Edinburgh/Timelines: Difference between revisions
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==1-999== | ==1-999== | ||
'''Late 1st century''': [[Roman Empire|Roman]] [[brooch]] and fine [[pottery]] from this period have been found | :'''Late 1st century''': [[Roman Empire|Roman]] [[brooch]] and fine [[pottery]] from this period have been found | ||
:'''c638''': The [[Gododdin]] are defeated and the site is captured by [[Edwin of Northumbria]] | :'''c638''': The [[Gododdin]] are defeated and the site is captured by [[Edwin of Northumbria]] | ||
:'''731''': Edinburgh is possibly the town of ''Guidi'' mentioned by [[Bede]] | :'''731''': Edinburgh is possibly the town of ''Guidi'' mentioned by [[Bede]] | ||
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:'''1326-1331''': Edinburgh's contribution to Scottish burgh taxes is 15%, half that of [[Aberdeen]] | :'''1326-1331''': Edinburgh's contribution to Scottish burgh taxes is 15%, half that of [[Aberdeen]] | ||
:'''1328''': A treaty is signed guaranteeing Scottish independence | :'''1328''': A treaty is signed guaranteeing Scottish independence | ||
:'''1329''': Robert the Bruce makes the town a burgh, and establishes a port at [[Leith]] | :'''1329''': [[Robert the Bruce]] makes the town a burgh, and establishes a port at [[Leith]] | ||
:'''1330''': Wall between High Street and Cowgate is first mentioned; the castle is demolished by [[David II of Scotland|David II]] | :'''1330''': Wall between High Street and Cowgate is first mentioned; the castle is demolished by [[David II of Scotland|David II]] | ||
:'''1334''': Scotland loses major port of [[Berwick-upon-Tweed|Berwick]] to the English, Edinburgh's importance increases | :'''1334''': Scotland loses major port of [[Berwick-upon-Tweed|Berwick]] to the English, Edinburgh's importance increases | ||
| Line 49: | Line 49: | ||
:'''1440''': The [[Earl of Douglas]] and his brother are murdered at the castle by William Crichton | :'''1440''': The [[Earl of Douglas]] and his brother are murdered at the castle by William Crichton | ||
:'''1440s''': Edinburgh has 47% of Scottish [[wool]] trade | :'''1440s''': Edinburgh has 47% of Scottish [[wool]] trade | ||
c1449''': Cordiners ([[shoemaker]]s) is incorporated | :'''c1449''': Cordiners ([[shoemaker]]s) is incorporated | ||
:'''1450-1475''': There is a defensive wall around the city (The King's Wall) | :'''1450-1475''': There is a defensive wall around the city (The King's Wall) | ||
:'''1455-1458''': Greyfriars ([[Franciscan order|Franciscan]]) [[friary]] is founded | :'''1455-1458''': Greyfriars ([[Franciscan order|Franciscan]]) [[friary]] is founded | ||
:'''1457''': The 508mm siege gun "[[Mons Meg]]" is received at castle; there are [[goldsmith]]s in the city | :'''1457''': The 508mm siege gun "[[Mons Meg]]" is received at castle; there are [[goldsmith]]s in the city | ||
:'''1458''': Edinburgh has one of three supreme [[court]]s in the country | :'''1458''': Edinburgh has one of three supreme [[court]]s in the country | ||
Pre-1460''': Trinity is a [[collegiate]] church | :'''Pre-1460''': Trinity is a [[collegiate]] church | ||
:'''1467-1469''': St Giles' gains collegiate status, a [[Provost (religion)|provost]] and fourteen [[prebendary|prebendaries]] are established | :'''1467-1469''': St Giles' gains collegiate status, a [[Provost (religion)|provost]] and fourteen [[prebendary|prebendaries]] are established | ||
:'''1474-1475''': [[Skinner (profession)|Skinner]] and [[weaver]] crafts become guilds incorporated by the town council | :'''1474-1475''': [[Skinner (profession)|Skinner]] and [[weaver]] crafts become guilds incorporated by the town council | ||
| Line 81: | Line 81: | ||
:'''1544''': Henry VIII begins his period of "rough wooing" aimed at imposing the marriage of his son to Mary Queen of Scots. Armies invade from the south and from the sea near Edinburgh. The[[Earl of Hertford]] burns the city; Holyrood Palace and abbey burn | :'''1544''': Henry VIII begins his period of "rough wooing" aimed at imposing the marriage of his son to Mary Queen of Scots. Armies invade from the south and from the sea near Edinburgh. The[[Earl of Hertford]] burns the city; Holyrood Palace and abbey burn | ||
:'''1547''': 10 September: A large English army with naval support beats the Scots at the Battle of Pinkie, to the east of Edinburgh. The English occupy Edinburgh, (though not its castle). | :'''1547''': 10 September: A large English army with naval support beats the Scots at the Battle of Pinkie, to the east of Edinburgh. The English occupy Edinburgh, (though not its castle). | ||
'''1548''': Another English army invades, and fortify at Haddington, a few miles south of Edinburgh. In June, a French army lands at Leith to support the Scots after an agreement that Mary Queen of Scots, (who is still only five years old), would marry Francois, the eldest son of King Henri II of France. The French besiege the English at Haddington. On 29 July, a French fleet rescues Mary Queen of Scots from Dumbarton and takes her to France. | :'''1548''': Another English army invades, and fortify at Haddington, a few miles south of Edinburgh. In June, a French army lands at Leith to support the Scots after an agreement that Mary Queen of Scots, (who is still only five years old), would marry Francois, the eldest son of King Henri II of France. The French besiege the English at Haddington. On 29 July, a French fleet rescues Mary Queen of Scots from Dumbarton and takes her to France. | ||
:'''1555''': [[John Knox]] returns from exile | :'''1555''': [[John Knox]] returns from exile | ||
:'''1558''': Riots break out over [[France|French]] prosecution of [[Protestant]]s; the Flodden Wall is complete; Edinburgh's population is now about 12,000; there are 367 merchants, and 400 craftsmen | :'''1558''': Riots break out over [[France|French]] prosecution of [[Protestant]]s; the Flodden Wall is complete; Edinburgh's population is now about 12,000; there are 367 merchants, and 400 craftsmen | ||
:'''1559''': [[John Knox]] is appointed minister of St Giles' church | :'''1559''': [[John Knox]] is appointed minister of St Giles' church | ||
:'''1560''': English and French troops to withdraw under [[Treaty of Edinburgh]]; [[Reformation | :'''1560''': English and French troops to withdraw under [[Treaty of Edinburgh]]; [[Reformation]]: 40 [[altar]]s, [[aisle]]s, and [[column|pillar]]s are dedicated to different [[saint]]s in St Giles' | ||
:'''1565''': [[Mary Queen of Scots]] marries [[Lord Darnley]], Henry Stuart | :'''1565''': [[Mary Queen of Scots]] marries [[Lord Darnley]], Henry Stuart | ||
:'''1566''': Mary is held captive in [[Holyrood Palace]]; [[David Rizzio]] is stabbed | :'''1566''': Mary is held captive in [[Holyrood Palace]]; [[David Rizzio]] is stabbed | ||
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:'''1573''': A pro-Mary [[garrison]] is ousted from the castle by the [[regent]], the [[Earl of Moray]] | :'''1573''': A pro-Mary [[garrison]] is ousted from the castle by the [[regent]], the [[Earl of Moray]] | ||
:'''1574''': The castle's Half-Moon [[artillery battery|Battery]] is built; there are seven mills in Edinburgh | :'''1574''': The castle's Half-Moon [[artillery battery|Battery]] is built; there are seven mills in Edinburgh | ||
Late 1570s''': Edinburgh now has 4 ministers, previously it had only one | :'''Late 1570s''': Edinburgh now has 4 ministers, previously it had only one | ||
:'''1579''': [[James VI]] makes his state entry | :'''1579''': [[James VI]] makes his state entry | ||
:'''1580s''': There are some 400 merchants in Edinburgh | :'''1580s''': There are some 400 merchants in Edinburgh | ||
| Line 101: | Line 101: | ||
:'''1586''': [[Skinner]]s and [[goldsmith]]s form their own companies (previously part of the Company of Hammermen) | :'''1586''': [[Skinner]]s and [[goldsmith]]s form their own companies (previously part of the Company of Hammermen) | ||
:'''1591''': Francis Hepburn, [[Earl of Bothwell]] escapes from imprisonment in castle | :'''1591''': Francis Hepburn, [[Earl of Bothwell]] escapes from imprisonment in castle | ||
:'''1592''': Earl of Moray murdered by [[catholic]] [[Earl of Huntly]]; the [[presbytery]] takes the first Edinburgh [[census | :'''1592''': Earl of Moray murdered by [[catholic]] [[Earl of Huntly]]; the [[presbytery]] takes the first Edinburgh [[census]]: there are c8,000 adults, split evenly between north and south of the High Street | ||
:'''1593''': Earl of Bothwell take over at Holyrood Palace | :'''1593''': Earl of Bothwell take over at Holyrood Palace | ||
:'''1594''': Earl of Bothwell fails to seize city | :'''1594''': Earl of Bothwell fails to seize city | ||
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:'''1617''': Gladstone's Land, 6-storey [[tenement]] in Lawnmarket, expanded (built originally in 1550s); | :'''1617''': Gladstone's Land, 6-storey [[tenement]] in Lawnmarket, expanded (built originally in 1550s); | ||
:'''1618''': Some seven-storey buildings have been built in the city; its [[population]] is c25,000, with about 475 merchants | :'''1618''': Some seven-storey buildings have been built in the city; its [[population]] is c25,000, with about 475 merchants | ||
:'''1619''': The [[ | :'''1619''': The [[Privy Council (UK)|Privy Council]] orders the city to clean up its streets; a hospital built in 1479 becomes a [[workhouse]] | ||
:'''1621''': Edinburgh and Leith pay 44% of Scottish non-wine customs duty, and 66% of wine duty | :'''1621''': Edinburgh and Leith pay 44% of Scottish non-wine customs duty, and 66% of wine duty | ||
:'''1624''': Edinburgh is hit by a plague [[epidemic]] | :'''1624''': Edinburgh is hit by a plague [[epidemic]] | ||
c1625''': Tailor's Hall is built in the Cowgate | :'''c1625''': Tailor's Hall is built in the Cowgate | ||
:'''1628-1636''': The Teflfer Wall is built, from the Grassmarket to just beyond Greyfriars | :'''1628-1636''': The Teflfer Wall is built, from the Grassmarket to just beyond Greyfriars | ||
:'''1628-1693''': George Heriot's Hospital, now a private school was erected to the South of [[Edinburgh Castle]]. The hospital was paid for by a gift of £30,000 from George Heriot, jeweller to King James VI. | :'''1628-1693''': George Heriot's Hospital, now a private school was erected to the South of [[Edinburgh Castle]]. The hospital was paid for by a gift of £30,000 from George Heriot, jeweller to King James VI. | ||
:'''1632''': Work begins on [[Parliament House, Edinburgh|Parliament House]] to house the [[Parliament of Scotland]] | :'''1632''': Work begins on [[Parliament House, Edinburgh|Parliament House]] to house the [[Parliament of Scotland]] | ||
:'''1633''': Charles I visits Edinburgh for his coronation at [[St Giles' Cathedral]], but soon after precipitates a crisis by introducing episcopacy to the Church of Scotland, in the process making Edinburgh a bishopric for the first time. | :'''1633''': [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] visits Edinburgh for his coronation at [[St Giles' Cathedral]], but soon after precipitates a crisis by introducing episcopacy to the Church of Scotland, in the process making Edinburgh a bishopric for the first time. | ||
:'''1636''': The construction of the Tron Church is begun; the city's population is c.30,000 | :'''1636''': The construction of the Tron Church is begun; the city's population is c.30,000 | ||
:'''1637''': Introduction of new Prayer Book causes riots; a [[supplication]] is delivered to remove bishops from the [[privy council]] | :'''1637''': Introduction of new Prayer Book causes riots; a [[supplication]] is delivered to remove bishops from the [[privy council]] | ||
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:'''1650''': [[James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose]], is hanged; the castle surrenders to [[Oliver Cromwell]]'s men; James Colquhoun builds early [[fire apparatus|fire engines]]: one for Edinburgh, one for [[Glasgow]] | :'''1650''': [[James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose]], is hanged; the castle surrenders to [[Oliver Cromwell]]'s men; James Colquhoun builds early [[fire apparatus|fire engines]]: one for Edinburgh, one for [[Glasgow]] | ||
:'''1650s''': A new church is built in the Canongate | :'''1650s''': A new church is built in the Canongate | ||
:'''1652''': A 'journey [[stagecoach|coach]]' to [[London]] is introduced - the journey takes a fortnight | :'''1652''': A 'journey [[stagecoach|coach]]' to [[London, United Kingdom|London]] is introduced - the journey takes a fortnight | ||
:'''1653''': English forces break up the General Assembly | :'''1653''': English forces break up the General Assembly | ||
:'''1655''': A council of state is set up; ministers yield to the English | :'''1655''': A council of state is set up; ministers yield to the English | ||
| Line 143: | Line 143: | ||
:'''1663''': The former Covenanter Archibald Johnston is executed | :'''1663''': The former Covenanter Archibald Johnston is executed | ||
:'''1667''': The privy council empowers magnates to police the [[Scottish Highlands|highlands]] | :'''1667''': The privy council empowers magnates to police the [[Scottish Highlands|highlands]] | ||
:'''1670''': Water is piped into the city from Comiston Springs. A Botanic Garden is founded at St Anne's Yards next to Holyrood Palace as a 'Physic Garden' for cultivating medicinal plants, by | :'''1670''': Water is piped into the city from Comiston Springs. A Botanic Garden is founded at St Anne's Yards next to Holyrood Palace as a 'Physic Garden' for cultivating medicinal plants, by Robert Sibbald (later the first Professor of Medicine at [[Edinburgh University]]) and Dr Andrew Balfour. It is the second oldest botanic garden in Britain after Oxford's (which was founded in 1620). | ||
:'''1670s''': Butchering of animals moves from the Grassmarket to [[Dalkeith]] | :'''1670s''': Butchering of animals moves from the Grassmarket to [[Dalkeith]] | ||
:'''1671''': [[John Law]] is born - he set up the national [[bank]] of France. | :'''1671''': [[John Law]] is born - he set up the national [[bank]] of France. | ||
| Line 156: | Line 156: | ||
:'''1690s''': Lawyers have more wealth than all merchants and craftsmen in the [[burgh]] combined; over 20% of the population is in [[manufacturing]] | :'''1690s''': Lawyers have more wealth than all merchants and craftsmen in the [[burgh]] combined; over 20% of the population is in [[manufacturing]] | ||
:'''1694''': There are more professionals than merchants in Edinburgh; 200 legals (advocates to lawyers), 24 [[surgery|surgeons]], and 33 [[physician]]s; other occupations include aleseller, executioner, royal trumpeter, and keeper of the [[signet]]; the ratio of sexes in the city is 70 males:100 females - there are over 5000 domestic servants in Edinburgh | :'''1694''': There are more professionals than merchants in Edinburgh; 200 legals (advocates to lawyers), 24 [[surgery|surgeons]], and 33 [[physician]]s; other occupations include aleseller, executioner, royal trumpeter, and keeper of the [[signet]]; the ratio of sexes in the city is 70 males:100 females - there are over 5000 domestic servants in Edinburgh | ||
:'''1697''': [[Thomas Aikenhead]], a student at [[Edinburgh University]] is | :'''1696''': The Scottish Privy Council orders a search for books deemed "atheistical, erroneous or profane or vicious" in the stock of Edinburgh booksellers. | ||
:'''1697''': [[Thomas Aikenhead]], a student at [[Edinburgh University]] is hanged for [[blasphemy]] | |||
==1700-1799== | ==1700-1799== | ||
| Line 167: | Line 168: | ||
:'''1715''': [[Jacobitism|Jacobites]] fail to take castle | :'''1715''': [[Jacobitism|Jacobites]] fail to take castle | ||
:'''1718''': ''Edinburgh Evening Courant'' newspaper is launched; [[damask]]s are woven at Drumsheugh | :'''1718''': ''Edinburgh Evening Courant'' newspaper is launched; [[damask]]s are woven at Drumsheugh | ||
:'''1720s''': [[Daniel Defoe]] praises the [[Royal Mile]], decries [[Tolbooth]] or prison, notes sales of woollens, linens, drapery and ''mercery'' | :'''1720''': 21 pirates, captured with their ship ''The Eagle'' are thrown into the dungeons of Edinburgh Castle. Most will be hanged on Leith Sands. | ||
:'''1720s''': The English spy [[Daniel Defoe]] praises the [[Royal Mile]], decries [[Tolbooth]] or prison, notes sales of woollens, linens, drapery and ''mercery'' | |||
:'''1722''': The Signet Library is founded | :'''1722''': The Signet Library is founded | ||
:''' | :'''1725''':The poet [[Allan Ramsay (1686–1758)|Allan Ramsay]] publishes ''The Gentle Shepherd'' | ||
:'''1726''': | :'''1726''': [[Allan Ramsay (1686–1758)|Allan Ramsay]] established the first circulating library; a [[medical school]] at the city's college is founded; [[James Hutton]], the 'father of geology', is born | ||
:'''1729''': The city's first [[hospital|infirmary]] is opened | :'''1729''': The city's first [[hospital|infirmary]] is opened | ||
:'''1733''': [[Alexander | :'''1733''': [[Alexander Monro secunduus]], discoverer of [[lymphatic system|lymphatic]] and [[nervous system]]s, is born | ||
:'''1735''': [[Golf]] is played on Bruntsfield links; also the traditional date the Royal Burgess Golfing Society is founded | :'''1735''': [[Golf]] is played on Bruntsfield links; also the traditional date the Royal Burgess Golfing Society is founded | ||
:'''1736''': The [[Edinburgh Royal Infirmary|Royal Infirmary]] is incorporated; The Porteous riots break out when the city guard, led by [[John Porteous]] fires on a mob during another execution. Porteous is imprisoned, but is seized from prison by armed men who lynch him in the | :'''1736''': The [[Edinburgh Royal Infirmary|Royal Infirmary]] is incorporated; The Porteous riots break out when the city guard, led by [[John Porteous]] fires on a mob during another execution. Porteous is imprisoned, but is seized from prison by armed men who lynch him in the Grassmarket. | ||
:'''1737''': The [[Lord Provost]] is ousted following the riots | :'''1737''': The [[Lord Provost]] is ousted following the riots | ||
:'''1738''': Edinburgh is described as the "world's leading medical centre"; John Watson's College is founded | :'''1738''': Edinburgh is described as the "world's leading medical centre"; John Watson's College is founded | ||
:'''1739''': The [[Scots Magazine]] is first published in the city | :'''1739''': The [[Scots Magazine]] is first published in the city | ||
:'''1740''': There are four printing firms in Edinburgh; the biographer [[James Boswell]] is born | :'''1740''': There are four printing firms in Edinburgh; the biographer [[James Boswell]] is born | ||
:'''1741''': [[William Brodie|'Deacon' Brodie]] is born | |||
:'''1744''': The first premises at Fountainbridge are built, with more than five looms | :'''1744''': The first premises at Fountainbridge are built, with more than five looms | ||
::The Honorary Society of Edinburgh Golfers (the world's first golf club) is founded | |||
:'''1745''': [[Charles Edward Stuart]] ("Bonny Prince Charlie")enters the city | :'''1745''': [[Charles Edward Stuart]] ("Bonny Prince Charlie")enters the city | ||
:'''1746''': The British Linen Company is formed | :'''1746''': The British Linen Company is formed | ||
:'''1747''': A theatre is established at Playhouse Close in the Canongate | :'''1747''': A theatre is established at Playhouse Close in the Canongate | ||
:'''1748''': [[Adam Smith]] begins his public lectures in Edinburgh | |||
:'''1749''': A [[stagecoach]] service opens between Edinburgh and [[Glasgow]] | :'''1749''': A [[stagecoach]] service opens between Edinburgh and [[Glasgow]] | ||
:'''1750''': A [[rope|ropery]] is established in the city | :'''1750''': A [[rope|ropery]] is established in the city | ||
:'''1753''': Stagecoach services are introduced to [[London]] (taking two weeks) | :'''1753''': Stagecoach services are introduced to [[London, United Kingdom|London]] (taking two weeks) | ||
:'''1754''': The Select Society is founded | :'''1754''': The Select Society is founded | ||
:'''1756''': [[John Home]]'s play ''Douglas'' is performed at the Canongate Theatre, and is greeted with enthusiasm: one of the audience is moved to shout "Whaur's yer Wully Shakespere noo!" | |||
:'''1757-1770''': Linen weaving works in Canongate | :'''1757-1770''': Linen weaving works in Canongate | ||
:'''1758''': Stagecoach services are introduced to [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]] (taking one week) | :'''1758''': Stagecoach services are introduced to [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]] (taking one week) | ||
:'''1760''': First school for deaf children opens | :'''1759''': The Nor' Loch is drained; the site is now Princes Street Gardens. | ||
:'''1760''': First school for deaf children opens | |||
:'''1760s''': Woollen cloth is ''beetled'' in a ''lapping house'' in Edinburgh | :'''1760s''': Woollen cloth is ''beetled'' in a ''lapping house'' in Edinburgh | ||
:'''1761''': The [[Bruntsfield]] Golfing Society is formed | :'''1761''': The [[Bruntsfield]] Golfing Society is formed | ||
:'''1763''': Construction of the North Bridge, designed by [[Robert Adam]], begins; a four-horse coach runs to Glasgow three times a week. Buccleuch Cemetery opened | :'''1763''': Construction of the North Bridge, designed by [[Robert Adam]], begins; a four-horse coach runs to Glasgow three times a week. Buccleuch Cemetery opened | ||
:'''1765''': The Glasgow coach now runs daily | :'''1765''': The Glasgow coach now runs daily | ||
:'''1766''': The competition to design the [[Edinburgh#New Town|New Town]] is won by [[James Craig]] | :'''1766''': The competition to design the [[Edinburgh#New Town|New Town]] is won by [[James Craig]]. [[Joseph Black]] succeeds [[William Cullen]] as Professor of Chemistry at the University. | ||
:'''1767''': Construction of the New Town begins; this will lead to the "Great Flitting" as the middle classes move from the Old Town. The Theatre Royal opens on 9 December 1767, in Shakespere Square, at the east end of Princes Street. The occasion is commemorated in verse by [[James Boswell]]. The foundation stone was laid on 16 March 1768. | :'''1767''': Construction of the New Town begins; this will lead to the "Great Flitting" as the middle classes move from the Old Town. The Theatre Royal opens on 9 December 1767, in Shakespere Square, at the east end of Princes Street. The occasion is commemorated in verse by [[James Boswell]]. The foundation stone was laid on 16 March 1768. | ||
:'''1770''': The British Linen Company switches to banking; the Heriot Brewery starts | :'''1770''': The British Linen Company switches to banking; the Heriot Brewery starts | ||
| Line 201: | Line 208: | ||
:'''1772''': Construction of the North Bridge is completed | :'''1772''': Construction of the North Bridge is completed | ||
:'''1773 or 1777''': [[Penny Black|Penny-post]] service begins | :'''1773 or 1777''': [[Penny Black|Penny-post]] service begins | ||
:'''1775''': A directory of [[brothel]]s and [[prostitution|prostitutes]] is published; Edinburgh | :'''1775''': A directory of [[brothel]]s and [[prostitution|prostitutes]] is published; Edinburgh has an estimated population of 57,000 | ||
:'''1777''': 8 legal and 400 illegal [[distillery|distilleries]] in the city | :'''1776''':[[Adam Smith]]'s masterpiece ''The Wealth of Nations'' is published | ||
:'''1777''': There are 8 legal and 400 illegal [[distillery|distilleries]] in the city | |||
:'''1781''': The Mound road is opened | :'''1781''': The Mound road is opened | ||
:'''1782''': The voting system is criticised by Thomas McGrugar in | :'''1782''': The voting system is criticised by Thomas McGrugar in ''Letters of Zeno'' | ||
:'''1784''': | :'''1784''': [[James Tytler| James (Balloon) Tytler]] becomes the first Briton to ascend in a hot air balloon - the ‘Grand Edinburgh Fire Balloon’. | ||
:'''1785-1786''': Stone bridge at [[Stockbridge, Edinburgh|Stockbridge]] | :'''1785-1786''': Stone bridge at [[Stockbridge, Edinburgh|Stockbridge]] | ||
:'''1786-1788''': The South Bridge is built | :'''1786-1788''': The South Bridge is built | ||
:'''1788''': [[William Brodie|William "Deacon" Brodie]] leader of a gang of robbers is | :'''1788''': [[William Brodie|William "Deacon" Brodie]], leader of a gang of robbers is hanged. He is buried at Buccleuch Cemetery; the first stone of Edinburgh University's [[Old College, University of Edinburgh|Old College]] is laid. | ||
:'''1792''': The Friends of the People Society meets for the first time; Charlotte Square designed by [[Robert Adam]] | :'''1792''': The ''Friends of the People Society'' meets for the first time; Charlotte Square in the New Town is designed by [[Robert Adam]] | ||
:'''1793''': [[Thomas Muir]] | :'''1793''': [[Thomas Muir]], a radical reformer and leader of the ''Friends of the People Society'' is arrested and charged with sedition. | ||
:'''1794''': Robert Watt, a former spy, is sentenced to death for "Pike Plot". [[Sir Walter Scott]] is involved in a riot at the Theatre Royal when some of the audience refuse to stand for the National Anthem. | :'''1794''': Robert Watt, a former spy, is sentenced to death for the "Pike Plot". [http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/record.php?usi=000-100-047-862-C] [[Sir Walter Scott]] is involved in a riot at the Theatre Royal when some of the audience refuse to stand for the National Anthem. | ||
:'''1799''': City has access to 3 million litres of [[drinking water|water]] a day | :'''1799''': City has access to 3 million litres of [[drinking water|water]] a day | ||
==1800-1899== | ==1800-1899== | ||
:'''1800''': Charlotte Square is completed; Stein's large Canongate [[brewery]] is built | :'''1800''': Charlotte Square is completed; Stein's large Canongate [[brewery]] is built | ||
c1800''': National Museum of Antiquities is established | :'''c1800''': National Museum of Antiquities is established | ||
:'''1802''': The ''[[Edinburgh Review]]'' is published, offering literary criticism | :'''1802''': The ''[[Edinburgh Review]]'' is published, offering literary criticism | ||
:'''1802-1806''': The [[Bank of Scotland]] head office is built | :'''1802-1806''': The [[Bank of Scotland]] head office is built | ||
:'''1803''': [[Dorothy Wordsworth]] stays in the "White Hart" inn in the Grassmarket | :'''1803''': [[Dorothy Wordsworth]] stays in the "White Hart" inn in the Grassmarket | ||
:'''1814''': A protest meeting against [[West Indies|West Indian]] [[slavery]] is held; two coaches a day run to [[Stirling]] | :'''1814''': A protest meeting against [[West Indies|West Indian]] [[slavery]] is held; two coaches a day run to [[Stirling]] | ||
:'''1816-1819''': [[Regent Bridge]] is built | :'''1816-1819''': [[Regent Bridge]] is built, The Nelson monoment is built on Calton Hill. | ||
:'''1817''': [[Coal gas]] supplies are available in the city; coal fires lose popularity; the old [[tolbooth]] in Waterloo Place is demolished | :'''1817''': [[Coal gas]] supplies are available in the city; coal fires begin to lose popularity; the old [[tolbooth]] in Waterloo Place is demolished. | ||
:'''1818''': The [[Union Canal (Scotland)|Union Canal]] is begun; Calton Hill observatory is founded by the Edinburgh Astronomical Association | :'''1818''': The [[Union Canal (Scotland)|Union Canal]] is begun; Calton Hill observatory is founded by the Edinburgh Astronomical Association | ||
:'''1819''': Five coaches a day run between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Buccleuch Cemetery is declared full. | :'''1819''': Five coaches a day run between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Buccleuch Cemetery is declared full. | ||
:'''1820''': There are protests at [[George IV of the United Kingdom|George IV]]'s treatment of Queen Caroline | :'''1820''': The population is now 138,000. There are protests at [[George IV of the United Kingdom|George IV]]'s treatment of Queen Caroline. East Preston Street Cemetery is opened. The [[Edinburgh Freethinkers' Zetetic Society]] is formed. | ||
:'''1822''': King George IV visits Edinburgh and wears the [[kilt]]; the first Highland and Agricultural Show takes place. The last public whipping in Edinburgh takes place on 31st July. | |||
:'''1822''': King George IV visits Edinburgh and wears the [[kilt]]; the first Highland and Agricultural Show takes place | :'''1823''': The [[Bannatyne Club]] is founded by Sir Walter Scott to publish rare works of Scottish interest in history, poetry, or literature. It published 116 volumes before being dissolved in 1861. | ||
:'''1823''': The Bannatyne Club is founded by Sir Walter Scott to publish rare works of Scottish interest in history, poetry, or literature. It published 116 volumes before being dissolved in 1861. | |||
:'''1824''': A large fire destroys many buildings | :'''1824''': A large fire destroys many buildings | ||
:'''1825''': Eight Royal Mail coaches and over fifty stage coaches leave Edinburgh each day | :'''1825''': Eight Royal Mail coaches and over fifty stage coaches leave Edinburgh each day | ||
:'''1826''': The [[Royal Scottish Academy]] is founded | :'''1826''': The [[Royal Scottish Academy]] is founded | ||
:'''1828''': William Burke is tried for murder, to supply bodies for anatomical dissection | :'''1828''': [[William Burke]] is tried for murder, to supply bodies for anatomical dissection | ||
:'''1829''': Burke is hanged and his body given for anatomical dissection | :'''1829''': [[William Burke]] is hanged and his body given for anatomical dissection. The National monument is erected. | ||
:'''1831''': The [[Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway]] opens (known as The [[Innocent Railway]]), as railways start to come to the city | :'''1831''': The [[Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway]] opens (known as The [[Innocent Railway]]), as railways start to come to the city | ||
:'''1832''': A [[cholera]] outbreak occurs in the city; ''[[The Scotsman]]'' newspaper incorporates the ''Caledonian Mercury'' | :'''1832''': A [[cholera]] outbreak occurs in the city; ''[[The Scotsman]]'' newspaper incorporates the ''Caledonian Mercury'' | ||
| Line 244: | Line 251: | ||
:'''1843''': Disruption of the [[Church of Scotland]]. Warriston Cemetery is opened by the Edinburgh Cemetery Company. | :'''1843''': Disruption of the [[Church of Scotland]]. Warriston Cemetery is opened by the Edinburgh Cemetery Company. | ||
:'''1844-1846''': The [[Sir Walter Scott|Scott Monument]] is built | :'''1844-1846''': The [[Sir Walter Scott|Scott Monument]] is built | ||
:'''1846''': The [[North British Railway]] company is established, and railways link Edinburgh and [[London]] | :'''1846''': The [[North British Railway]] company is established, and railways link Edinburgh and [[London, United Kingdom|London]] | ||
:'''1847''': [[Alexander Graham Bell]] is born in the city; half of Edinburgh's population attend the funeral of [[Thomas Chalmers]] | :'''1847''': [[Alexander Graham Bell]] is born in the city; half of Edinburgh's population attend the funeral of [[Thomas Chalmers]] | ||
:'''1850''': The foundation stone of the [[National Gallery of Scotland|Scottish National Gallery]] is laid; the Holyrood brewery is enlarged for the third time. [[Robert Louis Stevenson]] is born in Edinburgh | :'''1850''': The foundation stone of the [[National Gallery of Scotland|Scottish National Gallery]] is laid; the Holyrood brewery is enlarged for the third time. [[Robert Louis Stevenson]] is born in Edinburgh | ||
| Line 261: | Line 268: | ||
:'''1870-1879''': New buildings for the Royal Infirmary | :'''1870-1879''': New buildings for the Royal Infirmary | ||
:'''1872''': Watt Institution and School of Arts begins to be built | :'''1872''': Watt Institution and School of Arts begins to be built | ||
::[[Greyfriars Bobby]] dies, aged 16. | |||
:'''1875''': Royal Theatre destroyed by fire; Institute of Bankers founded | :'''1875''': Royal Theatre destroyed by fire; Institute of Bankers founded | ||
:'''1881''': Dean Distillery opens, converted from Dean Mills | :'''1881''': Dean Distillery opens, converted from Dean Mills | ||
| Line 273: | Line 281: | ||
==1900-1999== | ==1900-1999== | ||
:'''1901''': [[Edinburgh University]] appoints its first Professor of [[History of Scotland|Scottish history]] | :'''1901''': [[Edinburgh University]] appoints its first Professor of [[History of Scotland|Scottish history]] | ||
:'''1902''': [[Edinburgh Waverley railway station|Waverley Station]] is complete | :'''1902''': [[Edinburgh Waverley railway station|Waverley Station]] is complete; the North British Hotel opens (later to become the '[[Balmoral Hotel]]') | ||
:'''1903''': The Floral Clock is installed in Princes Street Gardens. Hands were added in 1904, and the cuckoo in 1905. | :'''1903''': The Floral Clock is installed in Princes Street Gardens. Hands were added in 1904, and the cuckoo in 1905. | ||
:'''1905''': Moray House in Canongate becomes a teacher training centre | :'''1905''': Moray House in Canongate becomes a teacher training centre | ||
| Line 279: | Line 287: | ||
:'''1907''': Work begins on constructing the [[Edinburgh College of Art]] | :'''1907''': Work begins on constructing the [[Edinburgh College of Art]] | ||
:'''1910''': First electric [[tram]]s run | :'''1910''': First electric [[tram]]s run | ||
:'''1911''': The Palladium Cinema opens. A fire breaks out during a show at the Empire Palace Theatre, killing 11. Amongst the dead is "The Great Lafayette" - the highest paid illusionist of his time. Lafayette was performing his signature illusion, 'the Lion's Bride', when an electrical fault caused a fire. Lafayette died trying to rescue Arizona, his black stallion. A body, believed to be Lafayette's was sent for cremation, but two days later, workers found another body - the body that had been sent for cremation was that of the illusionist's body double. Lafayette is buried at Piershill | :'''1911''': The Palladium Cinema opens. A fire breaks out during a show at the Empire Palace Theatre, killing 11. Amongst the dead is "[[The Great Lafayette]]" - the highest paid illusionist of his time. Lafayette was performing his signature illusion, 'the Lion's Bride', when an electrical fault caused a fire. Lafayette died trying to rescue Arizona, his black stallion. A body, believed to be Lafayette's was sent for cremation, but two days later, workers found another body - the body that had been sent for cremation was that of the illusionist's body double. Lafayette is buried at Piershill Cemetery, with his terrier Beauty who had died four days earlier. | ||
:'''1911-1914''': The Usher Hall is built, the concert hall is gifted to the city by a whisky distiller | :'''1911-1914''': The Usher Hall is built, the concert hall is gifted to the city by a whisky distiller | ||
:'''1912''': The "Mansion House" and surrounding estate is purchased for £17,000 by The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, and Edinburgh Zoo opens here on 22 July 1913. | :'''1912''': The "Mansion House" and surrounding estate is purchased for £17,000 by The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, and Edinburgh Zoo opens here on 22 July 1913. | ||
| Line 288: | Line 296: | ||
:'''1921''': The Garrick Theatre burns down | :'''1921''': The Garrick Theatre burns down | ||
:'''1925''': The [[National Library of Scotland]] is formed from the former [[Advocates’ Library]] | :'''1925''': The [[National Library of Scotland]] is formed from the former [[Advocates’ Library]] | ||
:'''1928''': The [[Flying Scotsman]] provides a fast rail link to [[London]]; the city’s first traffic lights are at Broughton Street. The Empire Palace Theatre reopens as the Empire Theatre. | :'''1928''': The [[Flying Scotsman]] provides a fast rail link to [[London, United Kingdom|London]]; the city’s first traffic lights are at Broughton Street. The Empire Palace Theatre reopens as the Empire Theatre. | ||
:'''1932''': George Watson’s College moves to Morningside | :'''1932''': George Watson’s College moves to Morningside | ||
:'''1946''': A [[telephone]] upgrade takes place, allowing all-city dialling | :'''1946''': A [[telephone]] upgrade takes place, allowing all-city dialling | ||
:'''1946-1947''': Electric [[tram]]s in the city carry 16 million passengers a month | :'''1946-1947''': Electric [[tram]]s in the city carry 16 million passengers a month | ||
:'''1947''': The [[Edinburgh International Festival]] is launched, the Festival programme includes Margot Fonteyn in 'Sleeping Beauty' at the Empire Theatre; restoration of Canongate | :'''1947''': The [[Edinburgh International Festival]] is launched, the Festival programme includes Margot Fonteyn in 'Sleeping Beauty' at the Empire Theatre; restoration of Canongate | ||
:'''1949''': The Abercrombie Plan introduces ring roads and a bypass | :'''1949''': The Abercrombie Plan introduces ring roads and a bypass | ||
:'''1951''': Two central (manual) phone exchanges handle over 9,500 lines | :'''1951''': Two central (manual) phone exchanges handle over 9,500 lines | ||
:'''1952''': The Bank of Scotland takes over the Union Bank of Scotland, giving 453 combined branches | :'''1952''': The Bank of Scotland takes over the Union Bank of Scotland, giving 453 combined branches | ||
:'''1956''': | :'''1956''': The Edinburgh [[tram]] system closes | ||
:'''1958''': Queen Elizabeth II receives the last [[debutante]]s | :'''1958''': Queen Elizabeth II receives the last [[debutante]]s | ||
:'''1959''': Old Town population declines to 2,000 | :'''1959''': Old Town population declines to 2,000 | ||
:'''1960''': Infirmary Street baths are damaged by fire. The first kidney transplant in UK is performed at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh | :'''1960''': Infirmary Street baths are damaged by fire. The first [[kidney transplant]] in UK is performed at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh | ||
:'''1963''': The ''Evening Despatch'' and ''Edinburgh Evening News'' merge; Empire Theatre becomes [[ | :'''1963''': The ''Evening Despatch'' and ''Edinburgh Evening News'' merge; Empire Theatre becomes a [[bingo]] hall | ||
:'''1966''': [[Heriot-Watt University|Heriot-Watt]] gains [[university]] status | :'''1966''': [[Heriot-Watt University|Heriot-Watt]] gains [[university]] status | ||
:'''1968''': The Palladium Theatre fails, and becomes a [[disco]] | :'''1968''': The Palladium Theatre fails, and becomes a [[disco]] | ||
:'''1968-1969''': The [[Royal Bank of Scotland]] takes over National Commercial Bank of Scotland | :'''1968-1969''': The [[Royal Bank of Scotland]] takes over National Commercial Bank of Scotland | ||
:'''1969''': The Bank of Scotland absorbs British Linen Bank; Tollcross Bus Depot closes | :'''1969''': The [[Bank of Scotland]] absorbs the British Linen Bank; Tollcross Bus Depot closes | ||
:'''1970''': The [[Commonwealth Games]] are held in the city; The Scots win 6 gold medals, including Lachie Stewart, who defeated Ron Clarke in the 10,000m, and Ian Stewart who took the 5,000m title. The St James’ Centre, including a new St Andrews House, is completed | :'''1970''': The [[Commonwealth Games]] are held in the city; The Scots win 6 gold medals, including Lachie Stewart, who defeated Ron Clarke in the 10,000m, and Ian Stewart who took the 5,000m title. The St James’ Centre, including a new St Andrews House, is completed | ||
:'''1971''': [[Tom Farmer]] starts [[Kwik-Fit]] | :'''1971''': [[Tom Farmer]] starts [[Kwik-Fit]] | ||
| Line 314: | Line 318: | ||
:'''1974''': [[David Murray]], later connected with [[Rangers F.C.|Glasgow Rangers]], starts Murray International Metals | :'''1974''': [[David Murray]], later connected with [[Rangers F.C.|Glasgow Rangers]], starts Murray International Metals | ||
:'''1976''': A new Fountain Brewery is built by [[Scottish & Newcastle]] | :'''1976''': A new Fountain Brewery is built by [[Scottish & Newcastle]] | ||
:'''1985''': The population of the city is 440,000 | :'''1985''': The population of the city is 440,000 | ||
:'''1989''': The National Gallery of Scotland is renovated | :'''1989''': The National Gallery of Scotland is renovated | ||
| Line 322: | Line 323: | ||
:'''1994''': The old Empire Theatre, restored to its 1928 glory, re-opens as The Edinburgh Festival Theatre, with a capacity of 1915 seats | :'''1994''': The old Empire Theatre, restored to its 1928 glory, re-opens as The Edinburgh Festival Theatre, with a capacity of 1915 seats | ||
:'''1996''': Infirmary St baths close | :'''1996''': Infirmary St baths close | ||
:'''19997''': ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' is published, it was written by [[JK Rowling]] in part in cafes in the Old Town | |||
:'''1998''': The [[Museum of Scotland]] is built | :'''1998''': The [[Museum of Scotland]] is built | ||
:'''1999''': The [[Scottish Parliament]] is opened by the [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen]] | :'''1999''': The [[Scottish Parliament]] is opened by the [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen]] | ||
==2000-2007== | ==2000-2007== | ||
:'''2001 | :'''2001''': [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/1495503.stm Norway promotes a king penguin] at Edinburgh Zoo to the rank of honourable regimental sergeant major. The bird is the first to hold the rank in the Norwegian Army | ||
:'''2002 | :'''2002''': [http://www.harveynichols.com/output/Page145.asp Harvey Nicholls] opens a store in St Andrews Square | ||
:'''2004''': The [[Scottish Parliament Building]] opens in Holyrood | :'''2004''': The [[Scottish Parliament Building]] opens in Holyrood | ||
Latest revision as of 07:32, 20 April 2024
This represents a timeline of the history of Edinburgh, up to the present day.
1-999
- Late 1st century: Roman brooch and fine pottery from this period have been found
- c638: The Gododdin are defeated and the site is captured by Edwin of Northumbria
- 731: Edinburgh is possibly the town of Guidi mentioned by Bede
- 854: The first St Giles kirk is founded
- 960: Edinburgh temporarily falls into Scottish hands
1000-1099
- 1020: Malcolm II permanently annexes Edinburgh to Scotland
- 1074: Refortification of the castle and city begins under Malcolm III
- 1093: Queen Margaret dies at fort on "hill of Agned", regarded as a royal castle - St Margaret's chapel is built soon after.
1100-1199
- 1114: Infant Scottish heir Malcolm is murdered by a priest
- 1124 or 1127: First documentary evidence of a "church of the community or burgh of Edin"
- c1125: David I founds burgh
- 1128: David I founds Holyrood Abbey
- 1162: Edinburgh is the caput of the Lothian sheriffdom
1200-1299
- 1230: Alexander II founds large Dominican friary; a hospital is also open
- 1274: Lothian is an archdeaconry of St Andrews
- 1296: Edinburgh is again held by the English, and strongly fortified
1300-1399
- 1314: Edinburgh castle captured by Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray
- 1326-1331: Edinburgh's contribution to Scottish burgh taxes is 15%, half that of Aberdeen
- 1328: A treaty is signed guaranteeing Scottish independence
- 1329: Robert the Bruce makes the town a burgh, and establishes a port at Leith
- 1330: Wall between High Street and Cowgate is first mentioned; the castle is demolished by David II
- 1334: Scotland loses major port of Berwick to the English, Edinburgh's importance increases
- 1341: Scots regain castle from English
- 1360: Edinburgh has almost 4,000 houses, and is regarded as the nation's capital; the castle is the usual royal residence, being strengthened in stone
- 1364: David II grants ground for building of a new tron (weigh beam)
- 1367: David II begins work on major fortifications at the castle
- 1371: David II dies unexpectedly at the castle
- 1384: Duke of Lancaster extorts ransom following end of truce
- 1386: Robert II grants ground for building a tolbooth
- 1387: Five new chapels are added to St Giles' after English damage in 1385; St Giles' is the High Kirk
1400-1499
- 1400: Henry IV attempts to storm castle when Robert III refuses homage
- 1404: Old Corstorphine Parish Church built by Sir Adam Forrester
- 1437: Edinburgh becomes the capital of Scotland
- 1440: The Earl of Douglas and his brother are murdered at the castle by William Crichton
- 1440s: Edinburgh has 47% of Scottish wool trade
- c1449: Cordiners (shoemakers) is incorporated
- 1450-1475: There is a defensive wall around the city (The King's Wall)
- 1455-1458: Greyfriars (Franciscan) friary is founded
- 1457: The 508mm siege gun "Mons Meg" is received at castle; there are goldsmiths in the city
- 1458: Edinburgh has one of three supreme courts in the country
- Pre-1460: Trinity is a collegiate church
- 1467-1469: St Giles' gains collegiate status, a provost and fourteen prebendaries are established
- 1474-1475: Skinner and weaver crafts become guilds incorporated by the town council
- 1477: All fifteen of Edinburgh's markets are arranged along the length of the High Street
- 1479: A hospital is set up in Leith Wynd
- 1482: The Earls of Atholl and Buchan agree to free James III
- 1483: The Hammermen (smiths) are incorporated
- 1485: There is a notary in the Canongate; stone tenements appear in the city
- 1490: The Franciscan friary closes
1500-1599
- 1500: Edinburgh pays 60% of Scotland's customs revenue
- 1503: James IV marries Margaret Tudor
- 1505: Royal College of Surgeons founded
- 1507: James IV grants a patent for the first printing press in Scotland to Walter Chapman and Andrew Myllar
- 1513: Defeat by the English at the Battle of Flodden Field on 9 September = end of reign of James IV. On 10 September James V becomes King of Scotland. Building of a new southern wall begins in Edinburgh.
- 1520: Archibald Douglas, [Earl of Angus, seizes control of the city; Edinburgh is the "seat of courts of justice"
- 1523: City has fourteen craft guilds
- 1528: James V enters city with an army, to assert his right to rule; Holyrood Palace is built for him
- 1530: There are 288 brewers known as 'alewives' in the city, one for every forty people
- 1532: Holyrood Abbey is transformed into a royal palace; the Court of Session is built
- 1534: Norman Gourlay and David Stratton are burnt as heretics
- 1535-1556: Edinburgh contributes over 40% of Scotland's burgh taxation
- 1537: Jane Douglas, Lady of Glamis is burned at the stake for witchcraft and for conspiring to poison King James V.
- 1542: Cardinal Beaton is chosen as chief ruler of the city council. On 14 Deceber, the reign of James V of Scotland comes to an end and that of Mary Queen of Scots begins on the 15th
- 1544: Henry VIII begins his period of "rough wooing" aimed at imposing the marriage of his son to Mary Queen of Scots. Armies invade from the south and from the sea near Edinburgh. TheEarl of Hertford burns the city; Holyrood Palace and abbey burn
- 1547: 10 September: A large English army with naval support beats the Scots at the Battle of Pinkie, to the east of Edinburgh. The English occupy Edinburgh, (though not its castle).
- 1548: Another English army invades, and fortify at Haddington, a few miles south of Edinburgh. In June, a French army lands at Leith to support the Scots after an agreement that Mary Queen of Scots, (who is still only five years old), would marry Francois, the eldest son of King Henri II of France. The French besiege the English at Haddington. On 29 July, a French fleet rescues Mary Queen of Scots from Dumbarton and takes her to France.
- 1555: John Knox returns from exile
- 1558: Riots break out over French prosecution of Protestants; the Flodden Wall is complete; Edinburgh's population is now about 12,000; there are 367 merchants, and 400 craftsmen
- 1559: John Knox is appointed minister of St Giles' church
- 1560: English and French troops to withdraw under Treaty of Edinburgh; Reformation: 40 altars, aisles, and pillars are dedicated to different saints in St Giles'
- 1565: Mary Queen of Scots marries Lord Darnley, Henry Stuart
- 1566: Mary is held captive in Holyrood Palace; David Rizzio is stabbed
- 1567: Darnley is assassinated at Kirk o' Field House; James Hepburn is cleared of the murder
- 1569: The city is hit by an outbreak of the plague
- 1572 John Knox' Protestant leader dies in Edinburgh on 24 November
- 1573: A pro-Mary garrison is ousted from the castle by the regent, the Earl of Moray
- 1574: The castle's Half-Moon Battery is built; there are seven mills in Edinburgh
- Late 1570s: Edinburgh now has 4 ministers, previously it had only one
- 1579: James VI makes his state entry
- 1580s: There are some 400 merchants in Edinburgh
- 1581: James Douglas is executed for complicity in the murder of Lord Darnley
- 1582: The University of Edinburgh is founded and given a royal charter by King James VI - it is the fourth university in Scotland
- 1583: There are an estimated 500 merchants and 500 craftsmen in the city, of which 250 are tailors
- 1586: Skinners and goldsmiths form their own companies (previously part of the Company of Hammermen)
- 1591: Francis Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell escapes from imprisonment in castle
- 1592: Earl of Moray murdered by catholic Earl of Huntly; the presbytery takes the first Edinburgh census: there are c8,000 adults, split evenly between north and south of the High Street
- 1593: Earl of Bothwell take over at Holyrood Palace
- 1594: Earl of Bothwell fails to seize city
- 1596: Clergy demand arms to defend king and church against "papists"
1600-1699
- 1600: There are twelve roads out of Edinburgh
- 1602: Greyfriars Kirk is begun
- 1603: The headquarters of the Scottish Post Office is in Edinburgh - there is another post office in the Canongate; William Mayne makes golf clubs for James VI;
- 1604: The Laird of MacGregor and fourteen others are hanged for the Colquhoun massacre
- 1610: First factories spring up in Dalry
- 1610-1621: Andrew Hart publishes Napier's book of logs
- 1613: Lord Maxwell is hanged for the murder of the Laird of Johnstone
- 1614: John Napier discovers logarithms
- 1615: The Earl of Orkney is executed after a rebellion to overthrow James VI
- 1617: Gladstone's Land, 6-storey tenement in Lawnmarket, expanded (built originally in 1550s);
- 1618: Some seven-storey buildings have been built in the city; its population is c25,000, with about 475 merchants
- 1619: The Privy Council orders the city to clean up its streets; a hospital built in 1479 becomes a workhouse
- 1621: Edinburgh and Leith pay 44% of Scottish non-wine customs duty, and 66% of wine duty
- 1624: Edinburgh is hit by a plague epidemic
- c1625: Tailor's Hall is built in the Cowgate
- 1628-1636: The Teflfer Wall is built, from the Grassmarket to just beyond Greyfriars
- 1628-1693: George Heriot's Hospital, now a private school was erected to the South of Edinburgh Castle. The hospital was paid for by a gift of £30,000 from George Heriot, jeweller to King James VI.
- 1632: Work begins on Parliament House to house the Parliament of Scotland
- 1633: Charles I visits Edinburgh for his coronation at St Giles' Cathedral, but soon after precipitates a crisis by introducing episcopacy to the Church of Scotland, in the process making Edinburgh a bishopric for the first time.
- 1636: The construction of the Tron Church is begun; the city's population is c.30,000
- 1637: Introduction of new Prayer Book causes riots; a supplication is delivered to remove bishops from the privy council
- 1639: Decisions of Glasgow assembly are ratified
- 1640: Parliament House is completed
- 1641: Sir Robert Sibbald, later the Geographer Royal, is born
- 1642 or 1645: Outbreak of bubonic plague, the last of several outbreaks during the 16th and 17th centuries. Mary King's Close is abandoned
- 1647: A well-known map of the city is drawn by Rothiemay; the Tron Kirk is completed
- 1649: Covenanters execute royalist Marquis of Huntly; the town Corporation buys the area around West Port
- 1650: James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, is hanged; the castle surrenders to Oliver Cromwell's men; James Colquhoun builds early fire engines: one for Edinburgh, one for Glasgow
- 1650s: A new church is built in the Canongate
- 1652: A 'journey coach' to London is introduced - the journey takes a fortnight
- 1653: English forces break up the General Assembly
- 1655: A council of state is set up; ministers yield to the English
- 1660: A committee of estates resumes government of Scotland
- 1661: Thomas Sydserf produces the first Scottish newspaper; Archibald Campbell, Earl of Argyll, is executed
- 1663: The former Covenanter Archibald Johnston is executed
- 1667: The privy council empowers magnates to police the highlands
- 1670: Water is piped into the city from Comiston Springs. A Botanic Garden is founded at St Anne's Yards next to Holyrood Palace as a 'Physic Garden' for cultivating medicinal plants, by Robert Sibbald (later the first Professor of Medicine at Edinburgh University) and Dr Andrew Balfour. It is the second oldest botanic garden in Britain after Oxford's (which was founded in 1620).
- 1670s: Butchering of animals moves from the Grassmarket to Dalkeith
- 1671: John Law is born - he set up the national bank of France.
- 1675: Robert Sibbald co-founds physic garden planted at Holyrood
- 1677: The first coffee house opens in the city
- 1678: The first stagecoaches run to Glasgow
- 1679: Covenanters defeated at Bothwell Bridge, more than 1,000 survivors are imprisoned in Greyfriars.
- 1681: Robert Sibbald founds Royal College of Physicians, whose patron is the Duke of York; Viscount Stair publishes his Institutions of the Laws of Scotland
- 1682: Sir George Mackenzie founds Advocates' Library - forerunner to the National Library of Scotland
- 1688: Royal government collapses as Chancellor Perth flees
- 1691: Canongate Church built and open for burial.
- 1690s: Lawyers have more wealth than all merchants and craftsmen in the burgh combined; over 20% of the population is in manufacturing
- 1694: There are more professionals than merchants in Edinburgh; 200 legals (advocates to lawyers), 24 surgeons, and 33 physicians; other occupations include aleseller, executioner, royal trumpeter, and keeper of the signet; the ratio of sexes in the city is 70 males:100 females - there are over 5000 domestic servants in Edinburgh
- 1696: The Scottish Privy Council orders a search for books deemed "atheistical, erroneous or profane or vicious" in the stock of Edinburgh booksellers.
- 1697: Thomas Aikenhead, a student at Edinburgh University is hanged for blasphemy
1700-1799
- 1700: A severe fire leads to new buildings, built in stone; the estimated population is 60,000
- 1702: Advocates' Library moved from Faculty of Advocates to Parliament House
- 1706: Framework knitters from Haddington are working in Edinburgh
- 1707: Act of Union- The Union of the Scottish and English Parliaments
- 1711: David Hume, the philosopher who "ruined Philosophy and Faith" is born
- 1713: The main radial roads into Edinburgh are turnpiked
- 1715: Jacobites fail to take castle
- 1718: Edinburgh Evening Courant newspaper is launched; damasks are woven at Drumsheugh
- 1720: 21 pirates, captured with their ship The Eagle are thrown into the dungeons of Edinburgh Castle. Most will be hanged on Leith Sands.
- 1720s: The English spy Daniel Defoe praises the Royal Mile, decries Tolbooth or prison, notes sales of woollens, linens, drapery and mercery
- 1722: The Signet Library is founded
- 1725:The poet Allan Ramsay publishes The Gentle Shepherd
- 1726: Allan Ramsay established the first circulating library; a medical school at the city's college is founded; James Hutton, the 'father of geology', is born
- 1729: The city's first infirmary is opened
- 1733: Alexander Monro secunduus, discoverer of lymphatic and nervous systems, is born
- 1735: Golf is played on Bruntsfield links; also the traditional date the Royal Burgess Golfing Society is founded
- 1736: The Royal Infirmary is incorporated; The Porteous riots break out when the city guard, led by John Porteous fires on a mob during another execution. Porteous is imprisoned, but is seized from prison by armed men who lynch him in the Grassmarket.
- 1737: The Lord Provost is ousted following the riots
- 1738: Edinburgh is described as the "world's leading medical centre"; John Watson's College is founded
- 1739: The Scots Magazine is first published in the city
- 1740: There are four printing firms in Edinburgh; the biographer James Boswell is born
- 1741: 'Deacon' Brodie is born
- 1744: The first premises at Fountainbridge are built, with more than five looms
- The Honorary Society of Edinburgh Golfers (the world's first golf club) is founded
- 1745: Charles Edward Stuart ("Bonny Prince Charlie")enters the city
- 1746: The British Linen Company is formed
- 1747: A theatre is established at Playhouse Close in the Canongate
- 1748: Adam Smith begins his public lectures in Edinburgh
- 1749: A stagecoach service opens between Edinburgh and Glasgow
- 1750: A ropery is established in the city
- 1753: Stagecoach services are introduced to London (taking two weeks)
- 1754: The Select Society is founded
- 1756: John Home's play Douglas is performed at the Canongate Theatre, and is greeted with enthusiasm: one of the audience is moved to shout "Whaur's yer Wully Shakespere noo!"
- 1757-1770: Linen weaving works in Canongate
- 1758: Stagecoach services are introduced to Newcastle (taking one week)
- 1759: The Nor' Loch is drained; the site is now Princes Street Gardens.
- 1760: First school for deaf children opens
- 1760s: Woollen cloth is beetled in a lapping house in Edinburgh
- 1761: The Bruntsfield Golfing Society is formed
- 1763: Construction of the North Bridge, designed by Robert Adam, begins; a four-horse coach runs to Glasgow three times a week. Buccleuch Cemetery opened
- 1765: The Glasgow coach now runs daily
- 1766: The competition to design the New Town is won by James Craig. Joseph Black succeeds William Cullen as Professor of Chemistry at the University.
- 1767: Construction of the New Town begins; this will lead to the "Great Flitting" as the middle classes move from the Old Town. The Theatre Royal opens on 9 December 1767, in Shakespere Square, at the east end of Princes Street. The occasion is commemorated in verse by James Boswell. The foundation stone was laid on 16 March 1768.
- 1770: The British Linen Company switches to banking; the Heriot Brewery starts
- 1770s: There are 27 competing printing firms in the city
- 1771: Sir Walter Scott is born
- 1772: Construction of the North Bridge is completed
- 1773 or 1777: Penny-post service begins
- 1775: A directory of brothels and prostitutes is published; Edinburgh has an estimated population of 57,000
- 1776:Adam Smith's masterpiece The Wealth of Nations is published
- 1777: There are 8 legal and 400 illegal distilleries in the city
- 1781: The Mound road is opened
- 1782: The voting system is criticised by Thomas McGrugar in Letters of Zeno
- 1784: James (Balloon) Tytler becomes the first Briton to ascend in a hot air balloon - the ‘Grand Edinburgh Fire Balloon’.
- 1785-1786: Stone bridge at Stockbridge
- 1786-1788: The South Bridge is built
- 1788: William "Deacon" Brodie, leader of a gang of robbers is hanged. He is buried at Buccleuch Cemetery; the first stone of Edinburgh University's Old College is laid.
- 1792: The Friends of the People Society meets for the first time; Charlotte Square in the New Town is designed by Robert Adam
- 1793: Thomas Muir, a radical reformer and leader of the Friends of the People Society is arrested and charged with sedition.
- 1794: Robert Watt, a former spy, is sentenced to death for the "Pike Plot". [1] Sir Walter Scott is involved in a riot at the Theatre Royal when some of the audience refuse to stand for the National Anthem.
- 1799: City has access to 3 million litres of water a day
1800-1899
- 1800: Charlotte Square is completed; Stein's large Canongate brewery is built
- c1800: National Museum of Antiquities is established
- 1802: The Edinburgh Review is published, offering literary criticism
- 1802-1806: The Bank of Scotland head office is built
- 1803: Dorothy Wordsworth stays in the "White Hart" inn in the Grassmarket
- 1814: A protest meeting against West Indian slavery is held; two coaches a day run to Stirling
- 1816-1819: Regent Bridge is built, The Nelson monoment is built on Calton Hill.
- 1817: Coal gas supplies are available in the city; coal fires begin to lose popularity; the old tolbooth in Waterloo Place is demolished.
- 1818: The Union Canal is begun; Calton Hill observatory is founded by the Edinburgh Astronomical Association
- 1819: Five coaches a day run between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Buccleuch Cemetery is declared full.
- 1820: The population is now 138,000. There are protests at George IV's treatment of Queen Caroline. East Preston Street Cemetery is opened. The Edinburgh Freethinkers' Zetetic Society is formed.
- 1822: King George IV visits Edinburgh and wears the kilt; the first Highland and Agricultural Show takes place. The last public whipping in Edinburgh takes place on 31st July.
- 1823: The Bannatyne Club is founded by Sir Walter Scott to publish rare works of Scottish interest in history, poetry, or literature. It published 116 volumes before being dissolved in 1861.
- 1824: A large fire destroys many buildings
- 1825: Eight Royal Mail coaches and over fifty stage coaches leave Edinburgh each day
- 1826: The Royal Scottish Academy is founded
- 1828: William Burke is tried for murder, to supply bodies for anatomical dissection
- 1829: William Burke is hanged and his body given for anatomical dissection. The National monument is erected.
- 1831: The Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway opens (known as The Innocent Railway), as railways start to come to the city
- 1832: A cholera outbreak occurs in the city; The Scotsman newspaper incorporates the Caledonian Mercury
- 1833: The city goes bankrupt; partly due to the development of Leith docks
- 1835: Edinburgh's New Town is completed, and the Old Town becomes a slum
- 1836: The Royal Institution opens, designed by William Playfair
- 1840: Barnard's Canongate brewery is expanded
- 1841-1851: Donaldson's hospital for the deaf is built
- 1842: Edinburgh-Glasgow railway line is open to the public
- 1843: Disruption of the Church of Scotland. Warriston Cemetery is opened by the Edinburgh Cemetery Company.
- 1844-1846: The Scott Monument is built
- 1846: The North British Railway company is established, and railways link Edinburgh and London
- 1847: Alexander Graham Bell is born in the city; half of Edinburgh's population attend the funeral of Thomas Chalmers
- 1850: The foundation stone of the Scottish National Gallery is laid; the Holyrood brewery is enlarged for the third time. Robert Louis Stevenson is born in Edinburgh
- 1851: The British Linen Bank head office opens on St Andrews Square, in the New Town
- 1853: The Edinburgh Trades Council is established
- 1856: The burgh of Canongate becomes part of Edinburgh
- 1859: The National Gallery opens
- 1860: Bank of Scotland has 43 branches
- 1861: Industrial museum built beside university (now the Royal Museum)
- 1864:On 21st June, George Bryce ("The Ratho murderer") was hanged for the murder of Jane Seaton: the last public execution in Edinburgh.
- 1864-1870: Bank of Scotland head office re-designed and extended
- 1865: Report on city’s sanitation paints picture of degradation
- 1867: Scottish Women’s Suffrage Society holds meetings for first time
- 1869: Sophia Jex-Blake becomes the first female medical student
- 1870: Fettes College opens
- 1870-1879: New buildings for the Royal Infirmary
- 1872: Watt Institution and School of Arts begins to be built
- Greyfriars Bobby dies, aged 16.
- 1875: Royal Theatre destroyed by fire; Institute of Bankers founded
- 1881: Dean Distillery opens, converted from Dean Mills
- 1882: City brought to standstill by severe winter weather
- 1883: Chair of Celtic established at the university
- 1885: Watt Institution and School of Arts merges with George Heriot’s to become Heriot-Watt College
- 1889: City hit by earthquake; Charles Parnell granted freedom of the city
- 1890: Free public library opens to public
- 1892: Drybroughs’ brewery moves to Craigmillar; McVitie's devise ‘digestive biscuits’. The Empire Palace Theatre, designed by Frank Matcham opens, accommodating 3000 theatregoers in lavishly ornate surroundings.
- 1896-1900: Abbey brewery built by Robert Younger
1900-1999
- 1901: Edinburgh University appoints its first Professor of Scottish history
- 1902: Waverley Station is complete; the North British Hotel opens (later to become the 'Balmoral Hotel')
- 1903: The Floral Clock is installed in Princes Street Gardens. Hands were added in 1904, and the cuckoo in 1905.
- 1905: Moray House in Canongate becomes a teacher training centre
- 1905-1906: The "King’s Theatre" is built at Tollcross
- 1907: Work begins on constructing the Edinburgh College of Art
- 1910: First electric trams run
- 1911: The Palladium Cinema opens. A fire breaks out during a show at the Empire Palace Theatre, killing 11. Amongst the dead is "The Great Lafayette" - the highest paid illusionist of his time. Lafayette was performing his signature illusion, 'the Lion's Bride', when an electrical fault caused a fire. Lafayette died trying to rescue Arizona, his black stallion. A body, believed to be Lafayette's was sent for cremation, but two days later, workers found another body - the body that had been sent for cremation was that of the illusionist's body double. Lafayette is buried at Piershill Cemetery, with his terrier Beauty who had died four days earlier.
- 1911-1914: The Usher Hall is built, the concert hall is gifted to the city by a whisky distiller
- 1912: The "Mansion House" and surrounding estate is purchased for £17,000 by The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, and Edinburgh Zoo opens here on 22 July 1913.
- 1914: The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) is formed at Edinburgh in September 1914 by the Lord Provost and City
- 1915: Edinburgh Airport begins life as Turnhouse Aerodrome for the Royal Flying Corps; it houses the 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron, consisting of DH 9As, Westland Wapitis, Hawker Harts, and Hawker Hind light bombers
- 1916: The Bank of Scotland has its first female employee
- 1916-1918: Tanks are built by Brown Brothers in the city
- 1921: The Garrick Theatre burns down
- 1925: The National Library of Scotland is formed from the former Advocates’ Library
- 1928: The Flying Scotsman provides a fast rail link to London; the city’s first traffic lights are at Broughton Street. The Empire Palace Theatre reopens as the Empire Theatre.
- 1932: George Watson’s College moves to Morningside
- 1946: A telephone upgrade takes place, allowing all-city dialling
- 1946-1947: Electric trams in the city carry 16 million passengers a month
- 1947: The Edinburgh International Festival is launched, the Festival programme includes Margot Fonteyn in 'Sleeping Beauty' at the Empire Theatre; restoration of Canongate
- 1949: The Abercrombie Plan introduces ring roads and a bypass
- 1951: Two central (manual) phone exchanges handle over 9,500 lines
- 1952: The Bank of Scotland takes over the Union Bank of Scotland, giving 453 combined branches
- 1956: The Edinburgh tram system closes
- 1958: Queen Elizabeth II receives the last debutantes
- 1959: Old Town population declines to 2,000
- 1960: Infirmary Street baths are damaged by fire. The first kidney transplant in UK is performed at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh
- 1963: The Evening Despatch and Edinburgh Evening News merge; Empire Theatre becomes a bingo hall
- 1966: Heriot-Watt gains university status
- 1968: The Palladium Theatre fails, and becomes a disco
- 1968-1969: The Royal Bank of Scotland takes over National Commercial Bank of Scotland
- 1969: The Bank of Scotland absorbs the British Linen Bank; Tollcross Bus Depot closes
- 1970: The Commonwealth Games are held in the city; The Scots win 6 gold medals, including Lachie Stewart, who defeated Ron Clarke in the 10,000m, and Ian Stewart who took the 5,000m title. The St James’ Centre, including a new St Andrews House, is completed
- 1971: Tom Farmer starts Kwik-Fit
- 1972: A youth hostel opens at Eglington Crescent; Bell’s Mills are destroyed by an explosion
- 1974: David Murray, later connected with Glasgow Rangers, starts Murray International Metals
- 1976: A new Fountain Brewery is built by Scottish & Newcastle
- 1985: The population of the city is 440,000
- 1989: The National Gallery of Scotland is renovated
- 1990: Edinburgh Castle is first, and Holyrood Palace eighth, in ranking of paid Scottish tourist attractions
- 1994: The old Empire Theatre, restored to its 1928 glory, re-opens as The Edinburgh Festival Theatre, with a capacity of 1915 seats
- 1996: Infirmary St baths close
- 19997: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is published, it was written by JK Rowling in part in cafes in the Old Town
- 1998: The Museum of Scotland is built
- 1999: The Scottish Parliament is opened by the Queen
2000-2007
- 2001: Norway promotes a king penguin at Edinburgh Zoo to the rank of honourable regimental sergeant major. The bird is the first to hold the rank in the Norwegian Army
- 2002: Harvey Nicholls opens a store in St Andrews Square
- 2004: The Scottish Parliament Building opens in Holyrood