arcade is completed.
• 1876: A spire is added to St Augustine's Church, Edgbaston.
• 1876: Bournville railway station is opened.
• 1876: Selly Oak railway station is opened.
• 1876: Witton railway station is opened.
• 1877: The Birmingham Assay Office moves to offices on Newhall Street.
• 1878: Demolition of inner-city slums begins to make way for the construction of Corporation Street.
• 1878: Joseph Chamberlain commissions Highbury Hall to be constructed as his residence.
• 1879: The Birmingham Council House is completed and opened.
• 1879: During the construction of an extension to Birmingham Central Library, a fire destroys 50,000 books.

[edit] 1880-1889

• 1880: The Chamberlain Memorial is completed.
• 1881: Construction of an extension to the Birmingham Council House commences.
• 1882: A redesigned Birmingham Central Library is rebuilt on the same site as the previous library.
• 1883: King Edward VI Aston is founded.
• 1883: King Edward VI Camp Hill is founded and opened.
• 1883: King Edward VI Five Ways is founded.
• 1883: King Edward VI Handsworth is founded as King Edward VI Aston.
• 1883: King Edward VI High School for Girls is founded.
• 1884: Blake Street railway station is opened.
• 1884: Four Oaks railway station is opened.
• 1885: Construction of an extension to the Birmingham Council House is completed.
• 1885: New Hall Manor is converted into a school.
• 1885: Lewis's Department store is constructed to replace Berlin House and to build over the Minories on Corporation Street.
• 1885: Ladypool Junior & Infant School is constructed.
• 1887: The foundation stone for the Victoria Law Courts is laid by Queen Victoria.
• 1888: King Edward VI High School for Girls moves to the Liberal Club on Congreve Street.
• 1889: Birmingham is granted city status by Queen Victoria and also becomes a county borough.
• 1889: The Birmingham and Midland Institute is completed.
• 1889: Vauxhall railway station is renamed Vauxhall and Duddeston railway station.

[edit] 1890-1899

• 1891: The Victoria Law Courts are completed and opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
• 1891: Harborne became part of the county borough of Birmingham and thus transferred from Staffordshire to Warwickshire by the Local Govt. Bd.'s Prov. Orders Conf. (No. 13) Act, 54 & 55 Vic. c. 161 (local act).
• 1892: Small Heath School is completed and opened.
• 1895: The free library of the Public Library and Baths, Balsall Heath is completed and opened.
• 1896: 1-7 Constitution Hill is designed and constructed.
• 1896: The last houses of Old Square are demolished as part of the Corporation Street development by Joseph Chamberlain.
• 1898: Christ Church in the city centre is demolished to make room for offices.
• 1989: The The Pitman Vegetarian Hotel on Corporation Street is opened.
• 1899: The College of Art is opened.
• 1899: Construction of St Agatha's Church, Sparkbrook commences.
• 1899: The Birmingham Library's collection of 70,000 books is moved to a new building in Margaret Street.

[edit] 1900 - 1999

[edit] 1900-1909

• 1900: The University of Birmingham, Birmingham's first university, is established.
• 1900: The "Tower of Varieties" on Hurst Street is renamed the Tivoli.
• 27 May 1901: The Alexandra Theatre is opened as the Lyceum Theatre.
• December 1901: The Royal Hotel in Sutton Coldfield is purchased by the Sutton Coldfield Corporation.
• 1901: The Bartons Arms in Aston is completed and opened.
• 1901: Following Queen Victoria's death, the square to the front of Birmingham Council House is renamed Victoria Square.
• 22 December 1902: The Lyceum Theatre is renamed the Alexandra Theatre.
• 1902: Edgbaston Cricket Ground is granted the right to hold test cricket matches.
• 1902: The Bodega wine bar is renamed the Trocadero and receives a new glazed frontage.
• February 1903: The former council offices in Mill Street, Sutton Coldfield are sold.
• October 1903: The Tivoli on Hurst Street is renamed "The Birmingham Hippodrome".
• 1903: Methodist Central Hall on Corporation Street is completed and opened.
• 1904: The Bishop Latimer Memorial Church in Winson Green is completed.
• 1904: The new façade for the Queen's College in the city centre is completed.
• 1905: Moor Hall is completely demolished and reconstructed by Colonel Edward Ansell.
• 19 September 1906: Sutton Coldfield Town Hall is opened by the Mayor, Councillor R. H. Sadler following construction of an extension.
• 1906: St Andrews Football Stadium is completed and opened.
• 4 October 1907: The Stechford Club is registered in Stechford and holds its first meeting on 9 October.
• 1907: Balsall Heath Public Baths are opened.
• 16 January 1908: The Digbeth Institute is opened by the wife of the Pastor of Carrs Lane Church as an institutional church attached to Carr's Lane Congregational Church.
• 7 December 1908: The Aston Hippodrome is opened to the public.
• 1908: The Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower is completed.
• 1908: The Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Aston is completed.
• 1908: Plans to build public baths in Nechells are approved.
• 9 November 1909: Quinton is formally removed from Worcestershire and incorporated into the county borough of Birmingham.
• 1909: A school of architecture is formed at Birmingham School of Art.

[edit] 1910-1919

• 22 June 1910: The Nechells Baths are completed and opened.
• 9 November 1911: The Worcestershire towns of Northfield, Kings Norton and Yardley (including some of Bartley Reservoir) become part of Birmingham, and thus Warwickshire.
• 1911: The Staffordshire town of Handsworth becomes part of Birmingham.
• 1911: Construction of an extension to the Council House, designed by Ashley & Newman, begins construction.
• 1912: The Sutton House Hotel is constructed by a local doctor.
• 15 February 1913: The Rep is founded by Sir Barry Jackson when a theatre company opens a permanent home on Station Street, now the Old Rep.
• 23 April 1913: The King Edward VII Memorial is unveiled by Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll in Victoria Square.
• 30 March 1914: An addition to Kent Street Baths consisting of a women's swimming baths and baths for women are opened in an adjoining building.
• 1914: The Stechford Club moves to newly completed premises.
• 29 September 1916: The Birmingham Municipal Bank opens to the public.
• 1917: Birmingham Children's Hospital moves to a new site on Ladywood Road.
• 1917: Fort Dunlop is established.
• 10 June 1918: The Birmingham Civic Society is founded at an inaugural meeting at Birmingham Council House.
• 1919: Construction of the extension to the Council House is completed.
• 1919: The Birmingham Municipal Bank moves to offices in the Council House.

[edit] 1920-1929

• October 1920: 25½ acres of land at Kings Norton (just below St Nicolas' Church) are purchased by The Birmingham Civic Society.
• 1922: The Birmingham Corporation set up an Advisory Art Committee.
• 1922: Construction of the Hall of Memory commences.
• 1923: The Birmingham Civic Society purchases 43 acres of land to form Highbury Park.
• 1923: The theological department of the Queen's College in Birmingham city centre, move to new premises at Queen's College in Edgbaston.
• 1923: The school of architecture at Birmingham School of Art receives recognition by the Royal Institute of British Architects.
• 1924: The Birmingham Hippodrome reopens with a new neo-classical auditorium, seating 1,900.
• 1924: The closure of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre is averted as a result of action by the Birmingham Civic Society.
• 1925: The Birmingham Municipal Bank moves to premises on Edmund Street.
• 1925: The Hall of Memory in Centenary Square is completed.
• 14 April 1926: The reconstructed Woodcock Street Baths are opened.
• 1928: Perry Barr was ceded from Staffordshire to Warwickshire, and into Birmingham.
• 1929: Digbeth Coach Station is built by Midland Red.

[edit] 1930-1939

• 1930: The Moor Hall Estate is put up for sale.
• 1930: Kent Street Baths are demolished and reconstruction commences.
• 1932: The Barber Institute of Fine Arts is established and bequeathed to the University 'for the study and encouragement of art and music'.
• 1932: An Art Deco replacement bridge to Perry Bridge is opened alongside the original.
• 29 May 1933: The reconstructed Kent Street Baths are reopened.
• 27 November 1933: The Birmingham Municipal Bank headquarters at 301 Broad Street are opened by Prince George.
• 1934: The closure of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre is again averted as a result of work by the Birmingham Civic Society.
• 1935: The Birmingham Municipal Bank causes controversy amongst Sutton Coldfield residents who believe Birmingham aims to absorb Sutton Coldfield when the bank outlined plans to open a branch in the town.
• 1935: The Alexandra Theatre is rebuilt with an Art Deco auditorium.
• 1935: Blakesley Hall is opened as a museum owned by Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.
• 1935: Birmingham Corporation establish the Birmingham Repertory Theatre Trust.
• 1936: The Duddeston Barracks are demolished by the Birmingham Corporation for the construction of maisonettes.
• 1938: Baskerville House is completed and opened.
• 1938: The council approve the replacement of the Central Library.
• 1938: The Aston Hippodrome is seriously damaged by fire leading to a £38,000 refurbishment.
• 8 July 1939: Elmdon Airport opened by Birmingham City Council.
• 1939: The Barber Institute of Fine Arts building is opened by Queen Mary.

[edit] 1940-1949

• 9 August 1940-23 April 1943: the Birmingham Blitz - Birmingham is bombed by German aircraft.
• 1944: The original Five Ways railway station closes.
• 1945: Abdul Aziz opens a cafe shop selling curry and rice in Steelhouse Lane. This later becomes The Darjeeling, the first Indian restaurant in Birmingham, owned by Afrose Miah.
• July 1946: Birmingham Elmdon Airport reverts back to civilian use, though still under the control of the government.
• 1947: Ansells Brewery purchases Penns Hall.
• 1948: The blue brick lodge gate, designed by Hamilton & Medland, at Warstone Lane Cemetery is completed.
• 1949: The first Sutton Coldfield mast is built.

[edit] 1950-1959

• 1950: Penns Hall is converted into a hotel by Ansells Brewery.
• 1951: The city's population peaks, at 1,113,000.
• 1951: The King Edward VII Memorial is moved to Highgate Park as Victoria Square is remodelled.
• 1951: The Museum of Science and Industry is opened as a museum owned by Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.
• 28 September 1953: A reconstructed section of Metchley Fort is opened by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, G. H. W. Griffith.
• 1954: The Digbeth Institute is put up for sale.
• 1954: Queens Tower in Duddeston is completed, becoming the city's first tower block.
• 1954: The chapel at Warstone Lane Cemetery is demolished.
• 1955: The Digbeth Institute is purchased by Birmingham City Council.
• 1955: Shops begin to shut down in the Bull Ring for the redevelopment of the area.
• 1956: Tong Kung, on the Holloway Head, opens becoming Birmingham's first Chinese restaurant.
• 1957: Blakesley Hall reopens as a museum following restoration conducted as a result of bomb damage during World War II.

[edit] 1960-1969

• 4 June 1960: All theatrical productions at the Aston Hippodrome cease and the theatre is converted into a bingo hall.
• 1960: Birmingham City Council retakes ownership of Birmingham Elmdon airport.
• Summer 1961: Construction of the Bull Ring Shopping Centre begins.
• 1961: The design for the Rotunda is approved and the building begins construction.
• June 1962: The outdoor market area in the Bull Ring is opened with 150 stalls.
• 1962: The Mason Science College on Edmund Street is demolished.
• 1963: The old Market Hall in the Bull Ring is demolished.
• 1963: Construction of the BT Tower commences.
• May 29, 1964: The new Bull Ring Shopping Centre is opened by Prince Philip.
• 1964: Birmingham New Street station rebuilt.
• 1965: Construction of the Rotunda is completed.
• 1965: Construction of Quayside Tower is completed.
• 1965: Construction of the Post & Mail Building is completed.
• 1966: Curzon Street railway station, then a goods station, closes and falls out of use.
• 1966: Priory Square, designed by Sir Frederick Gibberd, is opened.
• 1967: Construction of the BT Tower is completed.
• 1967: Construction of Stephenson Tower, above New Street station, is completed.
• 1967: Construction of the Inner Ring Road commences.
• 1967: A new entrance to the Alexandra Theatre is constructed and opened.
• 1968: Work starts on Gravelly Hill Interchange, later known as Spaghetti Junction.
• 27 April 1969: Pink Floyd record parts of Ummagumma at Mothers Club.
• 1969: Construction of Alpha Tower commences.
• 1969: Construction of the new Central Library commences.
• 1969: Restoration of Sarehole Mill is completed.
• 1969: Birmingham Central Mosque is completed.

[edit] 1970-1979

• 1970: Cleveland Tower, Birmingham's tallest tower block, is completed.
• 10 November 1971: The Pebble Mill Studios are opened by Princess Anne.
• 1971: Clydesdale Tower, Cleveland Tower's twin, is completed.
• 1971: The Birmingham Repertory Theatre moves from premises on Station Street to a new theatre fronting Centenary Square.
• 1971: Birmingham Polytechnic is formed, absorbing Birmingham School of Art and turning it into its Faculty of Art and Design.
• 24 May 1972: The A38(M) or "Aston Expressway" opens.
• 1972: Gravelly Hill Interchange is completed.
• 1972: Snow Hill station closes.
• 1972: Construction of Centre City Tower commences.
• 1972: The Studio at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre is opened.
• 1972: The McLaren Building is completed.
• 1972: Construction of Metropolitan House commences.
• 17 September 1973: An IRA bomb explodes in Edgbaston killing Captain Ronald Wilkinson who was attempting to defuse it.
• 1973: The film Take Me High, starring Cliff Richard and filmed in Birmingham, is released.
• 1973: Construction of Alpha Tower is completed and the building is opened.
• 1973: Construction of 1 Snow Hill Plaza is completed.
• 2014 - 2025 (GMT) 21 November 1974: Two bombs, placed by the Provisional IRA, explode in two pubs in Birmingham city centre killing 21 people and injuring 182 others.
• 1974: Creation of the West Midlands County, resulting in Birmingham becoming a metropolitan borough, no longer in Warwickshire. Sutton Coldfield is absorbed by Birmingham.
• 1974: The new Central Library is completed and opened to the public.
• 1974: Construction of National Westminster House is completed.
• 1974: The West Midlands County Council takes possession of Birmingham Airport.
• 1974: Construction of Metropolitan House is completed.
• 1975: Construction of Centre City Tower is completed.
• 1975: Construction of the Alexander Stadium commences.
• 1975: Birmingham Central Mosque is officially opened, becoming the largest mosque in Western Europe.
• February 1976: the National Exhibition Centre opens.
• 1976: Construction of Edgbaston House is completed.
• 1976: The Alexander Stadium is completed and opened.
• February 1977: Construction of the North Stand at Villa Park commences.
• 1978: The Birmingham Civic Society raises enough funds to reinstate the pools surrounding the Chamberlain Memorial.
• 1978: Five Ways railway station reopens after being closed in 1944.
• 1979: Construction of Five Ways Tower is completed.

[edit] 1980-1989

• September 1980: The Aston Hippodrome is demolished.
• 1981: Trident House is completed and opened.
• 1981: Villa Park hosts the League Cup Final in which Liverpool beat West Ham 2-1 in a replay.
• 1981: A golden dome is added to the minaret of Birmingham Central Mosque.
• 1983: The Sutton Coldfield mast is rebuilt.
• 1983: Bingley Hall is seriously damaged by fire and demolished.
• 1983: Birmingham Airport is privatised.
• 1984: A new terminal is opened at Birmingham Airport.
• 1984: The Perrott's Folly Company is formed to restore Perrott's Folly for public use.
• 31 March 1986: The West Midlands County Council is abolished.
• January 1987: The foundation stone to the International Convention Centre is laid, signalling the start of construction.
• 1 April 1987: The ownership of Birmingham International Airport is transferred to Birmingham International Airport plc.
• July 1987: The city council invites developers to draw up a masterplan for 26 acres of land alongside canals, adjacent to the International Convention Centre.
• 1987: A rebuilt Snow Hill station is opened to the public.
• 1987: "The People's Plan", a document containing designs and plans for the redevelopment of the Bull Ring, is published and issued by London and Edinburgh Trust but the plans are greeted with public objection.
• 1988: A glass roof is built over Paradise Forum and crossing the Inner Ring Road is built.
• 1988: London and Edinburgh Trust redesign their proposals for the Bull Ring redevelopment but again receive public criticism.
• 1988: The Birmingham Institute of Art and Design is formed following the Faculty of Art and Design at Birmingham Polytechnic absorbing Bournville College of Art.
• September 1989: The Brindleyplace development alongside the ICC and Broad Street is granted planning permission.
• October 1989: The topping out ceremony of the railway tunnel for the future site of the National Indoor Arena is conducted by the council.
• 1989: The Birmingham School of Music is renamed the Birmingham Conservatoire.

[edit] 1990-1999

• 1990: The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company move into the Alexandra Theatre.
• 1990: Construction of Colmore Gate commences.
• 1990: The redevelopment of the Custard Factory commences in two phases.
• 1990: Hyatt Regency Birmingham is completed at a cost of £31 million.
• 12 June 1991: The International Convention Centre opens.
• 26 July 1991: A second terminal, "Eurohub", opens at Birmingham International Airport.
• 1991: The National Indoor Arena opens.
• 1991: The Birmingham Repertory Theatre is refurbished and extended.
• 1991: Birmingham City Council establish a project to help relaunch cultural events on the site of the Aston Hippodrome.
• August 1992: The redevelopment of Victoria Square is completed, which includes a fountain sculpture.
• 1992: Construction of Colmore Gate is completed.
• 1992: Cleaning of the exterior of the Birmingham School of Art building is completed.
• 1992: The Gas Retort House is rediscovered whilst being prepared for redevelopment.
• 1992: Birmingham Polytechnic receives university status and becomes the University of Central England.
• 1993: The Argent Centre is converted into offices.
• 1993: Farmer's Bridge Junction is renamed Old Turn Junction.
• 1993: The Birmingham School of Art building begins a renovation and refurbishment.
• 1994: The spire of the Chamberlain Memorial undergoes a major clean.
• 1994: Following the establishment of a project by Birmingham City Council in 1991, The Drum begins to host events on the site of the former Aston Hippodrome.
• 1995: Part of the Worcestershire parish of Frankley (including the south-west part of Bartley Reservoir) was transferred to Birmingham and became part of the West Midlands county.
• 1996: Birmingham Town Hall closes for a £35 million refurbishment.
• 1996: A memorial by Bruce Williams dedicated to Tony Hancock is unveiled by Sir Harry Secombe in Old Square.
• 1996: The renovation and refurbishment of the Birmingham School of Art building is completed.
• 1996: The new Tyseley Energy from Waste Plant is opened by Veolia.
• 1997: The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company leaves the Alexandra Theatre.
• 1997: The CBSO Centre is completed and opened.
• 1997: The Museum of Science and Industry is closed down.
• 9 May 1998: The 43rd Eurovision Song Contest is held at the National Indoor Arena.
• 15 May 1998–17 May 1998: The first G8 summit is held in Birmingham. Bill Clinton famously pops out for a pint of beer.
• 1998: Birmingham Children's Hospital moves back to its original location on Steelhouse Lane.
• 1998: The Door is opened by the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, replaced the Studio.
• 1998: The Crescent Theatre is opened by Clare Short, the MP for Ladywood.
• 1998: The Drum is officially opened.
• 1998: The Lunar Society Moonstones are created and unveiled.
• 1999: The Midland Metro light rail system opens, starting at Snow Hill station.
• 1999: Refurbishment of the Gas Retort House is completed.
• 1999: Planning permission is granted for Martineau Place.
• 1999: 2,800 properties and substantial land holdings on the Lee Bank estate are transferred from Birmingham City Council to Optima Community Housing Association.

[edit] 2000s

[edit] 2000-2007

• December 2000: The Mailbox, an upmarket shopping centre, opens to the public.
• 2000: Demolition of the 1960s Bull Ring shopping centre commences.
• 2000: The Rotunda is granted Grade II listed status.
• 2000: The parish of New Frankley is established and becomes Birmingham's only remaining civil parish.
• 2001: Plans for a replacement football stadium to St Andrews were mooted.
• 2 July 2002: Millennium Point is opened by Queen Elizabeth II.
• 2002: The nightclub at Methodist Central Hall closes leaving the building empty.
• April 3, 2003: The planning application for a 122 metre tall tower at Holloway Circus is approved by Birmingham City Council.
• August 2003: The refurbishment of Baskerville House commences.
• 4 September 2003: The new Bullring shopping centre opens.
• 2003: Quayside Tower is extensively refurbished.
• 2003: The BT Tower is repainted and a lighting scheme is added.
• 2003: Plans to redevelop New Street station in a project called Birmingham Gateway are approved by the city council.
• 5 April 2004: Responsibility and budgets for a number of council services are devolved to 11 district committees (later reorganised as 10 council constituencies).
• 10 June 2004: The Sutton Trinity Birmingham City Council ward comes into existence.
• 2004: Refurbishment of The Rotunda commences.
• 2004: Construction of the Orion Building commences.
• 2004: Centenary Plaza, the first phase of the £500 million Arena Central development, is completed and opened.
• 2004: BBC Birmingham moves into new offices in The Mailbox.
• 2004: The plans for the City of Birmingham Stadium, the stadium to replace St Andrews, develop to include a sports village.
• 2005: Nanjing Automobile Group acquires the entire assets of MG Rover.
• 28 July 2005: A tornado causes approx. 30 injuries, and an estimated £40 million damage.
• 29 August 2005: New Hall Valley Country Park in Sutton Coldfield is officially opened.
• 22 October 2005 & 23 October 2005 : Two nights of rioting occurs in the Lozells area.
• November 2005: Demolition of the Post and Mail Building commences for the construction of a replacement office block.
• 2006: Beetham Tower at Holloway Circus is completed, becoming Birmingham's second tallest building.
• 2006: Construction of the Orion Building is completed.
• 16 March 2007 - the last HP Sauce to be made in Aston is produced; production is moved to the Netherlands.
• 2 March - 4 March 2007: The National Indoor Arena hosts the 2007 European Athletics Indoor Championships.
• 2007: Nanjing Automobile Group restarts MG TF and MG7 production at Longbridge and in China.
• 2007: The refurbishment of Baskerville House is completed.
• 2008: Colmore Plaza, on the site of the Post and Mail Building, is completed.
• 2008: Construction of the The Cube commences.
• 2008: Construction of Snowhill commences.
• March 9, 2008: Calthorpe House at Five Ways is demolished by controlled explosion to make way for Edgbaston Galleries.
• May 13, 2008: The Rotunda building is reopened as apartments, after extensive refurbishment.

[edit] Future events

v • d • e The city of Birmingham, West Midlands Topics: Architecture • Arts and culture • Constituent areas • Crime and policing • Demography • Economy • Economic history • Education • Food and drink • Government • History • Housing • Listed buildings • Military history • Redevelopment • Religion • People • Schools • Science and invention • Songs • Sport • Tall buildings • Timeline • Transport