Timeline of Birmingham history

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.

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 permanently.
* 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

1700 - 1799

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

1800 - 1899

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

1900 - 1999

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

2000s

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.

Future events

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