Prior to the 14th century

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• 13 CE - Germanicus headquartered in Cologne.
• 15 CE - Town becomes administrative capital of Germania Inferior (approximate date).
• 50 CE - Romans establish Colonia.
• 80 CE - Eifel Aqueduct built.
• 90 CE - Population: 45,000.
• 260 - Cologne becomes capital of Gallic Empire.
• 310 - Bridge built over Rhine.
• 313 - Catholic diocese of Cologne established (approximate date).
• 451 - The Huns under Attila sack Cologne.
• 459 - Ripuarian Franks take power.
• 475 - Becomes the residence of the Frankish king Childeric I.
• 716 - Battle of Cologne.
• 795 - City becomes Archbishop's see.
• 960 - Great St. Martin Church founded.
• 974 - St. Andreas Church consecrated.
• 980 - Church of St. Pantaleon consecrated.
• 1003 - Deutz Abbey founded.
• 1065 - St. Maria im Kapitol built.
• 1106 - Church of the Holy Virgins built (approximate date).
• 1114 - Coat of arms of Cologne in use.
• 1160 - St. Cäcilien church built (approximate date).
• 1182 - City expands with suburbs and ramparts.
• 1184 - Richerzeche formed (approximate date).
• 1201 - The city joined the Hanseatic League.
• 1227 - St. Gereon's Basilica built.
• 1247 - St. Kunibert church consecrated.
• 1248 - Cologne Cathedral construction begins.
• 1250 - Great St. Martin Church built.
• 1259 - Konrad von Hochstaden (Archbishop of Cologne) expels the Richerzeche.
• 1260 - Church of the Minorites built (approximate date).
• 1288 - Battle of Worringen.

14th–18th centuries

• 1322
  • Cologne Cathedral choir consecrated.
  • Municipal archive in operation (approximate date).
• 1334 - Cologne Charterhouse founded.
• 1388 - University of Cologne established.
• 1396 - Constitution of Cologne in effect.
• 1400 - Gothic artist known as "Master of Saint Veronica" active (approximate date).
• 1414 - Jews expelled.
• 1447 - Gürzenich [de] built.
• 1450 - Dreikönigsgymnasium founded.
• 1466 - Ulrich Zell sets up printing press.
• 1473 - Work on Cologne Cathedral west front and towers suspended until 19th century
• 1475 - City becomes free imperial city.
• 1569 - Cologne City Hall building expanded.
• 1583/88 - Cologne War a religious conflict.
• 1584 - Apostolic Nuncio established.
• 1586 - Battle of Werl.
• 1608 - Protestants banished.
• 1626
  • Bertram Hilden sets up printing business.
  • Witch trials begin (approximate date).
• 1709 - Eau de Cologne launched by Giovanni Maria Farina.
• 1734 - Gazette de Cologne [de] begins publication.
• 1783 - Theater an der Schmierstraße built.
• 1794 - Population: 40,000.
• 1795 - City directory published.
• 1796 - City annexed by French First Republic.
• 1798
  • University of Cologne closes.
  • Kölnische Zeitung [de] newspaper begins publication.

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19th century

• 1801 - Treaty of Lunéville incorporates the city into France.
• 1802 - Hänneschen puppet theatre founded.
• 1815 - Prussians take power, viz Congress of Vienna.
• 1823 - Rosenmontag (carnival) begins.
• 1827 - Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne formed.
• 1839 - Stollwerck confectionery established.
• 1840 - Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne active.
• 1842
  • Rheinische Zeitung begins publication.
  • Central-Dombauverein zu Köln (Central Cathedral Building Society) recommences construction work on Cologne Cathedral after 400 years.
• 1848 - Neue Rheinische Zeitung begins publication.
• 1849 - Population: 94,789 in city; 497,330 in region.
• 1850 - Conservatorium der Musik founded.
• 1853 - Diözesanmuseum founded.
• 1857 - Hotel du Dome opens.
• 1859
  • Cathedral Bridge built.
  • Köln Hauptbahnhof opens.
• 1860 - Zoo founded.
• 1861
  • Wallraf-Richartz Museum and Glockengasse Synagogue built.
  • Population: 120,568 in city; 567,435 in region.
• 1863 - Hotel Ernst opens.
• 1864 - Flora park laid out.
• 1872
  • Theater in der Glockengasse [de] built.
  • Zimmermann bakery in business.
• 1874 - Wolkenburg (Köln) [de] restored.
• 1876 - Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger begins publication.
• 1877 - Cologne Stadtbahn opens.
• 1880 - Cologne Cathedral completed.
• 1885
  • Population: 239,437.
  • City walls dismantled.
• 1888 - Bayenthal, Ehrenfeld, Lindenthal and Nippes incorporated into city.

• 1890 - Public Library established.
• 1894 - Main station rebuilt.
• 1900 - Population: 370,685.

20th century

1900-1945

• 1902 - Theater am Habsburger Ring built.
• 1904 - Oper der Stadt Köln formed.
• 1905 - Population: 428,503.
• 1906 - Schnütgen Museum founded.
• 1908 - 21 September: Mathematician Minkowski delivers "Raum und Zeit" lecture on spacetime.
• 1910
  • Kalk and Vingst [de] incorporated into city.
  • Population: 516,527.
• 1911 - Hohenzollern Bridge built.
• 1913 - Rheinpark and Köln Messe/Deutz station open.
• 1914 - Werkbund Exhibition held.
• 1917 - Konrad Adenauer becomes mayor.
• 1919
  • Consulate of Poland opens.
  • Population: 633,904.
• 1921 - Jawne school built.
• 1925 - Population: 705,477.
• 1926
  • Airport opens.
  • Kölner Werkschulen established.
• 1928
  • Messeturm Köln built.
  • Polish Consulate relocated to Frankfurt, and replaced by a Polish Consular Agency in Cologne.
• 1930
  • Polish Consular Agency closed.
  • November: Flood.
• 1934 - University of Cologne reopens.
• 1938 - Kristallnacht.
• 1939 - Nazi camp for Sinti and Romani people established (see also Porajmos).
• 1940 - Bombing begins.
• 1942 - III SS construction brigade (forced labour camp) established by the SS. Its prisoners were mostly Poles and Soviets.
• 1944
  • May: III SS construction brigade camp relocated to Wieda.
  • 12 August: Ford-Werke subcamp of the Buchenwald concentration camp established. Its prisoners were mostly Soviets.
  • 15 August: Köln Stadt subcamp of the Buchenwald concentration camp established. Its prisoners were mostly Eastern Europeans.
  • 27 September: Westwaggon subcamp of the Buchenwald concentration camp established. Its prisoners were mostly Soviets.
  • 25 October: Köln Stadt subcamp of Buchenwald dissolved. Prisoners deported to the main Buchenwald camp.
  • November: Ehrenfeld Group executed.
  • November: 1. SS-Eisenbahnbaubrigade subcamp of the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp based in Cologne.

• 1945
  • February: Ford-Werke subcamp of Buchenwald dissolved. Prisoners deported to the main Buchenwald camp.
  • February: 1. SS-Eisenbahnbaubrigade subcamp relocated from Cologne.
  • March: Westwaggon subcamp of Buchenwald dissolved. Many prisoners deported to the main Buchenwald camp, dozens managed to escape.
  • American troops capture city.

1946-1990s

• 1946 - Kölnische Rundschau begins publication.
• 1947
  • 27 March: Food protest.
  • Sport University founded.
  • Nordwestdeutschen Rundfunk orchestra formed.
• 1949
  • Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger resumes publication.
  • Cologne Furniture Fair begins.
• 1950 - Photokina trade fair begins.
• 1951 - Cologne Bonn Airport opens.
• 1954
  • Italian Cultural Institute in Cologne founded.
  • Cappella Coloniensis formed.
• 1955
  • February–March: City co-hosts the 1955 Ice Hockey World Championships.
  • Gaffel Haus [de] rebuilt.
• 1957
  • Central Station rebuilt.
  • Opera house built.
  • Cable Car begins operating.
  • City hosts Bundesgartenschau (national horticulture biennial).
• 1960
  • Stadtwerke Köln established.
  • Population: 803,616.
• 1964
  • Express (German newspaper) [de] newspaper begins publication.
  • School massacre.
  • Forstbotanischer Garten created.
• 1967 - Kölner Kunstmarkt begins.
• 1971 - Cologne University of Applied Sciences formed.
• 1973 - Association of Islamic Cultural Centres [de] headquartered in city.
• 1976 - Gebühreneinzugszentrale and Museum Ludwig established.
• 1977 - Gesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit [de] headquartered in city.
• 1981 - Colonius tower built.

• 1983
  • April: Flood.
  • Akademie för uns Kölsche Sproch established.
• 1984
  • Centrum Schwule Geschichte established.
  • Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs headquartered in city.
  • Feminale film festival begins.
• 1985
  • Käthe Kollwitz Museum opens.
  • St. George's School founded.
• 1986 - Islamic Council for the Federal Republic of Germany [de] headquartered in city.
• 1988 - NS Documentation Center established.
• 1990 - Academy of Media Arts Cologne established.
• 1991 - Cologne Conference (television and film festival) and Cologne Comedy Festival begin.
• 1992 - Cologne Festival of Early Music begins.
• 1993
  • Imhoff-Schokoladenmuseum opens.
  • Cologne Business School established.
  • Ringfest begins.
• 1994 - Central Council of Muslims in Germany headquartered in city.
• 1996 - Summerjam reggae festival begins.
• 1998
  • September: City hosts the 1998 World Rowing Championships.
  • Lanxess Arena opens.
• 1999
  • City website online (approximate date).
  • 25th G8 summit held in Cologne.
• 2000
  • Internationale Filmschule Köln established.
  • Population: 962,884.

21st century

• 2001
  • April–May: City co-hosts the 2001 IIHF World Championship.
  • KölnTurm built.
  • Zentralarchiv des internationalen Kunsthandels [de] (archives) headquartered in Cologne.
• 2002 - Köln–Frankfurt high-speed rail line begins operating.
• 2004
  • 9 June: Bombing.
  • MediaPark constructed.
• 2005
  • City hosts Catholic World Youth Day.
  • Weltstadthaus built.
• 2006
  • International Women's Film Festival Dortmund/Cologne begins.
  • KölnTriangle built.
• 2009 - Jürgen Roters becomes mayor.
• 2010 - Population: 1,007,119
• 2014 - Rainer Maria Cardinal Woelki succeeds Joachim Cardinal Meisner as archbishop of Cologne
• 2015 - Henriette Reker becomes first female mayor of Cologne, one day after an assassination attempt on her at a market in Braunsfeld
• 2015-2016 - 2015-16 New Year's Eve sexual assaults in Germany
• 2017
  • May: City co-hosts the 2017 IIHF World Championship.
  • Cologne Central Mosque is completed.
• 2018
  • January: Flood.
  • 13 June: Terrorist plot foiled.
  • 15 October: 2018 Cologne attack

See also

• History of Cologne
• List of mayors of Cologne
• Elector of Cologne
• Timelines of other cities in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia: Aachen, Bonn, Dortmund, Duisburg, Düsseldorf, Essen, Münster