Timeline of San Juan, Puerto Rico facts for kids

San Juan, Puerto Rico, has a long and exciting history! This timeline will take you on a journey through the most important events in the life of this amazing city, from its early days as a Spanish settlement to the modern capital it is today. Get ready to explore how San Juan grew, faced challenges, and became a vibrant part of Puerto Rico.

Early Years: 1500s to 1700s

Porto Rico, 17th century

• 1511 – August 8: The very first Catholic Diocese in the Americas was set up in San Juan.
• 1513 – Workers started building a wooden cathedral on the San Juan Islet.
• 1521
  • August 15: Spanish settlers officially founded Ciudad de San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico. They moved here from a nearby area called Caparra.
  • Construction began on Casa Blanca, a home for the famous explorer Juan Ponce de León's family.
  • Streets like Plaza de Armas and Plaza de la Catedral were planned and built in Old San Juan.
• 1526 – October 4: A big storm, known as the St. Francis Hurricane, hit the city.
• 1528 – Building started on the San José Church.
• 1529 – October 18: Caribs attacked the harbor.
• 1533 – La Fortaleza began to be built. This was ordered by King Charles I of Spain.
• 1542 – Construction started on the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista.
• 1560 – Work began on the city wall to protect San Juan.
• 1580 – San Juan became the capital of the Captaincy General of Puerto Rico.
• 1582 – About 850 people lived in San Juan.
• 1591 – Building started on Castillo San Felipe del Morro, a large fort.
• 1595 – November 22: The Battle of San Juan started.
• 1598 – June: British forces took over San Juan for a short time.
• 1625 – September 24: Dutch forces attacked the town.
• 1760 – Santurce was founded as San Mateo de Cangrejos.
• 1783 – Castillo de San Cristóbal, another important fort, was built.
• 1787 – May 2: A strong earthquake, the 1787 Boricua earthquake, damaged the city's forts.
• 1797 – April: British forces attacked San Juan again.

Growing Up: The 1800s

• 1806 – The Gaceta de Puerto Rico newspaper started publishing.
• 1810 – A main road, the Camino Real, was built between San Juan and Río Piedras. Today, it's called Ponce de León Avenue.
• 1820 – The population reached 7,658 people.
• 1832 – The Teatro Municipal (a theater) opened.
• 1845 – The town was divided into different neighborhoods, or barrios.
• 1846 – The Castillo San Felipe del Morro lighthouse was built.
• 1853 – A steamship service began between Cataño and San Juan.
• 1858 – Telegraph service started in San Juan and Santurce.
• 1859 – The neighborhoods of De la Marina and Puerta de Tierra became part of San Juan.
• 1863 – The Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery was created.
• 1864 – The Ballajá Barracks were built.
• 1867 – November 18: A 7.5 earthquake caused a lot of damage to the city wall.
• 1873 – March 22: Slavery was officially ended in Puerto Rico.
• 1878 – A steam tramway (like a train) service started between San Juan and Río Piedras.
• 1882 – A statue of Juan Ponce de León was put up in the Plaza de San José.
• 1884 – October: González Padín, the first department store in Puerto Rico, opened in San Juan.
• 1893
  • October 5: Sociedad Anónima de Economías y Préstamos, which later became Banco Popular, was founded.
  • A statue of Christopher Columbus was put up in Plaza Colón.
  • Electric street lighting was installed.
• 1894 – The population grew to 23,414.
• 1898
  • May 12: United States forces attacked San Juan.
  • August 12: Fighting between the US and Spanish forces ended. The United States Military Government began.
  • The Carretera Central (Ponce-San Juan Road) was built.
• 1899
  • April 11: San Juan became part of United States-annexed Puerto Rico after the Treaty of Paris.
  • The population reached 32,048.
• 1900
  • May 1: The Foraker Act started, bringing civil government to Puerto Rico. The US Military Government ended.
  • The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico Department of Education set up their main offices in San Juan.

The 20th Century: A New Era

Early 1900s to Mid-1900s

• 1901 – The Trolley de San Juan began operating.
• 1903 – March 12: The University of Puerto Rico was established in Rio Piedras.
• 1909 – The harbor was made larger.
• 1910
  • March 6: Puerto Rico Ilustrado magazine started publishing.
  • The Dos Hermanos Bridge opened.
  • The Santurce marketplace was established.
  • The population was 48,716.
• 1915 – March 25: The first shot of World War I fired by the United States against the Central Powers happened in San Juan Bay.
• 1917 – July 24: The Antiguo Casino de Puerto Rico was officially opened.
• 1918 – October 11: The 1918 San Fermín earthquake shook the city.
• 1919 – October 16: The Condado Vanderbilt Hotel opened for business.
• 1920 – The population reached 70,707.
• 1922 – December 3: WKAQ radio began broadcasting.
• 1923 – The U.S. military Fort Buchanan was established.
• 1926 – The School of Tropical Medicine was founded.
• 1928 – September: The San Felipe Segundo Hurricane hit the area.
• 1929 – January 1: Women's suffrage (the right for women to vote) began in Puerto Rico.
• 1930 – The population was 114,715.
• 1932 – September–October: The 1932 San Ciprián hurricane occurred.
• 1934 – Luis Muñoz Rivera Park opened to the public.
• 1935 – November 12: Estadio Sixto Escobar (a stadium) opened.
• 1940 – The population reached 169,247.
• 1942 – October 10: The Normandie Hotel opened.
• 1946 – January 2: Felisa Rincón de Gautier became the Mayor of San Juan. She was a very important figure!
• 1949 – February 4: The San Juan National Historic Site was created by the National Park Service.
• 1950
  • October 30: The San Juan Nationalist revolt took place.
  • The population was 224,767.
• 1951 – July 1: Río Piedras became part of the San Juan municipality.
• 1952 – San Juan officially became the capital of the new Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
• 1953 – The San Juan Cruise Port was officially established.
• 1954 – May: WAPA-TV and WKAQ-TV (television) began broadcasting.
• 1955 – Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport opened.
• 1956 – The Casals Festival of classical music began.
• 1959 – May 11: The Puerto Rico Metropolitan Bus Authority was established.

Later 20th Century: 1960s to 1990s

• 1960 – The population reached 451,658.
• 1962 – January 27: Hotel El Convento opened in a former monastery.
• 1962 – The Hiram Bithorn Stadium was opened.
• 1965 – The Hato Rey central business district (known as the Milla de Oro) was developed with new tall buildings.
• 1966 – September: Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico was established.
• 1968 – September 12: Plaza Las Américas shopping mall opened.
• 1969 – January 2: Carlos Romero Barceló became Mayor of San Juan.
• 1970 – January: The San Sebastián Street Festival began.
• 1971 – March 10: The San Juan Botanical Garden was opened.
• 1973 – February 1: The Roberto Clemente Coliseum opened.
• 1977 – January 12: Hernán Padilla became Mayor of San Juan.
• 1979 – July: The 1979 Pan American Games were held in San Juan.
• 1981 – April 9: The Centro de Bellas Artes (an opera house) opened.
• 1983 – December: La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This means it's a very important place for the whole world!
• 1984 – October 12: Pope John Paul II visited San Juan.
• 1985 – January 2: Baltasar Corrada del Río became Mayor of San Juan.
• 1989 – September 18: Hurricane Hugo hit the city.
• 1992 – The Plaza del Quinto Centenario was built to celebrate 500 years since Europeans discovered and settled in the Americas.
• 1994 – The Teodoro Moscoso Bridge opened.
• 1997 – January 2: Sila María Calderón became Mayor of San Juan.
• 2000 – June 30: The Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico was established.

The 21st Century: Modern San Juan

• 2001 – January 2: Jorge Santini became Mayor of San Juan.
• 2004
  • September 4: The José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum opened.
  • December 17: The Tren Urbano, the first rapid transit system in the Caribbean, began operating.
• 2005 – The Puerto Rico Convention Center was officially opened.
• 2010 – December 24: The largest earthquake to directly affect the San Juan area since 1975 occurred.
• 2010 – The population was 395,326.
• 2013 – January 14: Carmen Yulín Cruz became Mayor of San Juan.
• 2017 – September 20: Hurricane Maria caused widespread damage.
• 2019 – July 8 - August 12: Protests happened throughout San Juan.
• 2020 – March 13: The first case of COVID-19 in Puerto Rico was reported in San Juan.
• 2021 – January 11: Miguel Romero became Mayor of San Juan.
• 2023 – January 15: The San Juan Puerto Rico Temple, a new temple for the LDS church, was officially dedicated.