The following is a timeline of the History of San Jose, California, USA.
Prior to 19th century
- 1777 – Spanish pueblo San Jose de Guadalupe founded.
- 1797 – San Jose mission founded.
19th century
- 1803 – San Jose de Guadalupe church built.
- 1822 – Mexicans in power.
- 1840 – Population: 750 (approximate).
- 1846 – Town occupied by U.S. forces.
- 1849 – December: Town becomes capital of the new state of California.
- 1850
- City chartered.
- Josiah Belden becomes mayor.
- San Francisco-San Jose stagecoach begins operating.
- 1851
- San Jose Weekly Visitor newspaper begins publication.
- College of Notre Dame established.
- 1852 – San Jose Foundry in business.
- 1853 – Hook and Ladder Company No.1 organized.
- 1855 – San Jose Telegraph newspaper begins publication.
- 1856 – Young Men's Literary Association organized.
- 1857 – Minn's Evening School established.
- 1861 – San Jose Daily Mercury newspaper begins publication.
- 1864 – San Francisco-San Jose Railway in operation.
- 1865 – St. Joseph High School established.
- 1866 – Santa Clara Argus newspaper begins publication.
- 1867 – San Jose YMCA established.
- 1868 – St. Joseph's Church built (approximate date).
- 1870
- California State Normal School relocated to San Jose.
- Chinatown fire.
- Population: 9,089; county 26,246.
- 1871 – University of the Pacific relocated to San Jose vicinity.
- 1875 – San Jose Law Library, San Jose Fruit Packing Company, and California Pioneers of Santa Clara County established.
- 1878 – Home of Benevolence founded.
- 1879 – Daily Morning Times begins publication.
- 1886 – Board of Trade organized.
- 1888 – Lick Observatory established atop Mount Hamilton.
- 1889
- City Hall built.
- O'Connor Hospital and Hotel Vendome established.
- 1890 – Population: 18,060.
- 1891 – Heald College established.
- 1892 – First Unitarian Church of San Jose built.
- 1892 - We and Our Neighbors Society (women's club) founded.
- 1894 – Associated Charities of San Jose established.
- 1895 – Post Office built.
- 1897 – Good Government League organized.
20th century
1900s-1950s
- 1900 – Population: 21,500.
- 1902 – Naglee Park development begins (approximate date).
- 1903
- Grauman's Theatre and San Jose Public Library building open.
- Bean Spray Company relocates to San Jose.
- 1905 – Balloon, dirigible, and aeroplane exhibitions.
- 1906 – April 18: San Francisco earthquake.
- 1909
- KQW radio begins broadcasting.
- Santa Clara Valley Fruit Growers Association organized.
- 1911 – East San Jose becomes part of San Jose.
- 1921 – San Jose Junior College founded.
- 1926 – Bank of Italy Building constructed.
- 1927 – Fox California Theatre built.
- 1933
- 1936 – Willow Glen becomes part of San Jose.
- 1937 – San Jose Civic Orchestra formed.
- 1943 – IBM west coast headquarters established.
- 1949
- San Jose Municipal Airport begins operating.
- Burbank Theatre, Garden Theatre, and Mayfair cinema open.
- Historical Museum of San José established.
- 1950s – Community Service Organization activity begins in East San Jose.
- 1952 – Population: 95,280.
- 1957 – San Jose Peace & Justice Center founded.
- 1959 – Santa Clara County United Fund established.
1960s-1990s
- 1960 – Population: 204,196.
- 1961
- Happy Hollow Zoo opens.
- IBM Shoebox invented.
- 1964 – San Jose Century 21 cinema built.
- 1967 - Junior League of San Jose and Center for Employment Training established.
- 1968 – Alviso becomes part of city.
- 1969 – Century Theatre cinema opens.
- 1970
- Regional Metropolitan Transportation Commission established.
- Population: 447,025.
- 1971
- Norman Mineta becomes mayor.
- San José Historical Museum Association and Sourisseau Academy for State and Local History established.
- 1972 – Food Machinery Corporation headquarters relocates from San Jose to Chicago.
- 1973 – Willow Glen Neighborhood Association formed.
- 1974 – Santa Clara County Transportation Agency, San Jose Earthquakes soccer club, and Second Harvest Food Bank established.
- 1975
- 1977 – San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles founded.
- 1980 – Rotary Club of San Jose and San Jose Repertory Theatre founded.
- 1981 – Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose established.
- 1982 – Adobe in business.
- 1983
- 1983 San Jose School District California bankruptcy
- Tom McEnery becomes mayor.
- 1985 – Market Post Tower built.
- 1986
- First Community Housing and San Jose Cleveland Ballet founded.
- IBM Almaden Research Center opens.
- 1987
- Japanese American Museum of San Jose, Chinese Historical and Cultural Project, and Los Fundadores y Amigos de Alta California established.
- Fairmont Hotel built.
- 1988 – Fairmont Plaza built.
- 1989 – Loma Prieta earthquake.
- 1990
- Tech Museum of Innovation and San Jose International Airport's new terminal open.
- Population: 782,248.
- 1991
- Tathagata Meditation Center, Santa Clara Valley MultiService Center, and Filipino American National Historical Society chapter founded.
- Susan Hammer becomes mayor.
- San Jose Sharks begin play.
- 1992
- Saba Islamic Center active.
- Chinmaya Mission San Jose founded.
- 1993 – Plaza Park renamed Plaza de César Chávez.
- 1994
- City government-public computer-enabled communication ("Virtual Valley") in operation.
- San Jose Clash soccer team formed.
- 1995
- AuctionWeb (eBay) in business.
- Zoe Lofgren becomes U.S. representative for California's 16th congressional district.
- 1998
- 1999 – Ron Gonzales becomes mayor.
21st century
- 2000 – Population: 894,943.
- 2001
- Bay Area CyberRays soccer team, and Silicon Valley De-Bug collective established.
- Mike Honda becomes U.S. representative for California's 15th congressional district.
- 2002 – Symphony Silicon Valley founded.
- 2003 – Sobrato Office Tower built.
- 2005 – San Jose City Hall rebuilt.
- 2006 – June: Mayor Gonzales arrested.
- 2007 – Chuck Reed becomes mayor.
- 2008 – The 88 building constructed.
- 2010
- Three Sixty Residences built.
- Population: 945,942.
- 2011 – October: Occupy San José begins.
- 2013 – Population: 998,537.
- 2014
- Population tops 1,000,000.
- December: Homeless camp cleared.
