Timeline of New Orleans

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

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.

Prior to 19th century

• 1718 - La Nouvelle-Orléans founded by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville of the Mississippi Company.
• 1722 - Capital of La Louisiane is relocated to New Orleans, from Biloxi.
• 1734 - Ursuline Convent built.
• 1752 - Modern-day Ursuline Convent building is finished, today the oldest and finest French Colonial building in the U.S.
• 1762 - French colony ceded to Spain.
• 1770's - Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop was built, one of the oldest extant buildings in New Orleans.
• 1779–1781 - Governor-general Bernardo de Gálvez successfully wages the Gulf Coast campaign against British West Florida, as part of the Anglo-Spanish War (1779–83) and in support of the American Revolutionary War.
• 1788
  • Great New Orleans Fire
  • Lafayette Square laid out (approximate date), by the Surveyor-general Charles Trudeau, who would later serve as interim mayor.
  • Madame John's Legacy was built, today a rare example of a raised cottage in the French Quarter.
• 1789 - Saint Louis Cemetery established.
• 1792 - Theatre de la Rue Saint Pierre opened.
• 1794
  • 2nd Great New Orleans Fire
  • St. Louis Cathedral built on the site of an earlier Catholic church.
  • Carondelet Canal constructed.
• 1799 - The rebuilt Cabildo was finished.

19th century

1800s-1840s

• 1802 - France regains power, on paper.
• 1803
  • Napoleon sells a huge swath of North America to the U.S. via the Louisiana Purchase. Formalities of the Spanish transfer to France and the French cession to the United States do not take place until November and December, at the Cabildo; with Upper Louisiana (St. Louis)'s ceremony occurring in the spring of 1804.
  • Etienne de Boré becomes the first mayor, under territorial Governor William C. C. Claiborne.
• 1804
  • Orleans Gazette newspaper begins publication.
  • The Territory of Orleans (future state of Louisiana) is established, with the seat of government in New Orleans.
• 1806 - New Orleans Mechanics Society instituted.
• 1811 - Largest slave revolt in American history occurs nearby, with Orleans Parish involved in its aftermath.
• 1812
  • April - Louisiana becomes a state, with New Orleans as its first capital.
  • August - 1812 Louisiana hurricane
• 1813 - The Presbytere built.
• 1815
  • January - Battle of New Orleans
  • Charity Hospital built.
  • Théâtre d'Orléans opens.
• 1817 - First Congregational Church built.
• 1818 - Fort Pike built.
• 1822 - Fort Macomb built.
• 1824
  • American Theatre built.
  • Pontchartrain Hotel built at Spanish Fort.
• 1827
  • L’Abeille de la Nouvelle-Orléans newspaper begins publication.
  • Algiers ferry in operation, which has run continuously to the present day.
• 1830 - Introduction of natural gas
• 1831 - Pontchartrain Railroad begins operating.
• 1832 - First steam-powered cotton press
• 1833 - Lafayette Cemetery is founded.
• 1834 - Medical College of Louisiana and U.S. Mint established.
• 1835
  • New Orleans and Carrollton Railroad begins operating, which became today's streetcar lines.
  • U.S. military barracks and First Presbyterian Church built.
• 1836
  • City is divided into three municipalities, which system existed for about twenty years.
  • St. Louis Hotel in business.
  • Female Orphan Asylum in operation.
• 1837
  • The Picayune newspaper begins publication.
  • U.S. economic recession begins with the Panic of 1837.
  • Christ Church built.
• 1838
  • St. Charles Hotel in business.
  • New Basin Canal opens, connecting uptown and the lakefront.
  • St. Vincent De Paul Church built.
• 1840
  • Population reaches approximately 102,000 or double the 1830 population. At this point, New Orleans is the wealthiest city in the nation, the third-most populous city, and the largest city in the South. (New York City's population was 312,000. Baltimore and New Orleans were the same size, with Baltimore showing only 100 more people.)
  • Beginning of the city's public school system
  • 25th anniversary celebration of the Battle of New Orleans victory, with former President Andrew Jackson in attendance
  • Antoine's restaurant in business.
  • St. Patrick's Church built.
  • Cypress Grove Cemetery and First German Lutheran Congregation established.
• 1841 - Boston Club formed.
• 1842
  • St. Augustine Church dedicated.
  • Holy Family Sisters founded.
• 1845 - City Hall built.
• 1846
  • Abdiel Crossman becomes mayor.
  • Public School Library, 1st District, established.
  • Jackson monument erected.
  • De Bow's Commercial Review begins publication.
• 1847 - University of Louisiana Law School opens.
• 1849 - State capital is relocated to the then-small-town of Baton Rouge.

1850s-1890s

• 1852
  • Lafayette becomes part of city.
  • Union Race Course opens.
  • Touro Infirmary founded.
• 1853
  • City Park established.
  • Major yellow fever epidemic.
• 1855 - Swiss Benevolent Society founded.
• 1856
  • Mistick Krewe of Comus founded.
  • Last Island hurricane dumps 13 inches of rainfall on the city.
• 1857
  • Saint Alphonsus Church built.
  • Pickwick Club formed.
• 1859
  • French Opera House opens.
  • Locust Grove Cemetery established.
• 1860
  • Louisiana Historical Society incorporated.
  • St. Mary's Assumption Church built.
  • Population: 168,675.
• 1861 - January - Louisiana votes to secede from the Union.
• 1862
  • Capture of New Orleans by Union forces.
  • Café du Monde in business.
  • Harmony Club formed.
• 1863 - New-Orleans Times newspaper begins publication.
• 1866 - New Orleans riot
• 1867 - Another in the long series of yellow fever epidemics; this one took its toll in Texas, as well.
• 1868
  • Louisiana readmitted to the Union.
  • Straight University founded.
• 1869 - New Orleans University founded.
• 1870
  • Algiers and Jefferson City annexed.
  • Leland College established.
  • Population: 191,418.
• 1874 - Battle of Liberty Place, white insurrection against the Reconstruction government.
• 1876
  • St. Roch Cemetery chapel dedicated.
  • New Orleans Lawn Tennis Club and Atheneé Louisianaise founded.
• 1881 - Southern University opens.
• 1883 - Theatre built at Spanish Fort.
• 1884 - World Cotton Centennial.
• 1886 - New Orleans Camera Club organized.
• 1887 - Howard Memorial Library built.
• 1889 - Louisiana Historical Association founded.
• 1890 - Confederate Memorial Hall built. Commander's Palace restaurant opens.
• 1891 - Jackson Brewery building constructed.
• 1892
  • New Orleans Union Station opens.
  • Street Railway Union established.
  • June - Homer Plessy arrested.
• 1893 - Electric streetcars begin operating.
• 1894 - U.S. Naval Station built.
• 1895 - 1895 New Orleans dockworkers riot
• 1895 - Hennen Building completed.
• 1896 - Fisk Free and Public Library in operation.
• 1897 - Storyville district established.

20th century

1900s-1940s

• 1900
  • Robert Charles Riots
  • Art Association of New Orleans founded.
  • Population: 287,104.
• 1901 - Louisiana hurricane causes much flooding in the city, due partly to the overflowing Carondelet Canal.
• 1904
  • Loyola College established.
  • Martin Behrman becomes mayor.
• 1905 - Galatoire's restaurant in business.
• 1906
  • Louisiana State Museum founded.
  • Beth Israel synagogue opens.
• 1907
  • Dixie Brewing Company in business.
  • New Orleans Library Club formed.
  • White City amusement park in business.
• 1908 - New Orleans Public Library main branch building opens.
• 1909 - The Grand Isle hurricane causes much New Orleans flooding.
• 1911 - Delgado Museum of Art and Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) of New Orleans established.
• 1915
  • Xavier College established.
  • 1915 New Orleans hurricane inflicts great wind damage, destroying churches and the Presbytere's cupola.
• 1916 - Our Lady of Holy Cross College and Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club established.
• 1917
  • Livery Stable Blues recorded by the Original Dixieland Jass Band.
  • Storyville closed.
• 1918
  • 1918 influenza epidemic.
  • Arnaud's restaurant in business.
• 1919 - The French Opera House is destroyed by fire
• 1920 - Broussard's restaurant in business.
• 1921
  • Delgado Central Trades School opens.
  • Orpheum Theater in operation.
  • Hibernia Bank Building constructed.
• 1923
  • Notre Dame Seminary founded.
  • Roosevelt Hotel in business.
  • Industrial Canal Lock built.
• 1924 - New Orleans Item-Tribune begins publication.
• 1925 - Lakeview Presbyterian Church built.
• 1926
  • State Palace Theatre built.
  • Tulane Stadium opens.
• 1927
  • Saenger Theatre opens.
  • First National Bank of Commerce Building constructed.
  • Pontchartrain Hotel in business.
• 1928 - Pontchartrain Beach amusement park opens.
• 1929 - National American Bank Building constructed.
• 1930
  • Dillard University chartered.
  • Municipal Auditorium opens.
  • Broadmoor Improvement Association formed.
• 1932 - Bureau of Governmental Research established.
• 1933 - O'Brien's in business.
• 1935 - Sugar Bowl begins.
• 1936
  • New Orleans Botanical Garden opens.
  • Robert Maestri becomes mayor.
• 1937 - New Orleans Roosevelt Review begins publication.
• 1938
  • Zurich Classic of New Orleans golf tournament begins.
  • Vieux Carré Property Owners, Residents, and Associates preservation group incorporated.
• 1939
  • Charity Hospital built.
  • Lincoln Beach amusement park in business.
• 1946
  • Moisant International Airport opens.
  • Chep Morrison becomes mayor.
  • New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary formed.
• 1947
  • Joy Theater opens.
  • New Orleans Emergency Medical Services established.
  • September hurricane creates tremendous flooding, shutting down Moisant Airport.
• 1949 - Middle South Utilities in business.

1950s-1990s

• 1950 - New Orleans Pharmacy Museum opens.
• 1954
  • McDonogh Day Boycott
  • New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal opens.
• 1956
  • Louisiana State University in New Orleans and Southern University at New Orleans established.
  • Lake Pontchartrain Causeway opens.
• 1957
  • Pontchartrain Expressway opens.
  • Harvey Tunnel built.
• 1958 - Greater New Orleans Bridge opens.
• 1960 - November: Desegregation of New Orleans Public Schools begins, with Ruby Bridges attending William Frantz Elementary.
• 1961 - Vic Schiro becomes mayor.
• 1965
  • Annual Marathon race begins.
  • I-10 Twin Span Bridge opens.
  • Hurricane Betsy causes great damage to the city, the worst before Katrina 40 years later.
• 1966 - Historic New Orleans Collection and Amistad Research Center established.
• 1967
  • New Orleans Saints football team formed.
  • International Trade Mart building constructed.
• 1969
  • Plaza Tower built.
  • Hurricane Camille inflicts $320 million damage in Louisiana.
• 1970
  • Jazz Fest begins.
  • Moon Landrieu becomes mayor.
• 1972 - One Shell Square built.
• 1973 - UpStairs Lounge arson attack
• 1974 - Preservation Resource Center founded.
• 1975 - Superdome opens.
• 1978
  • Ernest Nathan Morial becomes mayor.
  • New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts established.
• 1979
  • K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen in business.
  • Annual Crescent City Classic running race begins.
  • New Orleans Regional Transit Authority established.
• 1980 - Longue Vue House and Gardens opens.
• 1981 - New Orleans Mint museum active.
• 1983
  • Lakefront Arena opens.
  • Luling Bridge opens.
• 1984
  • French Quarter Festival begins.
  • Convention Center opens.
  • 1984 Louisiana World Exposition
  • Place St. Charles built.
• 1986
  • Sidney Barthelemy becomes mayor.
  • Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival begins.
• 1988 - 1988 Republican National Convention
• 1989 - New Orleans Film Society founded.
• 1990
  • Emeril’s restaurant in business.
  • Aquarium of the Americas opens.
  • Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge established.
  • Population: 496,938.
• 1991 - Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra formed.
• 1994
  • Marc Morial becomes mayor.
  • New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park created.
• 1995
  • Essence Music Festival begins.
  • May 1995 Louisiana flood
• 1998 - City website online (approximate date).
• 1999 - Voodoo Fest of music begins.

21st century

2000s

• 2000
  • National World War II Museum opens.
  • Six Flags New Orleans theme park opened (closed 2005); initially called Jazzland.
  • Population: 484,674.
• 2001 - New Orleans Bowl begins.
• 2002
  • Ray Nagin becomes mayor.
  • Hornets basketball team relocates to New Orleans.
  • New Orleans VooDoo football team formed.
• 2003
  • Iron Rail Book Collective founded.
  • Ogden Museum of Southern Art established.
  • John McDonogh High School shooting
• 2004 - Christmas Eve snowstorm
• 2005
  • August - Hurricane Katrina; levee failures.
  • September - Hurricane Rita.
  • Bring New Orleans Back Commission formed.
  • Big Easy Rollergirls established.
• 2006
  • World Cultural Economic Forum begins.
  • January - Chocolate City speech.
• 2008
  • Hurricane Gustav
  • Prospect New Orleans art exhibit begins.
  • Audubon Insectarium opens.
• 2009 - Joseph Cao becomes U.S. Representative for Louisiana's 2nd congressional district, Congress's first Vietnamese American member.

2010s

• 2010
  • Mitch Landrieu becomes mayor.
  • Population: 343,829.
• 2011 - Cedric Richmond becomes U.S. Representative for Louisiana's 2nd congressional district.
• 2012
  • BlightStatus city app launched.
  • Hurricane Isaac's storm surge creates heavy flooding and widespread power outages.
• 2014 - Former mayor Nagin sentenced to prison.
• 2015 - 200th anniversary commemoration of the Battle of New Orleans.

See also

• History of New Orleans
• List of mayors of New Orleans
• List of National Historic Landmarks in Louisiana
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Orleans Parish, Louisiana
• Timeline of Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Timeline of Louisiana

Bibliography

Published in the 19th century

• 1871 ed.

Published in the 20th century

Published in the 21st century

• (Baltimore, Detroit, Los Angeles, New Orleans)

External links

• Louisiana Historical Society. Resources for Research in New Orleans
• (about New Orleans Police Department)
• Louisiana Association of Museums. List of Louisiana Museums
• Digital Public Library of America. Works related to New Orleans, various dates
• Europeana. Items related to New Orleans, various dates.