The following is a timeline of the history of the city and metropolitan area of Manila, the capital city of the Philippines.
9th century onwards
c. 900 CE - Tundun (Tondo) was at its peak and was a center of commerce and trade of the Tagalogs. It was during this era that the Chief and Commander of Tundun issued the Laguna Copperplate Inscription to Namwaran's clan on 21 April 900 CE.Patanñe, E.P. Philippines in the Sixth to Sixteenth Centuries. 1996.Abinales, Patricio N. and Donna J. Amoroso, State and Society in the Philippines. Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield, 2005. before the 11th century - Namayan was established by the Tagalog people at the Pasig River. It was led by the house of Lakantagkan during its peak in the 14th century.Scott, William Henry (1994). Barangay: Sixteenth Century Philippine Culture and Society. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press. ISBN 971-550-135-4. c. 13th Century - Maynila was supposedly founded by Avirjirkaya which spanned present day Intramuros according to Kapampangan historian Mariano A. Henson. Uncertain timestamp - Empress Sasanban became the Queen Regent of Namayan. According to oral tradition, she was a concubine of Anka Widyaya of Java and bore a child named Prince BalagtasOdal-Devora, Grace (2000). The River Dwellers, in Book Pasig : The River of Life (Edited by Reynaldo Gamboa Alejandro and Alfred A. Yuson). Unilever Philippines. pp. cited by Nick Juaquin43–66. Uncertain timestamp - the Tagalog and Kapampangan-fortified city of Cainta was established on an upriver area which occupied the shores on both sides of a waterway of the Pasig River. It was located not far from where the Pasig River meets the Lake of Ba-i. 15th century - Gat Lontok and Dayang Kalangitan became the co-rulers of Pasig. c.1480 - Salalila became the Rajah of Maynila. 1521 - Sibunao became the Lakandula of Tondo and Prince Ache became Rajah of Maynila.
16th century May 24, 1570 - The Battle of Manila between Rajah Sulayman and Martin de Goiti. The battle concluded with the city being set on fire.Blair, Emma Helen; Robertson, James Alexander, eds. (1903). Relation of the Conquest of the Island of Luzon. The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898. 3. Ohio, Cleveland: Arthur H. Clark Company. p. 145.Dery, Luis Camara (2001). A History of the Inarticulate. Quezon City: New Day Publishers. ISBN 971-10-1069-0. 1571 - 24 June: Spaniards Martín de Goiti, Juan de Salcedo and Miguel López de Legazpi arrived. In August 1571, Legazpi instructed his nephew Juan de Salcedo to "pacify" Cainta. After travelling several days upriver, Salcedo laid siege to the city and eventually found a weak spot on the wall. The final Spanish attack annihilated over 400 residents of Cainta, including their leader Gat Maitan. 1572 - The Spanish city was attacked and was almost seized by Chinese pirates. 1573 - The Spanish galleon trade began. 1574 - A Chinese pirate named Limahong tried to seize Manila. 1579 - The Catholic Diocese of Manila was established. 1583 - Fire. 1584 - The Real Audiencia of Manila of the Viceroyalty of New Spain was established. 1590 The Printing Press was established. Construction of walls and other defences began. 1603 - Chinese unrest. 1607 - The San Agustin Church was consecrated. 1611 - The University of Santo Tomas was established by Catholic Dominicans. 1615 - The Manila-Acapulco galleon trade began. 1620 - The Colegio de San Juan de Letran was established by Catholic Dominicans. 1645 - 1645 Luzon earthquake.
18th -19th century 1762 - The British occupation of Manila began. 1764 - The British occupation of Manila ended in honor of the Treaty of Paris; the Spanish regained hold of the city. 1823 - Population: 38,000. 1837 - Port opened to foreign trade. 1848 - The Diario de Manila newspaper started its publication. 1852 - September: Earthquake. 1859 Escuela Municipal de Manila, the precursor of the Ateneo de Manila University was founded. The Ilustración Filipina magazine started its publication. 1863 - 3 June: Earthquake. 1865 - The Manila Observatory was founded. 1866 - The Canal de la Reina was dug in Binondo. 1870 - 23 March: Fire in Binondo. 1876 - Population: 93,595. 1880 - July: Earthquake. 1881 - Hong Kong-Manila telegraph in operation. 1882 October: Typhoon. Water supply was inaugurated. 1887 The National Library of the Philippines was founded. Population: 176,777. 1888 - The Commercial Association of Lumber was established. 1889 - The Tabacalera Flor de la Isabela cigar factory was built in Paco. 1892 - The Dagupan-Manila railway started its operation. 1893 Electrical lighting was installed. Fire. 1896 - 5 December: 1896 Manila mutiny. 30 December: execution of Dr. Jose Rizal at Bagumbayan. 1898 25 July - 13 August: Battle of Manila (1898); the United States claimed governance. The Manila Times English-language newspaper started its publication. 1899 4–5 February: Battle of Manila (1899). Taft Avenue ("Calle Rizal") was laid out. 1900 - The Instituto de Mujeres and the American Circulating Library was established.
20th century
1900s-1940s 1901 The City of Manila administrative entity was created, composed of Binondo, Ermita, Intramuros, Malate, Pandacan, Quiapo, Santa Cruz, Barrio San Nicolas, San Miguel, San Fernando de Dilao (modern day Paco), Sampaloc and Tondo. The capital of the Philippines was relocated to Manila from Malolos. Arsenio Cruz-Herrera became mayor. The National Museum of the Philippines was established. The Philippine Normal University was established. The United States military camp, Fort William McKinley was established near the city. The Philippine Constabulary was established and the general headquarters and military camp bases were located in the capital city. The Philippine Scouts was established and the general headquarters and military camp bases were located near the capital city. 1902 - Manila's border was expanded to include Santa Ana de Sapa. The Manila Grand Opera House opened in Santa Cruz. 1903 Population: 219,928 city; 330,345 metro. Trozo Fire in Manila (May 1903) 1905 The Manila Elks Club was established. Félix Roxas became mayor. 1908 The University of the Philippines Manila was founded. The famous Manila Carnival was held for the first time. 1909 - The Philippine Library was established. 1910 Basketball, volleyball,The History of Volleyball in the Philippines The Volleyball Story London Olympic Media Guide Volleyball Early Development Volleyball: Striking the interest of Filipinos since 1910 The Volleyball Story Vball Trivia History of Volleyball Memorandum to Colonel Bruce Palmer Giving the Game Away and boy scouting were started in the Philippines at the Manila YMCA by YMCA Physical Director Elwood Stanley Brown. The "Great Fire in Manila" transpired in Binondo, the damage was worth over two million pesos.The Straits Times, Singapore, 18 January 1910, page 7. 1911 - De La Salle College, known as De La Salle University was founded. 1912 - The Manila Hotel opened. 1913 The first Far Eastern Championship Games, also called "the first Oriental Olympic Games," were held at the Carnival grounds (later the site of the Rizal Memorial Sports Stadium) in Malate, on the 3rd to the 7th of February, with participants from the US Philippine Islands, China, Japan, the British East Indies (Malaya), Thailand, and British Hong Kong. The Rizal Monument was erected. 1917 - Justo Lukban became mayor. 1918 - Population: 285,306 city; 469,955 metro. 1919 - The United States Air Service established Camp Nichols near Fort William McKinley, just south of Manila. 1920 - Ramón Fernández became mayor. 1923 - The Peking Council, Tokyo Council and the Manila Council - the first Boy Scouts of America Councils in Asia, were organized. (The 1973 Golden Jubilee Jamboree of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines was dated from this year.) 1924 - Miguel Romuáldez became mayor. 1926 - The Legislative Building was inaugurated in Ermita. 1927 - Tomás Earnshaw became mayor. 1928 - The Institute of Accountancy, which later became the Far Eastern University, was founded in Sampaloc by Nicanor Reyes et al. 1930 - The Legazpi-Urdaneta Monument was erected. 1935 Metropolitan Theater was built. Valeriano Fugoso became mayor. Grace Park Airfield began its operation in Caloocan. The city became the capital of the newly-formed Commonwealth of the Philippines. The Philippine Commonwealth Army was established and the general headquarters and military camp bases were established in the capital city. 1939 - Population: 623,492. 1941 The City of Greater Manila was formed, which merged the city and municipal governments of Manila, Quezon City, Caloocan, Makati, Mandaluyong, Parañaque, Pasay, and San Juan. Jorge B. Vargas became mayor. The Manila City Hall was completed. The Philippine Commonwealth Army's general headquarters and camp base in the city's capital were disestablished, and was occupied by the Japanese Imperial forces. 1942 The Japanese occupation began. León G. Guinto, Sr. became mayor. The general headquarters and military camp bases of the Philippine Commonwealth Army were moved to the provinces. 1945 February: The Manila massacre initiated by the Japanese forces transpired. 3 February - 3 March: The World War II Battle of Manila (1945) ensued; the Japanese forces were defeated. 1 August: The City of Greater Manila was disestablished. Juan L. Nolasco became mayor. The General Headquarters and military camp bases of the Philippine Commonwealth Army and the Philippine Constabulary was re-established and reactivated in the city's capital after liberation from the Japanese. 1946 - The city became part of the newly inaugurated Third Republic of the Philippines. 1947 - The Republic Theatre opened. 1948 The capital of the Philippines was relocated from Manila to Quezon City. Manuel A. Roxas High School was established in Paco. Manuel de la Fuente became mayor. Population: 983,906 city; 1,569,148 metro. The Manila American Cemetery and Memorial was established near the city. 1949 - 18 June: City legislative districts for House of Representatives of the Philippines was expanded from two to four.
1950s-1990s 1952 Arsenio Lacson became mayor. National Press Club established their headquarters in the city. 1954 - Holy Child Catholic School opened in Tondo. 1959 - The Ramon Magsaysay High School was established in España, Manila. 1960 The Araneta Coliseum opened in Quezon City. Population: 1,138,611 city; 2,462,288 metro. 1961 - The new terminal of Manila Airport opened. 1962 - Antonio Villegas became mayor. 1966 - The Cultural Center of the Philippines was founded. 24-25 October: Manila Summit Conference. 1970 Zone One Tondo Organization was established. Population: 1,330,788 city; 3,966,685 metro. 1971 - Ramon Bagatsing became mayor. 21 August: Plaza Miranda Bombing. 1973 - Some 3000 Boy Scouts camped out and conducted a massive clean-up of Intramuros, from the 9th to the 11th of February. 1974 - Miss Universe 1974 pageant was held. 1975 1 October: Thrilla in Manila. Metropolitan Manila Commission was created to administer not just the city of Manila but also Caloocan, Mandaluyong, Makati, Malabon, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Pasay, Pasig, Las Piñas, Parañaque, Pateros, Quezon City, San Juan, San Pedro, Taguig, and Valenzuela. The Metro Manila Film Festival was first held. Population: 1,479,116 city; 4,880,006 metro. 1976 Capital of the Philippines was relocated to Manila from Quezon City. Philippine International Convention Center was built in Pasay. Ali Mall, the first shopping mall in the Philippines, opened in Quezon City. Harrison Plaza opened in Malate, Manila. 1979 - Sampaloc flea market was officially inaugurated. 1980 - Population: 5,924,563 metro. 1981 Sister city relationship was established with San Francisco, USA. Catholic pope visited the city.