kids encyclopedia robot

Timeline of Nashville, Tennessee facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Nashville, Tennessee, United States.

Prior to 19th century

  • 1780
  • 1784 – Nashville established.
  • 1785 – Davidson Academy incorporated.
  • 1789 – Methodist church built.
  • 1796 – Settlement becomes part of the state of Tennessee.
  • 1797 – Tennessee Gazette and Mero District Advertiser newspaper begins publication.

19th century

  • 1806
    • Town incorporated.
    • Joseph Coleman becomes mayor.
  • 1812 – Tennessee General Assembly relocates to Nashville from Knoxville.
  • 1813 – Nashville Library Co., Inc. established.
  • 1817 – Tennessee General Assembly relocates from Nashville to Knoxville.
  • 1818
    • Earl's Nashville Museum opens.
    • Population: 3,000 (approximate).
  • 1820 – Christian Church built.
  • 1822 – Nashville City Cemetery established.
  • 1823 – Presbyterian church built.
  • 1825 – Decker & Dyer Reading Room established.
  • 1826
  • 1829 – Christ Church built.
  • 1830 – Population: 5,566.
  • 1831 – Tennessee State Penitentiary built.
  • 1833 – Water-works established.
  • 1835 – Tennessee Society for the Diffusion of Knowledge organized.
  • 1837 – House of Industry for Females established.
  • 1838 – First Baptist Church built.
  • 1840 – Population: 6,929.
  • 1841 – Mechanics' Library Association formed.
  • 1842 – Burns & Co. in business.
  • 1843 – Nashville becomes capital of Tennessee.
  • 1844 – Tennessee School for the Blind and Mechanics Institute and Library Association established.
  • 1845 – Protestant Orphan Asylum established.
  • 1847 – St. Mary's Cathedral built.
  • 1849 – Merchants' Library and Reading Room and Tennessee Historical Society founded.
  • 1850
  • 1851
    • Nashville Gas Light Company in operation.
    • Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway starts operating.
  • 1852
    • Public school system inaugurated.
    • Davidson County Jail built.
  • 1854
  • 1855 – Giers photo studio in business.
  • 1856 – Church of the Assumption built.
  • 1857 – Davidson County Court House rebuilt.
  • 1858 – City Workhouse and Church of St. Ann's built.
  • 1859
  • 1860 - Population: 16,988.
  • 1862
  • 1863 – St. Mary's Catholic Orphan Asylum founded.
  • 1864 – December 15–16: Battle of Nashville.
  • 1865 – Fisk Free Colored School, Ward Seminary for Young Ladies, and Earhart's Bryant & Stratton's Commercial College established.
  • 1866 – Central Tennessee College founded.
  • 1867
    • Montgomery Bell Academy opens.
    • Nashville Lyceum Association incorporated.
  • 1869 – Howard Chapel built.
  • 1870
    • Sulphur Dell ballpark opens.
    • Population: 25,865.
  • 1871
    • Tennessee and Pacific Railroad (Lebanon-Nashville) begins operating.
    • Fisk University Jubilee Singers, Library Association, and Nashville Saddlery Company established.
  • 1873 – Vanderbilt University established.
  • 1874 – Hebrew temple and First Cumberland Presbyterian Church built.
  • 1876 – Nashville Banner newspaper begins publication.
  • 1880 – Population: 43,350.
  • 1884 – Nashville Athletic Club formed.
  • 1885 – Industrial School and Query Club (women's group) established.
  • 1889
  • 1890 – Population: 76,168.
  • 1891
  • 1892
  • 1893 - Tennessee Central Railway starts operating.
  • 1894 - United Daughters of the Confederacy headquartered in Nashville.
  • 1897
    • Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition held.
    • Parthenon opened, a replica of the original, functions as an art museum.
  • 1898
    • Howard Library established.
    • Tennessee State Penitentiary rebuilt.
  • 1900
    • Meharry Medical College active.
    • Population: 80,865.
    • Polk Place demolished.

20th century

1900s-1940s

  • 1904 – Carnegie Library opens.
  • 1905 – Centennial Club (women's group) active.
  • 1906
  • 1907 – Nashville Tennessean newspaper in publication.
  • 1909
  • 1910
    • Nashville Art Association chartered
    • Hermitage Hotel in business
    • Advance Publishing Company incorporated
    • Population: 110,364
  • 1912 - Urban League branch established.
  • 1916 – Nashville Housewives League organized.
  • 1918
    • July 9: Great Train Wreck of 1918.
    • 1918 influenza epidemic.
  • 1920 – Population: 118,342.
  • 1922 - Nashville's first radio station, WDAA, signs on
  • 1925
    • War Memorial Auditorium dedicated.
    • WSM radio and its Grand Ole Opry begin broadcasting.
    • Belcourt Theatre built.
  • 1926 - WLAC radio begins broadcasting.
  • 1927
  • 1930
    • First American National Bank formed.
    • Population: 153,866.
  • 1931
  • 1936 – Berry Field (airport) dedicated.
  • 1937 – Tennessee State Museum established.
  • 1940 - Population: 167,402.
  • 1941
    • W47NV radio licensed.
    • Iroquois Steeplechase begins.
  • 1942 – Acuff-Rose Music and Harveys (department store) in business.
  • 1946 – Nashville Symphony founded.

1950s-1990s

  • 1950
    • WSM-TV begins broadcasting.
    • Population: 174,307.
  • 1951
    • Ben West becomes mayor.
    • The Harpeth Hall School opens.
  • 1952 - Tennessee Theatre opens.
  • 1953 – WSIX-TV begins broadcasting.
  • 1954 – WLAC-TV begins broadcasting.
  • 1955 - Brothers Owen and Harold Bradley establish Bradley Film and Recording Studio, the first studio in what will become Nashville's Music Row neighborhood.
  • 1957
    • Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway stops operating.
    • Life & Casualty Tower built.
    • RCA Studios begins operation at the corner of 17th Ave. S. and Hawkins St. It will become known as RCA Studio B.
  • 1960
  • 1961 – Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum established.
  • 1962
    • WDCN-TV begins broadcasting.
    • Nashville Municipal Auditorium opens.
  • 1963
    • City consolidates its government with Davidson County.
    • Metropolitan Council (Nashville) established.
    • Beverly Briley becomes mayor.
  • 1964 - American Association for State and Local History headquartered in Nashville.
  • 1967 – 100 Oaks Mall in business near city.
  • 1968 – Third National Bank Building constructed.
  • 1970 - Population: 448,003.
  • 1972
  • 1974
  • 1975 – Richard Fulton becomes mayor.
  • 1978 - The Nashville Sounds minor-league baseball team plays its inaugural season.
  • 1980
  • 1981 – Nashville Opera Guild chartered.
  • 1982 - Foreign trade zone established.
  • 1983 - Nissan car manufactory begins operating in nearby Smyrna.
  • 1985 – Starwood Amphitheatre opens.
  • 1986 – Tennessee Players founded.
  • 1987
    • Nashville Airport terminal built.
    • Bill Boner becomes mayor.
  • 1988 – Nashville Shakespeare Festival and Nashville Pride begin.
  • 1989
    • Nashville Scene begins publication.
    • Prince's Hot Chicken Shack in business (approximate date).
  • 1990
  • 1991 – Phil Bredesen becomes mayor.
  • 1994
  • 1996
    • Bicentennial Mall State Park opens.
    • Magdalene program for women, and Nashville Zoo at Grassmere established.
    • Nashville Arena built.
  • 1998
    • April 15–16: Tornado.
    • After playing in Memphis for one season, the Tennessee OIlers football team plays its first Nashville games at Vanderbilt Stadium.
    • Nashville Predators ice hockey team formed.
  • 1999
    • Adelphia Coliseum opens.
    • Bill Purcell becomes mayor.
    • Al Gore presidential campaign, 2000 headquartered in city.
  • 2000 – The City Paper begins publication.

21st century

  • 2001
  • 2002 Nashville Public Education Foundation established by Nelson C. Andrews and Thomas J. Sherrard
  • 2003 – Shelby Street pedestrian bridge opens.
  • 2006
  • 2007 – Karl Dean becomes mayor.
  • 2008 – Nashville for All of Us (group) organized.
  • 2009
  • 2010
    • April–May: Flood.
    • Population: 601,222.
  • 2011
    • October: Occupy Nashville begins.
    • Parnassus Books in business.
  • 2012
    • March: Occupy Vanderbilt begins.
    • MyCity Academy (government program) established.
    • Fictional Nashville TV series makes national premiere on ABC, transfers to CMT in 2016 after being canceled by the former and due to fan efforts
  • 2013 – Music City Center opens.
  • 2015
  • 2020
    • Tornado outbreak of March 2-3, 2020: 22 people killed in tornadoes in Tennessee and Kentucky; the Nashville EF-3 tornado, which kills 4, north of downtown, somewhat mirrors the 1998 tornado's path
    • The Nashville bombing occurs, injuring eight people and causing major damage
  • 2023 – The Covenant School shooting occurs, killing six people and the perpetrator.
  • Freddie O'Connell becomes mayor.
kids search engine
Timeline of Nashville, Tennessee Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.