The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

19th century

14th -18th Century Kongo Kingdom reigned victorious throughout the land 1881 - Léopoldville founded as a trading post by Henry Morton Stanley of the UK. 1885 - Town becomes part of Congo Free State. 1898 - Matadi–Kinshasa Railway built.

20th century 1900s-1950s 1908 - Town becomes part of Belgian Congo. 1909 - Banque du Congo Belge headquartered in Léopoldville (approximate date). 1914 - Grand Hotel ABC built. 1917 - Collège Saint-Joseph founded. 1920 - Ligne Aérienne du Roi Albert (airline) begins operating. 1923 - Capital of Belgian Congo relocated to Leopoldville from Boma. 1928 - newspaper begins publication. 1935 - Association Sportive Vita Club formed. 1936 - Daring Club Motema Pembe (football club) formed. 1937 Stade Reine Astrid (stadium) opens. Radio Leo begins broadcasting. Hotel Memling built. 1938 - Amicale Sportive Dragons football club formed. 1939 - Albert I of Belgium monument inaugurated on Place de la Gare. 1940 - Radio Congo Belge begins broadcasting. 1940s - Ngoma recording studio in business. 1943 - École Saint-Luc à Gombe Matadi founded. 1952 - Stade Roi Baudouin (stadium) inaugurated. 1953 N'djili Airport inaugurated. African Jazz (musical group) formed. 1954 - Lovanium University established. 1955 Boulevard Albert I constructed. Presbyterian Community in Kinshasa founded. 1956 OK Jazz musical group formed. Colonial Governor-General residence built. 1957 - Académie des Beaux-Arts (school) active. 1958 Trico Center for nuclear studies established. Plantations Lever au Congo (part of Unilever) headquartered in city. 1959 Anti-colonial riots led by the ABAKO political party. L'independance newspaper begins publication.

1960s-1990s 1960 City becomes capital of independent Republic of the Congo. Joseph Kulumba becomes bourgmestre, succeeded by Daniel Kanza. 1961 - American School founded. 1962 National School of Law and Administration founded. Revolutionary Government of Angola in Exile based in Léopoldville. 1963 Boulevard Albert I renamed "Boulevard du 30 Juin". Zoao Boniface becomes bourgmestre. 1964 City becomes capital of Democratic Republic of the Congo. Hotel Memling built. Banque du Congo headquartered in city. 1965 - Centre d'etudes pour l'action sociale established. 1966 - Léopoldville renamed "Kinshasa." 1967 September: Organisation of African Unity summit held. National Conservatory of Music and Dramatic Art established. 1969 Kinshasa International Fair begins. Zaiko Langa Langa musical group formed. 1971 City becomes capital of Republic of Zaire. Office National des Transports headquartered in city. Inter Continental hotel in business. 1972 - École d'Informatique d'Électronique founded. 1974 September: Zaire 74 music festival held. 30 October: The Rumble in the Jungle boxing match held. Population: 2,008,352. 1975 - Sozacom building constructed. 1976 - Voix du Zaire broadcasting complex and BCZ building constructed. 1977 - Zekete-zekete musical style developed. 1979 - Palais du Peuple built. 1981 - University of Kinshasa established. 1982 - Le Potentiel newspaper begins publication. 1984 - Population: 2,664,309. 1985 - Meeting of the Association Internationale des Maires Francophones held in city. 1988 - Madiaba musical style developed. 1989 Athletic Club Sodigraf formed. La Référence Plus newspaper begins publication. 1990 - Population: 3,564,000 (urban agglomeration). 1991 Fundu Kota becomes governor. September: "Riots...by unpaid soldiers." October: Anti-Mobutu demonstrations. 1992 - Kibabu Madiata Nzau becomes governor, succeeded by Bernardin Mungul Diaka. 1994 Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste founded. Kamanyola Stadium opens. 1996 Mujinga Swana becomes governor, succeeded by Nkoy Mafuta. L'Avenir (Newspaper) begins publication. 8 January: Airplane crash. 1997 Théophile Mbemba Fundu becomes governor. April: General Gabriel Amela Lokima Bahati becomes governor. May: City taken by anti-Mobutu forces led by Laurent-Désiré Kabila. Central Bank of the Congo headquartered in city. 1998 August: Second Congo War begins; rebel forces move toward city. September: Food shortage. 1999 - United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo headquartered in Kinshasa. 2000 - Population: 5,611,000 (urban agglomeration).

21st century

2001 Christophe Muzungu becomes governor, succeeded by . January: President Laurent-Désiré Kabila assassinated. 2002 David Nku Imbié becomes governor. Lola ya Bonobo animal sanctuary located near city. 2004 March: Coup attempt. May: Jean Kimbunda becomes governor. 2005 Kimbembe Mazunga becomes governor. Population: 7,106,000 (urban agglomeration). 2006 Post-election unrest. Baudoin Liwanga becomes governor. 2007 March: Conflict between Bemba supporters and government forces. 16 March: André Kimbuta becomes governor. City website online (approximate date). 2010 - 2 June: Activist Floribert Chebeya killed. 2011 - 27 February: Coup attempt. 2012 October: Organisation internationale de la Francophonie summit held. Population: 9,046,000. 2013 - 30 December: December 2013 Kinshasa attacks by supporters of religious leader Mukungubila. 2014 11 May: Stade Tata Raphaël stampede. (hospital) opens. It's discovered that the origin of the HIV virus traces back to Léopoldville in the 1920s. 2015 - January: 2015 Congolese protests. 2023: The 2023 Jeux de la Francophonie.

See also History of Kinshasa Urban history of Kinshasa (in French) List of governors of Kinshasa Communes of Kinshasa List of television stations in Kinshasa Timelines of other cities in DR Congo: Bukavu, Goma, Kisangani, Lubumbashi History of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Timeline and history of Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo (across Congo River from Kinshasa)

References

This article incorporates information from the French Wikipedia.

Bibliography

in English + website

in French

(Includes information about Kinshasa)

External links

Flickr. Kinshasa in the '70s (set of photos) (Bibliography of open access articles) (Images, etc.) (Images, etc.) (Bibliography) (Bibliography) (Bibliography) (Bibliography) (Bibliography) (see also "Leopoldville")

Images