Birmingham in History

Thomas Archer designs St Philip's Church, later Birmingham Cathedral.

Baskerville settles in Birmingham and develops businesses supporting his later printing work.

Birth of Matthew Boulton, later central to Birmingham’s industrial growth.

Baskerville establishes a successful japanning business producing decorated lacquered goods.

Develops the elegant Baskerville typeface and Birmingham printing reputation.

Publishes a fine edition of Virgil, displaying his Birmingham type and presswork.

Boulton begins developing the Soho site into an integrated manufacturing complex.

Darwin joins informal Birmingham meetings linking scientific inquiry with industrial improvement.

Participates in Birmingham’s Lunar Society, linking science, medicine and industrial improvement.

Boulton expands production of metal goods for domestic and international markets.

Begins work connected with the canal that will link Birmingham to wider trade routes.

The Birmingham Canal opens under James Brindley, linking the town to wider canal traffic.

The Birmingham Assay Office begins hallmarking locally manufactured silver goods.

Watt moves to Birmingham to develop his steam engine with Matthew Boulton.

Watt and Matthew Boulton begin commercial production of improved steam engines.

Receives an extended steam-engine patent, allowing Boulton and Watt to commercialise improved engines.

Manufactures Boulton and Watt steam engines from Birmingham’s Soho works.

Priestley settles in Birmingham and joins the city's scientific and dissenting circles.

Joins Birmingham scientific circles while pursuing experiments in chemistry and electricity.

Boulton establishes the steam-powered Soho Mint for mechanised coin production.

Boulton demonstrates mechanised coin production using steam-powered machinery at Soho.

His home and laboratory are attacked during Birmingham riots against dissenters and reformers.

Rioters destroy Hutton's property because of his dissenting and reform associations.

Supports the Soho Foundry as Birmingham becomes a centre of steam-engine production.

The Soho Mint produces large copper pennies and twopences for the British Government.

Demonstrates practical gas lighting at the Soho works.

Matthew Boulton dies at Soho House after transforming Birmingham manufacturing.

Campaigns in Birmingham for monetary reform after wartime economic distress.

Speaks for parliamentary reform as Birmingham reformers respond to national agitation.

James Watt dies at Heathfield in Handsworth after a celebrated engineering career.

Cadbury opens a Birmingham shop selling tea, coffee, cocoa and drinking chocolate.

Cox establishes a medical school that contributes to Birmingham's later university tradition.

Founds the Birmingham Political Union to campaign for parliamentary reform.

Leads mass reform meetings at Newhall Hill during the Reform Bill crisis.

Birmingham Botanical Gardens opens as a centre for horticulture, education and recreation.

Is elected for Birmingham after the Reform Act grants the town representation.

Becomes one of Birmingham’s first MPs after parliamentary reform.

Attwood is elected as one of Birmingham's first Members of Parliament.

Attwood represents Birmingham in Parliament after the borough gains two seats.

Birmingham Town Hall opens as a major venue for civic meetings and music.

Creates a major railway connection between Birmingham and the northwest.

Opens the Grand Junction Railway for passenger and goods traffic.

The London and Birmingham Railway opens its Curzon Street terminus.

Birmingham receives a charter of incorporation, creating its municipal borough.

His postal reform ideas draw on experience as a Birmingham educator and campaigner.

Serves as Birmingham’s first mayor after incorporation.

The Birmingham and Gloucester Railway opens a route through the Lickey Incline.

Saint Chad's is consecrated as a major Roman Catholic church in Birmingham.

Queen's College receives a royal charter for medical and general education.

Birmingham New Street opens as a central station serving several railway companies.

Develops Parkesine, an early human-made plastic associated with Birmingham industry.

Singers Hill Synagogue opens for Birmingham's growing Jewish community.

Birmingham manufacturers establish BSA to produce firearms using mechanised methods.

A dedicated hospital opens to provide medical care for Birmingham children.

Birmingham opens a municipal free library serving readers and students.

Supports reform politics as Birmingham becomes a national platform for wider voting rights.

Neville Chamberlain is born in Birmingham to Joseph and Florence Chamberlain.

Lucas establishes the business that develops into a major automotive-components manufacturer.

Elected Mayor for Birmingham.

Is elected mayor and begins ambitious municipal reforms.

Matthews participates in the meeting that establishes Aston Villa Football Club.

Hughes helps organise the new football club formed by Villa Cross Wesleyan Chapel members.

Price becomes one of the four recognised founders of Aston Villa Football Club.

Scattergood joins Hughes, Matthews and Price in establishing Aston Villa.

Hughes helps Villa Cross cricketers select association football as their winter sport.

Helps found Small Heath Alliance, later Birmingham City Football Club.

Promotes municipal ownership of gas supply as part of Birmingham civic reform.

Promotes municipal control of water supply to improve public health.

Cadbury moves chocolate production to a new rural factory at Bournville.

Mason Science College opens, becoming a foundation of the University of Birmingham.

Ramsay captains Villa to victory in the Birmingham Senior Cup, the club's first honour.

Villa's first trophy establishes Ramsay's side as a leading Birmingham football club.

Warwickshire establishes a permanent cricket ground at Edgbaston.

McGregor begins advocating regular league fixtures among leading professional clubs.

Birmingham's School of Art becomes the first municipal art school in Britain.

The Prince of Wales opens Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

Aston Villa becomes a founder member of the world's first national football league.

Queen Victoria grants Birmingham city status by letters patent.

The Prince and Princess of Wales open the terracotta Victoria Law Courts.

Represents Birmingham as a leading Liberal Unionist figure.

Cadbury begins developing housing and community amenities around the Bournville factory.

Ramsay combines team selection and administration during Villa's first championship campaign.

Ramsay guides Aston Villa to its first Football League championship in 1893/94.

Devey captains Aston Villa during the club's first league championship season.

Influences Birmingham civic architecture through the city’s Victorian school-building programme.

Villa's FA Cup trophy is stolen while displayed in a Birmingham shop window.

Birmingham's mayoral office is elevated to the dignity of Lord Mayor.

Ramsay oversees Aston Villa's second league title during the 1895/96 season.

Devey leads the attack as Villa claims its second league championship.

Ramsay leads Aston Villa to the 1896/97 league championship and a historic Double.

The entertainment venue later known as Birmingham Hippodrome opens to audiences.

Cadbury establishes a trust to manage and extend the Bournville model community.

Helps secure the charter creating the University of Birmingham.

Serves as a leading physicist at the new University of Birmingham.

Edgbaston hosts its first Test match as England plays Australia.

Designs major University of Birmingham buildings including the Chancellor’s Court scheme.

Austin establishes an automobile company and develops manufacturing at Longbridge.

Becomes first Bishop of Birmingham when St Philip’s becomes the cathedral.

Cadbury introduces Dairy Milk from its Bournville manufacturing base.

Continues tariff reform campaigning from his Birmingham political base.

Birmingham City opens Saint Andrew's as its new permanent football ground.

The university completes its prominent clock tower, commonly known as Old Joe.

Moor Street station opens to relieve congestion at Snow Hill.

Edward VII formally opens the University of Birmingham's Edgbaston campus.

Major boundary extensions incorporate surrounding districts into the city.

Promotes scientific research and technical higher education.

Serves as principal of the University of Birmingham during its early expansion.

Serves as principal of the University of Birmingham.

Oversees major expansion of Birmingham's municipal boundaries.

Incorporates Aston Manor, Erdington, Handsworth and surrounding districts.

Jackson opens Britain's first purpose-built repertory theatre in Birmingham.

Birmingham raises locally recruited battalions for service during the First World War.

Chamberlain becomes Lord Mayor and promotes municipal savings during wartime.

Chamberlain establishes a municipal savings bank to mobilise household savings during wartime.

Leaves Birmingham municipal work for national wartime service.

Citizens establish Birmingham Civic Society to promote planning, heritage and public improvements.

Produces plans that influence Birmingham’s later civic centre development.

The municipal savings institution begins operating under its permanent Birmingham Municipal Bank name.

Birmingham's new municipal orchestra gives its first public concert.

Birth of David Paul Scofield.

Birmingham's 5IT station begins regular radio broadcasting.

Prince Arthur opens Birmingham's memorial to residents killed in the First World War.

Expands regional broadcasting as Birmingham becomes an important BBC centre.

Lady Barber establishes an institute for fine art and music at the university.

Haworth's Birmingham research helps establish the structure and synthesis of vitamin C.

Scores all seven Arsenal goals in a 7-1 league victory over Aston Villa.

Construction begins on a major aircraft manufacturing plant near Birmingham.

Oliphant becomes Poynting Professor and expands experimental nuclear physics at Birmingham.

The Barber Institute opens its gallery and concert facilities at the university.

Chamberlain warns that Britain will resist any attempt at German world domination.

British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain gives a speech in Birmingham, stating that Britain will oppose any effort at world domination on the part of Germany.

Birmingham's municipal airport opens at Elmdon shortly before the Second World War.

Castle Bromwich begins large-scale production of Supermarine Spitfire aircraft.

Works with Randall on the Birmingham cavity magnetron for centimetric radar.

Works with Randall on the resonant cavity magnetron at Birmingham.

Builds a high-power cavity magnetron at Birmingham for centimetric radar.

Works on the high-power cavity magnetron for centimetric radar.

Calculates with Peierls that a compact uranium bomb may be practical.

Calculates that a uranium-235 bomb may be practical.

Co-authors the Birmingham memorandum estimating uranium-235 weapon feasibility.

Co-authors memorandum estimating uranium-235 bomb feasibility.

A major German air raid causes extensive deaths and destruction across Birmingham.

Moves from Birmingham nuclear research into Allied atomic bomb work.

Birth of Nick Mason, later drummer and the only member to appear on every Pink Floyd album.

Medawar becomes professor of zoology and continues research on transplantation biology.

Musician Chris Smith is born in Birmingham.

Birth of Anthony Frank Iommi, later guitarist and sole continuous member of Black Sabbath.

Birth of William Thomas Ward, later drummer and founding member of Black Sabbath.

Birth of Steve Winwood.

Birth of John Michael Osbourne, later singer with Black Sabbath and a major solo artist.

Birth of Geezer Butler, later Black Sabbath bassist and lyricist.

Birth of Terence Michael Butler, later Black Sabbath bassist, lyricist and founding member.

Julie Walters is born in Edgbaston and later becomes an acclaimed actor.

Wins Birmingham Stechford after boundary changes abolish Southwark Central.

Moves to Birmingham Stechford after Southwark Central disappears during boundary changes.

Takes a statistics post at the University of Birmingham and develops his free-market economic views.

Birth of Trevor Eve.

Retains Birmingham Stechford for Labour at the general election.

Retains Birmingham Stechford for Labour as the Conservatives win nationally.

Condemns the Suez intervention at a Labour meeting in Birmingham.

Wilson condemns the Anglo-French intervention during a Labour meeting in Birmingham.

Wilson finds strong support in Birmingham for Labour's opposition to the Suez intervention.

Birth of Ali Campbell, later lead singer of UB40.

Benjamin Zephaniah is born in Birmingham and later becomes a prominent performance poet.

Toyah Willcox is born in Birmingham and later develops a music and acting career.

The British Motor Corporation launches the Mini, produced at Longbridge and Cowley.

Retains Birmingham Stechford for Labour during another Conservative general election victory.

Winwood joins the newly formed Spencer Davis Group while still a teenager.

Laine helps form the Moody Blues from Birmingham rhythm-and-blues musicians.

Forms the Spencer Davis Group, part of Birmingham’s rhythm and blues scene.

Laine fronts the Moody Blues as the Birmingham group gains national attention.

The modern Bull Ring shopping centre opens as a major city-centre redevelopment.

Retains Birmingham Stechford as Labour returns to government under Harold Wilson.

Iommi loses the tips of two fingers in an industrial accident and adapts his playing.

Artists establish Ikon as an experimental contemporary-art gallery in Birmingham.

Sings with the Spencer Davis Group as they reach national fame.

Manages the Moody Blues, the Birmingham rhythm and blues group fronted by Denny Laine.

Forms the band Approach before the musicians move toward the Black Sabbath line-up.

Retains Birmingham Stechford while continuing as Home Secretary after Labour's victory.

Retains Birmingham Stechford while continuing as Home Secretary after Labour's victory.

General election outcome recorded for Roy Harris Jenkins: Retains Birmingham Stechford while continuing as Home Secretary after Labour's victory.

Government context for this general election: Retains Birmingham Stechford while continuing as Home Secretary after Labour's victory.

The College of Advanced Technology receives a royal charter as the University of Aston.

Forms Polka Tulk Blues Band, an early stage of the group that becomes Black Sabbath.

Butler forms his first band, Rare Breed, with schoolmate John "Ozzy" Osbourne in the autumn of 1967.

Osbourne sings with Rare Breed alongside Geezer Butler before Black Sabbath develops.

Ellis becomes chairman after Pat Matthews gains control of Aston Villa.

Matthews acquires control of Aston Villa and appoints Doug Ellis as chairman.

Plays drums with Robert Plant in Band of Joy before Led Zeppelin forms.

Sings in Band of Joy before joining Jimmy Page's new group.

Helps form Polka Tulk Blues Band in Birmingham before the group becomes Earth and then Black Sabbath.

Helps form Polka Tulk Blues Band in Birmingham before the group becomes Earth and then Black Sabbath. This record concerns John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne and Earth.

Helps form Polka Tulk Blues Band in Birmingham before the group becomes Earth and then Black Sabbath. This record concerns Tony Iommi and Earth.

Leaves Mythology with Tony Iommi and helps build a new heavy blues band in Birmingham.

Leaves Mythology with Bill Ward before helping form the group that becomes Black Sabbath.

Butler shifts to bass as Polka Tulk's classic four-member line-up emerges.

Drums in Polka Tulk Blues Band as the future Black Sabbath sound begins to form.

Plays bass in Polka Tulk Blues Band as the future Black Sabbath line-up comes together.

Joins Polka Tulk Blues Band as vocalist before the group becomes Earth and then Black Sabbath.

Osbourne joins Iommi, Butler and Ward in the Birmingham group Polka Tulk Blues Band.

Joins Polka Tulk Blues Band on guitar, beginning the partnership with Osbourne, Butler and Ward.

Ward brings jazz-influenced drumming to the developing Polka Tulk line-up.

Iommi plays lead guitar as Polka Tulk develops its heavy blues style.

Osbourne becomes the vocalist for the heavy blues group Polka Tulk.

The group adopts the name Black Sabbath while performing in Birmingham.

Butler becomes Black Sabbath's bassist after initially playing rhythm guitar.

Iommi becomes the group's principal riff writer and only continuous founding member.

Butler becomes the principal lyricist for Black Sabbath's original line-up.

Butler's interest in horror themes helps shape the group's darker name and lyrics.

Ward develops the jazz-influenced drumming heard on Black Sabbath's early recordings.

Osbourne becomes vocalist as Earth adopts the name Black Sabbath.

Iommi's band Earth changes its name to avoid confusion with another group.

Ward helps establish Black Sabbath after playing with Iommi in Mythology and Polka Tulk.

Iommi develops the heavy guitar sound that defines Black Sabbath's early music.

Judas Priest forms in Birmingham and develops an influential heavy-metal sound.

Pink Floyd perform at Mothers Club in Birmingham; recordings later appear on Ummagumma.

Makes his senior debut for Birmingham City.

Lynne, Roy Wood and Bev Bevan establish Electric Light Orchestra in Birmingham.

Butler contributes bass and lyrics to Black Sabbath's album Paranoid.

Osbourne sings on Black Sabbath's debut album, released during the band's Birmingham breakthrough.

Leads picketing that helps force closure of Saltley Coke Depot in Birmingham.

The Gravelly Hill Interchange opens, linking major motorways and urban routes.

The inverted-ziggurat Central Library opens in Chamberlain Square.

Powell urges Birmingham voters to support Labour because of its European Community policy.

Two bombs explode in Birmingham pubs, killing twenty-one people and injuring many others.

Directs the Home Office response after the Birmingham pub bombings.

Wilson condemns the Birmingham attacks and supports urgent counterterrorism legislation.

Birmingham Central Mosque opens as a major centre for worship and community activity.

Alexander Stadium opens as Birmingham's principal athletics venue.

Elizabeth II opens the National Exhibition Centre near Birmingham.

British Rail creates a through suburban service crossing Birmingham from north to south.

Rhodes and John Taylor begin forming Duran Duran in Birmingham.

The Beat forms in Birmingham and combines ska, punk and reggae influences.

Campbell and fellow Birmingham musicians form the reggae band UB40.

Saunders signs Withe as the final attacking addition to his championship team.

Serious disturbances in Handsworth expose tensions involving policing, unemployment and deprivation.

Saunders resigns during Villa's European Cup campaign after a dispute with the board.

Elected Member of Parliament for Ladywood.

Butler leaves Black Sabbath during 1984 after prolonged instability within the group.

Gift, Andy Cox and David Steele form Fine Young Cannibals in Birmingham.

Butler forms the Geezer Butler Band after leaving Black Sabbath.

Birmingham hosts its first Formula 3000 street race on roads near the city centre.

Birmingham Snow Hill reopens after fifteen years without passenger services.

The Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet relocates to Birmingham and adopts its new name.

Butler re-joins Black Sabbath in 1991 for the reunion of the "Mob Rules" lineup.

Symphony Hall opens as the principal home of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

Elizabeth II officially opens Birmingham's International Convention Centre.

The National Indoor Arena opens for sport, concerts and large public events.

Elected Member of Parliament for Birmingham Yardley.

Quits Black Sabbath after the Cross Purposes tour of 1994.

Ikon Gallery moves into a converted Victorian school at Brindleyplace.

The first Midland Metro line opens between Birmingham Snow Hill and Wolverhampton.

Millennium Point opens as a major science, education and cultural complex.

Thinktank opens at Millennium Point with science, industry and transport collections.

The redeveloped Bullring opens with new retail streets and the Selfridges building.

The National Trust opens restored courtyard houses interpreting urban working-class life.

MG Rover enters administration, ending large-scale vehicle production at Longbridge.

Disorder and looting spread through parts of Birmingham during nationwide disturbances.

Malala Yousafzai opens the Library of Birmingham in Centenary Square.

Sets out proposals to challenge violent and non-violent extremism and promote shared British values.

The rebuilt New Street station and Grand Central shopping centre open to the public.

Midland Metro trams begin running through the city centre to Grand Central.

May tells the Conservative Party conference that Brexit means Brexit.

May announces plans for legislation transferring European Union law into domestic law.

Plays Black Sabbath's final concert in Birmingham during The End tour.

Birmingham is selected to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Birmingham begins charging the most polluting vehicles entering its city-centre Clean Air Zone.

Performs with Genesis on The Last Domino tour in Birmingham.

Opens Genesis's The Last Domino tour in Birmingham.

Birmingham opens the Commonwealth Games with a ceremony at Alexander Stadium.