The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Johannesburg, in the Gauteng province in South Africa.
19th century
1886 – Johannesburg township established by Boer government after discovery of gold in vicinity. 1887 The Star newspaper in publication. St. Mary's Church built. Johannesburg Stock Exchange founded. Theatre Royal opens. 1888 – St Mary's School was founded. 1890 Library opens. Jeppe High School for Boys was founded. 1891 Horse-drawn tram begins operating. Standard Theatre opens. 1892 – Prison built. 1895 – Railway in operation. 1896 January: Uprising against Boer government. 19 February: Braamfontein Explosion. 1897 Johannesburg Park station opens. Johan Zulch de Villiers becomes the first mayor. 1898 – St John's College was founded. 1899 – Fort built. 1900 – 31 May: Town captured by British forces during the Second Boer War.
20th century
1900s–1950s 1902 King Edward VII School was founded. St. Andrew's School for Girls was founded. 1903 Johannesburg Stock Exchange building constructed. Observatory built near town. Sophiatown developed. Roedean School for Girls was founded. 1904 Johannesburg Zoo and Transvaal Technical Institute established. April: Brickfields burned. Drill Hall built. Population: 99,022. 1905 Town administrative wards created. Johannesburg Statistics begins publication. Alexandra developed near Johannesburg. 1906 Electric trams begin operating. Sunday Times newspaper begins publication. Meeting of the Municipal Associations of South Africa held in Johannesburg. 1907 – Redhill School was founded. 1908 – Population: 180,687. 1919 – Jeppe High School for Girls was founded. 1920 – Parktown Boys' High School was founded. 1921 – Helpmekaar Kollege was founded. 1922 University of the Witwatersrand incorporated. January–March: Miner's strike. 1923 – Parktown High School for Girls was founded. 1925 – Technikon Witwatersrand established. 1927 – Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra founded. 1928 Johannesburg gains city status. Ellis Park Stadium was opened. 1929 – South African Institute of Race Relations headquartered in city. 1931 – Airport opens in Germiston. 1933 – Kingsmead College was founded. 1935 – Johannesburg City Library building opens. 1936 – 15 September: The Empire Exhibition, South Africa World's Fair opens 1937 – 15 January: The Empire Exhibition, South Africa closes. 1941 – St David's Marist, Inanda was founded. 1942 – Springbok Legion's Fighting Talk begins publication. 1944 – Hoërskool Florida was founded. 1946 – Population: 603,470 city; 762,910 urban agglomeration. 1948 – Polly Street Centre founded. 1950 – Springbok Radio begins broadcasting. 1951 Drum magazine begins publication. Population: 631,911 city; 884,007 urban agglomeration. Waverley High School for Girls was founded. 1952 – Jan Smuts Airport established in Kempton Park. 1953 – St Stithians College was founded. 1956 December: Treason Trial begins. Purple Renoster literary magazine begins publication. 1957 – 1957 Alexandra bus boycott. 1958 – St Benedict's College was founded.
1960s–1990s 1960 21 March: Sharpeville massacre. Johannesburg Planetarium opens. 1961 City becomes part of the Republic of South Africa. Greenside High School was founded. 1962 – Sentech Tower built. 1963 11 July: The arrest of Umkhonto we Sizwe high commanders known as Rivonia Trial. 11 August: Four of the defendants who had been arrested on July 11, at the Liliesleaf Farm near Johannesburg, were able to escape their South African jail after a bribe was promised to their guard by the ANC.Nelson Mandela, Conversations with Myself (Random House Digital, 2010)Gideon Shimoni, Community and Conscience: The Jews in Apartheid South Africa (University Press of New England, 2003) p67 Classic magazine begins publication. 1964 July: The arrest of Umkhonto we Sizwe high commanders known as Little Rivonia Trialist. Johannesburg Botanical Garden established. 1966 – Rand Afrikaans University founded. 1968 – Bryanston High School was founded. 1969 Hyde Park Corner (shopping centre) in business. Northcliff High School was founded. 1970 Tollman Towers and Trust Bank Building constructed. Population: 654,682 city; 1,432,643 urban agglomeration. 1971 – Hillbrow Tower built. 1973 – Marble Towers, Carlton Centre, and Sandton City shopping centre built. 1974 – Beeld newspaper begins publication. 1975 – Ponte City Apartments built. 1976 16 June: Soweto uprising. Market Theatre opens. 1978 – Staffrider literary magazine begins publication. 1980 Municipal workers' strike. Federated Union of Black Artists Academy established. 1981 – The Sowetan newspaper begins publication. 1982 City Press newspaper begins publication. Afrapix active. 1984 3 September: Sharpeville Six 11 Diagonal Street built. 1985 Weekly Mail newspaper begins publication. Mormon Temple dedicated. Population: 632,369 city; 1,609,408 urban agglomeration. 1987 – Water Institute of Southern Africa headquartered in city. 1988 – 31 August: Bombing of Khotso House. 1989 Soccer City stadium opens. Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation established. 1991 – Population: 712,507 city; 1,916,061 metro. 1992 Johannesburg Stadium opens. Centre for Policy Studies headquartered in Johannesburg. 1994 28 March: Shooting at Shell House. City becomes seat of the new Gauteng province. South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance established. 1995 Gallagher Convention Centre opens. Centre for Development and Enterprise headquartered in Johannesburg. Johannesburg Biennale art exhibit begins. 1996 3 February: 1996 Africa Cup of Nations Final football contest played in Johannesburg. Population: 752,349 city. 1997 MTN Sundrome opens. Flag of Johannesburg revised design adopted. 1998 – Website Joburg.org.za launched. 1998 – St Peter's College was founded. 1999 – September: 1999 All-Africa Games held in city. 2000 City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality and Johannesburg City Parks created. Stoned Cherrie in business. Population: 2,732,000 (urban agglomeration).
21st century
2000s 2001 Amos Masondo becomes mayor. Monash University, South Africa campus established. Population: 3,226,055. 2002 Soweto becomes part of city. City hosts Earth Summit 2002. 2003 – Nelson Mandela Bridge built. 2004 Constitutional Court of South Africa building opens in Constitution Hill. Drill Hall rebuilt. Creative Commons South Africa headquartered at University of the Witwatersrand. 2005 University of Johannesburg established. 2 July: Live 8 concert. Population: 3,272,000 (urban agglomeration). 2008 Joburg Art Fair begins. Google office in business. Species Australopithecus sediba discovered near Johannesburg. 2009 - 28 June: 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Final football contest played in Johannesburg.
2010s 2010 – 11 July: 2010 FIFA World Cup Final held. 2011 Parks Tau becomes mayor. Air pollution in Johannesburg reaches annual mean of 41 PM2.5 and 85 PM10, more than recommended. Population: 4,434,827. 2013 10 February: 2013 Africa Cup of Nations Final football contest played in Johannesburg. 5 December: Nelson Mandela dies in Johannesburg. 2015 – October: #FeesMustFall protest. 2016 22 August: Herman Mashaba becomes mayor Mduduzi Edmund Tshabalala died in Johannesburg October: #FeesMustFall protest revival. 2018 Winnie Madikizela-Mandela died in Johannesburg. International 10th BRICS summit held at Sandton Convention Centre. 24 October: Jabulani Tsambo died in Johannesburg
2020s 2021 9 July 2021: Geoff Makhubo dies. 10 August 2021: Jolidee Matongo becomes mayor. 18 September 2021: Jolidee Matongo dies from a car accident 2023: 19 July - Gas explosion destroys road in downtown.
See also History of Johannesburg Mayor of Johannesburg City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality Timelines of other cities in South Africa: Cape Town, Durban, Gqeberha, Pietermaritzburg, Pretoria
References
Bibliography
Published in 20th century
Musiker, 2000. A Concise Historical Dictionary of Greater Johannesburg, Francolin Pubs., Cape Town, South Africa.
Published in 21st century 2000s
+ website
(about Cape Town, Johannesburg, Libreville, Lomé)
2010s
External links
(Directory of South African archival and memory institutions and organisations) (Bibliography of open access articles) (Images, etc.) (Images, etc.) (Bibliography) (Bibliography) (Bibliography)