Timeline of San Juan, Puerto Rico facts for kids

The following is a timeline of the history of the municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

1500s-1700s

Porto Rico, 17th century

• 1521 - "Ciudad de Puerto Rico" founded by Spanish colonists from nearby Caparra.
• 1533 - La Fortaleza built.
• 1539 - Castillo San Felipe del Morro construction begins.
• 1540 - Cathedral of San Juan Bautista built.
• 1595 - November 22: Battle of San Juan.
• 1598 - Boquerón battery sacked by British forces.
• 1625 - September 24: Town besieged by Dutch forces.
• 1651 - Monastery of Our Lady Carmen of San José inaugurated.
• 1735 - San José Church built.
• 1769 - Powder house built.
• 1783 - Castillo de San Cristóbal built.
• 1787
  • May 2: 1787 Boricua earthquake.
  • May 3: Fiesta de Cruz begins.
• 1797 - April: San Juan besieged by British forces.

1800s

• 1820 - Population: 7,658.
• 1822 - Board of charity established.
• 1832 - Coliseo (theatre) in use.
• 1845 - Town divided into barrios San Francisco, San Juan, Santa Barbara, Santo Domingo, and Ballaja.
• 1853
  • Cataño-San Juan steamship begins operating.
  • Marketplace built in Santa Barbara barrio.
• 1857 - Carretera Central (road) built.
• 1859 - Town expands (adding barrios De la Marina and Puerta de Tierra).
• 1863 - Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery established.
• 1864 - Ballajá Barracks built.

La Plaza, San Juan, ca. 1900

• 1865 - Colegio de Párvulos built.
• 1879 - Jose Ramon Becerra y de Garrete becomes mayor.
• 1898
  • May 12: Bombardment of San Juan by United States forces.
  • June 22: Second Battle of San Juan.
  • June 28: Third Battle of San Juan.
  • August 12: End of hostilities between US and Spanish military forces. United States Military Government begins.
  • October: Francisco del Valle becomes mayor.
  • San Juan News begins publication.
  • Railway built (approximate date).
• 1899 - Population: 32,048.
  • April 11: Town becomes part of United States-annexed Puerto Rico per Treaty of Paris.

1900s

• 1900
  • Insane asylum established.
  • May 1: Foraker Act comes into force, civil government for Puerto Rico begins. United States Military Government ends.
• 1901 - San Juan high school opens.
• 1902 - Town government formed into legislative and executive branches.
• 1903
  • University of Puerto Rico established.
  • Roberto H. Todd Weels becomes mayor.
• 1909 - Harbor enlarged.
• 1910
  • Puerto Rico Ilustrado begins publication.
  • Population: 48,716.
• 1913 - Cine Luna opens.
• 1918 - October 11: 1918 San Fermín earthquake.
• 1921 - Academia del Perpetuo Socorro founded.
• 1923 - United States Army Garrison Fort Buchanan established.
• 1925 - Academia San Jorge founded.
• 1928
  • Luis Muñoz Rivera Park laid out.
  • September: San Felipe Segundo hurricane.
• 1929 - Capitol of Puerto Rico building constructed.
• 1932 - September–October: San Ciprian hurricane.
• 1940 - United States Naval Air Station Isla Grande established.
• 1946 - Felisa Rincón de Gautier becomes mayor.
• 1948 - City flag design adopted.
• 1949
  • Caribe Hilton Hotel built.
  • San Juan National Historic Site United States National Park Service established.
• 1950
  • October 30: San Juan Nationalist revolt.
  • Residencial Las Casas housing complex built.
• 1951 - Río Piedras becomes part of city.
• 1952 - City becomes part of Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
• 1955 - Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport opens.
• 1958 - Casa del Libro established.
• 1959 - The San Juan Star newspaper begins publication.
• 1960 - Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Juan de Puerto Rico formed.
• 1962 - Hotel El Convento in business.
• 1966
  • Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico and San Juan Children's Choir established.
  • July: 1966 Central American and Caribbean Games held.
• 1968 - Plaza Las Américas shopping mall in business.
• 1971 - San Juan Botanical Garden inaugurated.
• 1976 - June: 2nd G7 summit held near city.
• 1979 - July: 1979 Pan American Games held.
• 1983 - Old San Juan designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• 1984 - Puerto Rico Museum of Contemporary Art established.
• 1989 - September: Hurricane Hugo.
• 1992 - Museo de Las Américas founded.

2000s

• 2000
  • Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico established.
  • Population: 395,326.
• 2004 - September: Hurricane Jeanne occurs.
• 2008 - September: Hurricane Kyle occurs.
• 2009 - May: Economic protest.
• 2013 - Carmen Yulín Cruz becomes mayor.