The timeline of Cardiff history shows the significant events in the history of

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

which transformed it from a small

Roman fort ''Castra'' () is a Latin term used during the Roman Republic and Roman Empire for a military 'camp', and ''castrum'' () for a 'fort'. Either could refer to a building or plot of land, used as a fortified military base.. Included is a discuss ...

into the modern

capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

city of

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. The word ''Caerdyf'' has its origins in post-Roman Brythonic words meaning "the fort of the Taff". The

fort A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from La ...

probably refers to that established by the

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

. ''Caer'' is Welsh for ''fort'' and ''-dyf'' is in effect a form of ''Taf'' (Taff), the river which flows by Cardiff Castle.Hywel Wyn Owen and Richard Morgan, ''Dictionary of the Place-names of Wales''. University of Wales Press, 2007, , p. 70.

The Roman settlement

50s AD: A settlement was established by the Romans. 75: A Roman fort at Cardiff, where

Cardiff Castle Cardiff Castle () is a medieval castle and Victorian Gothic revival mansion located in the city centre of Cardiff, Wales. The original motte and bailey castle was built in the late 11th century by Norman invaders on top of a 3rd-century Roma ...

now is, was established. 380s: The Romans abandoned Cardiff.

The Viking settlement

850: The Vikings attacked the Welsh coast. They used Cardiff as a base and then as a port. Street names such as Dumballs Road and Womanby Street come from the Vikings. The Keep Cardiff Castle

The Norman town

1081:

William the Conqueror William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...

led an army through southern Wales and may have erected defences at Cardiff on the site of the old Roman fort. 1100: A small town outside the castle was establishing itself. It was made up primarily of

settler A settler or a colonist is a person who establishes or joins a permanent presence that is separate to existing communities. The entity that a settler establishes is a Human settlement, settlement. A settler is called a pioneer if they are among ...

s Norman/Saxon people. 1111: Cardiff town walls were first mentioned by Caradoc of Llancarfan in his book ''

Brut y Tywysogion ''Brut y Tywysogion'' () is one of the most important primary sources for Welsh history. It is an annalistic chronicle that serves as a continuation of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s ''Historia Regum Britanniae''. ''Brut y Tywysogion'' has survived ...

''. 1126: Ralph "Prepositus de Kardi" took up office as the first Mayor of Cardiff. 1158:

Ifor Bach Ifor Bach (meaning Ivor the Short) (fl. 1158) also known as Ifor ap Meurig and in anglicised form Ivor Bach, Lord of Senghenydd, was a twelfth-century resident in and a leader of the Welsh in south Wales. Welsh Lord of Senghenydd At this period ...

, Lord of Senghenydd attacked

and carried off William of Gloucester, Lord of Glamorgan. 1180: St John the Baptist Church built. 1294: The Glamorgan Welsh attacked

. 1315:

Llywelyn Bren Llywelyn Bren (), or Llywelyn ap Gruffudd ap Rhys / Llywelyn ap Rhys (also Llewelyn) or in . He was a nobleman who led a 1316 revolt in Wales in the reign of King Edward II of England. It marked the last serious challenge to English rule in Wa ...

, a great-grandson of Ifor Bach, attacked Cardiff Castle. 1318: Llewelyn Bren

executed Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence (law), sentence ordering that an offender b ...

at Cardiff as a traitor. 1324: Edward II.’s charter indicates that "Cardiff had become an important trading and shipping centre." 1327: Cardiff declared a

Staple Port The staple right, also translated stacking right or storage right, both from the Dutch , was a medieval right accorded to certain ports, the staple ports. It required merchant barges or ships to unload their goods at the port and to display them f ...

. 1340: Hugh le Despenser "grants an important early charter." 1404:

Owain Glyndŵr Owain ap Gruffydd (28 May 135420 September 1415), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr (Glyn Dŵr, , anglicised as Owen Glendower) was a Welsh people, Welsh leader, soldier and military commander in the Wales in the late Middle Ages, late Middle ...

captured Cardiff Castle.

The county town of Glamorganshire

1536: The legislative union of England and Wales (

Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542 The Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 () or the Acts of Union (), were acts of the Parliament of England under King Henry VIII of England, causing Wales to be incorporated into the realm of the Kingdom of England. The legal system of England ...

) was established. The

shire Shire () is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries. It is generally synonymous with county (such as Cheshire and Worcestershire). British counties are among the oldes ...

of Glamorgan was established and Cardiff became the

county town In Great Britain and Ireland, a county town is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county, and the place where public representatives are elected to parliament. Following the establishment of county councils in ...

and the Herbert family became the most powerful family in Cardiff. 1551: William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, became the first Baron Cardiff (Baron Herbert of Cardiff). 1542: Cardiff became a free borough. 1574:

Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, KG, KB (19 January 1601) was an English peer and politician. He was the nephew of Katherine Parr and brother-in-law of Lady Jane Grey through his first wife. During Elizabeth's reign, he held administr ...

, began restoration work to Cardiff Castle. 1595: The first shipment of coal was exported from Cardiff docks. 1608:

King James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) * James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) * James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu * James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334� ...

granted a

Royal Charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...

to the town of Cardiff. 1610: A map of Cardiff was produced by

John Speed John Speed (1551 or 1552 – 28 July 1629) was an English cartographer, chronologer and historian of Cheshire origins.; superseding . The son of a citizen and Merchant Taylor in London,"Life of John Speed", ''The Hibernian Magazine, Or, Compe ...

. 1645: Charles I. visited the town after the

Battle of Naseby The Battle of Naseby took place on 14 June 1645 during the First English Civil War, near the village of Naseby in Northamptonshire. The Roundhead, Parliamentarian New Model Army, commanded by Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron, Sir Th ...

. 1648: The Battle of St. Fagans was fought between the Parliamentarian Army and the

Royalists A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gover ...

. It was the last major battle to occur in Wales; some 8,000 Royalists were defeated in a two-hour fight by 3,000 Parliamentarian troops of the

New Model Army The New Model Army or New Modelled Army was a standing army formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians during the First English Civil War, then disbanded after the Stuart Restoration in 1660. It differed from other armies employed in the 1639 t ...

with about 200 soldiers, mainly Royalists, killed. 1737:

Flat Holm Flat Holm () is a Welsh island lying in the Bristol Channel approximately from Lavernock Point in the Vale of Glamorgan. It includes the most southerly point of Wales. The island has a long history of occupation, dating at least from the B ...

Lighthouse was built. 1766:

John Stuart, 1st Marquess of Bute John Stuart, 1st Marquess of Bute Privy Council of Great Britain, PC, Royal Society, FRS (30 June 1744 – 16 November 1814), styled Lord Mount Stuart until 1792 and known as the Earl of Bute between 1792 and 1794, was a British nobleman, coa ...

married into the Herberts, the great local landowning family. 1774: An Act of Parliament established the

Improvement Commissioners Boards of improvement commissioners were ''ad hoc'' urban local government boards created during the 18th and 19th centuries in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and its predecessors the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Irel ...

, responsible for paving, cleaning streets and providing oil lamp lighting in Cardiff. 1776: John Stuart was created Baron Cardiff of Cardiff Castle. 1778: The reconstruction of

began.

19th-century growth of Cardiff

1793:

John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute, Knight of the Thistle, KT, Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (10 August 1793 – 18 March 1848), styled Lord Mount Stuart between 1794 and 1814, was a wealthy Scottish aristocrat and industrialist in Ge ...

was born. He is later described as the creator of modern Cardiff, building the Port of Cardiff. 1794:

Glamorganshire Canal The Glamorganshire Canal () in South Wales, UK, was begun in 1790. It ran along the valley of the River Taff from Merthyr Tydfil to the Bristol Channel at Cardiff. The final section of canal was closed in 1951. History Construction started ...

opened, it ran from

Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil () is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydfil, daughter of K ...

to the sea at Cardiff. 1801: Population: 1,870. 1815: Boat service between Cardiff and

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

was established, running twice a week. 1819: Cardiff Free School for boys and girls was opened. 1821: Cardiff Gas Works was established. 1826: The first theatre in Cardiff, the Theatre Royal, was opened. 1831: Population: 6,187. 1832: A new county

gaol A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where people are imprisoned under the authority of the state, usually as punishment for various cri ...

was built in the Spital Field (the site of the present

Cardiff Prison HM Prison Cardiff (Welsh: ) is a Category B men's prison, located in the Adamsdown area of Cardiff, Wales. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service. History By 1814, the existing Cardiff Gaol was deemed insufficient for coping ...

). 1835: Elections take place on 26 December to Cardiff's new Borough Council. 1836: The first meeting of Cardiff's Borough Council takes place on 1 January. Thomas Revel Guest became the first elected Mayor of Cardiff and also Judge of the Borough Court of Record. 1839: West Bute Dock opened. 1840: The first railway station in Cardiff opened at Crockherbtown, owned by the

Taff Vale Railway The Taff Vale Railway (TVR) was a standard gauge railway in South Wales, built by the Taff Vale Railway Company to serve the iron and coal industries around Merthyr Tydfil and to connect them with docks in Cardiff. It was opened in stage ...

. The service ran from Cardiff to Navigation House (now Abercynon). The line was extended from Navigation House to Merthyr Tydfil in 1841 (the Taff Vale Railway, ''DSM Barrie'' 1969). 1850: Cardiff Water Company was established to provide water for Cardiff. 1853: The new Town Hall opened. 1855: The

began a train service from the

Rhondda Valley Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley ( ), is a former coal mining, coalmining area in South Wales, historically in the county of Glamorgan. It takes its name from the River Rhondda, and embraces two valleys – the larger Rhondda Fawr valley (, 'la ...

to Cardiff. 1857: The last public execution in Cardiff was held. 1857: '' The Cardiff Times'' was published from 1857 to 1928. 1858:

Rhymney Railway The Rhymney Railway (RR) was a railway company in South Wales, founded to transport minerals and materials to and from Colliery, collieries and ironworks in the Rhymney Valley of South Wales, and to docks in Cardiff. It opened a main line in 18 ...

opened a main line and a limited passenger service. 1859: Cardiff Bridge was built, a new stone bridge. 1860: The Principality Building Society was established. 1861: Population: 32,954. Cardiff Victorian Turkish Baths and the dock feeder

Cardiff Victorian Turkish Baths and the dock feeder

1862: The

Guildford Crescent Baths The Guildford Crescent Baths, originally known as the Corporation Baths, was a public swimming pool building in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. It was demolished in 1985. Background The swimming baths in Guildford Crescent, Cardiff, were originally ...

were opened in April by the Cardiff Baths Company Ltd, including two swimming pools, a Victorian Turkish bath and a gymnasium. 1863: The Royal Arcade opened, the first of many shopping arcades in Cardiff. 1865: James Howell established Howells department store. 1867:

Cardiff Cricket Club Cardiff Cricket Club is a cricket club based in Whitchurch, Cardiff, Wales. It was established in 1819 and forms the cricket section of Cardiff Athletic Club with its headquarters at Cardiff Arms Park. The first team plays in the South Wales P ...

was established with

Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Arms Park (), also known as The Arms Park, is primarily a rugby union stadium, and also has a bowling green. It is situated in Cardiff, Wales, next to the Millennium Stadium. The Arms Park was host to the 1958 British Empire and Common ...

as its ground. 1867: '' Western Mail'' founded by

John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute John Patrick Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, (12 September 1847 – 9 October 1900) was a Scottish landed aristocrat, industrial magnate, antiquarian, scholar, philanthropist, and architectural patron. When Bute succeeded to the marq ...

. 1872:

Clock Tower was completed. 1873: Swiss Bridge, Cardiff Castle built for

. 1876: Cardiff Arms Park hosted the first

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby union: 15 players per side *** American flag rugby *** Beach rugby *** Mini rugby *** Rugby sevens, 7 players per side *** Rugby tens, 10 players per side *** Snow rugby *** Tou ...

game between Cardiff Rugby Club and Swansea Rugby Club. 1879: The Cardiff Town Council took over responsibility of the water supply from the Cardiff Water Company. 1881: The first grandstand was built at

; it held 300 spectators. 1882: Opening of the new Cardiff Free Library, Museum and Schools for Science and Art in The Hayes. 1883:

Cardiff Royal Infirmary Cardiff Royal Infirmary () (also known as the CRI or YBC) is a hospital in central Cardiff, Wales. It is managed by the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. History The hospital has its origins in the Cardiff Dispensary, which began on Ne ...

current building opened. 1883: The

National Eisteddfod The National Eisteddfod of Wales ( Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competito ...

was held in Cardiff. 1883: Aberdare Hall established, it is University hall of residence. 1884: The Cardiff Arms Park hosted its first international match, a rugby union encounter between

and Ireland. 1885/6: In the rugby season, Frank Hancock

Cardiff RFC Cardiff Rugby Football Club () is a rugby union club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876Parry-Jones (1989), pg 59 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, shortly after which relocating to Ca ...

, introduced new 'two-centre' tactical innovation, since adopted worldwide. 1886: The

Coal Exchange The Coal Exchange (also known as the Exchange Building) is a historic building in Cardiff, Wales. It is designed in Renaissance Revival style. Built in 1888 as the Coal and Shipping Exchange to be used as a market floor and office building for ...

was opened to conduct trade for the growing industry. Pierhead Building Cardiff Bay

1889: Cardiff became a county borough,

Cardiff County Borough Council Cardiff County Borough Council, known as Cardiff City Council after Cardiff achieved city status in 1905, was the elected local authority that administered the town (later city) and county borough of Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales between 1889 and ...

was independent of the new

Glamorgan County Council Glamorgan County Council was established in 1889 together with the administrative county of Glamorganshire under the Local Government Act 1888. The first elections to the council were held in January 1889. The council was abolished under the Loca ...

. 1893:

Ivor Novello Ivor Novello (born David Ivor Davies; 15 January 1893 – 6 March 1951) was a Welsh actor, dramatist, singer and composer who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century. He was born into a musical ...

was born in

Cowbridge Road East Cowbridge Road East () is a major road in western-central Cardiff, the capital of Wales. It is the principal road which passes through the busy district of Riverside, Cardiff, Riverside and Canton, Cardiff, Canton and connects Cowbridge Road W ...

, Cardiff. 1893: University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire became the

University of Wales The University of Wales () is a confederal university based in Cardiff, Wales. Founded by royal charter in 1893 as a federal university with three constituent colleges – Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff – the university was the first universit ...

. 1894
Cardiff Masonic Hall Company Ltd
was established after purchasing the thirty-year-old Methodist chapel at Guildford Street. 1895: The first

Welsh Grand National The Coral Welsh Grand National is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Chepstow, Wales, over a distance of ...

hunt race was run at Ely Racecourse. 1897: The

Pierhead Building The Pierhead Building () is a Grade I listed building in Cardiff Bay, Wales. It was built in 1897 as the headquarters for the Bute Dock Company. The Pierhead Building is part of the estate of the Senedd (Welsh Parliament; ), which also includes ...

was built. 1899: Riverside Football Club, later to be renamed

Cardiff City Cardiff City Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It currently competes in , the third tier of the English football league system in the 2025–26 season following relegation. Founded in 1899 a ...

, was formed. 1901: Population: 164,333. 1903: The first building in

Cathays Park Cathays Park () or Cardiff Civic Centre is a civic centre area in the Cardiff City Centre, city centre of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, consisting of a number of early 20th century buildings and a central park area, Alexandra Gardens. It ...

, the University of Wales, Registry, was opened. 1904: Cardiff Town Hall opened, later renamed City Hall. Cardiff City Hall cropped

The city of Cardiff – the largest coal port in the world

1905: Cardiff was granted

city status City status is a symbolic and legal designation given by a monarch, national or subnational government. A municipality may receive city status because it already has the qualities of a city, or because it has some special purpose. Historically, ci ...

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second child ...

and the

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

became the

Lord Mayor Lord mayor is a title of a mayor of what is usually a major city in a Commonwealth realm, with special recognition bestowed by the sovereign. However, the title or an equivalent is present in other countries, including forms such as "high mayor". A ...

, with the right to use "

The Right Honourable ''The Right Honourable'' (abbreviation: The Rt Hon. or variations) is an honorific Style (form of address), style traditionally applied to certain persons and collective bodies in the United Kingdom, the former British Empire, and the Commonwealt ...

". 1907: Queen Alexandra Dock was opened; it was the largest in Cardiff. 1909: The University building in Cathays Park was opened. The first Clark's Pies were produced. 1910: Cardiff City played their first match at

Ninian Park Ninian Park was a association football, football stadium in the Leckwith, Cardiff, Leckwith area of Cardiff, Wales, that was the home of Cardiff City F.C. for 99 years. Opened in 1910 with a single wooden stand, it underwent numerous renovatio ...

. 1912:

National Museum Cardiff National Museum Cardiff (), formerly known as the National Museum of Wales, is a museum and art gallery in Cardiff, Wales. The museum is part of the wider network of Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales. Entry is kept free by a grant from the Wel ...

established, opening to the public in 1922. 1913: The record amount of around 10.7 million tons of coal were exported through Cardiff docks. This was the high point of the docks.

The decline of the docks

1916:

Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British author of popular children's literature and short stories, a poet, screenwriter and a wartime Flying ace, fighter ace. His books have sold more than 300 million copies ...

was born in

Llandaff Llandaff (; ; from 'church' and ''River Taff, Taf'') is a district, Community (Wales), community and coterminous electoral ward in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It was incorporated into the city in 1922. It is the seat of the Bisho ...

, Cardiff. 1919: Four days of race riots take place in June, leading to the deaths of three men. 1923: The

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

began broadcasting from studios in Castle Street. 1927:

beat

Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

1–0 to win the

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...

. 1930: Cardiff Round Table, the local branch of Round Table Britain & Ireland, was founded, being the 26th table in the organisation. 1931:

Cardiff Municipal Airport Royal Air Force Pengam Moors, or more simply RAF Pengam Moors, (or also known as RAF Cardiff), is a former Royal Air Force station and maintenance unit (MU), located on the Pengam Moors area of Tremorfa, situated south east of Cardiff city ce ...

was opened on Pengam Moors. 1932: The first miners'

hunger march Hunger marches are a form of protest, social protest that arose in the United Kingdom during the early 20th century. Often the marches involved groups of men and women walking from areas with high unemployment to London where they would protest ou ...

to start in Cardiff, left for

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

to protest about unemployment. 1935: The first RAC Welsh Rally started from Cardiff. 1937:

Shirley Bassey Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the James Bond music, theme songs to three James Bond films - the only artist to officially perform more than o ...

was born in

Tiger Bay Tiger Bay () was the local name for an area of Cardiff which covered Butetown and Cardiff Docks. Following the building of the Cardiff Barrage, which dams the tidal rivers, Ely and Taff, to create a body of water, it is referred to as Car ...

, Cardiff. 1938: The county borough of Cardiff was extended to include Rumney. 1939: Billy the Seal died. 1941: The heaviest German Luftwaffe raid of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the

Cardiff Blitz The Cardiff Blitz (); refers to the bombing of Cardiff, Wales during World War II. Between 1940 and the final raid on the city in March 1944 approximately 2,100 bombs fell, killing 355 people. Cardiff Docks became a strategic bombing targe ...

, occurred; 156 people were killed. 1946:

Welsh National Opera Welsh National Opera (WNO) () is an opera company based in Cardiff, Wales. WNO gave its first performances in 1946. The company began as a mainly amateur body and transformed into an all-professional ensemble by 1973. In its early days, the ...

staged its first productions at the

Prince of Wales Theatre The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre in Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in London. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner. The theatre ...

. 1947: The Bute family gave Cardiff Castle to the city. 1948: The Welsh Folk Museum was opened at St. Fagans. 1952: The last execution took place in Cardiff Prison.

Mahmood Hussein Mattan Mahmood Hussein Mattan (1923 – 3 September 1952) was a Somali former merchant seaman who was wrongfully convicted, in the United Kingdom, of the murder of Lily Volpert on 6 March 1952. The murder took place in the Docklands area of Cardiff, ...

was hanged for murder, but his conviction was quashed in 1998. 1954:

Cardiff Airport Cardiff Airport () is an airport in Rhoose, Vale of Glamorgan. It is the only airport offering commercial passenger services and cargo services in Wales. The airport is owned by the Welsh Government, operating it at arm's length as a commercia ...

moved from Pengam Moors to its current home in

Rhoose Rhoose ( ; , from ) is a village and community near the sea (the Bristol Channel) in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, near Barry. The wider community includes villages and settlements such as Font-y-Gary, Penmark, East Aberthaw and Porthkerr ...

. 1955: Cardiff was officially recognised as the capital city of Wales. Cardiffmap1946

1956: Cardiff ceased being a fishing port after 70 years. 1958: The

British Empire and Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games is a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations, which consists mostly, but not exclusively, of territories of the former British Empire. The event was first held in 1930 ...

opened at

. The

Wales Empire Pool The Wales Empire Pool (), known locally as the Empire Pool, was an international standard swimming pool building, located in Cardiff, Wales from 1958 until it was demolished in 1998. It was a centrepiece for the 1958 British Empire and Commonweal ...

opened for the Games. 1959: The movie ''

'' was released. It was partly shot in Cardiff. 1961:

Public houses A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...

in Cardiff were allowed to open for the first time on Sundays since the 1880s. 1963: The

Rover Rover may refer to: People Name * Constance Rover (1910–2005), English historian * Jolanda de Rover (born 1963), Dutch swimmer * Rover Thomas (c. 1920–1998), Indigenous Australian artist Stage name * Rover (musician), French singer-songw ...

car factory The automotive industry comprises a wide range of companies and organizations involved in the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, selling, repairing, and modification of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industries ...

was opened. 1964: West Bute Dock closed as the last shipment of coal, just 229,000 tons, left the docks. 1966: The

Heath Hospital University Hospital of Wales () (UHW), also known as the Heath Hospital, is a 1,080-bed hospital in the Heath, Cardiff, Heath district of Cardiff, Wales. It is a teaching hospital of Cardiff University School of Medicine. Construction started in ...

was officially opened. 1967:

Glamorgan County Cricket Club Glamorgan County Cricket Club () is one of eighteen first-class cricket, first-class county cricket, county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the Historic counties of Wales, historic county of Gla ...

played their first game at

Sophia Gardens Sophia Gardens ( ; ) is a public park in Riverside, Cardiff, Wales, on the west bank of the River Taff. International test cricket Test cricket is a Forms of cricket, format of the sport of cricket, considered the game’s most prestig ...

, having moved from Cardiff Arms Park. 1970: Bute East Dock was closed. Pearl Assurance House is opened in April, the tallest building in Wales. 1971: The National Sports Centre for Wales opened in Sophia Gardens. 1973: John Desmond Brayley MC DL was nominated for a peerage as Baron Brayley of the City of Cardiff and County Glamorgan. 1974:

South Glamorgan South Glamorgan () is a preserved counties of Wales, preserved county of Wales. It was originally formed in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, as a county council area. It consisted of the county borough of Cardiff along with the south ...

was established as part of the local government reorganisation. Cardiff lost the independent County Borough status it had since 1889. 1976:

James Callaghan Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff ( ; 27 March 191226 March 2005) was a British statesman and Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and Leader of the L ...

, MP for

, became

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister Advice (constitutional law), advises the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, sovereign on the exercise of much of the Royal prerogative ...

. 1977: The Welsh Industrial and Maritime Museum was opened in

Cardiff Bay Cardiff Bay (; colloquially "The Bay") is an area and freshwater lake in Cardiff, Wales. The site of a former tidal bay and estuary, it is the river mouth of the River Taff and River Ely, Ely. The body of water was converted into a lake as part ...

. 1980: The

M4 motorway The M4, originally the London-South Wales Motorway, is the third longest motorway in the United Kingdom, running from west London to southwest Wales. The English section to the Severn Bridge was constructed between 1961 and 1971; the Welsh ele ...

to the north of the city was opened. 1982:

S4C S4C (, ''Sianel Pedwar Cymru'', meaning ''Channel Four Wales'') is a Welsh language free-to-air public broadcast television channel. Launched on 1 November 1982, it was the first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speakin ...

, the Welsh-language television channel was established. The Ely Link Road opens. 1983:

BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition (known as Cardiff Singer of the World from 1983 to 2001 and BBC Singer of the World in Cardiff in 2003) is a competition for Classical music, classical singers held every two years. The competition wa ...

was launched. 1984: The National Stadium at

was opened. 1985: The Capel Llanilltern – Culverhouse Cross Link Road opens. 1986: Wales National Ice Rink was opened and the

Cardiff Devils The Cardiff Devils () are a Welsh professional ice hockey team who play in the UK-based Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL). The team plays at Ice Arena Wales in Cardiff Bay, currently known as ''Vindico Arena'' for sponsorship reasons. Cardiff' ...

ice hockey team established. Wales Millennium Centre

The regeneration of Cardiff Bay and the city

1987: The

Cardiff Bay Development Corporation The Cardiff Bay Development Corporation was established in 1987 to redevelop the dockland area of Cardiff and to create Cardiff Bay Cardiff Bay (; colloquially "The Bay") is an area and freshwater lake in Cardiff, Wales. The site of a former ...

was established to transform derelict land that had been Cardiff docks into

. 1988: The new County Hall was completed in Cardiff Bay. The Grangetown Link Road opens. 1989:

Cardiff Athletics Stadium The Cardiff Athletics Stadium (also known as Leckwith Athletics Stadium) was an athletics and football stadium in Cardiff, Wales. It opened in 1989 and was demolished in 2007, replaced by the Cardiff International Sports Stadium. The Cardif ...

was opened in Leckwith. 1995: The Butetown Link Road opens. 1996:

became a

unitary authority A unitary authority is a type of local government, local authority in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Unitary authorities are responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are ...

in a local government reorganisation of 1996. Cardiff reverted to its previous status of administratively-independent city. 1997: Wales voted in favour of a

Welsh Assembly The Senedd ( ; ), officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English and () in Welsh, is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, Its role is to scrutinise the Welsh Government and legislate on devolve ...

in a national referendum, but Cardiff again voted against it. 1999: The

Millennium Stadium The Millennium Stadium (), known since 2016 as the Principality Stadium () for sponsorship reasons, is the national stadium of Wales. Located in Cardiff, it has a retractable roof and is the home of the Wales national rugby union team; it has ...

was opened to host the final of the

1999 Rugby World Cup The 1999 Rugby World Cup () was the fourth Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial international rugby union championship. It was the first Rugby World Cup to be held in the sport's History of rugby union#The professional era, professional era. Four a ...

. The

Cardiff Bay Barrage Cardiff Bay Barrage () lies across the mouth of Cardiff Bay, Wales between Queen Alexandra Dock and Penarth Head. It was one of the largest civil engineering projects in Europe during construction in the 1990s. History Origin The origin of ...

was opened. 2001: The 2001 Census showed that the population of Cardiff was 305,353. 2004: The

Wales Millennium Centre Wales Millennium Centre () is Wales' national arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of 26–28 November 2004 and phase 2 opened on ...

was opened. Senedd Wales

2006: The

Senedd The Senedd ( ; ), officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English and () in Welsh, is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, Its role is to scrutinise the Welsh Government and legislate on devolve ...

, the new debating chamber for the Welsh Assembly, was opened. 2008:

Cardiff International Pool Cardiff International Pool () is an Olympic-sized swimming pool built as a public-private funded project; with a partnership between Cardiff Council (land owner), OLLC which is a partnership between Orion Land & Leisure and Explore Investments ...

opened to the public at the International Sports Village in

on 12 January, replacing the

that had been demolished in 1997 to make way for the

. The

was held in Cardiff. 2009:

Cardiff City Stadium The Cardiff City Stadium () is a stadium in the Leckwith, Cardiff, Leckwith area of Cardiff, Wales. It is the home of Cardiff City F.C., Cardiff City and the Wales national football team, Wales national team. Following expansion of the Ninian S ...

and

Cardiff International Sports Stadium Cardiff International Sports Campus (), is an athletics stadium and playing fields in the Canton area of Cardiff, Wales. The campus opened in 2009 as part of the major Leckwith Development, which included a new football and rugby stadium, Car ...

both opened, while

was demolished, which was part of the Leckwith development. The new Central Library opened in March. 2010:

Cardiff International White Water Cardiff International White Water () is an Olympic standard white water rafting centre based at the Cardiff International Sports Village in Cardiff Bay. The centre opened on 26 March 2010, after taking two years to build the £13.3m venue, which ...

, a

whitewater Whitewater forms in the context of rapids, in particular, when a river's Stream gradient, gradient changes enough to generate so much turbulence that air is trapped within the water. This forms an unstable current that foam, froths, making t ...

rafting centre, opened on 26 March at the International Sports Village. 2011: Wales voted in favour of extending the lawmaking powers of the

in a national referendum. This time Cardiff also voted "yes" to more powers, with over 61% of its people supporting the change. The 2011 Census showed that the population of Cardiff was 346,100, its highest actual recorded figure. 2013:

was promoted in the

2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

to football's

Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...

, 51 years since they were last in football's top tier in

1962 The year saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is often considered the closest the world came to a Nuclear warfare, nuclear confrontation during the Cold War. Events January * January 1 – Samoa, Western Samoa becomes independent from Ne ...

, but the first since the Premier League came into being. They were relegated at the end of the 2013–14 season. 2016: Ice Arena Wales opened to the public, while the previous temporary structure, the Cardiff Arena closed. 2017: The first phase of the Eastern Bay Link Road opened, which will eventually complete the Peripheral Distributor Road around Cardiff. 2019: The BBC's New Broadcasting House opens in Central Square. 2020: William Morgan House, a UK Government office building for

HM Revenue and Customs His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (commonly HM Revenue and Customs, or HMRC, and formerly Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs) is a department of the UK government responsible for the collection of taxes, the payment of some forms of stat ...

(HMRC) and the UK's

Department for International Trade The Department for International Trade (DIT) was a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, department of the Government of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom Government, from July 2016 to February 2023. It was responsible for stri ...

Cabinet Office The Cabinet Office is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for supporting the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, prime minister and Cabinet ...

and the office of the

Secretary of State for Wales The secretary of state for Wales (), also referred to as the Welsh secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Wales Office. The incumbent is a member of the Cabinet of the United Ki ...

opened. 2024:

Cardiff Bus Interchange Cardiff Bus Interchange (CBI) (; formerly Cardiff Transport Interchange, ; sometimes ''Cardiff Interchange'' or ''The Interchange'') is a bus and transport interchange in the centre of Cardiff and forms part of The Interchange development, which ...

opened on 30 June, nearly 9 years after the

Cardiff Central bus station Cardiff Central bus station was the main bus transport interchange in the Cardiff city centre until it closed on 1 August 2015. With 34 stands, it was the largest bus station in Wales. It was located adjacent to Cardiff Central railway station ...

closed.

Notes

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cardiff history Timelines of cities in the United Kingdom History of Cardiff Welsh history timelines

The Roman settlement

The Viking settlement

The Norman town

The county town of Glamorganshire

19th-century growth of Cardiff

The city of Cardiff – the largest coal port in the world

The decline of the docks

The regeneration of Cardiff Bay and the city

See also

Notes

Bibliography