History of Derby in Timeline

Derby is a cathedral city and unitary authority area situated on the River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. It holds significance as the namesake of Derbyshire, which originally designated it as its county town. Administratively, Derby operates as a unitary authority, maintaining independence from Derbyshire County Council. As of 2024, Derby has a population of 274,149.

1921: Arthur Keily Born

Arthur Keily the marathon runner and Olympian was born in Derbyshire in 1921 and has lived his whole life in Derby.

1936: Derbyshire County Cricket Club Wins County Championship

In 1936, Derbyshire County Cricket Club won the County Championship.

1950: Grand Theatre Closure

The Grand Theatre in Derby, which had been open since 1886, closed in 1950.

1956: John Osborne Writes Look Back in Anger

In 1956, John Osborne wrote his play Look Back in Anger while living in Derby and working at Derby Playhouse.

1960: Arthur Keily Breaks English Olympic Record

In Rome in 1960 Arthur Keily broke the English Olympic record, recording a time of 2 hours 27 mins.

1967: Brian Clough Appointed Manager of Derby County F.C.

In 1967, Brian Clough was appointed manager of Derby County F.C.

1968: Inner Ring Road Construction

In 1968, the inner ring road construction significantly altered Derby's inner city skyline, including the demolition of St Alkmund's Church and its Georgian churchyard to build two new River Derwent crossings.

1969: Derby County Promoted to Football League First Division

In 1969, Derby County achieved promotion to the Football League First Division.

1973: Brian Clough Resigns

In 1973, Brian Clough resigned as manager of Derby County F.C.

1975: Derby County Wins League Title

In 1975, Dave Mackay guided Derby County to another league title.

February 1976: Partnership Treaty Signed with Osnabrück

On 17 February 1976, Derby signed a partnership treaty with Osnabrück in Germany.

1980: Derby County Relegated

In 1980, Derby County was relegated from the top flight.

1981: Anti-Pasti's Debut Album Reaches Top 40

In 1981, Anti-Pasti's debut album The Last Call reached the top 40 in the UK album charts.

April 1982: Kelli Young Born

Pop singer Kelli Young, who is best known as a member of the pop group Liberty X, was born in Derby on April 7, 1982.

1987: Derby County Regains Top Flight Status

In 1987, Derby County regained top flight status.

1987: Melissa Reid Born

Professional golfer Melissa Reid was born in Derby in 1987.

1989: Derby School Closed

Derby School, one of the oldest schools in England, closed in 1989.

1990: Derby City RLFC Formed

In 1990, rugby league team Derby City RLFC were formed.

1991: Derby County Spends a total of 11 seasons in the top flight

In 1991, Derby County spent a total of 11 seasons in the top flight.

1991: Déda Established

In 1991, Déda, the only dedicated dance house in the East Midlands, was established.

1993: The Beekeepers Sign to Beggars Banquet Records

In 1993, Derby band The Beekeepers were signed to Beggars Banquet Records.

1994: Derby Grammar School Founded

In 1994, Derby Grammar School was founded.

1996: Derby County Spends a total of 11 seasons in the top flight

In 1996, Derby County spent a total of 11 seasons in the top flight.

January 1997: "Your Woman" Reaches No. 1

In January 1997, White Town's "Your Woman", featuring scenes from Derby city centre, reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart.

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1997: Derby County Move to Pride Park Stadium

In 1997, Derby County moved from its century-old Baseball Ground to the new Pride Park Stadium.

1998: The Beekeepers End Contract with Beggars Banquet Records

In 1998, The Beekeepers ended their contract with Beggars Banquet Records.

2002: Derby County Spends a total of 11 seasons in the top flight

In 2002, Derby County spent a total of 11 seasons in the top flight.

2002: Derby Trailblazers Formed

In 2002, Derby Trailblazers were formed following the demise of British Basketball League side Derby Storm.

2003: Baseball Ground Demolished

In 2003, the Baseball Ground, former home of Derby County Football Club, was demolished six years after County's move to Pride Park.

2003: University of Nottingham Opens Medical School

In 2003, the University of Nottingham opened a graduate entry medical school based at Royal Derby Hospital.

2004: East Midlands Airport Name Controversy

In 2004, East Midlands Airport faced controversy after deciding to prefix its name with 'Nottingham' due to its proximity to Derby and Leicester, sparking rivalry between the three cities.

2006: Derbyshire County Cricket Club Re-introduces Matches at Chesterfield

In 2006, Derbyshire County Cricket Club re-introduced matches at Chesterfield.

2006: East Midlands Airport reverts to previous name

In 2006, Nottingham East Midlands Airport reverted to its previous name.

2007: Westfield Derby Opens

In 2007, Derbion opened as Westfield Derby after extension work.

2007: Derby County Spends a total of 11 seasons in the top flight

In 2007, Derby County spent a total of 11 seasons in the top flight.

2007: Derby Grammar School Accepts Girls into Sixth Form

In 2007, Derby Grammar School accepted girls into the sixth form for the first time.

February 2008: Derby Playhouse Closure

In February 2008, Derby Playhouse closed due to financial uncertainty.

May 2008: Derby County Relegated from FA Premier League

In May 2008, Derby County's most recent spell as a top-division (FA Premier League) club ended after just one season.

May 2008: Showcase Cinema De Lux Opens

In May 2008, the 12-screen Showcase – Cinema De Lux opened in Derbion (then Westfield Derby).

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2008: Derby City RLFC Ground-Sharing Agreement

From 2008, Derby City RLFC are ground-sharing with Derby RFC at Haslams Lane.

2008: QUAD Opens

In 2008, QUAD, a centre for art and film, opened in Derby.

June 2009: Drama project between Allestree Woodlands School and Gymnasium Angelaschule

In June 2009, Allestree Woodlands School and the Gymnasium Angelaschule in Osnabrück collaborated on a drama project. Performances were held in both cities, attracting over 1600 visitors.

2011: Melissa Reid Participates in Solheim Cup

In 2011, Melissa Reid was a member of the victorious European Team in the Solheim Cup.

2011: St Peters Quarter BID Established

In the summer of 2011, the St Peters Quarter became Derby's second Business Improvement District (BID).

June 2012: First Six Streets Arts Trail

In June 2012, the first Six Streets Arts trail took place.

2012: Derby Playhouse Renamed Derby Theatre

In 2012, Derby University bought the lease for Derby Playhouse and renamed the building Derby Theatre.

2012: University of Nottingham School of Nursing and Midwifery Relocates

In 2012, the University of Nottingham's School of Nursing and Midwifery moved to Royal Derby Hospital.

2012: Anti-Pasti Reformed

In 2012, the band Anti-Pasti reformed.

January 2013: Sarah Brigham Appointed Artistic Director of Derby Theatre

In January 2013, Sarah Brigham was appointed artistic director of Derby Theatre.

2013: Six Streets Arts Trail Held Again

In 2013, the Six Streets Arts trail took place again.

March 2014: Westfield Derby Sold to Intu

In March 2014, Westfield Derby was sold to Intu.

March 2014: Assembly Rooms Closed Following Fire Damage

In March 2014, the Assembly Rooms were closed following fire damage.

2014: Anti-Pasti Reform with Altered Line-Up

In 2014, Anti-Pasti reformed again with an altered line-up.

2014: Team Derby Wins National Badminton League Title

In 2014, Team Derby won the inaugural National Badminton League title.

2015: Derby Arena Opened

In 2015, the Derby Arena was opened.

2015: First Derby Book Festival Held

In 2015, the first Derby Book Festival took place in late spring/early summer.

October 2019: First "Autumn edition" Derby Book Festival Held

In October 2019, an additional "Autumn edition" of the Derby Book Festival was first held.

2019: Derby High School accepts boys into Year 7 and Year 12

In 2019, Derby High School accepted boys into Year 7 and Year 12.

2020: Maxïmo Park Album Reaches Number 2

In 2020, Maxïmo Park's album Nature Always Wins hit the number 2 spot in the U.K. album charts.

October 2021: Derby Included in UK City of Culture 2025 Longlist

In October 2021, Derby was included in the longlist of bids to host UK City of Culture 2025.

November 2021: Derby City Council Approves Rewilding Project

On 10 November 2021, Derby City Council approved plans for the UK's first large-scale urban rewilding project in Allestree Park.

March 2022: Derby Fails to Make UK City of Culture 2025 Shortlist

In March 2022, Derby failed to make it onto the shortlist for the UK City of Culture 2025.

2023: Derby High School Becomes Fully Co-educational

As of 2023, Derby High School is now fully co-educational, accepting both boys and girls in all years of school.

2024: European Museum of the Year Awards

In 2024, the Derby Museum of Making received a special commendation in the European Museum of the Year Awards.

2024: Derby Population

In 2024, the population of Derby is 274,149.

2025: UK City of Culture 2025

In October 2021, Derby was included in the longlist of bids to host UK City of Culture 2025, but in March 2022 it failed to make it onto the shortlist.