History of Amsterdam in Timeline

Amsterdam, the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, boasts a population of over 933,000 within the city and nearly 2.5 million in its metropolitan area. Situated in North Holland, it's known as the "Venice of the North" due to its extensive network of canals, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

1906: Joseph Conrad's Description of Amsterdam

In 1906, Joseph Conrad provided a brief seaside description of Amsterdam in 'The Mirror of the Sea'.

The Mirror of the Sea

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1916: Flood impacted Amsterdam

In 1916, a flood impacted the municipalities of Durgerdam, Holysloot, Zunderdorp and Schellingwoude, all lying north of Amsterdam.

1920: Amsterdam assisted in hosting sailing events for the Summer Olympics

In 1920, Amsterdam assisted in hosting some of the sailing events for the Summer Olympics held in neighbouring Antwerp, Belgium by hosting events at Buiten IJ.

January 1921: Annexation of Municipalities to Amsterdam

On January 1, 1921, after the 1916 flood, Durgerdam, Holysloot, Zunderdorp, and Schellingwoude were annexed to Amsterdam at their own request.

1928: Amsterdam hosted the Summer Olympics

In 1928, Amsterdam hosted the Summer Olympics. The Olympic Stadium built for the occasion has been completely restored and is now used for cultural and sporting events, such as the Amsterdam Marathon.

1932: Amsterdam intended to be hub of highway system

In 1932 Amsterdam was intended to be the hub of the highway system of the Netherlands

May 1940: Nazi Germany Invades the Netherlands

On May 10, 1940, Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands and took control of the country, leading to the persecution and deportation of Dutch Jews from Amsterdam.

1941: Arrest of Amsterdam Jews

In 1941, as a reprisal for an attack on a Dutch fascist collaborator, Heinrich Himmler ordered the arrest of 427 Amsterdam Jews on February 22, who were then sent to Mauthausen concentration camp, with only two surviving.

May 1943: First Wave of Arrests and Deportations

On 26 May 1943, the first main wave of arrests, culminating in deportation, occurred in Amsterdam's Jewish Quarter.

June 1943: Second Wave of Arrests and Deportations

On 20 June 1943, the second main wave of arrests, culminating in deportation, occurred in Amsterdam's Jewish Quarter.

1944: Discovery of Anne Frank's Hiding Place

In August 1944, Anne Frank's hiding place was betrayed and discovered and following a spell at Westerbork, she and her family were sent to Auschwitz.

May 1945: Liberation of Amsterdam by Canadian Forces

On May 5, 1945, Amsterdam was liberated by Canadian forces, marking the end of the Nazi occupation and a period of severe crisis with scarce resources.

1945: Anne Frank's Death

In early 1945, Anne Frank and her sister Margot died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp due to appalling and inhumane conditions.

1947: Amsterdam motto bestowed

In 1947, Amsterdam's official motto, Heldhaftig, Vastberaden, Barmhartig ("Heroic, Determined, Merciful"), was bestowed on the city by Queen Wilhelmina.

1952: Amsterdam's bid to host the Summer Olympics was lost to Helsinki

In 1952, Amsterdam made a bid to host the Summer Olympics but lost to Helsinki.

1959: Amsterdam's Population Hits All-Time High

In 1959, Amsterdam's population reached an all-time high of 872,000 residents.

1968: Road A8 leading north to Zaandam was opened

In 1968, Road A8 leading north to Zaandam was opened.

1970: Sharp Population Decline Begins

Beginning in 1970, Amsterdam experienced a sharp population decline due to government-sponsored suburbanisation.

1970: A3 highway to Rotterdam cancelled

In 1970, the A3 highway to Rotterdam was cancelled to conserve the Groene Hart.

1973: Net Loss of Amsterdam Population

In 1973, Amsterdam experienced a peak net loss of 25,000 people due to suburbanisation.

1974: A10 Ringroad was opened

In 1974, the A10 Ringroad was opened.

1975: Independence of Suriname

In 1975, after the independence of Suriname, a large wave of Surinamese people settled in Amsterdam, predominantly in the Bijlmer area.

1977: Metro System Begins Operations

In 1977, Amsterdam's metro system began operating, connecting the suburb of Bijlmermeer with the city center.

1980: Amsterdam Population Decline

By 1980, Amsterdam experienced a sharp population decline.

1981: Amsterdam divided into semi-autonomous boroughs

Since 1981, the municipality of Amsterdam has gradually been divided into semi-autonomous boroughs, called stadsdelen or 'districts'.

1983: Constitutional Revision

Since the 1983 constitutional revision, the constitution mentions "Amsterdam" and "capital" in chapter 2, article 32.

1985: Amsterdam Population Decline

By 1985, Amsterdam's population had declined to 675,570 residents.

1986: Opening of the Dutch National Opera and Ballet

In 1986, The Dutch National Opera and Ballet (formerly known as Het Muziektheater) opened as the principal opera house and home to Dutch National Opera and Dutch National Ballet.

1991: Amsterdam hosted the World Gymnaestrada

In 1991, Amsterdam hosted the World Gymnaestrada.

1992: Amsterdam's bid to host the Summer Olympics was lost to Barcelona

In 1992, Amsterdam made a bid to host the Summer Olympics but lost to Barcelona.

1993: Founding of Boom Chicago

In 1993, The English-spoken comedy scene was established with the founding of Boom Chicago.

1996: AFC Ajax moves to Johan Cruyff Arena

In 1996, AFC Ajax moved to their current location at the Johan Cruyff Arena.

1998: Femke Halsema as a member of House of Representatives

In 1998, Femke Halsema was a member of House of Representatives for GroenLinks.

1999: Amsterdam Sports Awards

Since 1999, the city of Amsterdam honours the best sportsmen and women at the Amsterdam Sports Awards. Boxer Raymond Joval and field hockey midfielder Carole Thate were the first to receive the awards in 1999.

2000: Discovery of Bell Beaker Culture Pottery

Around 2000 BC, shards of Bell Beaker culture pottery were found in the prehistoric Amstel bedding under Amsterdam's Damrak and Rokin, indicating a modest semi-permanent or seasonal settlement.

2003: Construction of New Metro Line Begins

In 2003, construction began on a new metro line connecting the northern and southern parts of Amsterdam.

2008: Metro Line Project Exceeds Budget

By 2008, the new metro line project in Amsterdam had exceeded its budget by a factor of three.

2008: Amsterdam designated as the World Book Capital

In 2008, Amsterdam was designated as the World Book Capital for one year by UNESCO.

2009: New hall of the Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam opened

In 2009, the new hall of the Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam, Toneelgroep Amsterdam, and Melkweg opened, and the renovation of the front end of the theatre was ready.

May 2010: Reduction of Amsterdam boroughs

In May 2010, under a major reform, the number of Amsterdam boroughs was reduced to eight.

July 2010: Grachtengordel Added to UNESCO World Heritage List

In July 2010, the Grachtengordel, consisting of the three concentric canals Herengracht, Keizersgracht, and Prinsengracht, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

2010: Eberhard van der Laan became the Mayor of Amsterdam

From 2010, Eberhard van der Laan became the Mayor of Amsterdam.

2010: Restructuring of the borough system

In 2010, the borough system was restructured, in which many smaller boroughs merged into larger boroughs.

2010: Number of Amsterdam boroughs reached fifteen

In 2010, the number of Amsterdam boroughs reached fifteen.

2011: Femke Halsema as a member of House of Representatives

In 2011, Femke Halsema was a member of House of Representatives for GroenLinks.

2011: Amsterdam Bicycle Thefts

In 2011, approximately 83,000 bicycles were stolen in Amsterdam, highlighting the widespread issue of bicycle theft in the city.

2012: Increase in Tourism

In 2012, Amsterdam saw an increase in the annual number of visitors rose to 10 million.

2012: Far East Movement Films "Live My Life" Music Video

In 2012, the music video for the song "Live My Life" by Far East Movement was filmed in various locations across Amsterdam.

2013: Koninginnedag renamed Koningsdag

In 2013, Koninginnedag (Queen's Day) was renamed Koningsdag (King's Day) after the crowning of King Willem-Alexander.

2014: Governing majority formed after municipal council elections

After the 2014 municipal council elections, a governing majority of D66, VVD and SP was formed – the first coalition without the Labour Party since World War II.

2014: Schiphol was the fifth busiest airport in the world

As of 2014, Schiphol was the fifth busiest airport in the world measured by international passenger numbers.

2014: New theater moves into the Amsterdam scene

In 2014, a new theatre moved into the Amsterdam scene: Theater Amsterdam. It is housed in a modern building with a panoramic view over the harbour, and is the first-ever purpose-built venue to showcase a single play entitled ANNE, the play based on Anne Frank's life.

2014: Amsterdam boroughs lost autonomous status

In 2014, under a reform of the Dutch Municipalities Act, the Amsterdam boroughs lost much of their autonomous status, as their district councils were abolished.

2014: Renewed Focus on Urban Regeneration

Since 2014, there has been a renewed focus on urban regeneration and renewal in Amsterdam, especially in areas bordering the city center like Frederik Hendrikbuurt.

2015: Amsterdam Bicycle Ownership

In 2015, Amsterdam had 442,693 households with 850,000 residents who owned a total of 847,000 bicycles, averaging 1.91 bicycles per household.

2015: Increase in Tourism

In 2015, Amsterdam saw an increase in the annual number of visitors rose to 17 million.

September 2017: Kajsa Ollongren becomes acting Mayor of Amsterdam

On 18 September 2017, Kajsa Ollongren took up office as acting Mayor of Amsterdam with immediate effect due to Eberhard van der Laan's ill health.

October 2017: Death of Mayor Eberhard van der Laan

In October 2017, Eberhard van der Laan, the Mayor of Amsterdam from 2010, passed away.

October 2017: Eric van der Burg succeeds Kajsa Ollongren as acting Mayor

On 26 October 2017, Eric van der Burg succeeded Kajsa Ollongren as acting Mayor of Amsterdam.

December 2017: Jozias van Aartsen succeeds Eric van der Burg as acting Mayor

On 4 December 2017, Jozias van Aartsen succeeded Eric van der Burg as acting Mayor of Amsterdam.

June 2018: Femke Halsema appointed as Mayor of Amsterdam

On 27 June 2018, Femke Halsema was appointed as the first woman to be Mayor of Amsterdam.

July 2018: Femke Halsema began serving a six-year term

On 12 July 2018, Femke Halsema began serving a six-year term as Mayor of Amsterdam.

2018: Completion of New Metro Line

In 2018, the new metro line in Amsterdam, connecting the northern and southern parts of the city, was completed.

2019: Amsterdam Ranked Fourth Top Tech Hub

In 2019, Amsterdam was ranked as the 4th top tech hub globally.

2019: Removal of parking spaces started

In 2019, the local government started removing parking spaces in the city.

July 2021: Amsterdam Apologizes for Slave Trade Involvement

On July 1, 2021, the mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, formally apologized for the city's historical involvement in the Atlantic slave trade.

2021: Amsterdam municipality population

In 2021, the municipality of Amsterdam had a population of about 870,000.

2022: Amsterdam Ranked Ninth Best City to Live In

In 2022, Amsterdam was ranked the ninth-best city to live in by the Economist Intelligence Unit and 12th in quality of living for environment and infrastructure by Mercer.

2023: Amsterdam to host the World Gymnaestrada again

In 2023, Amsterdam will host the World Gymnaestrada again.

June 2024: Amsterdam Population

In June 2024, Amsterdam's population within the city proper is 933,680, with 1,457,018 in the urban area and 2,480,394 in the metropolitan area.

2025: Goal of removing 10,000 parking spaces

By 2025, the local government aims to have removed 10,000 parking spaces.

2040: Structural Vision Amsterdam 2040 Initiative

The urban renewal and expansion efforts since 2014, including the construction of the IJburg neighborhood, are part of the Structural Vision Amsterdam 2040 initiative.