Timeline of Bradford facts for kids

Bradford is a vibrant city in West Yorkshire, England. This timeline shares important moments from its long history, showing how it grew from a small market town into the busy city it is today. You'll discover when famous buildings were built, when important events happened, and how Bradford became known for its industry and culture.

Early History of Bradford

• 1251 – A market was already busy in Bradford.
• 1294
  • Bradford had a lively fair.
  • Henry de Lacy, a powerful earl, allowed a weekly market to be held on Thursdays.
• 1458 – The oldest parts of what is now Bradford Cathedral were finished.
• 1548 – Bradford Grammar School was started.
• 1642 – During the English Civil War, soldiers loyal to the King tried to attack Bradford.
• 1663 – The Free Grammar School became an official organization.
• 1773 – The Piece Hall, a place for trading cloth, was built.
• 1774
  • The Bradford Canal was completed, helping to transport goods.
  • A library where people paid to borrow books was set up.
• 1788 – The Bowling Iron Works started making iron products.
• 1791 – The Low Moor Ironworks was set up nearby.

Bradford in the 1800s

Growing Pains (1800–1849)

• 1801 – Bradford's population was 13,264 people.
• 1816 – 21 April: Charlotte Brontë, a famous writer, was born in Thornton, just outside Bradford.
• 1817 – 26 June: Her brother, Branwell Brontë, a painter and writer, was also born in Thornton.
• 1818 – 30 July: Another famous sister, Emily Brontë, a writer, was born in Thornton.
• 1820 – 17 January: The youngest sister, Anne Brontë, also a writer, was born in Thornton.
• 1821 – The Bradford Gaslight Company was founded to provide gas for lighting.
• 1822 – April: Workers protested about their conditions.
• 1824 – A new market-place opened.
• 1825 – Workers went on strike.
• 1830 – The Exchange buildings opened for business.
• 1831 – The population grew to 23,223 people.
• 1832 – Bradford became a "parliamentary borough," meaning it could elect its own Members of Parliament.
• 1834 – The Bradford Observer newspaper began publishing.
• 1836 – Titus Salt started making cloth from alpaca wool.
• 1838 – Lister Mills, a large textile factory, was founded.
• 1841 – The population reached 34,560.
• 1846 – 1 July: The Leeds and Bradford Railway started running trains.
• 1847 – Bradford became a "municipal borough," joining together several local areas.
• 1848 – Titus Salt became the mayor of Bradford.

A City in the Making (1850–1899)

• 1850 – Bradford Exchange railway station opened.
• 1853
  • St George's Hall, a large concert venue, and Peel Park opened.
  • Salts Mill was built by Titus Salt in Saltaire, a new village near Bradford.
• 1857 – Bradford Girls' Grammar School was founded.
• 1858 – October: A sad event happened when sweets poisoned some people in Bradford.
• 1862 – Frederick Delius, a famous composer, was born in Bradford.
• 1863 – The first Bradford Rugby Club was started.
• 1864 – Charles Semon became the first mayor of Bradford who was born outside the UK and was Jewish.
• 1867 – The Wool Exchange building was constructed, a hub for wool trading.
• 1868 – The Bradford Daily Telegraph newspaper began publishing.
• 1871 – Bradford's population was 145,830.
• 1872 – 29 January: William Rothenstein, a painter, was born in Bradford.
• 1873 – Bradford Town Hall was built.
• 1875 – Lister Park opened to the public.
• 1879 – An Art Gallery and Museum was opened.
• 1880 – Bowling Park opened.
• 1881 – The Bradford Reform Synagogue opened.
• 1882 – Bradford Technical College was established to teach practical skills.
• 1886 – Valley Parade Stadium opened, which is now home to Bradford City Football Club.
• 1891 – The population reached 265,728.
• 1892 – Edward Appleton, a physicist who won a Nobel Prize for discovering the ionosphere (a part of Earth's atmosphere), was born in Bradford.
• 1893 – The Independent Labour Party was founded in Bradford.
• 1894 – 13 September: J. B. Priestley, a famous writer and broadcaster, was born in Bradford.
• 1895 – Bradford Rugby Club helped create the Northern Rugby Union, which later became the Rugby Football League.
• 1897
  • Bradford officially became a city.
  • The first electric tram service started running.

Bradford in the 1900s

New Beginnings (1900–1949)

• 1901 – The population was 279,767.
• 1903 – Bradford City Football Club was formed.
• 1904 – Cartwright Hall opened as an art gallery and museum.
• 1907 – 28 October: Bradford started the first organized British school meal service for all pupils at Green Lane Primary School.
• 1908 – Bradford City Football Club was promoted to the top football league in England.
• 1910 – Jacob Moser became the Lord Mayor of Bradford.
• 1911
  • 26 April: Bradford City Football Club won the FA Cup, a major football trophy.
  • 20 June: Trolleybuses in Bradford began operating, using electric power from overhead wires.
• 1914 – The Bradford Alhambra theatre opened.
• 1915 – Fred Hoyle, a famous astronomer, was born near Bradford.
• 1916
  • 1 July: Many young men from Bradford, known as the "Bradford Pals," fought bravely in the Battle of the Somme during World War I.
  • 21–24 August: The Low Moor Explosion happened at a munitions factory, causing many deaths and injuries.
• 1919 – The Diocese of Bradford was created, and the Church of Saint Peter became Bradford Cathedral.
• 1929 – Bradford City Football Club was promoted to the second tier of English football.
• 1931 – Leeds and Bradford Municipal Aerodrome opened.
• 1933 – Bradford Northern rugby club began building Odsal Stadium, which became one of the largest stadiums in Britain.
• 1937 – 9 July: David Hockney, a world-famous painter, was born in Bradford.
• 1939 – A building called Carlton Hostel was bought to house German Jewish refugee children during World War II, as part of the Kindertransport scheme.
• 1947 – Bradford Northern won the Challenge Cup rugby final at Wembley Stadium.

Modern Times (1950–1999)

• 1954 – Odsal Stadium hosted a rugby final replay with a record-breaking crowd of over 100,000 people.
• 1961 – Morrisons opened their first supermarket in Bradford.
• 1966 – The University of Bradford was officially established.
• 1972 – 26 March: Bradford's trolleybus system stopped running, the last one in the UK.
• 1974 – The City of Bradford local government area was created, combining Bradford with several nearby towns like Bingley and Keighley.
• 1983 – The National Science and Media Museum opened, showing the history of photography, film, and television.
• 1985
  • 11 May: A tragic fire occurred at the Bradford City stadium.
  • Bradford City Football Club was promoted to the second tier of English football.
• 1987 – Jonathan Silver bought Salts Mill and turned it into a place for shops, art, and culture.
• 1992 – The Pictureville Cinema opened.
• 1994 – Railways to Bradford were electrified, meaning trains could run on electricity.
• 1995
  • The Bradford International Film Festival began.
  • Bradford Northern rugby club changed its name to Bradford Bulls.
• 1996 – Bradford City Football Club played at Wembley Stadium for the first time.
• 1997 – The Bradford Bulls won their first Super League title in rugby.
• 1999 – Bradford City Football Club was promoted to the Premier League, the top football league in England.

Bradford in the 2000s

• 2001
  • Saltaire village, near Bradford, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its special history and buildings.
  • July: There were some protests and unrest in Bradford.
  • October: The Bradford Bulls won the Super League rugby championship.
• 2002 – The Bradford Bulls became World Club Challenge champions in rugby.
• 2003 – The Bradford Bulls had an amazing year, winning the Challenge Cup, the Minor Premiers title, and the Grand Final.
• 2004 – The Bradford Bulls won the World Club Challenge again.
• 2005 – The Bradford Bulls won the Super League Grand Final once more.
• 2006 – February: The Bradford Bulls won the World Club Challenge for a third time.
• 2008 – The Al Mahdi Mosque opened.
• 2009 – Bradford became the world's first UNESCO City of Film, recognized for its film heritage.
• 2011 – The population of the City of Bradford was 522,452.
• 2012 – Bradford City Park, a large public space with a mirror pool, opened.
• 2013
  • Bradford City Football Club reached the League Cup Final, a huge achievement for a team from the fourth tier of football.
  • Bradford City Football Club was promoted to League One.
• 2014 – The Bradford College David Hockney building opened.
• 2015 – The Broadway Shopping Mall opened.
• 2016 – Sunbridge Wells, an underground leisure and shopping area, opened.
• 2022 – Bradford was chosen to be the 2025 UK City of Culture.