Timeline of Reykjavík

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Reykjavík, Iceland.

Prior to 20th century

• 1750s – Innréttingarnar textile workshops established.[1]
• 1752 – Aðalstræti 10 (house) built.[2]
• 1771 – Prison begins operating.[3]
• 1785 – "Skálholt bishop's seat is moved to Reykjavik."[4]
• 1786
  • Town charter granted by Danish government.[5]
  • Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík (school) active.
• 1796 – Lutheran Reykjavík Cathedral built.[2]
• 1798 – Althingi (Icelandic assembly) relocated to Reykjavik from Þingvellir.[4]
• 1800
  • 6 June: Althingi abolished.[4]
  • 11 July: "A new high court in Reykjavik takes over the responsibilities of Althingi."[4]
• 1801 – Lutheran Bishop of Iceland headquartered in Reykjavik.[4]
• 1816 – Icelandic Literary Society founded.[6]
• 1825 – Icelandic National Library begins operating.[7]
• 1845 – Althingi active again.[5]
• 1846 – Latin School relocated to Reykjavik from Bessastaðir.[4]
• 1847 – Theological seminary established.[8]
• 1848 – Þjóðólfur newspaper begins publication.[4]
• 1872 – Eymundsson bookshop in business.
• 1874
  • 1000th anniversary of colonization.[9]
  • Thorvaldsen statue erected in Austurvöllur.[10]
• 1876 – Medical school opens.[8]
• 1879 – Icelandic Archaeological Society founded.
• 1881 – Alþingishúsið (parliament house) built.[2]
• 1882 – Hótel Ísland in business.
• 1886 – Landsbanki (bank) established.[11]
• 1890 – Population: 6,700 in town; 70,927 on island.[8]
• 1896 – Dagskrá daily newspaper begins publication.[1]
• 1897 – Reykjavík Theatre Company founded.
• 1899 – Reykjavik Football Club formed.[2]

20th century

• 1903
  • Office of Danish minister for Iceland relocated to Reykjavík from Copenhagen.[8]
  • Fríkirkjan í Reykjavík (church) built.
• 1904 – Íslandsbanki (1904) (bank) established.[11]
• 1906 – Fjalakötturinn cinema opens on Aðalstræti (street).
• 1907 – Reykjavik Athletic club formed.
• 1908 – Women's suffrage takes effect in Reykjavik.[4][12]
• 1909 – National Library building opens.[7]
• 1911
  • University of Iceland established.[4]
  • 1911 Iceland industrial fair held.
• 1912 – Route 41 (Iceland) (Keflavík–Reykjavik) constructed.
• 1913 – Morgunblaðið daily newspaper begins publication.[4]
• 1914 – Eimskipafélag Íslands (steamship company) founded.[1]
• 1915
  • January: Prohibition in Iceland begins.[4]
  • 25 April: Reykjavik fire of 1915.
• 1916
  • Icelandic Federation of Labour headquartered in Reykjavik.[4]
  • Social Democratic Party (Iceland) founded in Reykjavik.[4]
• 1918 – January: Danish–Icelandic Act of Union signed in the Alþingishúsið.[2]
• 1919 – Population: 16,154.[13]
• 1925 – Reykjavík City Orchestra formed (approximate date).
• 1927 – Gamla bíó (cinema) active.
• 1929 – Landakotskirkja (church) built.
• 1930
  • Rikisutvarpid radio headquartered in Reykjavík.[1]
  • National Hospital opens.[4]
  • Reykjavík College of Music established.
  • Garnaslagurinn (labor dispute) occurs.
  • Hótel Borg in business.
  • Population: 28,052.
• 1932 – 9 November: Gúttóslagurinn (labor dispute) occurs.[4]
• 1940 – May: British occupation begins.[4]
• 1943 – Listamannaskálinn (exhibit hall) built on Kirkjustræti (street).
• 1944
  • Reykjavík becomes capital of Republic of Iceland.[14]
  • Hotel Winston built.
• 1946 – Civilian Reykjavík Airport in operation.
• 1947 – Austurbæjarbíó (cinema) built.
• 1949 – March: 1949 anti-NATO riot in Iceland.[4]
• 1950
  • Iceland Symphony Orchestra formed.
  • Population: 55,980.
• 1957 – Árbæjarsafn (history museum) founded.
• 1961 – Háskólabíó (cinema) in business.[15]
• 1965
  • Landsvirkjun (national power company) established.[4]
  • Laugardalshöll (arena) opens.
• 1968 – Roman Catholic Diocese of Reykjavík established.
• 1972 – World Chess Championship 1972 held in city.[4]
• 1974 – Population: 84,589.[16]
• 1975 – 24 October: Women's rights demonstration.[4]
• 1981 – House of commerce built.
• 1986
  • August: City bicentennial.[4]
  • October: USSR–USA summit held in city.[4]
  • 9 November: Ships sunk in Reykjavik Harbor by environmentalist Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.[4]
  • Hallgrímskirkja (church) built.
  • Sister city relationship established with Seattle, USA.[17]
• 1987 – Bíóborgin (cinema) active.[15]
• 1996 – Supreme Court of Iceland courthouse built.
• 1998 – Population: 106,753.[18]
• 1999
  • Reykjavik Power Authority (utility) formed.[1]
  • Iceland Airwaves music festival begins.[19]
• 2000 – Landspítali (hospital) established.

21st century

• 2002 – Reykjavík Mosque opens.
• 2005 – Population: 114,800 in city; 187,105 metro.[5]
• 2007
  • 18 April: 2007 Reykjavik fire
  • Dagur Bergþóruson Eggertsson becomes mayor.
  • Grand Hótel Reykjavík tower built.
• 2008
  • October: Icelandic financial crisis protest begins.[2]
  • Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir becomes mayor.
• 2009
  • 2009 Icelandic financial crisis protests.[2]
  • Höfðatorg Tower 1 built.
• 2010
  • 29 May: Reykjavík City Council election, 2010 held.
  • Jón Gnarr becomes mayor.
  • Vatnsstígur 16-18 hi-rise built.
• 2011 – Harpa (concert hall) opens.
• 2012 – Population: 117,764 in city; 203,678 metro.
• 2014 – Dagur Bergþóruson Eggertsson becomes mayor again.

See also

• Reykjavík history
• List of mayors of Reykjavík
• Other names of Reykjavík
• Timeline of Icelandic history

References

1. Gudmundur Halfdanarson (2008). Historical Dictionary of Iceland (2nd ed.). Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-6274-6.
2. Rough Guide to Iceland. Rough Guides. 2010. ISBN 978-1-84836-970-2.
3. Mitchel P. Roth (2006). "Chronology". Prisons and Prison Systems: A Global Encyclopedia. Greenwood. ISBN 978-0-313-32856-5.
4. Gudmundur Halfdanarson (2008). "Chronology". Historical Dictionary of Iceland (2nd ed.). Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-6274-6.
5. Reykjavík City Profile 2006.
6. Richard F. Tomasson (1980). Iceland: The First New Society. USA: University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-1-4529-1032-1.
7. Allen Kent, ed. (1986). Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science. 41. Marcel Dekker. ISBN 978-0-8247-2041-4.
8. "Iceland", Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.), New York, 1910, OCLC 14782424 – via Internet Archive
9. Benjamin Vincent (1910), "Iceland", Haydn's Dictionary of Dates (25th ed.), London: Ward, Lock & Co.
10. Baedeker 1912.
11. "Denmark: Danish Colonies: Iceland". International Banking Directory. Bankers Publishing Company. 1920.
12. Ida Husted Harper, ed. (1922). "Iceland". History of Woman Suffrage. 6: 1900–1920. National American Woman Suffrage Association.
13. "Iceland". Statesman's Year-Book. London: Macmillan and Co. 1921 – via HathiTrust.
14. "Iceland Profile: Timeline", BBC News, retrieved 30 September 2015
15. "Movie Theaters in Reykjavik". CinemaTreasures.org. Los Angeles: Cinema Treasures LLC. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
16. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Statistical Office (1976). "Population of capital city and cities of 100,000 and more inhabitants". Demographic Yearbook 1975. New York. pp. 253–279.
17. "Seattle's 21 Sister Cities". USA: City of Seattle. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
18. "Population: Municipalities". Statistics Iceland. Archived from the original on 17 April 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
19. "Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, 1900 A.D.–present: Key Events". Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 30 September 2015.

Bibliography

• "Reykjavik", Norway, Sweden, and Denmark (10th ed.), Leipzig: Karl Baedeker, 1912
• Reykjavik, Scandinavian Atlas of Historic Towns, 1988, ISBN 8774926047
• Reykjavík City Profile (PDF), City of Reykjavík, 2006

External links

• Europeana. Items related to Reykjavík, various dates
• Digital Public Library of America. Items related to Reykjavík, various dates.