The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Libreville, Gabon.
19th century
1843 - Fort and trading post established by French. 1849 Libreville founded by French military official Édouard Bouët-Willaumez. Freed slaves were resettled in the new village. M. Mountier, a resettled former slave, becomes mayor (approximate date). 1860 - Town becomes administrative seat of colonial "French territories in the Gulf of Guinea" (approximate date). 1865 - Church of the Immaculate Conception built. 1888 - Libreville becomes administrative seat of colonial French Congo.
20th century 1904 - Administrative seat of colonial Congo Gabon moves from Libreville to Brazzaville. 1909 - Urban perimeter established. 1910 - Libreville becomes part of colonial French Equatorial Africa. 1940 - Roads built to Kango, Lambarene, and Owendo (approximate date). 1946 - Lumber processing factory built. 1955 Libreville attains commune status. Roman Catholic diocese of Libreville established. 1956 - Léon M'ba becomes mayor. 1958 - built. 1959 - Radiodiffusion-Télévision Gabonaise headquartered in city. 1960 - City becomes capital of the Republic of Gabon. 1964 March: 1964 United States Embassy in Libreville bombings occur. Deepwater port opens in Owendo. Population: 45,909 urban agglomeration. 1968 - Leon Mebiame Mba becomes mayor. 1970 - National University of Gabon established. 1974 - newspaper begins publication. 1976 June–July: Central African Games held in city. Ntoutoume Obame appointed mayor. 1977 - July: Organisation of African Unity meeting held in Libreville. 1980 - Population: 185,000. 1981 - December: Anti-government protest. 1983 Centre International des Civilisations Bantu headquartered in city. Jean Aveno Davin appointed mayor. 1989 Cleaude Damas Ozimo appointed mayor. Meeting of the Association Internationale des Maires Francophones held in city. 1993 27 April: 1993 Zambia national football team plane crash occurs. Population: 420,000 (38% Fang, 28% Shira Punu, 12% Nzebi). 1994 - Centre Culturel Français opens.(fr) 1996 - Mayoral election established per Decentralisation Law. 1997 - Paul Mba Abessole becomes mayor.
21st century
2005 - November: Post-election unrest. 2006 - Population: 600,000 (approximate). 2008 - April: Gabonese local elections, 2008 held; Jean-François Ntoutoume Emane becomes mayor. 2010 - Akanda FC (football club) formed. 2011 headquartered in city. Stade d'Angondjé (stadium) opens. 2012 - 12 February: 2012 Africa Cup of Nations Final (football contest) held in Libreville. 2013 - Population: 703,939 urban agglomeration. 2014 - Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda becomes mayor. 2016 - 31 August: Post-election protest begins. 2017 - 5 February: 2017 Africa Cup of Nations Final held in Libreville.
See also Libreville history Chronology of Gabon
References
This article incorporates information from the French Wikipedia.
Bibliography
in English
(about Cape Town, Johannesburg, Libreville, Lomé)
in French
External links
(Bibliography of open access articles) Items related to Libreville, various dates (via Europeana) (Images, etc.) Items related to Libreville, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America) (Images, etc.) (Bibliography) (Bibliography) (Bibliography)