Important Dates In Barcelona History
3rd and 2nd centuries BC
Area is settled by the Laietani
230 BC
Carthaginian Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal, builds and names city Barkenon, Barcelino or Barci Nova
14th BC
Romans establishes a Roman military camp with the center on “Mons Taber”, a mound near the contemporary city hall. The colony is called Barcino short for Colonia Faventia Julia Augusta Pia Barcino
250
The first raids by the Germanic tribes started
Early 5th Century
The city is conquered by the Visigoths.
507
After the death of Alaric II at the Battle of Vouillé, his successor Gesalec (507–511) moved the capital from Tolosa to Barcino.
Early 8th Century
Conquered By the Moors and is now called Barshiluna
801
Reconquered by Charlemagne’s son Louis.
Barcelona is made the seat of Carolingian “Spanish Marches” (Marca Hispanica),.
985
City is sacked by Al-Mansur in 985.
1137
Aragon and the County of Barcelona merged by the marriage of Ramon Berenguer IV and Petronilla of Aragon
1469
The marriage of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella of Castile in 1469 unite two royal lines.
The centre of political power becomes Madrid.
1701-1714
The Catalan nobility sided with the Habsburgs against the Bourbon Philip V in the War of the Spanish Succession.
Their defeat led to the abolition of Catalan autonomy and to an end of the national influence of the city of Barcelona.
1888
Barcelona hosts the Universal Exposition.
1897
The city absorbed six surrounding municipalitiesand the new district of the Eixample was laid out.
1924
The metro is inaugurated
1929
A second major international exhibition is organised.
July 1936
Spain is plunged into civil war.
Several of the athletes who arriving in Barcelona for the People’s Olympics form the first of the Republican International Brigades, made famous by the writers Ernest Hemingway and George Orwell.
March 16th, 1938
Barcelona is bombarded for three days at the height of the Spanish Civil War. Italian aircraft stationed on Majorca attack 13 times dropping 44 tons of bombs, aimed at the civil population. These attacks are at the request of General Franco as retribution against the Catalan population. The medieval Cathedral of Barcelona is bombed and more than one thousand people die, including many children.
January 26, 1939
The city falls into Nationalist hands.
The autonomous institutions of Catalonia is abolished and the use of the Catalan language in public life is suppressed and forbidded.
September 11, 1977
Massive, yet peaceful, demonstrations of over a million people in the streets of Barcelona call for the restoration of Catalan autonomy. It is granted less than a month later.
1986
Spain is included in the European Community.
Barcelona is deemed the host city of the 1992 Summer Olympics.
