Timeline of Orlando, Florida

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.
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.
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.
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 - Orlando nightclub shooting
2017 - Universal's Volcano Bay in business