History of Bilbao in Timeline
Bilbao is the largest city in the Basque Country and the province of Biscay, located in northern Spain. With a city population exceeding 347,000 and a metropolitan area encompassing over 1 million residents, it is the tenth-largest city in Spain and the most populous metropolitan area in northern Spain. Greater Bilbao represents the fifth-largest urban area in the country and serves as the primary urban center within the broader Greater Basque region.
3 hours ago : Manchester United defeated Athletic Bilbao 4-1 in Europa League Semifinal Second Leg.
Manchester United defeated Athletic Bilbao 4-1 at Old Trafford, dashing Athletic's Europa League hopes. Despite missing key players, Athletic fought valiantly but couldn't overcome United's strong performance in the second leg of the Semifinals.
1900: Dramatic Population Increase in Bilbao
In 1900, Bilbao experienced a dramatic population increase, rising from 11,000 in 1880 to 80,000.
1901: Establishment of the Bank of Biscay
In 1901, the Bank of Biscay (Spanish: Banco de Vizcaya) was established.
1902: Construction of an Exterior Port
In 1902, an exterior port was built at the mouth of the estuary, in the coastal municipality of Santurtzi.
1902: Creation of Steelmaking Factories
In 1902, steelmaking industries flourished with the creation of new factories, including the Santa Ana de Bolueta and the Altos Hornos de Vizcaya.
1907: Opening of Doña Casilda Iturrizar Park
In 1907, the Doña Casilda Iturrizar Park, an English-style garden designed by Ricardo Bastida, was opened to the public.
1907: Establishment of the Municipal Savings Bank of Bilbao
In 1907, the Municipal Savings Bank of Bilbao (Spanish: Caja de Ahorros Municipal de Bilbao) was established locally.
1908: Opening of Basurto Hospital
In 1908, the Basurto Hospital in the Basurto-Zorroza district was opened after ten years of construction. It was built to address the fast population increase in the late 19th century.
1908: Establishment of the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum
In 1908, the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum was first established.
1909: Construction of a wine warehouse
In 1909, a wine warehouse was built, later redesigned into Azkuna Zentroa.
1911: Implementation of Athletic Bilbao's Basque policy
Since 1911, Athletic Bilbao has had a Basque policy in place, allowing only players born in or having a clear connection to the Basque region to represent the club.
1921: Establishment of the Provincial Savings Bank of Biscay
In 1921, the Provincial Savings Bank of Biscay (Spanish: Caja de Ahorros Provincial de Vizcaya) was established locally.
1925: Annexation of Deusto to Bilbao
In 1925, the independent municipality of Deusto, where the University of Deusto is located, was annexed to Bilbao.
1925: Annexation of Deusto, Begoña, and part of Erandio
In 1925, the municipalities of Deusto and Begoña, as well as part of Erandio, were annexed to Bilbao.
August 1936: First Bombing of Bilbao during the Spanish Civil War
On 31 August 1936, Bilbao suffered its first bombing during the Spanish Civil War, with a series of air bombs dropped by Nationalist airplanes.
May 1937: Nationalist Army Besieged Bilbao
In May 1937, the Nationalist army besieged the town of Bilbao during the Spanish Civil War, initiating a battle for control of the city.
1940: Annexation of the remaining part of Erandio
In 1940, the remaining part of Erandio became part of Bilbao.
1947: Strike of the Euskalduna shipyard
In 1947, the strike of the Euskalduna shipyard was the first one to take place during the Francoist dictatorship.
September 1948: Opening of Bilbao Airport
In September 1948, the Bilbao Airport opened to the public, with a regular flight to Madrid.
1948: First Commercial Flight from Bilbao Airport
In 1948, the first commercial flight took off from the local airport of Bilbao, marking a step in the city's post-war recovery.
1950: Start of Deusto canal construction
Between 1950 and 1968, the Deusto canal, an artificial waterway dug in the district of Deusto as a lateral canal, with the aim of facilitating navigation, sparing ships from the natural curves of the estuary, was built.
July 1959: Creation of ETA
On 31 July 1959, the separatist organisation ETA was created from Basque nationalist movements in an environment of social repression.
1959: First International Festival of Ibero-American and Filipino Documentary Film
In 1959, the International Festival of Ibero-American and Filipino Documentary Film of Bilbao was first held.
1960: Creation of New Neighborhoods
Starting in the decade of 1960 as an effort to stop the increasing problem of slums, new neighbourhoods were created from the ground up, among them Otxarkoaga and Txurdinaga.
February 1963: Extreme Minimum Temperature Recorded in Bilbao
On 3 February 1963, an extreme minimum temperature of −8.6 °C (16.5 °F) was recorded in Bilbao.
1966: Annexation of Loiu, Sondika, Derio, and Zamudio
In 1966, Bilbao annexed the municipalities of Loiu, Sondika, Derio, and Zamudio, making the city larger than ever.
June 1968: Establishment of the University of Bilbao
In June 1968, the University of Bilbao, the first public university, was established. It would later be integrated into the University of the Basque Country.
1968: Deusto canal construction finished
Between 1950 and 1968, the Deusto canal, an artificial waterway dug in the district of Deusto as a lateral canal, with the aim of facilitating navigation, sparing ships from the natural curves of the estuary, was built. The project was stopped with 400 metres (1,300 ft) left to complete.
1968: Founding of Petronor
In 1968, Petronor, a large oil company, was founded in Bilbao. It produces all oil-based fuels distributed in the whole metropolitan area.
1968: Establishment of the University of Bilbao
In 1968, the University of Bilbao was established, later to become the University of the Basque Country.
1972: Opening of the Princes of Spain Bridge
In 1972, the Princes of Spain Bridge, also known as "La Salve", a suspension bridge was opened.
1978: First Big Week of the city
Since 1978, the Big Week of the city (Aste Nagusia) has been celebrated annually, lasting nine days.
1979: Approval of the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country
In 1979, with the approval of the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country, Vitoria-Gasteiz was elected as the seat of the government.
1980: University of Bilbao becomes the University of the Basque Country
In 1980, the University of Bilbao was renamed and became the University of the Basque Country.
1981: City hall organizes the Zinebi
Since 1981, the International Festival of Documentary and Short Film (Zinebi) is organised by the city hall.
1982: Peak Population in Bilbao
After a peak of 433,115 inhabitants in 1982, the municipalities of the Txorierri valley were removed from Bilbao, with the corresponding loss of their population.
January 1983: Regaining independence
On January 1983, all the annexed municipalities except Deusto and Begoña regained their independence from Bilbao.
August 1983: Flooding during Aste Nagusia
On 26 August 1983, during the celebration of the local festivities known as Aste Nagusia, the estuary overflowed due to continuous raining, causing significant destruction in Bilbao.
August 1983: Maximum Precipitation in a Day
On 26 August 1983, the maximum precipitation in a day was 225.6 mm (9 in) when severe flooding was caused by the Nervión river.
1985: Reopening of the Arriaga Theatre
In 1985, the Arriaga Theatre reopened as a municipal venue.
1986: Bilingual Basque-speaking population
In 1986, the bilingual Basque-speaking population represented about 28% of the total population in Bilbao.
1988: Merger of Banks
In 1988, the Bank of Bilbao and the Bank of Biscay merged, creating the BBV.
1990: Formation of Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa (BBK)
In 1990, the Municipal Savings Bank of Bilbao and the Provincial Savings Bank of Biscay merged to form the Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa (BBK).
1990: Creation of the district of Otxarkoaga-Txurdinaga
In the decade of 1990, the neighbourhoods of Otxarkoaga and Txurdinaga, which were created from the ground up to stop the increasing problem of slums, were joined together as a new district: Otxarkoaga-Txurdinaga.
1992: Creation of Iberdrola
In 1992, Iberdrola, a multinational electric utility company, was created in Bilbao after the merging of Iberduero and Hidroeléctrica Española. The company is in charge of electricity production and distribution.
1995: Low tourist numbers
In 1995, Bilbao only had 25,000 tourists, a number that would increase drastically in the coming years.
1995: Establishment of Bilbao metro and opening of Line 1
In 1995, the Bilbao metro was established, and Line 1 was opened. This line largely followed the route of the Bilbao-Las Arenas railway, which was still active at the time, and has since been replaced by the metro system.
October 1997: Inauguration of the Guggenheim Museum
In October 1997, the Guggenheim Museum, designed by Frank Gehry, was inaugurated and is considered a masterpiece of architecture.
1997: Inauguration of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
In 1997, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao was inaugurated, leading to a significant surge in tourism.
1997: Opening of the Zubizuri bridge
In 1997, the Zubizuri pedestrian footbridge, designed by Santiago Calatrava, was opened.
1999: Creation of BBVA
In 1999, BBV merged with Argentaria bank, creating the current multinational corporation, the BBVA.
1999: Iñaki Azkuna became mayor of Bilbao
Iñaki Azkuna served as mayor of Bilbao from 1999 until his passing in 2014.
November 2000: New terminal building opening
On November 19, 2000, a new terminal building was opened at Bilbao Airport, designed by Santiago Calatrava.
2000: Bilbao's Transition to a Service Economy
Since the mid-1990s, Bilbao has been in a process of deindustrialization and transition to a service economy, supported by investment in infrastructure and urban renewal, continuing in 2000 with the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall, Santiago Calatrava's Zubizuri, the metro network by Norman Foster, the tram, the Iberdrola Tower and the Zorrozaurre development plan.
2001: Increase in Basque speakers
In 2001, the number of Basque speakers had experienced a continuous increase, reaching a figure of 37%.
December 2002: Opening of new tram system
On December 18, 2002, a new tram system was opened in Bilbao, almost forty years after the closing of the original system. The tramway line follows the estuary of Bilbao across the central districts of the city.
May 2006: Acciona Trasmediterranea ferry service
From May 16, 2006, a service operated by Acciona Trasmediterranea served the ferry route from Santurtzi, near Bilbao, to Portsmouth (UK).
2006: First Bilbao BBK Live festival
Since 2006, the Bilbao BBK Live festival has been celebrated every year, focusing on Basque, Spanish, and international pop and rock music.
April 2007: End of Acciona Trasmediterranea ferry service
In April 2007, the ferry service operated by Acciona Trasmediterranea from Santurtzi, near Bilbao, to Portsmouth (UK) ended.
2007: Redesign of La Salve
In 2007, The Princes of Spain Bridge, also known as "La Salve", was redesigned by French conceptual artist Daniel Buren.
2007: Master plan for Zorrozaurre redevelopment
In 2007, a master plan designed by Zaha Hadid was created for the redevelopment of Zorrozaurre.
2007: Plan Approved to Continue the Deusto Canal
In 2007, a plan was approved to continue the construction of the Deusto canal and form the island of Zorrozaurre.
2007: Protection of Mount Pagasarri environment
Since 2007, the environment of Mount Pagasarri has been officially protected.
2008: Bilbao Wins Municipal Transparency Prize
In 2008, Bilbao won the Municipal Transparency Prize, awarded by the Spanish division of Transparency International.
2008: Basurto Hospital named best in customer support
In 2008, the Basurto Hospital was recognized as the best hospital in customer support in Spain.
2008: Passenger and ship traffic
In the first semester of 2008, the port of Bilbao received over 67,000 passengers and 2,770 ships, contributing €419 million to the Basque GDP and maintaining almost 10,000 jobs.
2008: Delay of airport expansion
The airport expansion was delayed due to the 2008 financial crisis.
February 2009: Expansion project approved
In February 2009, a project was approved to expand the Bilbao Airport terminal building to double its capacity.
2009: Bilbao came second for the Municipal Transparency Prize
In 2009, Bilbao came second, after Sant Cugat del Vallés for the Municipal Transparency Prize, awarded by the Spanish division of Transparency International.
2009: Cargo movements
In 2009, cargo movements at the port of Bilbao amounted to 31.6 million tonnes, with Russia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the Nordic countries being the main markets.
2009: Population Demographics of Bilbao
In 2009, out of the 355,731 people residing in Bilbao, only 114,220 (32.1%) were born inside the municipality.
May 2010: Bilbao Recognized with Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize
On 19 May 2010, the city of Bilbao was recognized with the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize, awarded by the city state of Singapore, considered the Nobel Prize for urbanism.
May 2010: Awarded the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize
On May 18, 2010, Bilbao was awarded the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize by the government of Singapore at the World Cities Summit.
June 2010: Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize Handed Out
On 29 June 2010, Bilbao was awarded the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize.
September 2010: Withdrawal of P&O Ferries
On September 28, 2010, P&O Ferries withdrew its ferry service from Santurtzi, near Bilbao, to Portsmouth (UK) with a ship called the Pride of Bilbao.
2010: Public parks and green spaces
As of 2010, Bilbao has 18 public parks, totalling 200 ha of green spaces, and its green belt has a total area of 1,025 ha.
2010: Bilbao Basket runner-up of the Liga ACB
During the 2010–2011 season, Bilbao Basket was the runner-up of the Liga ACB.
2010: Bilbao Wins Municipal Transparency Prize Again
In 2010, Bilbao won the Municipal Transparency Prize again, awarded by the Spanish division of Transparency International.
2010: Redesign of Azkuna Zentroa
In 2010, the wine warehouse built in 1909 was completely redesigned by Philippe Starck into the Azkuna Zentroa, a multi-purpose venue.
2011: Bilbao Basket runner-up of the Liga ACB
During the 2010–2011 season, Bilbao Basket was the runner-up of the Liga ACB, losing the final series 3–0 against FC Barcelona Bàsquet.
2011: Completion of the Iberdrola Tower
In 2011, the Iberdrola Tower, designed by César Pelli, was completed, becoming the Basque Country's tallest skyscraper.
2012: Formation of Kutxabank
In 2012, Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa (BBK) merged with other Basque financial entities (Kutxa and Caja Vital Kutxa) to form Kutxabank.
2012: Iñaki Azkuna awarded the World Mayor prize in 2012
In 2012, Bilbao's mayor, Iñaki Azkuna, was awarded the World Mayor prize by The City Mayors Foundation on 7 January 2013.
2012: Bilbao Basket runner-up of the EuroCup Basketball
In the 2012–2013 edition, Bilbao Basket was the runner-up of the EuroCup Basketball.
January 2013: Iñaki Azkuna receives the 2012 World Mayor Prize
On 7 January 2013, Bilbao's mayor, Iñaki Azkuna, received the 2012 World Mayor Prize awarded by The City Mayors Foundation.
2013: Opening of the new San Mamés stadium
In 2013, the new San Mamés stadium, with a seating capacity of 53,332 spectators, was opened as the home of Athletic Club (Athletic Bilbao).
2013: Bilbao Basket runner-up of the EuroCup Basketball
In the 2012–2013 edition, Bilbao Basket was the runner-up of the EuroCup Basketball, where they lost to the Russian team Lokomotiv Kuban.
2014: UNESCO City of Design
In 2014, Bilbao was appointed a "City of Design" by UNESCO and has been part of the Creative Cities Network since then.
2014: Ibon Areso replaced Iñaki Azkuna as mayor
In 2014, Ibon Areso replaced Iñaki Azkuna as mayor, after the latter's passing.
2014: Presence of Mondragon University in Bilbao
Since 2014, Mondragon University has had a presence in Bilbao through the innovation and entrepreneurial centre Bilbao Innovation Factory.
2014: Original expected completion of airport expansion
The airport expansion was originally expected to be completed by 2014.
2015: Foundation of Dantzerti
In 2015, the offer of higher education in Bilbao was expanded with the foundation of Dantzerti, the Higher School of Dramatic Arts and Dance of the Basque Country.
2016: Basque language speakers
According to the 2016 census, 29% of the population older than 2 years old in Bilbao speaks Basque fluently.
April 2017: Inauguration of Line 3 of metro
On April 8, 2017, Line 3 of the Bilbao metro was inaugurated. This line is operated by Euskotren Trena and connects the center of Bilbao with Lezama and the Txorierri valley.
November 2017: Bilbao Chosen Best European City 2018
On 8 November 2017, Bilbao was chosen as the Best European City 2018 at The Urbanism Awards 2018, awarded by The Academy of Urbanism.
2017: Population of Bilbao in 2017
According to the Basque Statistics Office, the population of Bilbao is 342,397 people as of 2017. Bilbao is the largest city by population of the Basque Autonomous Community.
2017: Guns N' Roses concert at San Mamés Stadium
In 2017, the American band Guns N' Roses held the first ever concert at the new San Mamés Stadium.
2018: MTV Europe Music Awards
Bilbao hosted the 2018 MTV Europe Music Awards.
2018: Passenger numbers at Bilbao Airport
In 2018, Bilbao Airport had more than 5.4 million passengers.
2018: Bilbao Named Best European City 2018
In 2018, Bilbao was chosen as the Best European City at The Urbanism Awards 2018, awarded by The Academy of Urbanism on 8 November 2017.
2018: Tourist arrivals
In 2018, tourist arrivals in Bilbao reached over 932,000 visitors.
2019: Municipal Election Results in Bilbao
Since the 2019 municipal election, the councillors of the plenum have the following political distribution: 14 seats for the Basque Nationalist Party, 5 seats for the Socialist Party of the Basque Country, 4 seats for the EH Bildu coalition, 3 seats for Udalberri and 3 seats for the People's Party.
2019: Expected completion of the Bilbao airport expansion
The Bilbao airport expansion was expected to be completed by 2019.
2020: Construction of new underground station
In 2020, the construction of a completely new underground station is expected to begin in Bilbao. This new station will replace the current infrastructure with the arrival of new high speed services.
2023: High-speed train network connection
Around 2023, Bilbao is planned to be connected to the Basque Y high-speed train network, allowing for high-speed AVE trains to operate between the Basque capitals and to Madrid and other Spanish cities in the future.
2023: Population of Bilbao in 2023
As of 2023, Bilbao is the tenth-largest city in Spain with a population of more than 347,000. The Bilbao metropolitan area has a population of 1,037,847, making it the most populous metropolitan area in northern Spain.
August 2024: Extreme Maximum Temperature Recorded in Bilbao
On 11 August 2024, an extreme maximum temperature of 42.9 °C (109.2 °F) was recorded in Bilbao.
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