Timeline of Houston facts for kids

Houston, Texas, is a vibrant city with a rich and exciting past! From its early days as a small settlement to becoming a major hub for space exploration and energy, Houston has seen many important changes. This timeline will take you through the key moments that shaped this incredible city, showing how it grew and faced challenges over the years.

Early Days: 1800s

• August 26, 1836 - The Allen brothers, Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen, bought land that would become Houston.
• August 30, 1836 - The Allen brothers placed their first advertisement for their new "Town of Houston."
• December 15, 1836 - Houston was chosen as the temporary capital of Texas. President Sam Houston signed the bill.
  • The Allen Brothers officially founded the city of Houston.
  • The first cemetery, now called Founders Memorial Cemetery, was created.
• January 1, 1837 - Only twelve people lived in Houston, and there was just one log cabin.
• Mid-January, 1837 - The Laura arrived, becoming the first steamboat to reach Houston.
• April 16, 1837 - Construction began on the capitol building.
• April 26, 1837 - Sam Houston visited the town named after him. He estimated about 1,500 people and 100 houses were there.
• June 5, 1837 - Houston received its city charter from the Republic of Texas. James Holman became the first mayor.
• 1839
  • The capital of Texas moved to Austin.
  • Houston passed its first sidewalk rule.
• January 1, 1853 - Work began on the Houston and Texas Central Railway, a major train line.
• April 7, 1856 - Construction started on the seven-mile Houston Tap Road.
• September, 1863 - Houston's Dick Dowling led 44 dockworkers to a big victory at the Second Battle of Sabine Pass. He became the city's first nationally known hero.
• June 19, 1865 - Juneteenth marks the day when enslaved people in Texas learned they were free. This happened two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
• 1892 - The first annual road race of the Magnolia Cycling Club was held in the Houston Heights.
• Mid-February, 1895 - Houston had its heaviest snowfall ever. Over 20 inches of snow covered the city for days.

Growing Up: 1900-1950

• 1900s - Oil was discovered in Texas, starting a huge new industry.
• 1900
  • Houston's population reached 44,633 people.
  • A major hurricane hit nearby Galveston. This led to more development moving north to Houston.
• 1902 - President Theodore Roosevelt approved one million dollars to build the Houston Ship Channel.
• 1904 - The Houston Lyceum and Carnegie Library opened, later known as the Houston Public Library.
• 1910 - The population grew to 78,800.
• 1912
  • The Rice Institute opened, which is now Rice University.
• 1914
  • April 1: The first rule against jaywalking (crossing the street improperly) began.
  • November 10: President Woodrow Wilson officially opened the Houston Ship Channel, a key part of the Port of Houston.
• 1920s - The Texas oil boom caused many people to move to Houston, leading to its first big growth spurt.
• 1920 - The population reached 138,276.
• 1925 - KPRC radio began broadcasting.
• 1927 - Houston Junior College opened as part of the Houston Independent School District.
• 1930 - The population grew to 292,352.
• 1934 - Houston Junior College became a four-year school and changed its name to the University of Houston.
• 1935 - A huge flood hit Houston, killing eight people. This led to the creation of the Harris County Flood Control District.
• 1937 - Houston Municipal Airport opened. It is now called William P. Hobby Airport.
• 1939 - The University of Houston moved to its current location southeast of Downtown.
• 1940
  • Houston removed its last streetcar system.
  • The population reached 384,514.
• 1942 - Robertson Stadium opened as Houston Public School Stadium.
• 1945 - The University of Houston became a private university, separate from the school district.
• 1947
  • Voters in Houston rejected a plan for citywide zoning (rules about how land can be used).
  • The school that would become Texas Southern University, a historically Black college, was founded.
• 1948 - The Gulf Freeway, Texas' first freeway, opened. This marked the start of freeway building in the city.

Modern Houston: 1950-2000

• 1950 - KPRC-TV (television) began broadcasting.
• 1961 - NASA chose Houston as the location for its Manned Spacecraft Center.
• September 14, 1961 - Sharpstown Mall opened. It was the first indoor, air-conditioned mall in the world.
• 1962 - Houston voters rejected zoning rules for a second time.
• 1963
  • The University of Houston became a state university after a long effort.
  • The Manned Spacecraft Center, now the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, opened on land given by Rice University.
  • The Humble Building was finished, becoming the tallest building west of the Mississippi River at the time.
• April 9, 1965 - The Astrodome opened. The Houston Colt .45s baseball team was renamed the Houston Astros.
• 1969 - Houston Intercontinental Airport, now George Bush Intercontinental Airport, opened.
• July 20, 1969 - "Houston" was the first word spoken from the Moon by astronaut Neil Armstrong during the Apollo 11 mission.
• 1970s - The Arab Oil Embargo caused a huge demand for Texas oil. Many people moved to Houston from other states for jobs.
• 1972 - Leonel Castillo was elected City Comptroller, the first minority person to hold a city government position.
• May 11, 1976 - A tanker truck crash caused a deadly ammonia leak, killing 7 people.
• 1977
  • The Houston Area Women's Center was founded.
  • The University of Houston celebrated its 50th anniversary.
• 1978 - The headquarters of Continental Airlines moved to Houston.
• 1981 - Kathryn J. Whitmire was elected as Houston's first woman mayor. She appointed Lee P. Brown as the first African-American police chief.
• 1982 - The Texas Commerce Bank Tower was completed. It was the tallest building west of the Mississippi until the late 1980s.
• April 5, 1986 - Houston hosted the Rendez-vous Houston concert, which was the largest outdoor concert in history at the time.
• June 1, 1987 - The historic Shamrock Hilton hotel was torn down despite protests.
• 1989 - The Houston Press newspaper began publication.
• 1990 - The population reached 1,630,553.
• July 9–11, 1990 - Houston hosted the 16th G7 Summit, a meeting of world leaders.
• 1991 - Elected city officials were given term limits, meaning they could only serve a certain number of terms.
• 1993 - Houston voters rejected a zoning plan for the third time.
• October 1994 - The Great Flood of 1994, caused by the remnants of Hurricane Rosa, brought record high waters to the San Jacinto Watershed.
• 1994 - The Houston Rockets won the NBA Championship.
• 1995 - The Houston Rockets won the NBA Championship again, for the second year in a row.
• 1996 - The community of Kingwood became part of the city of Houston.
• November 1997 - Lee P. Brown was elected as Houston's first African-American mayor. Annise Parker became the first openly gay or lesbian city council member.

New Millennium: 2000s and Beyond

2000s

• June 5-June 9, 2001 - Tropical Storm Allison caused massive flooding across Houston, including major hospitals and research centers. It was called a "500-year event."
• November 2001 - The Enron company was found to have accounting scandals and went bankrupt.
• 2002 - The University of Houston celebrated its 75th anniversary.
• November 5, 2002 - Sylvia R. Garcia became the first Hispanic woman to hold office in the Harris County Commissioners Court.
• December 6, 2003 - Annise Parker became Houston's first openly lesbian city controller.
• January 1, 2004 - METRORail opened, bringing rail service back to the city for the first time since 1940.
• 2004 - Houston hosted the Super Bowl and the MLB All-Star Game.
• January 2, 2004 - Bill White was sworn in as mayor.
• December 24, 2004 - A rare snowstorm hit Houston, causing record Christmas snowfall.
• September 1, 2005 - Houston welcomed over 125,000 people displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The Reliant Astrodome was used as a shelter.
• September 1, 2006 - Red light cameras were installed at ten major intersections.
• December 12, 2009 - Annise Parker won the election to become Houston's 61st mayor. She was the first woman since 1991 and the first openly gay mayor of a major U.S. city.

2010s

• 2010 - The population of Houston was listed as 2,100,263.
• 2016 - Sylvester Turner was sworn in as mayor.
• 2017 - The Houston Astros won the World Series baseball championship.

2020s

• 2020 - The population of Houston increased to 2,301,572.
• 2024 - John Whitmire was sworn in as mayor.
• 2028 - Houston is scheduled to host the 2028 Republican National Convention.

Major Storms and Challenges

Houston has faced many natural disasters, especially floods and hurricanes. Here are some of the most significant:

• September, 1900 - The Great Galveston Storm killed 6,000-8,000 people and caused widespread flooding in Harris County.
• December, 1913 - A major storm from the Brazos River caused the entire Harris County area to flood.
• August, 1915 - The 1915 Galveston hurricane caused major damage and heavy flooding in Harris County.
• April, 1929 - An enormous gulf storm lasted 14 hours, flooding nearly all of Houston.
• August, 1932 - The 1932 Freeport hurricane took 40 lives and flooded Harris County.
• December 6–9, 1935 - A massive flood hit Houston, killing eight people. This led to the creation of the Harris County Flood Control District.
• September 11, 1961 - Hurricane Carla brought heavy rain and wind damage to the Houston area.
• June, 1973 - A major storm brought 10-15 inches of rain to Harris County, and 10 lives were lost.
• July, 1979 - Tropical Storm Claudette caused record amounts of rainfall, with 43 inches in 24 hours in Alvin.
• August 18, 1983 - Hurricane Alicia hit Houston and Galveston.
• October 15–19, 1994 - The Great Flood of '94, from the remnants of Hurricane Rosa (1994), caused the highest flood levels ever recorded in the San Jacinto River basin. It devastated north Houston and killed 22 people.
• September, 1998 - Tropical Storm Frances caused extensive flooding along the White Oak Bayou, flooding over 1,300 buildings.
• June 5–9, 2001 - Tropical Storm Allison devastated Houston, flooding much of the city, including downtown and major hospitals.
• September 13, 2008 - Hurricane Ike passed through the city, causing flooding, wind damage, and widespread power outages.
• May 25–26, 2015 - The Houston Memorial Day Flood brought as much as 11 inches of rain, flooding many homes.
• April 17–18, 2016 - The Houston Tax Day Flood unleashed 12 to 16 inches of rain in nine counties near the city.
• August 2017 - Hurricane Harvey devastated the city, flooding homes and roads with over 50 inches of rain in four days.
• September 19, 2019 - Remnants of Tropical Storm Imelda dumped over 9 inches of rain on parts of Houston, making it the wettest September day ever recorded.
• February 14, 2021 - A major winter storm caused widespread power outages and water supply problems for several days.