Timeline of Beirut

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Beirut, Lebanon.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

Prior to 20th century

• 140 BC – City destroyed by Diodotus Tryphon.[1]
• 64 BC – Beirut conquered by Agrippa.
• 14 BC – During the reign of Herod the Great, Berytus became a colonia.
• 551 CE – Earthquake.[1]
• 635 – Beirut passes into Arab control.[1]
• 759 – Prince Arslan bin al-Mundhir founds the Principality of Sin-el-Fil in Beirut.
• 1110 – Baldwin overtakes city, is absorbed into the Kingdom of Jerusalem.[1]
• 1187 – Saladin overtakes city.[1]
• 1763 – Ottomans reclaim the city.[1]
• 1832 – Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt in power.[2]
• 1840 – October: Battle of Beirut.[2]
• 1853 – Grand Serail built.
• 1858 – Government Hadiqat al-Akhbar newspaper begins publication.
• 1860
  • Druze–Maronite conflict.
  • Sursock House built.
• 1866 – Syrian Protestant College established.
• 1868 – Archaeological Museum of the American University of Beirut established.
• 1875
  • Saint Joseph University founded.
  • Thamarāt al-funūn newspaper begins publication.[3]
• 1877 – Lisan al-Hal newspaper begins publication.[3]
• 1883 – Hôtel-Dieu de France founded.
• 1888 – Beirut was made capital of a vilayet (governorate) in Syria,[37] including the sanjaks (prefectures) Latakia, Tripoli, Beirut, Acre and Bekaa.
• 1894 – Saint George Maronite Cathedral and Harbor constructed.[1]
• 1895 – Railway completed "across the Lebanon to Damascus."[1]
• 1898 – Population: 120,000 (approximate).[4]

20th century

1900s–1960s

• 1902 – al-Iqbāl newspaper begins publication.[3]
• 1907
  • Railway to Aleppo completed.[1]
  • René Moawad Garden established.
  • Baidaphon (record label) in business (approximate date).[5]
• 1916 – Place des Canons renamed Martyrs' Square.
• 1920 – Beirut Stock Exchange founded.
• 1920 – 1 September: Lebanon Republic (Greater Lebanon) proclaimed a state.
• 1921 – Beirut Traders Association founded.[6]
• 1924 – Al Joumhouria newspaper begins publication.
• 1925
  • National Conservatory of Music established.[5]
  • Maghen Abraham Synagogue built.
• 1927 – American Junior College for Women opens in Ras Beirut.
• 1933
  • Parliament of Lebanon building erected.
  • An-Nahar newspaper begins publication.[3]
  • L'Orient newspaper begins publication.
• 1934 – Population: 162,000 (approximate).[7]
• 1936 – Kamel Abbas Hamieh takes office as Governor of Beirut.
• 1937
  • Académie libanaise des beaux-arts founded.
  • Ararad newspaper begins publication.
  • Zartonk newspaper begins publication.
• 1938 – Al Akhbar newspaper begins publication.
• 1941 – Eastern Times newspaper begins publication.[3]
• 1942 – National Museum of Beirut opens.
  

  View of Beirut in 1950
• 1943 – Beirut becomes capital city of independent Lebanon.
• 1946
  • Nicolas Rizk takes office as Governor of Beirut.
  • Al-Hayat newspaper begins publication.
• 1950 – Population: 181,271.[8]
  

  Beirut in 1950
• 1951 – Lebanese University and Lycée Franco-Libanais Verdun founded.
• 1952
  • George Assi takes office as Governor of Beirut.
  • The Daily Star newspaper begins publication.
• 1954 – Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport opens.
• 1956 – Bachour Haddad takes office as Governor of Beirut.
• 1957 – Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium opens.
• 1958 – Population: 400,000 (estimate).[9]
• 1959
  • Télé Liban (television) begins broadcasting.[10]
  • Philip Boulos takes office as Governor of Beirut.
  • Al Anwar newspaper begins publication.
• 1960
  • Beirut Arab University established.
  • Emile Yanni takes office as Governor of Beirut.
• 1961
  • Orient-Institut Beirut established.
  • Sursock Museum and Phoenicia Beirut Hotel open.
• 1963 – Gallery One (cultural space) opens.[11]
• 1964 – Saint Nicolas Garden opens.
• 1966 – Al Ahed football team established, headquartered in Beirut.
• 1967 – Chafik Abou Haydar takes office as Governor of Beirut.
• 1968 – "Israel raids Beirut airport."[12]

1970s–1990s

• 1970
  • L'Orient Le Jour newspaper begins publication.
  • Population: 474,870 city; 938,940 urban agglomeration.[13]
• 1972 – Manoukian Center established.[11]
• 1973 – Holiday Inn in business.[14]
• 1974 – As-Safir newspaper begins publication.
• 1975
  • April: Lebanese Civil War begins.[12]
  • Green Line established between mainly Muslim factions in West Beirut and the Christian Lebanese Front in East Beirut.
  • Centre for Arab Unity Studies founded.[15]
• 1976 – al-Murābiṭ newspaper begins publication.[3]
• 1977 – Mitri El Nammar takes office as Governor of Beirut.
• 1978 – Syrian siege of Achrafiyeh, the main Christian district of Beirut.
• 1982
  • Israeli invasion.
  • 14 September: Bachir Gemayel assassinated.
• 1983 – French and US barracks bombed.
• 1986 – Centre de Documentation et de Recherches Arabes Chretiennes founded.[16]
• 1987 – George Smaha takes office as Governor of Beirut.
• 1988 – Ad-Diyar newspaper begins publication.
• 1989 – Lebanese Center for Policy Studies headquartered in city.[15]
• 1990 – Solidere (redevelopment company) and Center for Strategic Studies Research and Documentation[15] founded.
• 1991 – Al Manar TV begins broadcasting.
• 1992 – Nayef Al Maaloof takes office as Governor of Beirut
• 1993
  • B 018 nightclub opens.
  • Future Television begins broadcasting.
• 1994 – Souk el-Tayeb farmer's market opens.[17]
• 1995 – Nicolas Saba takes office as Governor of Beirut
• 1997
  • Arab Image Foundation established.[18]
  • Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium rebuilt.
• 1999
  • Yaacoub Sarraf takes office as Governor of Beirut.
  • Planet Discovery children's museum inaugurated.
  • Lebanese National Symphony Orchestra and Al-Kafaàt University founded.
• 2000 – Museum of Lebanese Prehistory established.

21st century

2000s

• 2001 – Beirut International Exhibition & Leisure Center opens.
• 2003
  • Beirut Marathon begins.
  • Music Hall opens.
  • Al-Balad newspaper begins publication.
• 2004
  • Helem (LGBT group) active.[19]
  • Al-Saha Village restaurant in business.[20][21]
• 2005
  • Cedar Revolution
  • Nassif Kaloosh takes office as Governor of Beirut
  • Ya Libnan news website launched.
• 2006
  • Political protests
  • Robert Mouawad Private Museum opens.
  • Sister city relationship established with Los Angeles, USA.[22]
• 2007 – Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque built.
• 2008 – Platinum Tower built.
• 2009
  • 2009 Jeux de la Francophonie held in Beirut.
  • Beirut Art Center opens.[18]
  • Beirut Souks and Le Gray hotel in business.[17]
  • City named World Book Capital by UNESCO.

2010s

• 2010
  • Bilal Hamad becomes mayor.
  • Four Seasons Hotel Beirut opens.[23]
• 2011
  • Political protests
  • Zaitunay Bay pedestrian area opens.[24]
• 2012
  • Violent unrest related to Syrian uprising.
  • Al-Mayadeen television begins broadcasting.[25]
  • 19 October: Bombing in Achrafieh.
  • 16 November: Überhaus nightclub opens.
• 2013
  • 9 July: Bombing in Bir el-Abed.
  • 15 August: Bombing.
  • 19 November: Iranian embassy bombings.
  • 27 December: Bombing.
• 2015
  • 21 July: Protests.
  • 12 November: Bombing.

2020s

• 2020
  • 4 August: Explosions.

See also

• Beirut history
• List of governors of Beirut
• Timeline of Lebanese history

References

1. Britannica 1910.
2. Haydn 1910.
3. OCLC. "WorldCat". Retrieved 11 June 2012.
4. Palestine and Syria, Karl Baedeker, Leipzig, 1898
5. Racy 1986.
6. "Beirut Traders Association". Retrieved 14 June 2012.
7. Mittelmeer, Karl Baedeker, Leipzig, 1934
8. The Columbia Encyclopedia, CUP, New York, 1950
9. "Population of capital cities and cities of 100,000 and more inhabitants". Demographic Yearbook 1965. New York: Statistical Office of the United Nations. 1966. pp. 140–161.
10. Europa World Year Book 2004. Europa Publications. ISBN 978-1-85743-255-8.
11. Rogers 2008.
12. "Chronology of Key Events". Lebanon Profile. BBC News. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
13. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Statistical Office (1987). "Population of capital cities and cities of 100,000 and more inhabitants". 1985 Demographic Yearbook. New York. pp. 247–289.
14. "A history of cities in 50 buildings", The Guardian, UK, 2015
15. "Think Tank Directory". Philadelphia: Foreign Policy Research Institute. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
16. Scalenghe 2003.
17. M. Egan (28 March 2010). "The Scene- Beirut". New York Times.
18. "Lebanon". Art Spaces Directory. New York: New Museum. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
19. Deeb 2007.
20. Mona Khechen (2007). "Beyond the Spectacle: Al-Saha Village, Beirut". Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review. International Association for the Study of Traditional Environments. 19 – via University of California, Berkeley.
21. Deeb 2013.
22. "Sister Cities of Los Angeles". USA: City of Los Angeles. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
23. S. Sherwood (29 April 2010). "36 Hours in Beirut". New York Times.
24. R. Doyle (17 February 2012). "In Beirut, the Zaitunay Bay Promenade Opens". New York Times.
25. "New pan-Arab satellite channel hopes to counter Al-Jazeera's Arab Spring coverage". Washington Post. Associated Press. 11 June 2012.

This article incorporates information from the French Wikipedia.

Bibliography

Published in 19th century

• John Macgregor (1844). "Syria and Palestine: Beyrout". Commercial Statistics. London: C. Knight and Co.
• "Beyrout", Cook's Tourists' Handbook for Palestine and Syria, London: T. Cook & Son, 1876
• Èmile Isambert (1881). "Beyrout". Itinéraire descriptif, historique et archéologique de l'Orient. Guides Joanne (in French). 3: Syrie, Palestine.
• R. Lambert Playfair (1892), "Beyrout", Handbook to the Mediterranean (3rd ed.), London: John Murray
• "Beirut", Handbook for Travellers in Syria and Palestine (3rd ed.), Leipsig: K. Baedeker, 1898

Published in 20th century

• "Beirut", Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.), New York, 1910, OCLC 14782424 – via Internet Archive
• Benjamin Vincent (1910). "Beyrout". Haydn's Dictionary of Dates (25th ed.). London: Ward, Lock & Co.
• Ali Jihad Racy (1986). "Words and Music in Beirut: A Study of Attitudes". Ethnomusicology. 30 (3): 413–427. doi:10.2307/851587. JSTOR 851587.
• Mona Takieddin Amyuni (1987). "The Image of the City: Wounded Beirut". Alif: Journal of Comparative Poetics (7). JSTOR 521854. — literary criticism
• Dona J. Stewart (1996). "Economic Recovery and Reconstruction in Postwar Beirut". Geographical Review. 86 (4): 487–504. doi:10.2307/215929. JSTOR 215929.
• Saree Makdisi (1997). "Laying Claim to Beirut: Urban Narrative and Spatial Identity in the Age of Solidere". Critical Inquiry. 23 (3): 661–705. doi:10.1086/448848. JSTOR 1344040.
• Projecting Beirut. 1998.

Published in 21st century

• Sara Scalenghe and Nadya Sbaiti (2003). "Conducting Research in Lebanon: An Overview of Historical Sources in Beirut". Middle East Studies Association Bulletin. 37. JSTOR 23063088.
• C. Edmund Bosworth, ed. (2007). "Beirut". Historic Cities of the Islamic World. Leiden: Koninklijke Brill. p. 53+. ISBN 978-9004153882.
• Lara Deeb and Mona Harb (2007). "Sanctioned Pleasures: Youth, Piety and Leisure in Beirut". Middle East Report (245): 12–19. JSTOR 25164816.
• Michael R.T. Dumper; Bruce E. Stanley, eds. (2008), "Beirut", Cities of the Middle East and North Africa, Santa Barbara, USA: ABC-CLIO, p. 82+, ISBN 9781576079201
• Joe Nasr; Eric Verdeil (2008). "Reconstructions of Beirut". City in the Islamic World. Leiden: Koninklijke Brill. p. 1115+. ISBN 978-9004171688 – via HAL, Centre pour la communication scientifique directe, France.
• Sarah Rogers (2008). "Producing the Local: The Visual Arts in Beirut". Middle East Studies Association Bulletin. 42 (1/2): 19–25. JSTOR 23063538.
• Gerhard Böwering, ed. (2013). "Beirut". Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought. Princeton University Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-691-13484-0.
• Lara Deeb; Mona Harb (2013). Leisurely Islam: Negotiating Geography and Morality in Shi'ite South Beirut. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-1-4008-4856-0.

External links

• Fulltext articles related to Beirut (via HAL, Centre pour la communication scientifique directe, France)
• ArchNet. "Beirut". Archived from the original on 23 October 2012.