The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Lisbon, Portugal.
Prior to 15th century
205 BCE – Romans in power; Olisipo (Felicitas Julia) designated a municipio in Lusitania province. Retrieved 2 November 2017 57 CE – Theatre built. 4th C. CE – Catholic diocese of Olisipo established; Potamius becomes bishop. 407 CE – Alans in power. 585 – Visigoths in power. 710s – Olisipo taken by Moors; renamed "al-Ushbuni". 844 – City attacked by Norman forces. 1108 – City taken by Norwegian crusaders. 1110 – City taken by Almoravids under Sir b. Abi Bakr. 1147 Siege of Lisbon by Christian forces under Afonso I. Lisbon Cathedral construction begins. 1179 – City receives charter. 1184 – City attacked by Muslim forces under Abu Yaqub Yusuf. 1242 – Convento de São Domingos de Lisboa founded. 1256 – Lisbon becomes capital of the Kingdom of Portugal. 1290 – University founded. 1300 – Castle of São Jorge renovated (approximate date). 1344 – Earthquake.(pt) 1348 – Plague. 1373 – City sacked by Castilian forces. 1375 – (city wall) built. 1378 – National Archive installed in the São Jorge Castle (approximate date). 1384 – Lisbon besieged by Castilian forces. 1389 – Carmo Convent founded. 1394 – Catholic Archdiocese of Lisbon established; 1395 – (fire brigade) organized.
15th–17th centuries
1422 – Lisbon "made the capital of the kingdom by John I" 1441 – African slave trade begins (abolished in 1836). 1450 – Estaus Palace built (approximate date). 1467 – (residence) built. 1495 – Printing press in operation (approximate date). 1497 – Vasco da Gama departs from Lisbon on first voyage to India. 1501 – Jerónimos Monastery construction begins. 1504 – Hospital Real de Todos os Santos built. 1506 – April: Pogrom of Jews. 1511 – Ribeira Palace built (approximate date). 1514 – Restelo Hermitage built. 1519 – Belém Tower built. 1531 – Earthquake. 1554 – Damião de Góis' Urbis Olisiponis Descriptio published. 1569 – Plague. 1571 – Casa de Despacho da Santa Inquisição (House of the Holy Inquisition) begins functioning. 1572 – becomes Câmara Municipal senate president (i.e. mayor).(pt) 1574 – Duarte da Costa becomes mayor. 1580 – 25 August: Battle of Alcântara fought near Lisbon; Spanish in power. 1588 – 28 May: Military Spanish Armada departs from Lisbon for England. 1594 – Aula do Risco (school) established. 1597 Earthquake.(pt) Printer in business. 1598 - São Bento Palace originally built. 1601 – Jerónimos Monastery built. 1624 - English College, Lisbon opened. 1629 - Monastery of São Vicente de Fora completed. 1640 – December: Coup d'état; Spanish ousted. 1647 – (school) founded. 1668 – February: Peace treaty between Spain and Portugal signed in Lisbon. 1681 – Church of Santa Engrácia construction begins.
18th century
1715 – newspaper begins publication. 1720 – founded. 1724 – British Cemetery opens, to cater for Protestants in the city. 1748 – Águas Livres Aqueduct begins operating. 1754 – Belém Palace built (approximate date). 1755 1 November: Earthquake, tsunami, and fire devastate city and killed thousands. Ribeira Palace destroyed. Baixa Pombalina planning begins. 1761 – Real Barraca (royal palace) built in Ajuda near Lisbon. 1764 – Passeio Público (park) opens. 1768 – (garden) founded near city. 1769 – Lisbon Stock Exchange formed. 1774 – Lisbon City Archives moved into Lisbon City Hall. 1775 – erected in the Praça do Comércio. 1779 – Lisbon Science Academy founded. 1780 Street lighting installed. Casa Pia orphanage founded. 1787 – Remodelled opens. 1790 – founded. 1793 – Teatro Nacional de São Carlos (theatre) opens. 1796 – Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal established.
19th century
1801 – Street name signage installed. 1807 – 30 November: French forces take Lisbon. 1808 French ousted by British forces. in publication. 1831 – "Military insurrection...suppressed." 1833 – Prazeres Cemetery established. 1834 – Portuguese Parliament begins meeting in the Palácio das Cortes. 1835 – Public established. 1836 – Academia de Belas-Artes established. 1837 – Sociedade Propagadora dos Conhecimentos Úteis founded. 1839 – Associação Marítima e Colonial headquartered in Lisbon. 1841 – Alto de São João Cemetery established. 1846 National Theatre D. Maria II built. Grémio Literário de Lisboa founded. 1852 – Instituto Industrial established. 1856 – Associação Naval de Lisboa founded. 1859 – Yellow fever outbreak. 1864 Diário de Notícias newspaper begins publication. Population: 190,311. 1865 – Santa Apolónia railway station opens. 1867 – Teatro da Trindade theatre opens. 1873 Horsecar tram begins operating. Rua Augusta Arch erected. 1874 – Column of Pedro IV erected. 1875 Lisbon Geographic Society formed. May: Boating accident on Tagus river kills dozens. 1877 – Construction of Linha do Norte (railway) to Porto completed. 1878 Astronomical Observatory of Lisbon and (garden) established. Population: 246,343. 1880 – Alviella aqueduct begins operating. 1882 Marquess of Pombal Square laid out. Anglo-Portuguese Telephone Company begins telephone services. 1883 – December: Dockyard fire occurs. 1884 National Museum of Ancient Art founded. Lisbon Zoo founded. 1885 Glória Funicular begins operating. Covered market built in Praça da Figueira (approximate date). Belém becomes part of city. 1886 – Avenida da Liberdade laid out; Monument to the Restorers unveiled. 1887 – Linha de Sintra (railway) begins operating. 1890 Coliseu dos Recreios founded. Population: 300,964. 1891 – Central Station and open. 1892 – Campo Pequeno bullring built. 1893 – National Archaeology Museum founded. 1894 June: Bakers conduct labor strike. becomes mayor. 1895 June: "Chamber of deputies" burns down. Linha de Cascais railway begins operating; Cais do Sodré railway station opens. 1897 established. Zófimo Consiglieri Pedroso becomes mayor. 1900 Santa Justa Lift begins operating. Population: 351,210 city; 709,509 district.
20th century 1900s–1940s
1901 Electric tram begins operating. António José de Ávila becomes mayor. 1902 established. Ancient "chapel and tombs" discovered. 1903 - Visit by Edward VII commemorated by Edward VII Park. 1904 becomes mayor. Grupo Sport Lisboa formed. 1905 Café A Brasileira opens. National Coach Museum created. 1906 Colonial School and Sporting Clube de Portugal founded. Lisbon Tropical Botanical Garden opens. 1908 – 1 February: Carlos I and his son, Luís Filipe, are assassinated in the Praça do Comércio. 1909 23 April: Earthquake. City Museum established. 1910 Anselmo Braamcamp Freire becomes mayor. City becomes capital of the First Portuguese Republic. 1911 University of Lisbon and Edward VII Park established. in business. Population: 435,359 city; 853,415 district. 1916 23 February: German ships seized at Lisbon; Germany subsequently declares war on Portugal, which officially enters World War I. Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro Museum opens. 1919 – Clube de Futebol Os Belenenses founded. 1920 – Population: 484,664. 1922 – Parque Mayer theater complex opens. 1926 Ditadura Nacional (Military dictatorship) begins in Portugal. Setúbal District splits away from the Lisbon District. 1929 – headquartered in city. 1930 Technical University of Lisbon established. Lisbon Book Fair begins. Population: 591,939. 1931 (periodical library) founded. Teatro Capitólio opens. 1932 – (railway station) opens. 1933 – City becomes capital of the fascist Portuguese Second Republic (Estado Novo) (until 1974). 1934 – Monsanto Forest Park formed. 1938 Duarte Pacheco becomes mayor. headquartered in Lisbon. 1940 23 June: Portuguese World Exhibition opens; closes 2 December. Population: 694,389. 1941 – 15 February: Cyclone occurs. 1942 – Lisbon Portela Airport opens. 1945 – A Bola sports newspaper begins publication. 1946 – Clube Oriental de Lisboa founded. 1947 – Grupo Surrealista de Lisboa (art group) formed. 1949 – Record sports newspaper begins publication.
1950s–1990s
1950 opens. Population: 783,226 city. 1952 – Centro Desportivo Universitário de Lisboa founded. 1953 - Hospital de Santa Maria opened. 1954 – Estádio da Luz (stadium) opens. 1956 Estádio José Alvalade (stadium) and Teatro ABC open. Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation established. 1959 Lisbon Metro begins operating. becomes mayor. Cristo Rei statue erected. 1960 – Padrão dos Descobrimentos monument erected. 1963 – Navy Museum opens. 1965 National Museum of Ethnology established. Museu Nacional do Azulejo formed. 1966 – 25 de Abril Bridge opens. 1968 – A Capital newspaper begins publication. 1969 Teatro Maria Matos opens. Calouste Gulbenkian Museum opens. 1970 becomes mayor. Population: 769,410 city; 1,611,887 metro. 1971 – (Public Consortium for the Urbanization of Lisbon) founded. 1972 – António Jorge da Silva Sebastião becomes mayor. 1973 Teatro da Cornucópia founded. English College, Lisbon closed. 1974 25 April: Military coup d'état; Lisbon subsequently becomes capital of the democratic Third Portuguese Republic. Joaquim Caldeira Rodrigues becomes mayor. 1975 Lino José Góis Ferreira becomes mayor. Teatro Aberto formed. 1977 Aquilino Ribeiro Machado becomes mayor. National Museum of Costume and Fashion inaugurated. 1979 – Correio da Manhã newspaper begins publication. 1980 headquartered in city. Nuno Krus Abecasis becomes mayor. 1981 – Population: 807,167 city. 1985 Lisbon joins the newly formed União das Cidades Capitais Luso-Afro-Américo-Asiáticas. built. IAAF World Cross Country Championships held. 1986 Lisbon Marathon begins. March: meets in Lisbon. 1989 – Diário Económico newspaper begins publication. 1990 Público newspaper begins publication. Electricity Museum opens. Jorge Fernando Branco de Sampaio becomes mayor. 1991 – Population: 663,394 city. 1992 – Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo formed. 1993 – Belém Cultural Center built. 1994 World Junior Championships in Athletics held. unveiled. 1995 Blue Line (Lisbon Metro) and Yellow Line (Lisbon Metro) in operation.(pt) Macau Science and Culture Centre initiated. João Barroso Soares becomes mayor. 1996 – Community of Portuguese Language Countries summit held. 1998 Fado Museum, Gare do Oriente (railway station), Lisbon Oceanarium, Teatro Camões, and Vasco da Gama Bridge open. Expo '98 and Ibero-American Championships in Athletics held in Lisbon. newspaper begins publication. Pavilhão Atlântico and Vasco da Gama Tower built. Dom Fernando II e Glória restored. Cm-lisboa.pt website online (approximate date). + via Arquivo.pt Green Line (Lisbon Metro) and Red Line (Lisbon Metro) in operation.
21st century
2001 IAAF World Indoor Championships held. Population: 564,657. 2002 Euronext Lisbon founded. Pedro Miguel de Santana Lopes becomes mayor. 2003 Doclisboa film festival begins. Estádio da Luz and Estádio José Alvalade (stadiums) built. 2004 built. António Pedro Nobre Carmona Rodrigues becomes mayor. Allied Joint Command Lisbon formed. 2005 – Pedro Miguel de Santana Lopes becomes mayor, succeeded by António Pedro Nobre Carmona Rodrigues. 2006 29 January: Snow storm occurs. W.A.K.O. European Championships held. 2007 December: EU Treaty signed in Lisbon. António Luís dos Santos da Costa becomes mayor. Berardo Collection Museum established. 2008 7 August: Kidnapping of hostages at Banco Espírito Santo branch in Campolide parish. Museum of the Orient opens. Contraditório headquartered in city. 2011 – Population: 547,733 city; 2,821,876 metro. 2012 –14 November: Anti-austerity protests. 2015 – Population: 504,471. 2017 – 1 October: Portuguese local election, 2017 held. 2018 – Eurovision Song Contest 2018 held. 2025 – 3 September: Ascensor da Glória derailment
See also History of Lisbon List of mayors of Lisbon, 1840– List of Lisbon City Council senate presidents (1572–1821) (in Portuguese)