Timeline of Southampton facts for kids

This is a timeline of the history of Southampton, a city in Hampshire, England. It shows important events that happened in Southampton over many years.

Early History of Southampton

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

From Normans to 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 the oldest buildings in Southampton.
• 1086: Southampton became a Royal Borough, meaning it was a special town controlled by the King.
• 1124: St Denys Priory, a type of monastery, was founded by King Henry I.
• 1173: The St Mary Magdalen leper Hospital was set up north of the town to care for people with leprosy.
• Around 1180: The famous Bargate, a large medieval gatehouse, was built.
• 1189: King Richard I gave the town's citizens freedom from certain taxes and customs.
• Around 1196: St Julians Hospital, also known as God's House Hospital, was founded by Gervase 'le Riche'.
• Around 1197: The Church of St. Julien was established.
• By 13th Century: Southampton became a leading port, especially for trading French wine and English wool.
• Around 1200: The building known as the Long House was constructed.
• 1236: The Jews were expelled from Southampton.
• 1239: Netley Abbey, a large monastery, was founded near the town.
• 1256: King Henry III gave Southampton the same freedoms and customs that Winchester enjoyed.
• 1299: The Bowling Green was already in use. It is still the oldest used bowls green in the world today!
• 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.
• 1319: Ships from the Venetian state fleet visited Southampton.
• 1320: Holyrood Church was built.
• 1338: The town was captured 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, making it an official corporation.
• 1461: A large Southampton fair was active.
• 1492 to 1531: All tin and lead exported from England had to pass through Southampton.
• 1495: The Tudor House and Garden was built.
• 1552: King Edward VI visited the town.
• 1553: The 'Free Grammar School', now known as King Edward VI School, was officially granted by King Edward VI.
• 1554:
  • Southampton was given a special right to be the only place to export wool to the Mediterranean and import sweet wine.
  • King Philip II of Spain visited the town.

Stuart Period

• 1603: King James VI and I and Anne of Denmark made their official visit to Southampton on October 20.
• 1640: King Charles I finally gave Southampton its charter.
• The English Civil War:
  • 1642: A Parliamentary army group moved into Southampton.
  • 1644: In March, a Royalist army tried to take the town but was stopped by Colonel Richard Norton. The Battle of Cheriton later removed the threat to Southampton.
• 1664: In June, the Black Death returned to Southampton. By November 1666, 1,700 people had died.
• 1669: King Charles II visited the town.
• 1689: The right to vote in parliamentary elections was expanded to include more people, not just freemen.

Georgian and Regency Periods

• 1740: Southampton became a spa town, a place where people visited for health and relaxation, especially for sea bathing in the 1760s.
• 1759 to 1803: Walter Taylor's new machines for making wooden blocks for ships helped the Royal Navy and were an important step in the Industrial Revolution.
• 1760: Taunton's School was founded.
• 1761: The Assembly rooms, a place for social gatherings, were built.
• 1766: The Theatre Royal was built.
• 1772: The Hampshire Chronicle newspaper started being published.
• 1773: The Polygon, a new area with homes and shops, was finished.
• 1795: All Saints' Church was completed.
• 1796:
  • A canal connecting Redbridge to Andover was finished.
  • The Northam Bridge Company was formed, and a toll bridge opened in Northam in September 1799.
• 1799: The Northam Bridge was built.
• 1802: The Salisbury and Southampton Canal began operating.
• 1822: The Southampton County Chronicle newspaper started.
• 1823:
  • The Public dispensary, a place for medical care, was established.
  • The Hampshire Advertiser newspaper was started.
• 1829: The famous painter John Everett Millais was born. Southampton Solent University's art gallery is named the Millais Gallery in his honor.
• 1831: Southampton's population reached 19,324.
• 1832: On July 8, 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 (ferry) connected Southampton to Woolston and Portsmouth.
  • The Police force was established.
  • The Southampton Dock Company was officially formed.

Victorian Period

• 1838: In October, the first stone of the docks was laid.
• 1839: Southampton Terminus railway station opened.
• 1840: In May, the London and Southampton Railway fully opened to Southampton Terminus.
• 1841: The Ordnance Survey, which makes maps, arrived in the town. Southampton's population was 27,744.
• 1842: On August 29, the first dock opened.
• 1843: In May, the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company started its services from Southampton, making it an official port for mail ships.
• 1844: With its good transport links, Southampton became the main place for people to leave for North America and Canada.
• 1846: Southampton Old Cemetery began operating.
• 1848 to 1849: A cholera sickness spread through Southampton.
• 1855: Southampton School of Art and the prison on Ascupart Street were established.
• 1856: Netley Hospital, also known as Royal Victoria Hospital, opened.
• 1861: On September 10, Red Funnel ferries started operating between Southampton and Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
• 1862: The Hartley Institute was founded.
• 1865: A second cholera sickness reached Southampton.
• 1866: A new railway line extended over the River Itchen to Netley.
• 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 started.
• 1876: Above Bar Church was founded.
• 1879: The Southampton Tramways Company began operating trams.
• 1884: St. Mary's Church was built.
• 1885: St. Mary's Young Men's Association Football Club, which became Southampton FC, was established.
• 1889: Southampton Free Public Library was established.
• 1890: In September, the Southampton Dock Strike of 1890 took place.
• 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. Southampton West railway station opened.
• 1898: Southampton Football Club was founded. The Dell (stadium) opened.
• 1900: Southampton General Hospital was founded as the Southampton Union Infirmary.
• 1901: Southampton's population reached 104,824.

20th Century

Early 20th Century (1900-1949)

• 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.
  • April 10: The RMS Titanic left Southampton on its first and last journey. It later sank on April 14.
• 1914:
  • April 22: The Titanic Engineers' Memorial was unveiled in East Park to remember the engineers who died on the RMS Titanic.
  • August 4: Southampton became the main port for troops leaving for World War I. Much of Southampton Common was used by the military.
• 1914 to 1918: Over 8 million troops passed through Southampton during World War I. Many wounded soldiers and refugees also came back to England through Southampton.
• 1919:
  • January: Soldiers returning from World War I had a mutiny in the port.
  • Cunard Line, another shipping company, moved to Southampton from Liverpool.
• 1920: Areas like Bitterne, Bassett, and Swaythling became part of Southampton. The Cenotaph (war memorial) was unveiled.
• 1928: The Empire Theatre opened.
• 1929: On March 26, Southampton Corporation bought Northam Bridge, and the tolls were removed on May 16.
• 1932: Southampton Municipal Airport was established. Bargate was bypassed by new roads.
• 1933: King George V Graving Dock, a large dry dock for ships, opened.
• 1934: The Floating Bridge was taken over by Southampton Corporation.
• 1937: Southampton Guildhall opened.
• 1939: Southampton City Art Gallery opened.
• World War II:
  • 1940:
    • September 15: The Supermarine factory, which made Spitfire planes, was bombed.
    • November: During the Blitz, Southampton was heavily bombed.
  • D-day operations of 1943–1944:
    • July 1943: A military exercise called Harlequin tested how many troops and equipment the port could handle.
    • April 1 to August 25: During D-day preparations, Southampton was a special "Regulated Area," meaning there were rules for local people to keep the military operation secret.
    • After D-day, Southampton continued to work hard to send supplies to the Allied Forces in Europe.
  • 1944:
    • July 12: The only flying bomb to hit Southampton landed in Sholing.
    • November 5: The last air raid on Southampton took place.
• 1947: April 14: The RMS Queen Elizabeth cruise ship ran aground on a sandbank outside Southampton.

Late 20th Century (1950-1999)

• By the 1950s: Mayflower Park was created.
• 1952: Hartley University College was granted a Royal Charter, giving the University of Southampton full university status.
• 1954: The Northam Bridge was rebuilt.
• 1961: The Museum of Archaeology opened in God's House Tower.
• 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.
• 1967: Southampton took in parts of the Nursling and Rownhams parishes.
• 1968: The Southampton Boat Show began.
• 1969: Southampton Technical College was established.
• 1971: The university's Southampton School of Medicine opened.
• 1972: Southampton lost its County Borough status and became a non-metropolitan district.
• 1973: Southampton became twinned with Le Havre in France.
• 1976: Summer: Southampton had its hottest June day ever recorded during a heatwave, reaching 35.6 °C (96.1 °F).
• 1977: June 1: The Itchen Bridge opened with a toll, and the Woolston Floating Bridge (ferry) stopped operating.
• 1978: Southampton was twinned 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 was twinned with Rems-Murr-Kreis in Germany.
• 1995: The M3 motorway opened, connecting the South Coast, Isle of Wight and London.
• 1996: The Southampton Oceanography Centre opened.
• 1997: Southampton became a unitary authority, meaning it handles all its local government services.
• 1998: Southampton was twinned with Hampton in Virginia and Qingdao in China.

21st Century

Early 21st Century (2000-2019)

• 2000: September 28: WestQuay shopping centre opened.
• 2001: Southampton's population was 217,400.
• 2002: Southampton was twinned with Trieste in Italy.
• 2005: Southampton Solent was given University status.
• 2009: The Carnival House office building opened.
• 2011: Southampton's population was 236,900.
• 2012: April: Southampton remembered the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Ships sounded their horns, and a memorial service was held. SeaCity Museum also opened to mark this event.
• 2013: Bargate Shopping Centre closed.
• 2015: January 3: The Ro-Ro car carrier Hoegh Osaka got stuck on a sandbank outside Southampton Water. All 24 crew members survived.
• 2016: WestQuay Watermark opened.
• 2017:
  • November: 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:
  • May 17 to 19: The South Coast Boat Show held its first event in Ocean Village.
  • June 14: Southampton was twinned with Miami in Florida.

Recent History (2020-2039)

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

• 2020:
  • March 23: Southampton went into a nationwide lockdown with the rest of the UK due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • November 5: Southampton joined another nationwide lockdown until December 2.
  • December 20: Southampton moved to Tier 4 restrictions.
• 2021:
  • January 4: The Prime Minister announced another nationwide lockdown for Southampton and the UK.
  • May 16: The P&O cruise ship 'Iona' was christened in Southampton.
  • July 19: COVID-19 restrictions in England, including Southampton, ended.
  • September: Southampton worked to become the City Of Culture in 2025.
  • November 9: Southampton Airport was named one of the best globally for sustainability.
  • December 8: Prime Minister announced Plan B COVID-19 restrictions due to the Omicron variant.
  • Southampton's population was 261,729.
• 2022:
  • January 26: Plan B COVID-19 restrictions ended.
  • February 18: Red Funnel's 'Red Falcon' ferry crashed into Southampton's terminal during Storm Eunice.
  • February 24: Prime Minister removed the last COVID-19 restrictions.
  • March 4: AIDAcosma cruise ship made her first journey from Southampton.
  • March 9: Solent Sky museum got permission to build a £5 million extension.
  • March 21: Southampton was shortlisted for City Of Culture 2025 but lost to Bradford.
  • July 2: Plans for a new underground railway link between Southampton and Netley were announced.
  • July 27: Red Funnel staff went on strike over pay.
  • August 12: A drought was officially declared in the south of England, including Southampton.
  • November 1: It was announced that Celebrity Apex cruise ship would be based in Southampton.
  • November 6: Carnival Celebration cruise ship arrived in Southampton on her first journey.
  • November 29: First Bus South ended all bus services in Southampton, with Bluestar taking over.
  • December 18: P&O Cruises' newest ship Arvia arrived in Southampton.
  • Royal Mail strikes affected Southampton's Christmas post. Railway services were affected by strikes.
• 2023:
  • January 6: The Southampton-based cruise ship Arvia arrived in Barbados for her naming ceremony.
  • February 13: Improvement works began at Southampton Central station.
  • March 30: Southampton General Hospital unveiled its upgraded paediatric intensive care unit (PICU).
  • April 15: A Titanic rail trip to Southampton was recreated for the 111th anniversary.
  • April 20: A new low-carbon freight train started service to Southampton using special fuel.
  • April 26: Queen Mary 2's journey to New York City was cancelled due to a technical issue.
  • May 9:
    • Hampshire County Council's Capital House was sold to Southampton University.
    • A landslip caused disruption to rail services from Southampton towards London Waterloo.
  • September 8: It was announced that the Hythe Ferry service was saved after Red Funnel bought it.
  • November 7: easyJet started flights from Southampton Airport to Belfast International and Glasgow.
  • Southampton's railway services continued to be affected by rail strikes.