The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Orlando, Florida, United States.
19th century
1843 - Orlando settled as "Jernigan" 1875 Town of Orlando incorporated. William Jackson Brack becomes mayor. 1878 - Orange County Reporter newspaper begins publication. 1880 South Florida Railroad begins operating. Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church established. 1884 - Orange County Jail built. 1886 Orlando Black (school) opens. Orlando Street Railway begins operating (approximate date). English Club formed. 1889 - Church Street Station built. 1891 - St. James Cathedral built. 1892 Courthouse built. Lake Eola Park established. 1900 - Florida Christian Recorder newspaper begins publication.
20th century
1900s-1960s 1905 - City Hall built. 1910 - Population: 3,894. 1913 - Grand Theater opens. 1914 - Commission form of government effected. 1918 - Orange General Hospital opens. 1920 - Population: 9,282. 1921 Beacham Theater opens. Jones High School active. 1923 Orlando Utilities Commission established; municipal electric plant begins operating. Albertson Public Library opens. Angebilt Hotel opened on March 14. 1924 Edgewater Heights, Lorna Doone Park, and Orwin Manor become part of Orlando. WDBO radio begins broadcasting. Orlando Museum of Art founded. Orange Court Hotel built. 1925 - Glendonjo Park and Spring Lake Terrace become part of Orlando. 1926 Country Club Estates, Ivanhoe Plaza, Oakhurst Subdivision, Orlando Highlands, Princeton Court, and Silver Lake Park become part of Orlando. Atlantic Coast Line Railroad station, Cathedral Church of St. Luke, and Municipal Auditorium built. Well'sbuilt Hotel in business. 1927 - Orange County Courthouse built. 1928 - Orlando Municipal Airport begins operating. 1930 - Population: 27,330. 1934 - Orlando Dixie Sun newspaper begins publication. 1936 Orlando Stadium opens. Cypress Gardens opens in nearby Winter Haven. 1940 - Orlando Army Air Base established. 1943 Pinecastle Army Airfield in operation. DDT pesticide "Neocide" developed in United States Department of Agriculture lab in Orlando. 1945 - Negro Chamber of Commerce established. 1946 - Ben White Raceway opens. 1949 - Gatorland opens. 1950 Population: 52,367. Florida Symphony Orchestra established 1952 - William R. Boone High School and Edgewater High School are built. 1954 WDBO-TV (television) begins broadcasting. Bishop Moore High School built. 1956 - Colonial Plaza shopping centre in business. 1957 Orange County Historical Commission established. Martin Company missile manufactory begins operating near Orlando. Interstate 4 highway constructed. 1958 - WLOF-TV (television) begins broadcasting. 1960 Central Florida Museum opens. Population: 88,135. 1961 - Harry P. Leu Gardens deeded to city. 1963 - UCF founded in East Orlando 1967 Carl T. Langford becomes mayor of Orlando. Disney-controlled City of Bay Lake and City of Reedy Creek incorporated near Orlando. 1968 Florida Technological University opens. Naval Training Center Orlando and Roman Catholic Diocese of Orlando established.
1970s-1990s 1970 Lake Highland Preparatory School founded. Population: 99,006 city; 344,311 county. University Drive-In cinema built. 1971 Disney World in business. Historical Society of Central Florida headquartered in Orlando. 1973 Orlando Fashion Square Mall opens Sentinel Star newspaper began publication. SeaWorld theme park in business. 1974 East-West Expressway constructed. Disney's Discovery Island in business. 1975 - Metropolitan Orlando Women's Political Caucus and Orlando Lutheran Academy founded. 1976 Orlando International Airport in operation. Harbor House of Central Florida founded as Spouse Abuse, Inc. 1977 Orlando Regional Medical Center established. Wet 'n Wild Orlando theme park in business. 1979 Orlando Opera incorporated. Basilica of Mary (church) built. 1980 July: Racial unrest. Bill Frederick becomes mayor. Population: 128,291 city; 471,016 county. 1981 - Bill McCollum becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 5th congressional district. 1982 Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida established. Epcot theme park in business in nearby Lake Buena Vista. 1983 - Orange County Convention Center opens. 1984 - Orlando Science Center active. 1986 - The Peabody Orlando hotel and Disney's Living Seas in business. 1987 - Dr. Phillips High School opens. 1989 Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival begins. Orlando Arena (later the Amway Arena) opens. Orlando Magic begin play. 1990 Universal Orlando theme park in business. Orlando Weekly newspaper begins publication. Population: 164,693 city; 677,491 county. Zora Neale Hurston Festival begins in nearby Eatonville. 1991 UCF Arena opens. Orlando Predators football team formed. 1992 Cypress Creek High School and Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra established. Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival begins. 1993 Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division in operation. Glenda Hood becomes mayor. Florida Symphony Orchestra ceases operations 1994 June–July: Some 1994 FIFA World Cup games held in Orlando. Mormon temple built. 1996 - City website online (approximate date). 1998 Muvico Pointe cinema in business. Mennello Museum opens. Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park in business. 1999 - Cinemark Festival Bay Mall (cinema) in business.
21st century
2001 - Olympia High School established 2002 - Millenia Mall in business. 2003 Freedom High School established. Buddy Dyer becomes mayor. 2004 - Hurricane Charley directly strikes Orlando area with wind gusts to at least 105 mph Over 60% of Orlando loses power. 2007 - CFE Arena opens. 2010 Amway Center event venue opens. Orlando City Soccer Club formed. Population: 238,300. 2011 - Daniel Webster becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 8th congressional district. 2015 Orlando Eye ferris wheel built. Population: 270,917 (estimate). 2016 - Murder of Christina Grimmie and Orlando nightclub shooting 2017 - Universal's Volcano Bay in business
See also Orlando history List of mayors of Orlando, Florida List of amusement parks in Greater Orlando Timelines of other cities in the Central Florida area of Florida: Clearwater, Lakeland, Largo, St. Petersburg, Tampa
References
Bibliography
E. Bacon. 1977. Orlando: A centennial history. Chuluota, Fla.: Mickler House. L. Argrett Jr. 1991. A history of the black community of Orlando, Florida. Fort Bragg, Calif.: Cypress House Press.
Married to the Mouse: Walt Disney World and Orlando. By Richard E. Foglesong. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2001).
External links
Items related to Orlando, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)