History of Casablanca in Timeline

Casablanca is the largest city in Morocco, serving as its economic and business hub. Situated on the Atlantic coast, it is the most populous city in the Maghreb region and the eighth-largest in the Arab world, with an urban population of approximately 3.22 million and over 4.27 million in Greater Casablanca.

1906: French Colonialists Arrive

In 1906, Casablanca remained a modestly sized port until the French conquest and arrival of French colonialists.

1906: Treaty of Algeciras Formalizes French Preeminence

In 1906, the Treaty of Algeciras formalized French preeminence in Morocco and included measures impacting Casablanca, such as French control of customs operations and the development of the port by La Compagnie Marocaine.

1906: Resistance to Treaty of Algeciras

In 1906, tribesmen of the Chaouia attacked the locomotive in resistance to the measures of the Treaty of Algeciras.

June 1907: Construction and Attack on Locomotive

In June 1907, narrow-gauge track was laid for a Decauville locomotive to connect the port to a quarry, leading to an attack by tribesmen who killed 9 Compagnie Marocaine laborers.

August 1907: French Bombardment of Casablanca

In August 1907, the French bombarded Casablanca with gunboats and landed troops, causing severe damage and killing between 600 and 3,000 Moroccans.

1907: Bombardment of Casablanca

In 1907, Casablanca's mellah was ravaged during the Bombardment of Casablanca, which marked the beginning of the French invasion of Morocco from the West.

March 1912: French Control Formalized

In March 1912, French control of Casablanca was formalized when the Treaty of Fes established the French Protectorat.

1912: Oued Bouskoura Reaches the Atlantic Ocean

Until 1912, oued Bouskoura, a small seasonal creek in Casablanca, reached the Atlantic Ocean near the actual port.

1919: École des Beaux-Arts of Casablanca Founded

In 1919, the École des Beaux-Arts of Casablanca was founded by Édouard Brindeau de Jarny.

1921: Population Growth

By 1921, Casablanca's population rose to 110,000, largely due to the development of shanty towns.

1937: Wydad AC Founded

In 1937, Wydad AC was founded. The team compete in Botola and play home games at the Stade Mohammed V.

1937: Typhoid Fever Outbreak

In 1937, a typhoid fever outbreak was exploited by colonial authorities to justify the appropriation of urban spaces, displacing Moroccans from informal housing.

1938: Typhoid Fever Outbreak

In 1938, colonial authorities continued to exploit the typhoid fever outbreak to justify the appropriation of urban spaces, displacing Moroccans from informal housing.

November 1942: Operation Torch and Capture of Casablanca

In November 1942, during Operation Torch, American forces captured Casablanca from Vichy control after France surrendered on November 11, though the Naval Battle of Casablanca continued until the sinking of German submarine U-173 on November 16.

1942: Release of Casablanca Film

In 1942, the American film "Casablanca" was released. Although filmed in the United States, it is set in Casablanca and has had a lasting impact on the city's image.

January 1943: Anfa Conference Held

In January 1943, Casablanca hosted the Anfa Conference, where Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin D. Roosevelt discussed the progress of World War II.

April 1947: Massacre of Working Class Moroccans

On April 7, 1947, a massacre of working-class Moroccans was carried out by Senegalese Tirailleurs in the service of the French colonial army.

1948: Moroccan Jews immigrate to Israel

In 1948, approximately 28,000 Moroccan Jews began immigrating to the State of Israel, many departing through Casablanca.

1949: Raja CA Founded

In 1949, Raja CA was founded, competing in Botola and playing home games at Stade Mohammed V.

1951: Moroccan Jews immigrate to Israel

By 1951, approximately 28,000 Moroccan Jews had immigrated to the State of Israel, with many leaving from Casablanca.

December 1952: Riots in Casablanca

In December 1952, riots took place in Casablanca in response to the assassination of Tunisian labor unionist Farhat Hached.

December 1953: Bombing of Central Market

On December 25, 1953, Muhammad Zarqtuni orchestrated a bombing of Casablanca's Central Market in response to the forced exile of Sultan Muhammad V.

1956: Moroccan Independence

In 1956, Morocco gained independence from France, leading to significant urban and socio-economic transformations.

1957: Death of Marcelin Flandrin

In 1957, Marcelin Flandrin, a French military photographer who settled in Casablanca, died. He recorded much of the early colonial period in Morocco with his photography.

January 1961: Casablanca Conference of 1961

From January 4-7, 1961, Casablanca hosted an ensemble of progressive African leaders during the Casablanca Conference of 1961, including Gamal Abd An-Nasser and Kwame Nkrumah.

November 1961: Operation Yachin Begins

In November 1961, Casablanca was a departure point for Jews leaving Morocco through Operation Yachin, a Mossad operation to secretly migrate Moroccan Jews to Israel.

1961: Operation Yachin Begins

In 1961, Casablanca became a departure point for Operation Yachin, a covert migration operation organized by Mossad.

1961: Pan Arab Games Staged

In 1961, Casablanca staged the Pan Arab Games.

1964: Operation Yachin Ends

By 1964, Operation Yachin, the covert Mossad-organized migration operation which used Casablanca as a departure point, had concluded.

March 1965: Student Protests and Riots

On March 22, 1965, student protests in Casablanca, organized by the National Union of Moroccan Students, devolved into riots and were violently repressed by security forces.

March 1965: King Hassan II's Speech

On March 30, 1965, King Hassan II blamed teachers and parents for the student protests and riots, criticizing intellectuals.

1968: Attarazat Addahabia Founded

In 1968, Abdelakabir Faradjallah founded Attarazat Addahabia, a Moroccan funk band, in Casablanca.

1974: About Some Meaningless Events Film

In 1974, Mostafa Derkaoui's revolutionary independent film About Some Meaningless Events took place in Casablanca.

June 1981: Casablanca Bread Riots

In June 1981, the Casablanca Bread Riots were sparked by a sharp increase in the price of necessities, leading to numerous deaths and injuries.

1983: Mediterranean Games Staged

In 1983, Casablanca staged the Mediterranean Games.

1986: Grand Prix Hassan II Begins

In 1986, the Grand Prix Hassan II, a professional men's tennis tournament of the ATP tour, first began in Casablanca.

1988: Africa Cup of Nations Staged

Casablanca hosted games during the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations.

1990: Thomas Muster Wins Hassan II Grand-Prix

In 1990, Thomas Muster won the Hassan II Grand-Prix in Casablanca.

1991: Love in Casablanca Film

In 1991, "Love in Casablanca", starring Abdelkarim Derqaoui and Muna Fettou, was released as one of the first Moroccan films to deal with Morocco's complex realities and depict life in Casablanca with verisimilitude.

1997: Hicham Arazi Wins Hassan II Grand-Prix

In 1997, Hicham Arazi won the Hassan II Grand-Prix in Casablanca.

1997: Moroccan Jewish Museum Established

In 1997, the Moroccan Jewish Museum was established in Casablanca.

March 2000: Women's Groups Organize Demonstrations

In March 2000, more than 60 women's groups organized demonstrations in Casablanca, calling for reforms to the legal status of women, including a ban on polygamy and the introduction of divorce law.

2000: Ali Zaoua Film

In 2000, the film "Ali Zaoua" by Nabil Ayouch dealt with street crime in Casablanca.

2002: Younes El Aynaoui Wins Hassan II Grand-Prix

In 2002, Younes El Aynaoui won the Hassan II Grand-Prix in Casablanca.

May 2003: Suicide Bomb Attack

On May 16, 2003, Casablanca was hit by a multiple suicide bomb attack, resulting in the deaths of 33 civilians and injuries to over 100 people.

2004: Royal Air Maroc Head Office Announcement

In 2004, Royal Air Maroc announced plans to move its head office from Casablanca to Nouaceur, near Mohammed V International Airport.

2004: Enactment of New Mudawana

In early 2004, King Mohammed VI enacted a new mudawana, or family law, meeting some of the demands of women's rights activists after the movement for change started in 2000.

2005: Casa-Oasis Reopened

Casa-Oasis officially reopened in 2005 as a primary city rail station after being fully redesigned and rebuilt.

2006: Casablanca-Anfa Airport Closed

Casablanca-Anfa Airport was largely closed to international civilian traffic in 2006 and eventually demolished to make way for the construction of the "Casablanca Finance City".

2007: Series of Suicide Bombings

In early 2007, Casablanca experienced another series of suicide bombings, highlighting challenges in addressing poverty and integrating disadvantaged neighborhoods.

2008: Casanegra Film

In 2008, Nour-Eddine Lakhmari's "Casanegra" was released, depicting the harsh realities of Casablanca's working classes.

2008: International Casablanca Marathon Founded

In 2008, the International Casablanca Marathon, a 26.2-mile road race, was founded.

2009: Agreement to Build Head Office

In 2009, Royal Air Maroc signed an agreement to build its head office in Nouaceur, but the project was never implemented.

November 2010: Highest Amount of Rainfall Recorded in a Single Day

On 30 November 2010, the highest amount of rainfall recorded in a single day in Casablanca was 178 mm (7.0 in).

2010: Stanislas Wawrinka Wins Hassan II Grand-Prix

In 2010, Stanislas Wawrinka won the Hassan II Grand-Prix in Casablanca.

2010: Morocco Lost Bid for 2010 FIFA World Cup

The initial idea of the Hassan II stadium was for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, for which Morocco lost their bid to South Africa, however, the Moroccan government supported the decision to go ahead with the plans.

2011: Calls for Reform and Demonstrations

In 2011, as calls for reform spread through the Arab world, Moroccans joined in, and in December, thousands demonstrated in Casablanca desiring more significant political reforms.

October 2012: Academy of Traditional Arts Founded

On October 31, 2012, the Academy of Traditional Arts, part of the Hassan II Mosque complex, was founded in Casablanca.

2012: Horses of God Film

In 2012, the film "Horses of God" by Nabil Ayouch dealt with terrorism in Casablanca.

2013: Casa-Port Tram Connection

From 2013, Casa-Port provided a close connection from the rail network to the city's new tram network.

2014: Metro Project Abandoned

In 2014, the Casablanca city council voted to abandon the metro project due to high costs, opting to expand the tram system instead.

2014: Population Recorded in Moroccan Census

In the 2014 Moroccan census, the commune of Casablanca recorded a population of 3,359,818.

2015: Morocco Declines to Host African Nations Cup

In 2015, Morocco declined to host the African Nations Cup due to Ebola fears, resulting in their expulsion and the tournament being held in Equatorial Guinea.

2017: Razzia Film

In 2017, the film "Razzia" by Nabil Ayouch dealt with social issues in Casablanca.

2018: Estimate of Moroccan Jews Living in Casablanca

In 2018, it was estimated that only 2,500 Moroccan Jews were living in Casablanca.

2018: CHAN Final Hosted

In 2018, the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca hosted the CHAN Final, which Morocco won.

2018: Sofia Film

In 2018, the events in Meryem Benm'Barek-Aloïsi's film "Sofia" revolved around an illegitimate pregnancy in Casablanca.

2019: Casablanca Tramway Network

As of 2019, Casablanca's tramway network consisted of two lines covering 47.5 km with 71 stops.

2019: Climate Change Paper Published

In 2019, a paper published in PLOS One estimated that under a moderate climate change scenario, by 2050, the climate of Casablanca would most closely resemble the current climate of Tripoli, Libya.

December 2022: Casablanca Stock Exchange Ranking

In December 2022, the Casablanca Stock Exchange was the third-largest in Africa based on market capitalization.

2022: IPCC Sixth Assessment Report

According to the 2022 IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, Casablanca is one of the major African cities most severely affected by future sea level rise.

July 2023: Casablanca Busway Opening Delayed

In July 2023, the public opening of the Casablanca Busway system was delayed due to technical problems.

September 2023: Casablanca's Global Financial Ranking

In September 2023, Casablanca ranked 54th globally in the Global Financial Centres Index rankings, positioning it between Brussels and Rome as a significant financial center.

October 2023: Casablanca Busway Testing Phase

As of October 2023, the Casablanca Busway system was operating in a testing phase.

November 2023: Casablanca Joins UNESCO's Creative Cities Network

On November 1, 2023, Casablanca joined UNESCO's Creative Cities Network.

2025: Morocco to Host African Nations Cup

Morocco will host the 2025 edition of the African Nations Cup after original host Guinea was stripped of hosting rights.

2025: Completion of Hassan II Stadium

The Hassan II Stadium is planned to be completed in Casablanca in 2025, becoming the home stadium for Raja Casablanca, Wydad Casablanca, and the Morocco national football team.

2026: Morocco Lost Bid for 2026 FIFA World Cup

The idea of the Hassan II stadium was also for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, for which Morocco lost their bid to Canada, Mexico and United States.

2028: Expected Completion of Hassan II Stadium

The Hassan II Stadium is expected to be complete by 2028.

2030: Potential FIFA World Cup Host

Casablanca could potentially host matches for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, including the final, at the Stade Mohammed V.

2030: Casablanca to Host 2030 FIFA World Cup

Casablanca will now host the 2030 FIFA World Cup which Morocco will co-host with two European nations Spain and Portugal.

2050: Climate Resemblance to Tripoli, Libya

According to a 2019 paper, by 2050, the climate of Casablanca would most closely resemble the current climate of Tripoli, Libya, due to climate change.

2050: Estimated Damages from Sea Level Rise

By the year 2050, Casablanca and other major African cities would collectively sustain cumulative damages of billions of US dollars under various emission scenarios due to sea level rise, according to the 2022 IPCC Sixth Assessment Report.