The following is a timeline of the history of the municipality of Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Prior to 17th century
2700~2750 BC – age of Neolithic shards of Bell Beaker culture pottery found under Rokin 2200~2000 BC – age of granite grinding stone found under Damrak 10th c. – Farmers settling at upstream Amstel 1105 – Wolfger van Amstel mentioned in a document as scultetus of "Amestelle" (Amstelland). 1170 – All Saint's Flood made settlement possible at the banks of downstream Amstel 1213 – Founding Oude Kerk in this settlement 1270 – Dam built in Amstel River (approximate date). 1275 "Amestelledamme" (meaning: 'dam in the Amstel') appears for the first time in a charter. 27 October, Count Floris V of the County of Holland granted traders, sailors and fishermen exemption from tolls. 1300 – Population: 1000. 1303 – Siege of Amsterdam 1306 – Amsterdam granted city rights. Oude Kerk consecrated. 1345 – 15 March: Alleged "Miracle of Amsterdam" occurs. 1347 – Heilige Stede chapel built. 1389 – The city was first called Aemsterdam in an authentic piece. 1408 – Nieuwe Kerk (church) construction begins. 1421 – Fire. 1425 – Singel canal dug. 1452 – Fire. 1470 – Agnietenklooster built. 1487 – Schreierstoren built. 1490s – Brick city wall built. 1516 – Montelbaanstoren built. 1518 – Egelantier formed (approximate date). 1535 – 10 May: Anabaptist riot occurs; "fanatics ran about the streets naked." 1566 – Beeldenstorm. 1568 – Amsterdam supports Catholics in the Dutch Revolt. 1575 – Erven Lucas Bols in business. 1578 Alteratie shifts power from Catholics to Protestants. built. 1585 – City expands beyond the Singel. 1586 – Admiralty of Amsterdam formed. 1596 – Rasphuis (prison) established.
17th century 1600 – Population: 50,000. 1601 – Goldsmith's guild established. 1602 – Amsterdam Stock Exchange and Dutch East India Company founded. 1603 – Hendrick de Keyser becomes city architect. 1606Oost-Indisch Huis built. 1607 – English Reformed Church established. 1609 – Bank of Amsterdam established. 1611 – built. 1613 – Grachtengordel development begins. 1614 – Nieuwmarkt created. 1617 First Dutch Academy formed. Korenbeurs built. Town gate remodeled as Weigh House. 1619 – Westerhal built. 1620 Munttoren and built. English-language Corrant out of Italy, German, Etc. newspaper begins publication. 1621 – Dutch West India Company founded. 1622 – Cromhouthuizen built. 1631 – Artist Rembrandt moves to Jodenbreestraat in Amsterdam. 1632 – Athenaeum Illustre formed. 1633 – built. 1637 – Schouwburg of Van Campen (theatre) built. 1638 Hortus Medicus founded. built. 1641 – built on . 1642 – Rembrandt's artwork The Night Watch shown in the Kloveniersdoelen. 1651 – St. Peter's Flood. 1652 – 7 July: burns down. 1655 – New City Hall built on Dam Square. 1662 Trippenhuis and (gate) built. Blaeu's Atlas Maior published. 1663 – Bubonic plague outbreak. 1665 – New theatre opens. 1666 – Population: 200,000. 1672 – Johannes Hudde becomes mayor. 1675 – Portuguese Synagogue built. 1679 – Wynand-Fockink in business. 1682 – Begijnhof Chapel and Amstelhof built. 1683 – Society of Suriname established. 1691 – Skinny Bridge built. 1696 – Aansprekersoproer riots
18th century 1748 Pachtersoproer riots Demands from Doelistenmovement 1765 – Stadstekenacademie founded. 1774 – Theatre opens on the Leidseplein. 1776 – Felix Meritis society and established. 1780 – built. 1785 – Seamen's Institute, and Society for Public Welfare organized. 1787 – Prussians in power. 1794 Metz & Co established. Population: 217,024. 1795 – January: French in power. 1800 – Barrack of St. Charles built.
19th century 1808 Amsterdam becomes capital of Kingdom of Holland, client state of the French Empire. City Hall becomes the Royal Palace. Royal Institute of Sciences, Literature and Fine Arts founded. 1813 – Oranje-Nassau Kazerne (military barrack) built. 1814 Amsterdam becomes capital of the Netherlands. Rijks-Museum relocates to the Trippenhuis building. Bank of the Netherlands headquartered in city. 1815 Doelen Hotel in business. Population: 180,179. 1824 – Netherlands Trading Society headquartered in city. 1825 North Holland Canal constructed. Amsterdamsche Stoomboot Maatschappij established 1838 – Zoo opens. 1839 Amsterdam–Haarlem railway begins operating. opens. Arti et Amicitiae society organized. 1840 Coster Diamonds founded. (gate) built. 1841 – Mozes en Aäronkerk (church) rebuilt. 1843 – Station Amsterdam Weesperpoort opens. 1845 – built. 1852 – Bijbels Museum founded. 1853 – City "water supply" begins. 1854 – Royal Asscher Diamond Company founded. 1855 – Arti et Amicitiae constructed. 1856 Amsterdam–Arnhem railway constructed. De Eendracht war memorial erected. Koninklijke Nederlandse Stoomboot-Maatschappij (shipping company) established. 1862 – Bloemenmarkt founded. 1863 – Museum Fodor opens. 1864 – Crystal Palace built on the . 1866 – Population: 264,498. 1867 Heineken brewery built. Amstel Hotel opens. 1869 – Netherlands Bank building constructed. 1870 Rijksakademie, De Bijenkorf shop, and Amstel Brewery founded. Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland (steamship line) in business. 1872 – Construction of the first social housing project, de Dubbeltjespanden 1874 Amsterdam–Zutphen railway constructed. Amsterdamse Toneelschool established. 1875 – housing association formed. 1876 North Sea Canal opens. Population: 281,944. 1877 – Municipal University of Amsterdam and Teekenschool voor Kunstambachten founded. 1878 – Den Helder–Amsterdam railway begins operating. 1880 – Vrije Universiteit established. 1881 Telephone in operation. housing built in Czaar Peterbuurt. Stille Omgang revived. 1882 – Spui square created. 1883 May: International Colonial and Export Exhibition opens. (theatre) built. (park) laid out. 1884 Amsterdamsch Conservatorium founded. Population: 361,326. 1885 – Rijksmuseum opens. 1886 – July: Palingoproer eel riot occurs. 1887 Orange riots.. Elsevier publisher in business. Basilica of St. Nicholas built. 1888 – Concertgebouw built, and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra founded. 1889 – Amsterdam Centraal railway station opens. 1890 – Victoria Hotel, Amsterdam in business. 1893 – Economic unrest. 1894 – Stadsschouwburg rebuilt. 1895 (exhibit) held. Museum Willet-Holthuysen and Catholic Ignatius Gymnasium (school) established. 1896 – Hotel de l'Europe in business on the . 1900 Gemeentetram Amsterdam tramway established. historical society and AFC Ajax football club formed. Population: 523,557.
20th century 1900-1939 1903 Railroad Strike. Beurs van Berlage built. 1904 Hulp voor Onbehuisden (HvO, shelters for homeless people) founded. August: International Socialist Congress held. 1906 – Amsterdam Wind Orchestra ATH formed. 1907 – cinema and Het Houten Stadion (stadium) open. 1911 – Rembrandt House Museum opens. 1914 – Harry Elte Stadium and on Kalverstraat built. 1915 department store built. (publisher) in business. 1917 1917 Potato riots. Amsterdam-Zuid development begins per Plan Zuid. 1919 Public library opens. Het Schip apartment building erected. Disteldorp and Vogeldorp areas built in Amsterdam-Noord. Population: 647,120. 1920 Construction of the Defence Line of Amsterdam completed. Muzieklyceum and Rialto cinema established. 1921 Buiksloot, Nieuwendam, Ransdorp, Sloten, and Watergraafsmeer annexed. Tuschinski cinema built. 1923 – Tuindorp Oostzaan area built. 1924. Institute of Applied Art formed. National Vocational School for Pastry Chefs opens. 1925 – Tooneelmuseum (stage museum) founded. 1926 Amsterdam Museum established. Royal Tropical Institute building constructed HEMA (store) in business on Kalverstraat. 1927 – American Women's Club Amsterdam founded. 1928 – Summer Olympics held. 1929 – Palace of National Industry burns down. 1932 – Joods Historisch Museum opens. 1933 – Alhambra Theater opens. 1934 July: Jordaanoproer. Allard Pierson Museum opens. 1935 International Institute for Social History established. cinema opens. 1936 – Theatre built. 1939 Amsterdam Amstel railway station opens. built. World War II 1940 11 May: Bombing of Amsterdam by the Luftwaffe German occupation begins Het Parool newspaper begins publication. 1941 February strike. Central Office for Jewish Emigration in the Netherlands begins operating. 1943 27 March: 1943 bombing of the Amsterdam civil registry office July: Allied bombings of Amsterdam-Noord. 1944 – 4 August: Frank family arrested. 1945 18 January: Executions on the Fusilladeplaats Rozenoord begin. 5 May: German occupation ends. 7 May: Shooting on Dam square, Amsterdam. 8 May: Canadian troops enter city 9 May: Mass celebrations in Dam Square opens. De Volkskrant newspaper in publication. 1946 – Dutch Historic Film Archive founded. 1947 The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank is published. Holland Festival begins.
1950s-1990s 1952 May: Amsterdam–Rhine Canal opens. active. Filmmuseum founded. 1956 – National Monument erected in Dam Square. 1957 – Horecava hospitality trade fair begins. 1958 – Netherlands Film and Television Academy founded. 1959 – Population: 872,000. 1960 Anne Frank House museum established on the Prinsengracht. Academie voor Kleinkunst (school) founded. Uitzendbureau Amstelveen (now Randstad NV) was founded. 1961 – Amsterdam RAI Exhibition and Convention Centre opens. 1962 – Hilton Hotel in business. 1965 – Counterculture Provo (movement) begins. 1966 13–14 June: (labor unrest) occurs. Weesperkarspel annexed. 1967 – Catholic Theological University of Amsterdam established. 1968 Art & Project gallery opens. Theaterschool founded. 1969 March: Bed-In for Peace held. May: Student protest occurs at the University of Amsterdam . STEIM cultural venue established. RIBW Querido founded by prof. dr. Querido, the first psychiatrist to visit patients at home 1970 Population: 807,095. Eurovision Song Contest 1970 held. 1971 – Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA railway station opens. 1972 – In-Out Centre opens. 1973 – Van Gogh Museum opens. 1975 Flag of Amsterdam design adopted. Rainbow Foundation, De Appel art centre, and Other Books and So founded. Amsterdam Marathon and SAIL Amsterdam begin. 1976 – Sweelinck Conservatorium formed. 1977 9 May: Hotel Polen fire. Amsterdam Metro begins operating. Uitmarkt begins 1978 – MonteVideo founded. 1979 Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra founded. (prison) closed. 1981 – 21 November: Protest against stationing of NATO missiles. 1984 Social unrest. Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival begins. 1985 – Annual contemporary art fair begins. 1986 Amsterdam–Schiphol railway begins operating. Stopera opera hall opens. 1987 – Amsterdamse Poort (shopping centre) opens. 1988 International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam begins. Stopera city hall opens. 1990 – Population: 695,221. 1991 Museum Geelvinck-Hinlopen established. Museum Jan van der Togt opens. 1992 4 October: Airplane crash in Bijlmermeer. Miniature Museum founded. 1993 – La Rive and Boom Chicago founded. 1994 Conservatorium van Amsterdam and Prostitution Information Center founded. SMART Project Space opens. 1996 Amsterdam Gay Pride begins. Amsterdam Arena built. 1997 2 October: EU treaty signed in city. Henk Sneevlietweg metro station opens. IJburg residential archipelago construction begins. 1999 – OT301 squat begins. 2000 Prostitution in the Netherlands legalized. Euronext founded. HvO and RIBW Querido merge to form HVO-Querido, an organisation that helps homeless people
21st century
2001 1 April: First legalized same-sex marriage in the Netherlands occurs. Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam and Heineken Music Hall open. Job Cohen becomes mayor. 290 Square Meters opens its first shop 2004 – 2 November: Filmmaker Van Gogh killed on .