History of Lyon in Timeline

Lyon is a French city situated at the meeting point of the Rhône and Saône rivers. It lies northwest of the Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, and southwest of Geneva.

December 1938: Lowest Recorded Temperature

On 22 December 1938, Lyon recorded its lowest temperature at −24.6 °C (−12.3 °F).

1940: Vichy France

In 1940, Lyon was part of Vichy France.

September 1944: Liberation of Lyon

On 3 September 1944, Lyon was liberated by the 1st Free French Division and the Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur during World War II, with the city also being a stronghold of the French Resistance.

1944: French Fourth Republic

In 1944, Lyon was part of the French Fourth Republic.

1958: France

In 1958, Lyon was part of France.

1959: Arrondissement Split

Between 1867 and 1959, the third arrondissement was split three times, creating a new arrondissement in each case.

1963: Annexation of Saint-Rambert-l'Île-Barbe

In 1963, the commune of Saint-Rambert-l'Île-Barbe was annexed to Lyon's fifth arrondissement.

1964: Creation of the 9th Arrondissement

In 1964, Lyon's fifth arrondissement was split to create the 9th arrondissement.

1981: TGV Connection to Paris

In 1981, Lyon was the first city to be connected to Paris by the TGV high-speed train.

1998: FIFA World Cup Matches at Stade de Gerland

In 1998, the Stade de Gerland in Lyon hosted matches of the FIFA World Cup.

1998: UNESCO World Heritage Site Designation

In 1998, the historic site of Lyon was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

2000: Birdy Kids Graffiti Art

Since 2000, Birdy Kids, a group of graffiti artists, has decorated buildings and walls along the Lyon ring road.

2002: Olympique Lyonnais Championship Win

In 2002, Olympique Lyonnais (OL) began their seven consecutive championship wins in Ligue 1.

August 2003: Highest Recorded Temperature

On 13 August 2003, Lyon recorded its highest temperature at 40.5 °C (104.9 °F).

2004: Merger of FC Lyon into OL

In 2004, the women's football club FC Lyon merged into OL.

2005: Introduction of Vélo'v Bicycle Network

In 2005, the Vélo'v bicycle network was introduced in Lyon, providing a low-cost bicycle-hire service.

2006: Hotel-Nights by Non-Residents

In 2006, Lyon provided 3.5 million hotel-nights to non-residents.

2007: OL Lyonnes Championship Win

In 2007, OL Lyonnes began their fourteen consecutive top-flight championships.

2007: Tourism Revenue

In 2007, tourism in Lyon generated one billion euros.

2008: Olympique Lyonnais Championship Win

In 2008, Olympique Lyonnais (OL) finished their seven consecutive championship wins in Ligue 1.

January 2009: Lyon Ranked First for Hostels Business

In January 2009, Lyon ranked first in France for hostels business.

2009: Foundation of Current FC Lyon

In 2009, the current FC Lyon was founded.

2011: Population Born Outside Metropolitan France

As of 2011, 14% of Lyon's population was born outside Metropolitan France.

2011: Introduction of Auto'lib Car Rental Service

In 2011, the Auto'lib car rental service was introduced in Lyon.

2012: Birdy Kids as Cultural Ambassadors

In 2012, the artist collective Birdy Kids was chosen to represent Lyon as its cultural ambassadors.

December 2015: OL Move to Parc Olympique Lyonnais

In December 2015, OL played their final game at the Stade de Gerland.

2015: Metropolis of Lyon Formation

In 2015, Lyon and 58 suburban municipalities formed the Metropolis of Lyon, a directly elected metropolitan authority responsible for urban issues.

2015: Formation of Metropolis of Lyon

Since 2015, the city of Lyon and 58 suburban municipalities have formed the Metropolis of Lyon.

2016: UEFA Women's Champions League Win

In 2016, OL Lyonnes started their five consecutive UEFA Women's Champions League wins.

2016: OL Move to Parc Olympique Lyonnais

In 2016, Olympique Lyonnais began playing at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais.

2017: Lyon OU Move to Stade de Gerland

In 2017, Lyon OU, a rugby union team, moved into Stade de Gerland full-time.

2018: Lyon Designated a Beta City

In 2018, Lyon was designated a Beta city according to the Globalization and World Rankings Research Institute.

2018: Closure of Auto'lib Car Rental Service

In 2018, the Auto'lib car rental service closed in Lyon.

2019: FIFA Women's World Cup Semi-Finals and Final Hosted

In 2019, Lyon hosted the FIFA Women's World Cup semi-finals as well as the final on 7 July at Stade de Lyon.

2019: Mercer Liveability Rankings

In 2019, Lyon ranked second in France and 40th globally in Mercer's liveability rankings.

2019: Lyon's GDP

In 2019, the GDP of Lyon was 124 billion US dollars, making it the second richest city in France.

July 2020: Election of Current President

In July 2020, the current president of the Metropolis of Lyon's metropolitan council was elected following their election by universal suffrage in March and June 2020.