Timeline of Nashville, Tennessee facts for kids

This is a timeline showing important events in the history of Nashville, Tennessee, a big city in the United States. A timeline helps us see how a place has changed over many years.

Early Days of Nashville (Before 1800)

• 1780
  • Fort Nashborough, a settlement, was built.
  • The Cumberland Compact was signed, creating the Cumberland Association.
• 1784 – Nashville was officially established.
• 1785 – Davidson Academy, an early school, was started.
• 1789 – The first Methodist church was built.
• 1796 – Nashville became part of the new state of Tennessee.
• 1797 – The Tennessee Gazette and Mero District Advertiser newspaper began.

Nashville in the 1800s

Growing as a Town (1800-1849)

• 1806
  • Nashville officially became a town.
  • Joseph Coleman became its first mayor.
• 1812 – The Tennessee General Assembly (the state's government) moved to Nashville from Knoxville.
• 1813 – The Nashville Library Co., Inc. was started.
• 1817 – The state government moved back to Knoxville.
• 1818
  • Earl's Nashville Museum opened.
  • The city's population was about 3,000 people.
• 1820 – A Christian Church was built.
• 1822 – The Nashville City Cemetery was created.
• 1823 – A Presbyterian church was built.
• 1825 – Decker & Dyer Reading Room was established.
• 1826
  • The state government moved to Nashville again, this time from Murfreesboro.
  • Cumberland College opened.
• 1829 – Christ Church was built.
• 1830 – The population grew to 5,566.
• 1831 – The Tennessee State Prison was built.
• 1833 – A waterworks system was established.
• 1835 – The Tennessee Society for the Diffusion of Knowledge was organized.
• 1837 – The House of Industry for Females was established.
• 1838 – First Baptist Church was built.
• 1840 – The population reached 6,929.
• 1841 – The Mechanics' Library Association was formed.
• 1843 – Nashville officially became the capital of Tennessee.
• 1844 – The Tennessee School for the Blind was established.
• 1845 – The Protestant Orphan Asylum was established.
• 1847 – St. Mary's Cathedral was built.
• 1849 – The Tennessee Historical Society was founded.

Civil War and Recovery (1850-1899)

• 1850
  • The Nashville Convention was held in June.
  • A suspension bridge was built over the Cumberland River.
  • The population grew to 10,165.
• 1851 – The Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway began operating.
• 1852 – The public school system started.
• 1854 – The Tennessee State Library was established.
• 1859
  • The Tennessee State Capitol building was completed.
  • The Louisville and Nashville Railroad began operating.
• 1860 – The population reached 16,988.
• 1862
  • During the American Civil War, the city came under control of the Union army.
  • Fort Negley was built.
• 1864 – December 15–16: The Battle of Nashville took place.
• 1865 – Fisk Free Colored School was established.
• 1870 – The population grew to 25,865.
• 1871 – The Fisk University Jubilee Singers were formed.
• 1873 – Vanderbilt University was established.
• 1876 – The Nashville Banner newspaper began.
• 1880 – The population reached 43,350.
• 1889 – The Hermitage museum opened.
• 1890 – The population grew to 76,168.
• 1891 – Nashville Bible School was founded.
• 1892
  • March 17: A huge snowstorm dumped 17 inches of snow on the city.
  • The Union Gospel Tabernacle was built.
  • Maxwell House coffee was introduced.
• 1897
  • The Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition was held.
  • The Parthenon, a replica of the famous Greek building, opened as an art museum.
• 1898 – The Tennessee State Prison was rebuilt.
• 1900 – The population reached 80,865.

Nashville in the 1900s

Early 1900s to Mid-Century (1900-1949)

• 1904 – The Carnegie Library opened.
• 1906 – The Tennessee State Fair began.
• 1907 – Nashville Tennessean newspaper started publishing.
• 1909 – The Sparkman Street Bridge opened.
• 1910 – The population grew to 110,364.
• 1918 – July 9: The Great Train Wreck of 1918 occurred.
• 1920 – The population reached 118,342.
• 1922 – Nashville's first radio station, WDAA, began broadcasting.
• 1925
  • The War Memorial Auditorium was dedicated.
  • WSM radio and its famous Grand Ole Opry show began broadcasting.
• 1927 – Warner Parks opened.
• 1930 – The population reached 153,866.
• 1931 – The Nashville Children's Theatre was established.
• 1936 – Berry Field (the airport) was dedicated.
• 1937 – The Tennessee State Museum was established.
• 1940 – The population reached 167,402.
• 1946 – The Nashville Symphony was founded.

Mid-Century to End of Century (1950-1999)

• 1950 – WSM-TV began broadcasting, and the population was 174,307.
• 1951 – Ben West became mayor.
• 1955 – Brothers Owen and Harold Bradley opened Bradley Film and Recording Studio, which became the first studio in Nashville's famous Music Row area.
• 1957 – RCA Studios began operating, becoming a very important recording studio.
• 1960
  • The Nashville sit-ins for civil rights took place.
  • Cheekwood Museum opened.
  • The population was 170,874.
• 1961 – The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum was established.
• 1962 – The Nashville Municipal Auditorium opened.
• 1963
  • The city's government combined with Davidson County's government.
  • Beverly Briley became mayor.
• 1970 – The population grew significantly to 448,003.
• 1972
  • The Fan Fair music festival began.
  • Opryland USA, a theme park, opened.
• 1974 – The Grand Ole Opry House opened.
• 1975 – Richard Fulton became mayor.
• 1978 – The Nashville Sounds minor-league baseball team played its first season.
• 1980
  • The Tennessee Performing Arts Center opened.
  • The population was 455,651.
• 1982 – The Bluebird Cafe, a famous music venue, opened.
• 1983 – The Nissan car factory began operating in nearby Smyrna.
• 1987 – The Nashville Airport terminal was built.
• 1990 – The Grassmere Wildlife Park was established, and the population was 488,374.
• 1991 – Phil Bredesen became mayor.
• 1994 – The city's website went online.
• 1996 – Bicentennial Mall State Park opened.
• 1998
  • April 15–16: A tornado hit the city.
  • The Tennessee Oilers football team (now the Titans) played their first Nashville games.
  • The Nashville Predators ice hockey team was formed.
• 1999
  • Adelphia Coliseum (now Nissan Stadium) opened.
  • Bill Purcell became mayor.

Nashville in the 2000s

• 2001 – The Frist Center for the Visual Arts was established.
• 2003 – The Shelby Street pedestrian bridge opened.
• 2006
  • The Schermerhorn Symphony Center opened.
  • Nissan's North American headquarters moved to nearby Franklin.
• 2007 – Karl Dean became mayor.
• 2009
  • Third Man Records, a record label, opened.
  • Voters rejected the Nashville English Only Amendment.
• 2010
  • April–May: A major flood hit Nashville.
  • The population reached 601,222.
• 2012 – The fictional Nashville TV series premiered.
• 2013 – The Music City Center, a large convention center, opened.
• 2015 – Megan Barry became mayor.
• 2020
  • March 2–3: A tornado caused deaths and damage in Nashville.
  • December 25: The Nashville bombing occurred, causing major damage.
• 2023
  • The Covenant School shooting occurred.
  • Freddie O'Connell became mayor.