Timeline of Alexandria, Virginia facts for kids

Welcome to a timeline of Alexandria, Virginia! This page will show you the most important events in the history of this interesting city in the USA, from when it was founded to today.

Alexandria's Early Years (18th and 19th Centuries)

• 1749: The city of Alexandria was founded.
• 1752: The beautiful Carlyle House, a historic home, was built.
• 1754: The Fairfax County Courthouse was built.
• 1773: Christ Church, an important church, was opened.
• 1779: Alexandria officially became an incorporated town.
• 1783: A Masonic lodge, a special club, was started. It's now called Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22.
• 1784: The Virginia Journal and Alexandria Advertiser newspaper began publishing.
• 1789: A part of Fairfax County, including Alexandria, was given to the United States government.
• 1790:
  • The Presbyterian Meeting House was built.
  • The population of Alexandria was 2,748 people.
• 1792:
  • The Bank of Alexandria was opened.
  • The Stabler Apothecary, a historic pharmacy, started its business.
• 1794:
  • Gadsby's Tavern, a famous inn, opened its doors.
  • The Alexandria Library was founded.
• 1801: Alexandria became part of the District of Columbia.
• 1817: The Market House was built. This building is now part of the City Hall.
• 1818: St. Paul's Episcopal Church was opened.
• 1823: The Virginia Theological Seminary, a school for religious studies, was founded.
• 1825: The Hallowell School opened.
• 1828: Franklin and Armfield, a business involved in the slave trade, began operating.
• 1830: The population grew to 8,241 people.
• 1833: St. John's Academy, a school, was established.
• 1834: The Alexandria Gazette newspaper was still being published.
• 1839:
  • The Lyceum, a building for public events, was built.
  • Episcopal High School was founded.
• 1840: The population reached 8,459.
• 1843: The Alexandria Canal opened, connecting Alexandria to Georgetown.
• 1847: Alexandria was given back to Virginia from the District of Columbia. This is called retrocession.
• 1852: The City of Alexandria was officially incorporated.
• 1860: The population was 12,652.
• 1863: In August, Alexandria became the temporary capital for the Restored Government of Virginia during the Civil War.
• 1865: A meeting of the Colored People of Virginia was held in the city.
• 1870: The city became independent from Alexandria County.
• 1873: The Alexandria City Hall was rebuilt.

Alexandria in the 20th Century

• 1906: Union Station, a train station, was built.
• 1923: The first stone was laid for the George Washington Masonic National Memorial.
• 1930: Potomac became a part of Alexandria.
• 1937: The Alexandria Free Public Library opened.
• 1940: The Robinson Library and Vernon Theatre opened.
• 1945: The Centre Theatre was built.
• 1946: The Old Town Alexandria historic district was created to protect old buildings.
• 1952: A part of Fairfax County was added to the city.
• 1954: The Historic Alexandria Foundation was started to help preserve the city's history.
• 1960: The population grew to 91,023.
• 1961:
  • The Woodrow Wilson Bridge opened, connecting Virginia and Maryland.
  • Frank E. Mann became the mayor of Alexandria.
• 1967: Charles E. Beatley became mayor.
• 1974: The Torpedo Factory Art Center opened, turning an old factory into art studios.
• 1975:
  • The Alexandria Packet newspaper began publishing.
  • A city group was formed to study old things found underground (archaeology).
• 1976: The Gadsby's Tavern museum opened.
• 1983:
  • Three new Washington Metro stations opened: King Street–Old Town station, Braddock Road station, and Eisenhower Avenue station.
  • Gifts in Kind International, a charity, set up its main office in Alexandria.
• 1985:
  • Vola Lawson became the city manager. She was the first woman to hold this important job.
  • Jim Moran became mayor.
• 1990: The population reached 111,182.
• 1991:
  • The Van Dorn Street station of the Metro opened.
  • Patsy Ticer became mayor.
• 1996:
  • The city's official website went online.
  • Kerry J. Donley became mayor.

Alexandria in the 21st Century

• 2003: William D. Euille became mayor.
• 2005: The United States Patent and Trademark Office moved its main office to Alexandria.
• 2010: The population was 139,966.
• 2015: Don Beyer became the U.S. representative for Virginia's 8th congressional district.
• 2016: Allison Silberberg became mayor.
• 2017:
  • A sad event, the Congressional baseball shooting, happened on June 14.
  • The National Science Foundation moved its main office to the Eisenhower Valley neighborhood.
• 2019:
  • Justin Wilson became mayor.
  • Construction began on Potomac Yard station, which will be the fifth Washington Metro station in the city.
• 2020: The population grew to 159,467.
• 2022: Landmark Mall was taken down to make way for new buildings.