Timeline of San Juan, Puerto Rico facts for kids

The following is a timeline of the history of the municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

16th–18th centuries

Porto Rico, 17th century

• 1511 – First Catholic Diocese established in San Juan
• 1521 – "Ciudad de San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico" founded by Spanish colonists from nearby Caparra.
• 1523 – Convento de Santo Tomas de Aquino founded.
• 1524 – Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion hospital built.
• 1526 – October 4: St. Francis Hurricane occurs.
• 1529 – October 18: Harbor attack by Caribs.
• 1530
  • August 5: Hurricane occurs.
  • Casa Blanca built.
• 1532 – San José Church construction begins.
• 1540 – La Fortaleza built.
• 1542 – Cathedral of San Juan Bautista construction begins.
• 1560 – City wall construction begins.
• 1560s – San Antonio Bridge built across Condado Lagoon.
• 1568 – September 7: Hurricane occurs.
• 1582 – Population: 850 (approximate estimate).
• 1591 – Castillo San Felipe del Morro construction begins.
• 1595 – November 22: Battle of San Juan begins.
• 1598 – June: San Juan taken by British forces; Boquerón battery sacked.
• 1605 – Cabildo constructed in Plaza de San Juan.
• 1615 – September 12: Hurricane occurs.
• 1625 – September 24: Town besieged by Dutch forces.
• 1733 – Palacio Episcopal construction begins (approximate date).
• 1769 – Powder house built.
• 1780 – Capilla del Santo Cristo de la Salud (chapel) built.
• 1783 – Castillo de San Cristóbal built.
• 1787
  • May 2: 1787 Boricua earthquake.
  • May 3: Fiesta de Cruz begins.
• 1797 – April: San Juan besieged by British forces.

19th century

• 1806 – Gaceta de Puerto Rico newspaper begins publication.
• 1813 – Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País en Puerto Rico founded.
• 1820 – Population: 7,658.
• 1822 – Board of charity established.
• 1823 – Sociedad Filarmónica (philharmonic society) formed.
• 1832
  • Real Audiencia de Puerto Rico [es] established.
  • Teatro Municipal (theatre) opens.
• 1840 – Colegio de Abogados founded.
• 1845 – Town divided into barrios San Francisco, San Juan, Santa Barbara, Santo Domingo, and Ballaja.
• 1848 – Cafe de La Mallorquina in business.
• 1850 – Real Intendencia Building constructed.
• 1853
  • Cataño-San Juan steamship begins operating.
  • Marketplace built in Santa Barbara barrio.
• 1859 – Barrios De la Marina and Puerta de Tierra become part of San Juan.
• 1863
  • Santurce becomes part of San Juan.
  • Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery established.
• 1864 – Ballajá Barracks built.
• 1865 – Colegio de Párvulos built.
• 1873 – Slavery officially abolished in Puerto Rico.
• 1876 – Ateneo Puertorriqueño (cultural entity) founded.
• 1877 – Cárcel de la Princesa (prison) built.
• 1879 – José Ramón Becerra y de Gárate becomes mayor.
• 1882 – Ponce de León statue erected in the Plaza de San José [es].
• 1885 – Civil Hospital built.
• 1888 – La Carbonera barrio becomes part of San Juan.
• 1893
  • Sociedad Anónima de Economías y Préstamos (later Banco Popular de Puerto Rico) founded.
  • Christopher Columbus statue erected in the Plaza Colón.
• 1894 – Population: 23,414.
• 1898
  • May 12: Bombardment of San Juan by United States forces.
  • June 22: Second Battle of San Juan.
  • June 28: Third Battle of San Juan.
  • August 12: End of hostilities between US and Spanish military forces. United States Military Government begins.
  • October: Francisco del Valle becomes mayor.
  • Carretera Central (Ponce-San Juan road) built.
  • San Juan News begins publication.
  • Railway built (approximate date).
• 1899
  • April 11: Town becomes part of United States-annexed Puerto Rico per Treaty of Paris.
  • Chamber of commerce founded.
  • Population: 32,048.
• 1900
  • May 1: Foraker Act comes into force, civil government for Puerto Rico begins. United States Military Government ends.
  • Supreme Court of Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico Department of Education headquartered in San Juan.
  • Insane asylum established.
  • La Perla settlement begins (approximate date).

20th century

1900s–1950s

• 1901
  • Trolley de San Juan begins operating.
  • San Juan high school opens.
• 1902 – City government formed into legislative and executive branches.
• 1903
  • University of Puerto Rico established.
  • Roberto H. Todd Weels becomes mayor.
• 1909 – Harbor enlarged.
• 1910
  • Dos Hermanos Bridge opens.
  • Puerto Rico Ilustrado begins publication.
  • Population: 48,716.
• 1913 – Cine Luna opens.
• 1918 – October 11: 1918 San Fermín earthquake.
• 1919
  • San Juan Asamblea Municipal (municipal assembly) and Concejo de Administración (administrative council) created.
  • Condado Vanderbilt Hotel in business.
• 1920 – Population: 70,707.
• 1921 – Academia del Perpetuo Socorro founded.
• 1922 – WKAQ radio begins broadcasting.
• 1923
  • U.S. military Fort Buchanan established.
  • Mansion Georgetti (residence) built.
• 1925 – Academia San Jorge founded.
• 1928
  • Luis Muñoz Rivera Park laid out.
  • September: San Felipe Segundo Hurricane occurs.
• 1929
  • Women's suffrage begins in Puerto Rico.
  • Capitol of Puerto Rico building constructed.
• 1930 – Population: 114,715.
• 1932 – September–October: San Ciprian hurricane.
• 1935 – Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration headquartered in San Juan.
• 1939 – Martín Peña Bridge built.
• 1940
  • United States Naval Air Station Isla Grande established.
  • Population: 169,247.
• 1946 – Felisa Rincón de Gautier becomes mayor.
• 1947 – WAPA, WIAC, WITA, and WRSJ radio begin broadcasting.
• 1948 – City flag [es] design adopted.
• 1949
  • Caribe Hilton Hotel built.
  • San Juan National Historic Site United States National Park Service established.
• 1950
  • October 30: San Juan Nationalist revolt.
  • Residencial Las Casas housing complex built.
  • Population: 224,767.
• 1951 – Río Piedras becomes part of San Juan municipality.
• 1952 – City becomes part of newly created Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
• 1954
  • WAPA-TV and WKAQ-TV (television) begin broadcasting.
  • Ballets de San Juan founded.
• 1955
  • Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport opens.
  • Institute of Puerto Rican Culture and Archivo General de Puerto Rico headquartered in city.
• 1956 – Casals Festival of music begins.
• 1958
  • Supreme Court Building constructed.
  • Casa del Libro established.
• 1959
  • June: U.S. National Governors Association meets in San Juan.
  • Regional Puerto Rico Metropolitan Bus Authority established.
  • The San Juan Star English-language newspaper begins publication.

1960s–1990s

• 1960
  • Office of Secretario de la Asamblea Municipal (secretary of the municipal assembly) created.
  • Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico opens.
  • Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Juan de Puerto Rico formed.
  • Population: 451,658.
• 1962 – Hotel El Convento in business.
• 1966
  • Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico and San Juan Children's Choir established.
  • July: 1966 Central American and Caribbean Games held.
• 1968 – Plaza Las Américas shopping mall in business.
• 1970
  • San Sebastián Street Festival active.
  • Population: 452,749.
• 1971 – San Juan Botanical Garden inaugurated.
• 1973 – Puerto Rico National Library headquartered in city.
• 1974 – April: Association of Caribbean Historians organized during meeting in San Juan.
• 1976 – June: 2nd G7 summit held near city.
• 1979 – July: 1979 Pan American Games held.
• 1981 – Centro de Bellas Artes (opera house) opens.
• 1983 – Old San Juan designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• 1984 – Puerto Rico Museum of Contemporary Art established.
• 1986
  • June: U.S. Conference of Mayors held in San Juan.
  • San Juan Philharmonic Chorale formed.
• 1988 – Archivo Histórico Arquidiocesano de San Juan (historical archives) established.
• 1989
  • September: Hurricane Hugo.
  • Sociedad Puertorriqueña de Genealogía headquartered in San Juan.
• 1991 – Autonomous Municipalities Act of 1991 created.
• 1992
  • Plaza del Quinto Centenario built.
  • Museo de Las Américas established in the former Ballajá Barracks.
• 1994 – Teodoro Moscoso Bridge opens.
• 2000 – Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico established.

21st century

• 2004
  • September: Hurricane Jeanne occurs.
  • Tren Urbano (regional rapid transit system) begins operating.
  • Martín Peña Channel "G-8" group formed.[1]
• 2008 – September: Hurricane Kyle occurs.
• 2009 – May: Economic protest.
• 2010 – Population: 395,326.
• 2012 – November 6: Territorial Puerto Rican status referendum, 2012 held.
• 2013 – Carmen Yulín Cruz becomes Mayor of San Juan.
• 2017 - September 20: Hurricane Maria occurs and is covered extensively by CBS journalist David Begnaud
• 2019 - July 8 - August 12: Protests throughout San Juan in response to Telegramgate
• 2021 - Miguel Romero becomes Mayor of San Juan .