Timeline of Miami facts for kids

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States.

19th century

Quick facts for kids History of Florida
The seal of Florida reflects the state's Native American ancestry
Historical Periods
Pre-history	until 1497
Spanish Rule	1513–1763
British Rule	1763–1783
Spanish Rule	1783–1821
U.S. Territorial Period	1822–1845
Statehood	1845–present
Major Events
American Revolutionary War	1775–1783
War of 1812	1811–1814
First Seminole War	1817–1818
Capitol moved to Tallahassee	1824
Second Seminole War	1835–1842
Constitutional convention	1838
Third Seminole War	1855–1858
Ordinance of Secession	1861
Civil War	1861–1865
3rd Constitution	1865
Reconstruction	1865–1868
4th Constitution	1868
5th Constitution	1885
Great Migration	1910–1930
Land Boom	1925–1929
6th Constitution	1968
Gore v. Harris 2000 Presidential Election	2000
Timeline
v t e

• 1870 - William Brickell establishes a trading post on the south side of the Miami River.
• 1880 - Population: county 100.
• 1884 - The first hotel, The Peacock Inn, is established in Coconut Grove.
• 1886
  • Ralph Munroe builds a home on the bay in Coconut Grove.
  • Kirk Munroe establishes a home in Coconut Grove.
• 1889 - Teaching begins in the first school building in Coconut Grove.
• 1891 - Julia Tuttle moves to Miami.
• 1895 - The first public library is established in Coconut Grove by the ladies of the Pine Needles Club.
• 1896
  • Miami incorporated; John B. Reilly becomes mayor.
  • Florida East Coast Railway (Jacksonville-Miami) arrives in Miami.
  • Miami Metropolis newspaper begins publication.
  • Biscayne Hotel built.
• 1897
  • Royal Palm Hotel in business.
  • City of Miami Cemetery established.
• 1898
  • Burdines in business.
  • David Fairchild establishes the USDA Plant Introduction Garden.
• 1899 - Dade County seat relocated to Miami from Juno.
• 1900
  • Flagler Public Library, Miami Board of Trade, and Woman's Club founded.
  • Population: 1,681.

20th century

1900s-1940s

• 1902 - Carpenters Local 993 labor union established.
• 1903
  • John Sewell becomes mayor.
  • Ransom Everglades School is established in Coconut Grove.
  • The Miami Herald newspaper begins publication.
• 1906
  • Streetcars begin operating.
  • Automobile parade.
• 1909
  • City Hall built.
  • Lummus Park opens.
• 1910 - Population: 5,471; county 11,933.
• 1912 - Airport established near Miami.
• 1913
  • Bridge to Miami Beach constructed.
  • Lyric Theater opens.
• 1914 - Construction of Vizcaya begins.
• 1915
  • Miami Chamber of Commerce established.
  • Town of Miami Beach incorporated near Miami.
• 1916 - David Fairchild establishes The Kampong, his winter home in Coconut Grove.
• 1917 - Elser Pier opens.
• 1918 - Airdrome Theatre and Strand Theatre open.
• 1919
  • Coconut Grove is incorporated.
  • Great Miami Employers' Association established.
• 1920
  • Universal Negro Improvement Association chapter established.
  • Population: 29,549; county 42,753.
• 1921 - Commission-manager form of government adopted.
• 1923 - Miami Times newspaper begins publication.
• 1924
  • Buena Vista becomes part of Miami.
  • Fotosho Theatre opens.
• 1925
  • Allapattah, Coconut Grove, Lemon City, Silver Bluff, and West Little River become part of Miami.
  • Bayfront Park opens.
  • Towns of Coral Gables and Hialeah incorporated near Miami.
  • University of Miami established in Coral Gables.
• 1926
  • January 10: Prinz Valdemar ship sinks offshore.
  • September: Hurricane.
  • Player's State Theater built.
  • Booker T. Washington High School, Olympia Theater, and Tower Theater open.
  • Town of Miami Shores incorporated near Miami.
  • Wometco - first movie theater, the Capital, opens.
• 1927
  • Flagler Theater opens.
  • E. G. Sewell becomes mayor.
  • Greater Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church built.
• 1928
  • Pan American Field (airfield) begins operating.
  • Dade County Agricultural High school built.
  • Al Capone buys a home in Miami Beach.
• 1929 - Sears, Roebuck and Company Department Store opens.
• 1930
  • Miami Civic Center opens.
  • Population: 110,637.
• 1933
  • February 15: Chicago mayor Anton Cermak killed by anarchist in Bayfront Park.
  • E. G. Sewell becomes mayor again.
  • Ryder, the truck leasing company, founded in Miami.
• 1935
  • January 1: Orange Bowl football contest begins.
  • November: Hurricane.
• 1936 - Parrot Jungle established.
• 1937 - Miami Municipal Airport, Burdine Stadium, and Liberty Square (housing complex) open.
• 1938 - Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden opens to the public.
• 1939 - E. G. Sewell becomes mayor yet again.
• 1940
  • Historical Museum of Southern Florida established.
  • Population: 172,172; county 267,739.
• 1941 - Dorsey Memorial Library opens.
• 1942 - May: Portero del Llano ship sinks offshore.
• 1943 - Urban League of Greater Miami established.
• 1946 - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People branch established in Liberty City.
• 1948 - Coconut Grove Citizens Committee for Slum Clearance and Civil Rights Congress chapter organized.

1950s-1970s

• 1950 - Population: 249,276; county 495,084.
• 1952 - Museum of Science and Natural History opens on Bayshore Drive.
• 1953
  • Diario Las Américas Spanish-language newspaper begins publication.
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute founded in Miami.
• 1954 - Burger King founded in Miami.
• 1955 - Miami Seaquarium established.
• 1957
  • DuPont Plaza Hotel opens for business.
  • Robert King High elected mayor of Miami.
• 1958 - Catholic Diocese of Miami established.
• 1959
  • City public schools racially desegregated.
  • Dade County Junior College and Centro Hispano Católico founded.
  • Miami International Airport dedicated.
• 1960 - Population: 291,688; county 935,047.
• 1961 - Colegio de Belén relocates to Miami from Cuba.
• 1962 - Cruzada Educativa Cubana founded.
• 1964
  • February 25. Cassius Clay defeats Sonny Liston for heavyweight champion of the world.
  • Chuck Hall becomes mayor of Dade County.
• 1965
  • Cuban exiles begin to arrive in city via U.S.-sponsored "freedom flights".
  • Florida International University established.
  • Ediciones Universal in business.
• 1966 The Miami Dolphins enter the American Football League as an expansion franchise
• 1968
  • August 5–8: 1968 Republican National Convention held in nearby Miami Beach.
  • August 7–8: Unrest in Liberty City.
  • Miami Pop Festivals held near city in May and December.
• 1970
  • David T. Kennedy becomes mayor of city; Stephen P. Clark becomes mayor of Dade County.
  • Population: 334,859; county 1,267,792.
• 1971 - Latin Chamber of Commerce established.
• 1972
  • August: 1972 Republican National Convention held in nearby Miami Beach.
  • One Biscayne Tower built.
  • Jack Orr becomes mayor of Dade County.
• 1973
  • Maurice Ferre becomes city mayor.
  • April: U.S.-sponsored "freedom flight" arrivals to Miami of Cuban exiles ends.
• 1974
  • Stephen P. Clark becomes mayor of Dade County again.
  • Spanish American League Against Discrimination headquartered in city.
• 1975
  • The Bee Gees move to Miami Beach.
• 1976
  • El Miami Herald Spanish-language newspaper begins publication.
  • Bicentennial Park opens.
• 1977
  • Foreign trade zone established.
  • Black Archives History & Research Foundation of South Florida headquartered in city.
  • Omni International Mall in business.

1980s-1990s

• 1980
  • May: race riots in Overtown and Liberty City after the death of Arthur McDuffie.
  • April–October: Cubans arrive in city via Mariel boatlift.
  • Miami MetroZoo opens near city.
  • Population: 346,865;
• 1981
  • Palace apartment building constructed.
  • Cuban American National Foundation headquartered in city.
• 1982
  • Knight International Center (convention center) opens.
  • Facts About Cuban Exiles organization established.
• 1983
  • The movie Scarface is filmed in Miami.
  • Christo unveils Surrounded Islands.
• 1984
  • Metrorail begins operating.
  • Center for Fine Arts founded.
  • Miami International Film Festival begins.
  • Southeast Financial Center built on Biscayne Boulevard.
  • Fictional Miami Vice television program begins national broadcast.
  • First edition of the Miami International Book Fair.
• 1985
  • Miami SunPost newspaper begins publication.
  • Xavier Suarez becomes city mayor.
  • Stephen P. Clark Government Center built.
  • The Golden Girls, a television sitcom, begins its seven-year run.
  • Miami City Ballet debuts.
• 1986 - Lincoln Center built.
• 1987
  • November: Pope John Paul II visits city.
  • Miami Tower built.
• 1989
  • Nelson Mandela visits city.
  • Ileana Ros-Lehtinen becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 18th congressional district.
• 1990
  • Knight Foundation headquartered in city.
  • Population: 358,548; county 1,937,094.
• 1992 - August: Hurricane Andrew.
• 1993
  • Stephen P. Clark becomes city mayor.
  • Carrie P. Meek becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 17th congressional district.
• 1994
  • Eleventh Street (Metromover station) opens.
  • 1st Summit of the Americas held in city.
• 1996
  • Willy Gort becomes mayor of city, succeeded by Joe Carollo; Alex Penelas becomes mayor of Dade County.
  • City website online (approximate date).
  • Pottinger v. City of Miami homeless-related lawsuit decided.
  • Liberty City Charter School established.
• 1997
  • November: Mayoral election held.
  • Dade County renamed Miami-Dade County.
• 1998
  • January: Xavier Suarez becomes mayor again.
  • March: Mayoral election results of 1997 judged invalid; Carollo becomes mayor again.
• 1999
  • American Airlines Arena opens.
  • Ultra Festival begins.
• 2000
  • Elián González affair.
  • Population: 362,470; county 2,253,362.
  • Town of Miami Lakes incorporated near Miami.

21st century

2000s

• 2001
  • Cuban Genealogy Club of Miami founded.
  • Manny Diaz becomes city mayor.
• 2002 - Art Basel begins in Miami Beach.
• 2003
  • Four Seasons Hotel Miami built.
  • City of Miami Gardens incorporated near Miami.
• 2004 - Carlos Alvarez becomes mayor of Miami-Dade County.
• 2006 - Carnival Center opens.
• 2007
  • Ferguson U.S. Courthouse built.
  • Fictional Burn Notice television series begins its seven-year run.
• 2008 - Marquis Residences and 900 Biscayne Bay built on Biscayne Boulevard.
• 2009 - Tomás Regalado becomes city mayor.

2010s

• 2010
  • Port of Miami Tunnel construction begins.
  • Population: 399,457; county 2,496,435; metro 5,564,635.
• 2011
  • Carlos A. Giménez becomes mayor of Miami-Dade County.
  • Vice City Rollers (roller derby league) formed.
  • Frederica Wilson becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 17th congressional district.
• 2015 - Marco Rubio presidential campaign, 2016 headquartered in Miami.