Timeline of Southampton facts for kids

Southampton is a historic city in Hampshire, England. This timeline shares important moments from its past, from ancient times to today.

Early History of Southampton

• Roman Times: Around the area of Bitterne Manor, there was a Roman settlement called Clausentum. It was about 20 miles from Chichester and 10 miles from Winchester.
• 400s: The Anglo-Saxons moved the main part of the town across the River Itchen to what is now the St Mary's area.
• 410: The Romans left Britain, and with them, the settlement of Clausentum was abandoned.
• 500: The large green space known as Southampton Common has been around since this time.
• 700s - 850s: A new settlement called Hamwic was founded. It became a very important port, trading with other countries. During this time, about 2,000 to 3,000 people lived there.
• 750: A busy market was active in Hamwic.
• 837: The town was attacked by Danes, who later raided it again around 980.
• 1014: The Viking King Canute the Great defeated the Anglo-Saxon King Ethelred the Unready and was crowned in Southampton.

From Norman Times to the Tudors

• 10th Century: The first parts of the Southampton town walls were built around this time.
• 11th Century: Southampton Castle was constructed.
• 1070: St. Michael's Church was founded, making it one of Southampton's oldest buildings.
• 1086: Southampton became a Royal Borough, meaning it had special rights from the King.
• 1124: St Denys Priory, a religious house, was founded by King Henry I.
• 1173: The St Mary Magdalen leper Hospital was set up north of the town to care for the sick.
• 1180: The famous Bargate, a large medieval gatehouse, was built around this year.
• 1189: King Richard I gave the town's citizens freedom from many taxes and customs.
• Around 1196: St Julians Hospital, also known as God's House Hospital, was founded.
• By 13th Century: Southampton grew into a leading port, especially for trading French wine and English wool.
• 1236: The Jews were expelled from the town.
• 1239: Netley Abbey, a beautiful monastery, was founded nearby.
• 1256: King Henry III granted Southampton the same freedoms and customs as Winchester.
• 1299: The Bowling Green was in use. It's still the oldest used bowls green in the world.
• Late 13th Century: God's House Tower began to serve as a gatehouse into the old town.
• 1300: Southampton's population was about 5,000 people.
• 1338: The town was attacked and taken by French forces.
• 1348: The terrible Black Plague reached Southampton.
• 1415: In August, the leaders of the Southampton Plot, a plan against the King, were executed at Bargate.
• 1445: King Henry VI gave Southampton a special charter, allowing it to govern itself more.
• 1495: The Tudor House and Garden, a historic building, was constructed.
• 1552: King Edward VI visited the town.
• 1553: The 'Free Grammar School', now known as King Edward VI School, was officially recognized by King Edward VI.
• 1554:

* Southampton was given a special right to be the only port for exporting wool to the Mediterranean and importing sweet wine. * King Philip II of Spain visited the town.

Stuart Period

• 1603: James VI and I and Anne of Denmark made a grand entry into Southampton on October 20.
• 1640: King Charles I officially granted the town's charter.
• English Civil War:

* 1642: A Parliamentary army group moved into Southampton. * 1644: A Royalist army tried to take the town but was stopped.

• 1664: The Black Death returned to Southampton. By November 1666, about 1,700 people had died.
• 1669: King Charles II visited the town.

Georgian and Regency Periods

• 1740: Southampton became a popular spa town, known for sea bathing by the 1760s.
• 1759 - 1803: Walter Taylor's new machines for making wooden blocks for the Royal Navy were a big step in the Industrial Revolution.
• 1760: Taunton's School was founded.
• 1772: The Hampshire Chronicle newspaper started publishing.
• 1795: All Saints' Church was completed.
• 1796: The Redbridge to Andover canal was finished.
• 1799: The Northam Bridge was built.
• 1802: The Salisbury and Southampton Canal began operating.
• 1823: The Hampshire Advertiser newspaper was started.
• 1829: The famous painter John Everett Millais was born in Southampton.
• 1831: Southampton's population reached 19,324.
• 1832: The London and South Western Railway began as the London and Southampton Railway.
• 1833: The Royal Pier opened.
• 1835: The Royal South Hants Hospital was formed.
• 1836:

* The Woolston Floating Bridge (a ferry) started connecting Southampton to Woolston. * The Police force was established. * The Southampton Dock Company was officially created.

Victorian Period

• 1838: The first stone of the docks was laid.
• 1839: Southampton Terminus railway station opened.
• 1840: The London and Southampton Railway was fully opened to Southampton Terminus.
• 1841: The Ordnance Survey, which makes maps, arrived in town. Southampton's population was 27,744.
• 1842: The first dock opened on August 29.
• 1843: The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company started its services from Southampton, making it an official port for mail ships.
• 1844: Southampton became the main place for people to leave for North America and Canada.
• 1846: Southampton Old Cemetery began operating.
• 1848 - 1849: A cholera epidemic reached Southampton.
• 1855: Southampton School of Art was established.
• 1856: Netley Hospital, also known as Royal Victoria Hospital, opened.
• 1861: Red Funnel ferries started services between Southampton and Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
• 1862: The Hartley Institute was founded.
• 1865: A second cholera epidemic reached Southampton.
• 1872: The Ordnance Survey buildings were constructed.
• 1874: The Hythe Pier, Hythe & Southampton Ferry company was formed.
• 1875: The Royal Southampton Yacht Club was officially recognized.
• 1879: The Southampton Tramways Company began operating.
• 1884: St. Mary's Church was built.
• 1885: St. Mary's Young Men's Association Football Club, which became Southampton F.C., was established.
• 1889: Southampton Free Public Library was established.
• 1890: The Southampton Dock Strike of 1890 took place in September.
• 1891: Southampton Docks were bought by the London and South Western Railway company.
• 1895: Areas like Bitterne, Freemantle, Millbrook, and Shirley became part of Southampton.
• 1898:

* Southampton Football Club was founded. * The Dell (their stadium) opened.

• 1900: Southampton General Hospital was founded.
• 1901: Southampton's population reached 104,824.

20th Century

1900 to 1949

• 1902: Warsash Maritime School opened.
• 1907: White Star Line, a famous shipping company, moved its main operations to Southampton from Liverpool.
• 1908: Southampton Water was used for sailing and motorboating events during the 1908 Summer Olympics.
• 1912:

* The Tudor House Museum was established. * On April 10, the RMS Titanic departed Southampton on its first and last voyage. It sank on April 14.

• 1914:

* The Titanic Engineers' Memorial was unveiled in East Park to remember the engineers who died on the RMS Titanic. * On August 4, Southampton became the main port for troops leaving for World War I. Over 8 million troops passed through Southampton during the war.

• 1919:

* Soldiers returning from World War I had a mutiny in the port. * Cunard Line, another major shipping company, moved to Southampton.

• 1920: Several areas like Bitterne, Bassett, and Swaythling became part of Southampton. The Cenotaph (war memorial) was unveiled.
• 1928: The Empire Theatre opened.
• 1929: Southampton Corporation bought Northam Bridge, and the tolls were removed.
• 1932: Southampton Municipal Airport was established.
• 1933: King George V Graving Dock, a very large dry dock, opened.
• 1937: Southampton Guildhall opened.
• 1939: Southampton City Art Gallery opened.
• World War II:

* 1940: The Supermarine factory, which made Spitfire planes, was bombed. In November, Southampton was heavily bombed during the Blitz. * 1943-1944: Southampton was a key location for D-day preparations, with many troops and supplies passing through. * 1944: The last air raid on Southampton happened on November 5.

1950 to 1999

• 1950s: Mayflower Park was created.
• 1952: The Hartley University College became the University of Southampton, gaining full university status.
• 1954: The Northam Bridge was rebuilt.
• 1962: The City of Southampton Society was founded.
• 1964: Southampton was officially given city status by Queen Elizabeth II.
• 1966: Southampton Maritime Museum opened in The Wool House.
• 1968: The Southampton Boat Show began.
• 1969: Southampton Technical College was established.
• 1971: The university's Southampton School of Medicine opened.
• 1973: Southampton became a twin city with Le Havre in France.
• 1976: Southampton experienced its hottest June day ever recorded during a heatwave, reaching 35.6 °C (96.1 °F).
• 1977: The Itchen Bridge opened with a toll, and the Woolston Floating Bridge (ferry) stopped operating.
• 1978: Southampton became a twin city with Busan in South Korea.
• 1979: The John Hansard Gallery was established.
• 1984: Southampton Institute of Higher Education was established by merging several colleges. The aviation museum Solent Sky opened.
• 1985: The Medieval Merchant's House was restored.
• 1986: The Ocean Village (marina) area was redeveloped.
• 1989: Bargate Shopping Centre was built.
• 1991: The Marlands Shopping Centre opened. Southampton became a twin city with Rems-Murr-Kreis in Germany.
• 1995: The M3 motorway opened, connecting Southampton to London.
• 1996: The Southampton Oceanography Centre opened.
• 1997: Southampton became a unitary authority, meaning it manages its own local government services.
• 1998: Southampton became a twin city with Hampton in Virginia and Qingdao in China.

21st Century

2000 to 2019

• 2000: The WestQuay shopping centre opened.
• 2001: Southampton's population was 217,400.
• 2002: Southampton became a twin city with Trieste in Italy.
• 2005: Southampton Solent was given University status.
• 2011: Southampton's population was 236,900.
• 2012: In April, Southampton marked the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. The SeaCity Museum also opened to remember this event.
• 2013: Bargate Shopping Centre closed.
• 2015: On January 3, the Hoegh Osaka car carrier got stuck on a sandbank outside Southampton Water but was later refloated safely.
• 2016: WestQuay Watermark opened.
• 2017:

* The council chose an official flag for the city through a design competition. * Warsash Maritime School moved to its current campus in St Mary's. * The Southampton pride parade began.

• 2019: On June 14, Southampton became a twin city with Miami in Florida.

2020 to 2039

A panoramic view of Southampton Water from Mayflower Park. Taken in February 2023.

• 2020:

* On March 23, Southampton, like the rest of the UK, went into a nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. * Further lockdowns and restrictions were put in place later in the year.

• 2021:

* More national lockdowns happened in early 2021 to control new variants of COVID-19. * On May 16, the P&O cruise ship 'Iona' was christened in Southampton. * COVID-19 restrictions in England, including Southampton, ended on July 19. * Southampton aimed to become the City Of Culture in 2025. * Southampton Airport was recognized for its sustainability performance. * Southampton's population was 261,729.

• 2022:

* The last COVID-19 restrictions were removed across the UK, including Southampton. * On February 18, Red Funnel's 'Red Falcon' ferry crashed into the terminal during Storm Eunice. * On March 21, Southampton was shortlisted as one of four cities for City Of Culture 2025 but lost to Bradford. * On July 27, Red Funnel staff went on strike over pay. * On August 12, a drought was officially declared in the south of England, including Southampton. * On November 29, First Bus South ended all bus services in Southampton, with Bluestar taking over. * Carnival Celebration and Arvia cruise ships arrived in Southampton for their first voyages. * Royal Mail strikes affected Christmas post. Railway services were also affected by strikes.

• 2023:

* On February 13, improvement works began at Southampton Central station. * On March 30, Southampton General Hospital unveiled its upgraded £1.5 million paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). * On April 15, a Titanic rail trip to Southampton was recreated for the 111th anniversary. * On April 20, a new low-carbon freight train service started from Scotland to Southampton. * On September 8, the Hythe Ferry service was saved after Red Funnel bought it. * On November 7, easyJet started flights from Southampton Airport to Belfast and Glasgow. * Railway services continued to be affected by strikes.

See also

• History of Southampton
• Timelines of other cities in South East England: Oxford, Portsmouth, Reading