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History of Belgium
Prehistory Neolithic flint mines of Spiennes 4300–2200 BC
Ancient Belgae, Eburones & Treveri ~51 BC Gallic Wars 58–50 BC  • Ambiorix's revolt 54–53 BC Roman rule 51 BC–c.500 AD
Early Middle Ages Franks   Merovingians 481–751 Carolingians 751–987 Prince-Bishopric of Liège 980–1789
Middle Ages Franco-Flemish War 1297–1305 Burgundian rule 1384–1482  • Wars of Liège 1465–68 Habsburg rule 1482–1556
Early Modern Northern Renaissance 15th–16th century Spanish rule 1556–1714  • Seventeen Provinces 1549–81  • Dutch Revolt 1568–1648  • Southern Netherlands Austrian rule 1714–93  • Brabant Revolution 1789–90  • Liège Revolution 1789–91 French rule 1793–1815
19th century Dutch rule 1815–30 Belgian Revolution 1830–31 Reign of Leopold I 1831–65  • Treaty of London 1839 Reign of Leopold II 1865–1909  • School War 1879–84  • Congo Free State 1885–1908
20th and 21st centuries Belgian Congo 1908–60 Reign of Albert I 1909–34 World War I 1914–18  • Invasion 1914  • Atrocities 1914  • German occupation 1914–18 Ruanda-Urundi 1922–62 Reign of Leopold III 1934–51 World War II 1940–45  • Invasion 1940  • German occupation 1940–44  • Holocaust 1941–44 Royal Question 1944–50 Reign of Baudouin 1951–93 Reign of Albert II 1993–2013 Reign of Philippe 2013~
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The following is a timeline of the history of Brussels, Belgium.

Prehistory

• 3000–2200 BCE – First known settlements in Brussels during the Neolithic era, located in the Sonian Forest.^[1]

Roman Period

• 1st century CE – A Roman villa is constructed in Anderlecht, located near today's Allée de la Villa Romaine/Romeinse-Villadreef.^[2]
• 2nd century CE – A Gallo-Roman villa is constructed in Jette, located in today's King Baudouin Park.^[3]

Middle Ages

• 580 – Saint Gaugericus builds a chapel on an island in the river Senne, laying the origin of the settlement which was to become Brussels.^[4]

Charles of Lorraine founded what would become Brussels, c. 979.

• 979 – Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine, transfers the relics of Saint Gudula to the chapel built by Saint Gaugericus, marking the city's official founding.
• 1012 – Saint Guy dies in Anderlecht on his return home from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.^[5]
• 1015–1020 – Oldest written record of the city by Olbert of Gembloux.^[6]
• 1229 – Henry I, Duke of Brabant, issues a charter of rights for the city.^[7]
• 1273 – The first stage of the Church of St Michael and St Gudula's rebuilding in the Gothic style is completed (approximate date).^[8]
• 1304 – The Church of Our Blessed Lady of the Sablon is founded.^[9]
• 1308 – The Meyboom is first attested.^[10]
• 1348 – The Ommegang begins as a Marian procession.^[11]
• 1356
  • The Joyous Entry of Joanna and Wenceslaus into the city takes place.
  • The expansion of the city's fortifications begins.
• 1370 – The Brussels massacre occurs, followed by the expulsion of the city's remaining Jewish population.
• 1381 – The Halle Gate is built.
• 1420 – The Town Hall is built.
• 1455 – The Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament of the Miracle is built.
• 1476 – The first printing press is in operation in the city.^[12]
• 1477 – The Habsburgs come to power in the Burgundian Netherlands, with Brussels as their capital.^[13]

16th and 17th centuries

• 1536 – The King's House is built at the Grand-Place/Grote Markt for the Duke of Brabant.^[14]
• 1555 – Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, abdicates in the Aula Magna of the Palace of Coudenberg.
• 1561 – The city's port and the Willebroek Canal are opened.^[15]
• 1568 – The Counts of Egmont and Horn are executed at the Grand-Place.
• 1579–1585 – Calvinist Republic of Brussels
• 1585 – 10 March: Spain recaptures the city, then the capital of Spanish Netherlands, after a siege by the Duke of Parma.^[16][17]
• 1619 – The original Manneken Pis statue is installed.
• 1622 – The funeral of Albert VII of Austria takes place.
• 1695 – The city is bombarded by the French, destroying a third of its buildings, including the Grand-Place.
• 1700 – The first Theatre of La Monnaie, then spelled La Monnoye, is built.

Brussels in the 17th century

Ommegang of Brussels in 1615

The Grand-Place/Grote Markt in flames during the bombardment of Brussels in 1695

18th century

• 1713 – The city becomes part of the Austrian Netherlands.
• 1714 – The Belfry collapses.
• 1719 – François Anneessens is executed at the Grand-Place.
• 1731 – The Palace of Coudenberg is destroyed by fire.
• 1746 – The city is besieged and captured by the French.
• 1772
  • The Imperial and Royal Academy is established.^[18]
  • The Opéra flamand is established.
• 1774 – The Rue Royale/Koningsstraat is laid out.^[9]
• 1775 – Brussels Park is laid out.
• 1782 – The Place Royale/Koningsplein is laid out.
• 1787 – The Vauxhall opens.
• 1783 – The Royal Palace's construction begins.
• 1784 – The city's gates are demolished, except for the Halle Gate.
• 1787 – The Church of St. James on Coudenberg is consecrated.
• 1789 – The Brabant Revolution reaches the city and makes the Austrian authorities flee.
• 1790 – December: The Austrians take the city back and pledge to reverse the reforms of Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor.
• 1795 – The French rule begins; the city becomes part of the department of the Dyle.
• 1796
  • La Cambre Abbey and Forest Abbey are abolished.
  • The Church of St. Gaugericus is demolished.

19th century

• 1803 – The Museum of Fine Arts opens.^[19]
• 1815
  • The Duchess of Richmond's ball takes place.
  • The city becomes the joint capital of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.
• 1819 – The new opera theatre is inaugurated.
• 1822 – The Société Générale de Belgique is headquartered in the city.^[20]
• 1826 – The Botanical Garden is founded.

Episode of the Belgian Revolution of 1830, Gustaf Wappers, 1834

• 1830
  • The Belgian Revolution starts in the city.^[21]
  • The city becomes the capital of Kingdom of Belgium.^[13]
  • Population: 98,279 city; 120,981 metro.^[22]
• 1832
  • The Royal Conservatory is founded.
  • The Brussels–Charleroi Canal is completed.
• 1834 – The Free University is founded
• 1835 – The Groendreef/Allée Verte railway station, Belgium's first, is inaugurated.
• 1846
  • The Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences is founded.
  • Population: 123,874.^[23]
• 1847
  • The Avenue Louise/Louizalaan is commissioned.
  • The Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries open.
• 1848 – The International Peace Congress is held in the city.
• 1850 – Population: 142,289 city; 222,424 metro.^[22]

View into Brussels along the Brussels–Charleroi Canal from Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, c. 1855

• 1855 – The Brussels-Luxembourg railway station is built.
• 1856 – The reconstructed Royal Theatre of La Monnaie opens.
• 1859 – The Congress Column is erected.
• 1860 – Population: 185,982 city; 300,341 metro.^[22]
• 1861 – The Bois de la Cambre/Ter Kamerenbos is laid out.
• 1869 – Trams begin operating in the city.
• 1871
  • The covering of the Senne takes place; the Central Boulevards are laid out.
  • The Banque de Bruxelles is established.^[20]
• 1873 – The new building for the Brussels Stock Exchange is completed.
• 1877 – Ixelles Cemetery is created.
• 1880
  • The Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark is created.
  • The White slave trade affair scandal is exposed and attracts international attention.
• 1881 – L'Echo newspaper begins its publication.^[24]
• 1883 – The Palace of Justice is inaugurated.
• 1885
  • Saint Mary's Royal Church is built.
  • Population: 171,751.^[23]
• 1887
  • Le Soir newspaper begins its publication.^[24]
  • The Palace for Fine Arts is built.
• 1888 – Het Laatste Nieuws newspaper begins its publication.^[24]
• 1889 – November: The Brussels Anti-Slavery Conference 1889–90 begins.
• 1890 – The Abattoirs of Anderlecht enter service as a central abattoir for the whole city.
• 1891 – August: The International Socialist Labor Congress is held in the city.
• 1893
  • The Paris–Brussels cycle race begins.^[25]
  • The Hôtel Tassel is built.
  • The Hankar House is built.
• 1894 – The Société Belge d'Études Coloniales is headquartered in the city.
• 1895
  • The Royal Greenhouses of Laeken are built.
  • The Hotel Métropole opens at the Place de Brouckère/De Brouckèreplein.
• 1896 – The King's House is rebuilt in the neo-Gothic style.
• 1897
  • The Brussels International world's fair is held.
  • The Avenue de Tervueren/Tervurenlaan is laid out.
• 1899 – The Maison du Peuple/Volkshuis is built.
• 1900
  • The Cantillon brewery is founded.
  • Saint-Jean Hospital is built.^[26]

20th century

Equestrian Statue of Leopold II, Place du Trône/Troonplein, Brussels

• 1901 – The Maison & Atelier Horta is built.
• 1905
  • The Cauchie House is built.
  • The Cinquantenaire's memorial arch is completed.
• 1908 – The Chapel of the Resurrection is built.
• 1910 – The Brussels International world's fair is held.

The 1911 Solvay Conference in Brussels was the first world physics conference.

• 1911
  • The first Solvay Conference is held.
  • The Stoclet Palace is built.
• 1914 – World War I: The city is captured and occupied by the German Army.
• 1917 – The Constant Vanden Stock Stadium opens.
• 1919
  • The Lignes Farman airline begins operating its Paris–Brussels route.^[27]
  • Population: 685,268 metro.^[28]
• 1920 – The Oscar Bossaert Stadium opens.
• 1921 – Haren, Laeken and Neder-Over-Heembeek are merged into the City of Brussels.
• 1922 – The Société du Palais des Beaux-Arts and the Jardin botanique Jean Massart^[29] are established.
• 1923 – The Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History opens.
• 1927 – The fifth Solvay Conference, perhaps the most famous, is held.
• 1930 – The Jubilee Stadium opens.
• 1931 – The Brussels Symphony Orchestra is founded.
• 1934 – The Villa Empain is built.
• 1935
  • The Brussels International world's fair is held; the Palais des Expositions is built.
  • The Basilica of the Sacred Heart is consecrated.
  • The city co-hosts the 1935 European Wrestling Championships.
• 1937 – The Queen Elisabeth Competition begins.
• 1939 – The Constantin Meunier Museum opens.
• 1940
  • World War II: The German occupation begins.
  • The German Military Administration in Belgium and Northern France is headquartered in the city.
  • July: The Frontstalag 110 prisoner-of-war camp is established by the Germans.^[30]
• 1941 – The Frontstalag 110 POW camp is dissolved.^[30]

Scenes of jubilation as British troops liberate Brussels, 4 September 1944

• 1944
  • 3–4 September: The city is liberated by the Welsh Guards; the Palace of Justice is burnt by the Germans to destroy legal records during their retreat.
  • 8 September: The Belgian government in exile returns to the city after four years in London.
  • The District of Brussels, formed by Nazi Germany, is no longer in control of the territory.
• 1948
  • The Treaty of Brussels, founding the Western Union (WU), is signed.
  • Brussels Airport opens.
• 1950 – The city hosts the 1950 European Athletics Championships.
• 1952 – The North–South connection is completed; Brussels Central Station and Brussels-South railway station open.
• 1953 – The city hosts the 1953 World Fencing Championships.

The Atomium and cable car during the 1958 Brussels World's Fair (Expo 58)

• 1958
  • Expo 58 world's fair is held; the Atomium is built.
  • The city becomes one of the seats of the European Community.
• 1960 – The city hosts the Congolese Round Table Conference.
• 1967
  • The À L'Innovation department store is destroyed by fire.
  • NATO's headquarters are established in the city.
• 1969 – The Free University splits along linguistic lines into the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).
• 1971
  • The Brussels Agglomeration is created.^[31]
  • The Flower carpet at the Grand-Place begins.
• 1972 – The city hosts the 1972 European Karate Championships.
• 1974 – The Brussels Independent Film Festival begins.
• 1975
  • Bank Brussels Lambert is headquartered in the city.
  • The Université catholique de Louvain's Jardin des plantes médicinales Paul Moens is established.
• 1976 – The Brussels Metro begins operating.
• 1978
  • The Brussels Ring is constructed.
  • The RTBF Symphony Orchestra is formed.^[32]
• 1979
  • May: The city hosts the 1979 European Judo Championships.
  • The Archives of the City of Brussels moves into the former Magasins Waucquez.^[33]
• 1980
  • The Flemish Community and the French Community of Belgium each designate Brussels as their capital city.
  • Population of the Brussels-Capital Region: 1,008,715.^[34]
• 1985
  • Pope John Paul II visits the city.^[35]
  • 29 May: The Heysel Stadium disaster takes place.^[35]
• 1988 – Kinepolis Brussels opens.
• 1989
  • Brussels-Capital Region is formed; the Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region^[36] and Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region are established.
  • The Belgian Comic Strip Center opens.
  • Mini-Europe opens.
• 1990 – Population of the Brussels-Capital Region: 964,385.^[34]
• 1993 – The Espace Léopold opens.
• 1994
  • The City of Brussels is designated capital of Belgium and seat of the Federal Government.^[37]
  • Freddy Thielemans becomes mayor.^[38]
• 1995
  • The Erasmus Brussels University of Applied Sciences and Arts is established after a merger of some ten colleges in and around the city.
• 1996 – The Belgacom Towers are built.
• 1998 – The Ancienne Belgique is renovated.
• 1999 – The Wedding of Prince Philippe and Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz takes place.
• 2000
  • The city is named European Capital of Culture alongside eight other European cities.^[39]
  • The Zinneke Parade begins.
  • The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) relocates to the former Old England department store.

21st century

• 2004 – The North Galaxy Towers are built.
• 2006 – The Atomium is renovated.^[40]
• 2007 – The Hogeschool-Universiteit Brussel (HUB) is established.^[41]
• 2009 – The Magritte Museum opens.
• 2010 – Population of the Brussels-Capital Region: 1,089,538.^[34]
• 2013
  • The Brussels Agreement for the normalisation of Kosovo–Serbia relations is signed.
  • Yvan Mayeur becomes mayor.
  • Rudi Vervoort becomes Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region.
  • The Fin-de-Siècle Museum opens.
• 2014 – The Jewish Museum of Belgium shooting occurs.
• 2016 – The Brussels bombings occur, killing 34 and injuring 230.
• 2017
  • 20 June: The June 2017 Brussels attack occurs.
  • 25 August: The August 2017 Brussels attack occurs.

See also

• History of Brussels
• List of mayors of the City of Brussels (largest municipality in the Brussels-Capital Region)
• List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region
• Timeline of Belgian history
• Timelines of other municipalities in Belgium: Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, Leuven, Liège

References

Bibliography

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to History of Brussels.

• Europeana. Items related to Brussels, various dates.