Timeline of Louisville, Kentucky facts for kids

Welcome to a timeline of Louisville, Kentucky! This page will take you on a journey through the most important events in the history of this exciting city in the USA.

Louisville's Early Days

Before the 1800s

• 1778 – George Rogers Clark and his group settle on Corn Island.
• 1780 – Louisville officially becomes a town (it was "chartered").
• 1798 – Jefferson Seminary, an early school, is officially started.

The 1800s: Growth and Change

• 1807 – The Louisville Gazette newspaper begins.
• 1820 – The city's population is 4,012 people.
• 1828 – John Bucklin becomes the mayor.
• 1829
  • The Lewis Pottery Company is started.
  • Dover's Pottery also begins making things.
• 1830
  • The Louisville Daily Journal newspaper starts.
  • The Louisville and Portland Canal, a waterway for boats, opens.
  • The population grows to 10,341 people.
• 1831 – The Louisville Lyceum, a place for learning and discussions, is created.
• 1837 – The Louisville Medical Institute, a medical school, is founded.
• 1838 – Louisville Gas and Water, a company providing gas and water, is set up.
• 1839 – The Kentucky Institution for the Education of the Blind is founded to help blind students.
• 1840
  • Belknap Hardware and Manufacturing Company begins near the Ohio River.
  • The Louisville Collegiate Institute, another school, is founded.
• 1841
  • The Louisville Law Library opens.
  • The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville, a religious organization, is established.
• 1842
  • The Jefferson County Courthouse opens.
  • The Mercantile Library Association is founded.
• 1844 – The Louisville Morning Courier newspaper begins.
• 1846 – The University of Louisville is officially formed.
• 1848 – Cave Hill Cemetery, a large burial ground, is dedicated.
• 1850
  • The Louisville and Nashville Railroad starts running trains.
  • Kentucky Glass Works begins making glass.
• 1851 – The German Protestant Orphan's Home is founded to care for children.
• 1859 – J. F. Hillerich, a company that would later make baseball bats, starts business.
• 1860 – The population reaches 68,033 people.
• 1862 – The Board of Trade, a business group, is organized.
• 1868
  • The Fourteenth Street Bridge is built.
  • The Courier-Journal newspaper begins publication.
• 1872 – An Industrial Exposition, showing off new products, is held.
• 1874 – The Louisville Jockey Club and Driving Park Association is formed.
• 1875 – The famous Kentucky Derby horse race begins, and Churchill Downs opens.
• 1876 – The Polytechnic Society of Kentucky is organized.
• 1877 – The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, a religious school, moves to Louisville.
• 1879 – The Kaufman-Straus department store opens.
• 1880 – The population grows to 123,758 people.
• 1882 – The Louisville Eclipse baseball team is formed.
• 1883 – The Southern Exposition, a big fair, begins.
• 1884
  • The Filson Club, a historical society, is founded.
  • The Louisville Times newspaper begins.
  • Chestnut Street Baptist Church is built.
• 1886 – The Kentucky & Indiana Terminal Bridge opens.
• 1888 – The Louisville Camera Club is formed.
• 1889 – Union Station, a train station, is built.
• 1890
  • The Columbia Building is constructed.
  • A powerful tornado hits the city.
  • The population reaches 161,129 people.
• 1893 – Southern Parkway opens.
• 1894 – St. Peter's German Evangelical Church is built.
• 1895 – The Big Four Bridge opens.
• 1897 – The Louisville Business Women's Club is founded.
• 1900
  • The Louisville Bar Association is established.
  • Jennie Benedict opens her catering business.
  • The population reaches 204,731 people.

The 20th Century: Modern Louisville

1901–1959: New Beginnings

• 1905
  • The Louisville Free Public Library, Western Colored Branch opens.
  • Louisville Gardens, an arena, opens.
  • Jefferson School of Law opens.
  • Fontaine Ferry Park, an amusement park, opens.
• 1907 – The annual Kentucky State Fair permanently moves to Louisville.
• 1908 – The main branch of the Louisville Free Public Library opens.
• 1910
  • The Snead Manufacturing Building is constructed.
  • Waverly Hills Sanatorium, a hospital, opens.
  • The population is 223,928 people.
• 1920 – The population is 234,891 people.
• 1921
  • Bowman airfield opens.
  • The Legal Aid Society of Louisville and a branch of the Urban League are established.
• 1923
  • The Brown Hotel opens.
  • Brown Hotel chef Fred Schmidt creates the famous Hot Brown sandwich.
  • Chickasaw Park is laid out around this time.
• 1926 – Zachary Taylor National Cemetery is created by the Taylor family.
• 1929 – The Louisville Municipal Bridge opens.
• 1930
  • The Masonic Temple is built.
  • The population reaches 307,745 people.
• 1932 – The U.S. Post Office, Court House and Custom House is built.
• 1937
  • The Louisville Orchestra is founded.
  • A major flood hits the Ohio River area.
• 1941 – Standiford Field airport is built.
• 1946 – Jefferson County Memorial Forest is started.
• 1947 – Standiford Field opens for regular commercial flights.
• 1949 – The Carriage House Players theater group is active.
• 1950 – Bellarmine College opens.
• 1952 – Big Spring Country Club hosts the 1952 PGA Championship, won by Jim Turnesa.
• 1954 – The annual WHAS Crusade for Children telethon, a fundraiser, begins.
• 1956
  • Freedom Hall opens at the Kentucky Fairgrounds.
  • The Kentucky Derby Festival begins, leading up to the Kentucky Derby.
• 1957 – The St. James Court Art Show holds its first art and craft show in Old Louisville.
• 1958 – Freedom Hall hosts the 1958 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, which the University of Kentucky wins.
• 1959 – Freedom Hall hosts the 1959 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, won by the University of California-Berkeley.

1960–2000: Growth and New Landmarks

• 1962
  • The Sherman Minton Bridge opens.
  • Mid-City Mall opens.
  • Freedom Hall hosts the 1962 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, won by the University of Cincinnati.
• 1963
  • The John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge opens.
  • Freedom Hall hosts the 1963 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, won by Loyola University (IL).
• 1964
  • The Kennedy Interchange (also called Spaghetti Junction) opens.
  • Actors Theatre of Louisville opens.
• 1965
  • The Louisville and Jefferson County Riverport Authority is created.
  • Republican Kenneth A. Schmied is elected mayor, the last Republican mayor for a long time.
• 1967
  • The Kentucky Colonels basketball team is founded.
  • Freedom Hall hosts the 1967 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, won by UCLA.
• 1969
  • The Louisville Zoo opens.
  • Freedom Hall hosts the 1969 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, again won by UCLA.
  • Democrat Frank W. Burke is elected mayor.
• 1971 – Romano Mazzoli becomes a U.S. representative for Kentucky.
• 1973
  • Democrat Harvey I. Sloane is elected mayor for the first time.
  • Triple Crown Winner Secretariat runs the fastest time ever at the Kentucky Derby.
• 1974
  • A tornado occurs in the east end of Louisville.
  • Actors Theatre of Louisville is named the "State Theater of Kentucky."
  • TARC begins operating as the city bus line.
• 1977
  • A foreign trade zone is established for the Riverport Authority.
  • Democrat William B. Stansbury is elected mayor.
• 1982 – Democrat Harvey I. Sloane is elected mayor for a second time.
• 1986 – Democrat Jerry Abramson is elected mayor for the first time.
• 1987
  • Kentucky Kingdom amusement park opens.
  • The Courier-Journal newspaper is bought by Gannett.
• 1988 – Louisville Motor Speedway opens.
• 1990
  • Thunder Over Louisville has its first annual event, starting the Kentucky Derby Festival.
  • The population is 269,063 people.
• 1993 – AEGON Center is completed, becoming the tallest building in Kentucky.
• 1995 – Standiford Field airport is renamed Louisville International Airport.
• 1996 – The Louisville Slugger Museum opens in Downtown Louisville.
• 1999
  • Louisville Waterfront Park is dedicated.
  • Democrat David L. Armstrong is elected mayor.
• 2000
  • Louisville Slugger Field opens for the Louisville Bats baseball team.
  • Valhalla Golf Club hosts the 2000 PGA Championship, won by Tiger Woods.

The 21st Century: Modern Times

• 2001 – The Louisville Bats baseball team wins the Governors' Cup.
• 2002
  • Louisville Extreme Park opens for skateboarding and biking.
  • Valley Sports wins the 2002 Little League World Series.
  • The Forecastle Festival, a music festival, begins.
• 2003
  • Louisville's city and county governments combine, making the total population nearly one million.
  • Democrat Jerry Abramson is elected mayor for a second time.
• 2004
  • Fourth Street Live, an entertainment area, opens downtown.
  • Valhalla Golf Club hosts the annual Senior PGA Championship, won by Hale Irwin.
• 2005
  • The Muhammad Ali Center opens, honoring the famous boxer Muhammad Ali.
  • The annual Abbey Road on the River music festival is held in Louisville for the first time.
  • The Louisville Cardinals join the Big East Conference for sports.
  • Jim Patterson Stadium opens as the new home for Louisville Cardinals baseball.
• 2006 – Churchill Downs hosts the annual Breeders' Cup horse races.
• 2007
  • The Louisville Cardinals football team plays in their first major bowl game, winning the Orange Bowl.
  • The Cardinals baseball team makes their first appearance in the College World Series.
  • Thunder Over Louisville sets a record with over 800,000 people attending.
  • John Yarmuth becomes a U.S. representative for Kentucky.
• 2008 – Valhalla Golf Club hosts the 2008 Ryder Cup golf tournament, won by the United States.
• 2009
  • The McAlpine Locks and Dam are expanded.
  • A dedication ceremony is held for the Lincoln Memorial at Waterfront Park.
• 2010
  • The population is 602,011.
  • Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom amusement park closes temporarily.
  • KFC Yum! Center opens as Louisville's new downtown arena.
  • Churchill Downs hosts the annual Breeders' Cup.
• 2011
  • Democrat Greg Fischer is elected mayor.
  • Valhalla Golf Club hosts the annual Senior PGA Championship, won by Tom Watson.
  • The Sherman Minton Bridge temporarily closes for repairs.
  • Churchill Downs hosts the annual Breeders Cup.
• 2012
  • The Sherman Minton Bridge reopens after repairs.
  • The KFC Yum! Center hosts games for the 2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
• 2013
  • The Big Four Bridge partially opens as a walking path connecting Louisville to Indiana.
  • The Louisville Cardinals win their third men's basketball NCAA Championship. (This title was later removed due to rule violations).
  • The Cardinals football team wins the 2013 Sugar Bowl.
  • The Cardinals baseball team plays in their second College World Series.
• 2014
  • Kentucky Kingdom amusement park reopens.
  • Valhalla Golf Club hosts the 2014 PGA Championship, won by Rory McIlroy.
  • Mayor Fischer is re-elected.
  • Construction begins on the Ohio River Bridges Project.
  • The Louisville Cardinals baseball team plays in their third College World Series.
  • The Cardinals join the Atlantic Coast Conference for sports.
• 2015
  • The KFC Yum! Center hosts games for the 2015 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
  • The Abraham Lincoln Bridge opens as part of the Ohio River Bridges Project.
• 2016
  • Speed Art Museum reopens after a big expansion.
  • Muhammad Ali passes away, and his funeral procession is televised globally.
  • The Lewis and Clark Bridge opens.
  • Louisville City FC begins playing in the United Soccer League.
  • Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson wins the Heisman Trophy as the top college football player.
• 2017
  • The Louisville Cardinals baseball team plays in their fourth College World Series.
  • Louisville City FC wins the USL championship.
  • The University of Louisville makes changes to its men's basketball program after an investigation into how players were recruited.
• 2018
  • The NCAA confirms that Louisville's 2013 men's basketball championship title is officially removed due to rule violations.