Timeline of Columbus, Ohio facts for kids

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Columbus, Ohio, United States.

19th century

• 1812
  • Columbus founded.
  • Population: 300.
• 1816 - Jarvis W. Pike elected mayor.
• 1817 - Ohio State Library headquartered in Columbus.
• 1831 - Columbus connected to Ohio and Erie Canal.
• 1832 - Ohio State School for the Deaf established.
• 1833 - National Road in operation.
• 1834
  • Columbus chartered as a city.
  • John Brooks becomes mayor.
  • Ohio Penitentiary begins operating.
• 1837 - Ohio State School for the Blind established.
• 1840 - Population: 6,048.
• 1845 - Columbus Public Schools established.
• 1849 - State Convention of the Colored Citizen held in city.
• 1850
  • Columbus and Xenia Railroad begins operating.
  • Population: 17,882.
• 1851 - Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad begins operating.
• 1853 - Columbus Athenaeum founded.
• 1861 - Ohio State Capitol building completed.
• 1862 - Fort Hayes established.
• 1868
  • St. Mary's of the Springs school opens.
  • Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railway in operation.
• 1870 - Columbus Circulating Library organized.
• 1871 - Daily Dispatch newspaper begins publication.
• 1872 - Public Library & Reading Room established.
• 1873 - Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College opens.
• 1875 - Union Station rebuilt.
• 1878 - Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts and Ohio State University Marching Band established.
• 1879 - Columbus Art School and Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery established.
• 1880 - Population: 51,647.
• 1887 - Franklin County Courthouse built.
• 1894 - "Ugly law" approved.
• 1895 - Franklin Park Conservatory opens.
• 1898 - First Neighborhood Guild organized.
• 1899
  • Columbus Citizen newspaper begins publication.
  • Masonic meeting hall built.

20th century

• 1900
  • Godman Guild House built.
  • Population: 125,560.
• 1904 - Governor's Mansion and Franklin County Memorial Hall built.
• 1905 - Indianola Park (amusement park) in business.
• 1906 - Columbus Public Library building constructed.
• 1910 - Streetcar strike.
• 1913 - Flood.
• 1919 - Spring Street YMCA opens.
• 1920 - Population: 237,031.
• 1922 - Ohio State University's Ohio Stadium built.
• 1927 - American Insurance Union Citadel built.
• 1929 - Battelle Memorial Institute founded.
• 1933 - Ohio State Office Building constructed.
• 1934 - U.S. Post Office and Courthouse built.
• 1936 - White Castle (restaurant) headquartered in city.
• 1940 - Population: 306,087.
• 1947 - National Auto Theatre (drive-in cinema) in business.
• 1952 - Ohio State University's Mershon Center for International Security Studies established.
• 1954 - Black Baptist Pastors' Conference organized (approximate date).
• 1955 - Sister city relationship established with Genoa, Italy.
• 1959 - The Columbus Citizen-Journal newspaper in publication.
• 1960 - Population: 471,316.
• 1964
  • Northland Mall in business.
  • Bank One Tower built.
• 1970 - Columbus Free Press begins publication.
• 1974 - Rhodes State Office Tower built.
• 1975 - Columbus Monthly magazine begins publication.
• 1976 - Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center established.
• 1977
  • QUBE television begins broadcasting.
  • One Nationwide Plaza built.
• 1978 - Community Development Task Force formed.
• 1980 - Sister city relationship established with Tainan City, Taiwan.
• 1984 - Huntington Center built.
• 1985 - Catco theatre company founded.
• 1987
  • King Arts Complex active.
  • Union Station (Mural) painted.
• 1988
  • Vern Riffe State Office Tower and Three Nationwide Plaza built.
  • Sister city relationships established with Hefei, China; Odense, Denmark; and Seville, Spain.
• 1989 - Columbus City Center (shopping mall) in business.
• 1990
  • The Other Paper begins publication.
  • William Green Building constructed.
  • Population: 632,910.
• 1991
  • City government computer network begins operating.
  • Carriage Place Movies 12 (cinema) in business.
• 1992 - Sister city relationship established with Dresden, Germany.
• 1996
  • Sister city relationship established with Herzliya, Israel.
  • Chamber of Commerce city portal online.
• 1998 - City government website online (approximate date).

21st century

• 2000
  • Michael B. Coleman is first elected as mayor.
  • Population: 711,470.
• 2001
  • Columbus Underground begins publication.
  • Miranova Condominiums built.
  • Arena Grand cinema and Polaris Fashion Place (shopping mall) in business.
• 2004 - The Northland Mall on Morse Road, which closed in 2002, is demolished to make way for a new commercial development, ultimately to be called Northland Village.
• 2008 - Sister city relationship established with Ahmedabad, India.
• 2010 - Population: 787,033.
• 2011
  • Columbus Commons (park) opens.
  • Steve Stivers becomes U.S. representative for Ohio's 15th congressional district.
• 2013
  • Population: 822,553.
  • Joyce Beatty becomes U.S. representative for Ohio's 3rd congressional district.
• 2014 - Sister city relationship established with Curitiba, Brazil.