The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Puebla, Mexico.
Prior to 18th century
1531 Puebla founded by Toribio Motolinia and Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal. First mass celebrated 16 April 1531 by Toribio Motolinia.Sierra Silva 2018, p.24 1533-1545 - Indios de Servicio provide labor to Puebla.Hirschberg, "Alternative to Encomienda" 1537 – College of the Holy Ghost founded by Jesuits. 1541 – Textile mill in operation. 1542 – School established. 1543 – Catholic Diocese of Tlaxcala headquartered in Puebla. 1551 – San Francisco Convent active. 1552 – Puebla Cathedral construction begins. 1555 – Fountain installed in Plaza Mayor. 1556 – Joseph designated city patron saint. 1578 - Colegio del Espíritu Santo founded 1580 – Casa del Deán built. 1592 – Hospital de San Roque founded. 1609 – Convent of Santa Monica founded. 1629 – Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla becomes Cathedral maestro de capilla. 1632 – Hospital de San Bernardo opens. 1639-1653 - Juan de Palafox y Mendoza, Bishop of Puebla 1640 – Printing press in operation (approximate date). 1646 – Biblioteca Palafoxiana founded. 1649 – Puebla Cathedral consecrated. 1653 – Potters' guild established. 1659 – Church of Santo Domingo built (approximate date). 1678 – Population: 68,800. 1688 - Death of Catarina de San Juan, "la China Poblana" 1690 (chapel) built in the Church of Santo Domingo. Puebla Cathedral completed.
18th and 19th centuries 1728 – Museum of antiquities established. 1760 – Teatro Principal inaugurated. 1764 – Estaban Bravo de Rivero becomes mayor. 1767 – La Compania (Jesuit church) built. 1771 – Jose Merino Ceballos becomes mayor. 1793 – Population: 56,859. 1813 – Academia de Bellas Artes founded. 1827 – El Poblano newspaper begins publication. 1844 – Paseo Bravo (street) laid out. 1846 – El Patricio newspaper in publication. 1847 – Siege of Puebla by United States forces. 1862 May 5: Battle of Puebla occurs near city. City renamed "Puebla de Zaragoza". 1863 – May 16–17: Siege of Puebla by French forces. 1867 - Seized by Mexicans under Porfirio Díaz. 1868 – Guerrero theatre opens. 1869 – Apizaco-Puebla Mexican Railway line built. 1879 – Population: 64,588. 1891 – Penitenciaria (prison) built. 1893 – Velodrome in use. 1895 – Population: 91,917. 1897 – Railway station built. 1898 – Rancho de la Magdalena becomes part of city. 1900 – Population: 93,521.
20th century
1901 – Franco-Mexican monument erected (approximate date). 1906 – built. 1910 Victoria Market opens. Population: 101,214. 1911 – Gaceta de Puebla newspaper begins publication. 1924 – La Opinion newspaper in publication. 1926 – Mexico City-Puebla highway completed. 1931 400th anniversary of city founding. Population: 124,063. 1937 – University of Puebla founded. 1942 - Colegio Americano de Puebla founded. 1944 Club de Fútbol Puebla formed. El Sol de Puebla newspaper begins publication. (museum) opens. 1950 – Population: 206,840. 1960 – Population: 297,257. 1962 – Area of city expanded. 1964 – Volkswagen automotive manufactory begins operating. 1968 – Estadio Cuauhtémoc (stadium) opens. 1973 – Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla and Museo de Arte Cultural Poblano established. 1979 – the third General Episcopal Conference of Latin America took place at the Palafox Major Seminary in Puebla, commencing on 28 January 1979.Holy See, Reflection by Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo on the 25th anniversary of the Puebla Conference, published on 12 February 2004, accessed on 22 October 2025 1985 – Hermanos Serdán International Airport inaugurated. 1987 Historic Downtown area designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site. (garden) established. 1988 – Central de Autobuses Puebla (depot) inaugurated. 1991 – Amparo Museum inaugurated.
21st century
2002 – San Pedro Museum of Art active. 2005 – becomes mayor. 2008 – Blanca Alcalá becomes mayor. 2010 Eduardo Rivera Pérez elected mayor. Population: 1,434,062; metro 2,668,437. 2014 – José Antonio Gali Fayad becomes mayor. 2017 - Puebla earthquake
See also Puebla history (city) List of mayors of Puebla (city) History of Puebla (state) List of governors in the Viceroyalty of New Spain: Province of Puebla List of governors of Puebla (state)
References
This article incorporates information from the Spanish Wikipedia.
Bibliography Altman, Ida, Transatlantic Ties in the Spanish Empire: Brihuega, Spain and Puebla, Mexico 1560-1620. Stanford: Stanford University Press 2000.
Ramos, Frances L. Identity, Ritual, and Power in Colonial Puebla. Tucson: University of Arizona Press
Guidebooks
(fulltext via OpenLibrary) (fulltext via OpenLibrary)
Works in Spanish
(includes directory) (Annotated list of titles published in Puebla, arranged chronologically) (fulltext via OpenLibrary)
External links
Europeana. Items related to Puebla, Mexico, various dates. Digital Public Library of America. Items related to Puebla, Mexico, various dates