Timeline of Dundee history

The timeline of Dundee history shows the significant events in the history of Dundee, Scotland.

1100–1799

• 1190 – Dundee Parish Church established.
• 1200 – William the Lion deeds his younger brother David, Earl of Huntingdon superiority over Dundee and its port.
• 1239 – The High School of Dundee opens.
• 1296 – Dundee Castle surrendered to the English.
• 1297 – William Wallace besieges and captures Dundee Castle.
• 1298 – Alexander Scrymgeour appointed keeper of Dundee Castle by William Wallace.
• 1306 – Dundee Castle retaken by the English.
• 1313 – Dundee Castle destroyed by Robert the Bruce.
• 1385 – John of Gaunt & the English captured and partially destroyed the town.
• 1465 – Birth of Hector Boece a Scottish philosopher and historian.
• 1518 – Birth of James Halyburton the Scottish Reformer and provost of the town for 33 years.
• 1564 – The Howff (a burial ground) established.
• 1580 – Dudhope Castle extended.
• 1645 – Population of Dundee estimated to be 11,200.
• 1651 – Siege of Dundee: George Monck besieges and sacks the town on the orders of Oliver Cromwell.
• 1684 – John Graham of Claverhouse, 1st Viscount Dundee became constable.
• 1732 – Birth of George Dempster of Dunnichen an advocate, landowner and politician.
• 1759 – Birth of William Playfair, inventor of graphical methods of statistics including the line, area and bar chart.
• 1795 - Birth of William Lyon Mackenzie, a journalist and politician who became the first mayor of Toronto in 1834, playing a key role in its establishment as a city, and later led a failed rebellion in Upper Canada in 1837.
• 1797 – James Keiller & Son, a jam and marmalade factory, is established.
• 1798 – Dundee Infirmary opens in King Street.

1800–1899

• 1801 – The Courier established as the Dundee, Perth and Cupar Advertiser.
• 1812 – Mary Shelley moves to Dundee from London. Her time in the city influences her writing, eventually inspiring her to write Frankenstein.
• 1819 – Dundee Infirmary granted royal charter and renamed "Dundee Royal Infirmary and Asylum".
• 1820 – Dundee Asylum formally established as a separate entity from Dundee Royal Infirmary and opened in premises in Albert Street.
• 1825 – Walter Scott writes Bonnie Dundee a poem and song in honour of John Graham, 1st Viscount Dundee.
• 1831 – Dundee and Newtyle Railway opens.
• 1834 – James Chalmers publicly exhibits the adhesive postage stamp.
• 1835
• 25 July: James Bowman Lindsay demonstrates a constant electric light at a public meeting at the city's Thistle Hall.
• First jute cargos arrive in Dundee beginning the city's jute trade.
• 1836 – St Andrew's Cathedral completed.
• 1838 – Dundee and Arbroath Railway opens.
• 1839 – James Chalmers submits his adhesive postage stamp proposal to the UK Government.
• 1847 - Dundee and Perth Railway opens.
• 1849 - The construction of Camperdown Works begins.
• 1851 – St Mary, Our Lady of Victories Church opens.
• 1853 – Royal Arch, built to celebrate a visit by Queen Victoria, is completed.
• 1855 - New Dundee Royal Infirmary opened in Barrack Road, replacing King Street building.
• 1855 – St Paul's Cathedral completed.
• 1857 – Birth of Williamina Fleming, an astronomer who discovered the Horsehead Nebula and white dwarf stars, and catalogued hundreds of stars.
• 1860 - Dundee Convalescent Hospital opened in Union Place.
• 1863 – Baxter Park opens.
• 1864 – Thomas John MacLagan begins working at Dundee Royal Infirmary, where his use of salicin to treat patients lays the groundwork for the development of aspirin.
• 1867 – The McManus Art Gallery and Museum opens as the Albert Institute.
• 1870 – Balgay Hill and Victoria Park were acquired by the City as public parks.
• 1871 – Legislation for slum clearing was established with the City Improvement Act.
• 1878 – First Tay Rail Bridge opens.
• 1879 - Foundation stone laid for new home of Dundee Royal Asylum at Liff. The institution will completely transfer there from the site in Albert Street by October 1882.
• 1879 – Tay Bridge Disaster: The Tay Rail Bridge collapses killing around 75 people.
• 1881 – University of Dundee established as University College, Dundee by deed of endowment.
• 1885 – Harris Academy, Dundee’s first public school, opens to pupils.
• 1887 – Second Tay Rail Bridge opens.
• 1888 – Abertay University established as Dundee Institute of Technology.
• 1889
• Dundee becomes the first Scottish city to be granted city status.
• King's Cross Hospital opens as a fever hospital for patients suffering from infectious diseases.
• 1891 – Population of Dundee estimated to be 153,587.
• 1893 – The East Poorhouse Hospital, which will later become Maryfield Hospital, opens as a hospital for the poor.
• 1897 – Dundee Women's Hospital opens.
• 1899 – Royal Victoria Hospital opens as the Victoria Hospital for Incurables.

1900–1999

• 1901
• Population of Dundee estimated to be 161,173.
• RRS Discovery, the world’s first purpose built scientific research ship is built and launched.
• SS Californian, known for its inaction during the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912, is launched.
• 1905 – DC Thomson is established.
• 1906 – 1906 Dundee fire: a large fire breaks out in a warehouse storing whisky.
• 1909 – Dundee United F.C. forms as Dundee Hibernian.
• 1914 – Dundee Dental Hospital opens.
• 1915
• Dundee Women's Hospital moves to a new building in Elliot Road.
• The 4th (City of Dundee) Battalion Black Watch sustains significant losses at the Battle of Loos.
• 1918 – Association of Jute Spinners and Manufacturers founded in Dundee, initially to protect the prices of its members' products.
• 1919 - The Kingsway opens to the public, becoming the first ring road system in the UK.
• 1920 - Several of Dundee's leading jute firms including Cox Brothers, Gilroy and Sons and J. and A. D. Grimond are amalgamated as Jute Industries Ltd.
• 1923 – The Caird Hall concert auditorium formally opened by Edward, Prince of Wales.
• 1925 – War memorial opens at the summit of Dundee Law.
• 1933 – Dundee City Chambers opens.
• 1935 – Mills Observatory opens.
• 1936 – Green's Playhouse opens.
• 1938 – The Beano is first published by DC Thomson.
• 1939 - Dundee Repertory Theatre founded, initially based in Nicoll Street.
• 1946
• Camperdown Country Park opens.
• A twinning agreement is established between Dundee and Orleans, France. Dundee’s first twin city.
• 1959 — Dundee and Zadar, Croatia become twin cities.
• 1962 — Dundee twins with Alexandria, Virginia in the United States and Würzburg in Germany.
• 1963
• Royal Arch, built to celebrate a visit by Queen Victoria, is demolished.
• Dundee Repertory Theatre's premises at Nicoll Street is destroyed in a fire.
• Dundee Airport opens.
• "Beatlemania" is coined for the first time at The Beatles' concert at the Caird Hall.
• 1966 – Tay Road Bridge opens.
• 1967 – University of Dundee gains independent status.
• 1974 – Ninewells Hospital opens.
• 1978
• The Wellgate Centre opens.
• Dundee Synagogue opens.
• 1979 – Amorphous silicon thin-film transistors (TFTs) are developed by Walter Spear and Peter LeComber at the University of Dundee, paving the way for the global development of laptops, flat-screen TVs, smartphones, and tablets.
• 1980
• Scottish League Cup Final takes place at Dens Park.
• Dundee and Nablus, Palestine become twin cities.
• 1982 – New Dundee Repertory Theatre opens.
• 1984 – DMA Design is established.
• 1986 – RRS Discovery returns to Dundee from London.
• 1991 – Lemmings is released by DMA Design.
• 1993
• Timex strike: Industrial dispute between workers and management takes place over seven months resulting in the closure of the factory and the loss of hundreds of jobs.
• Discovery Point, a visitor centre dedicated to the RRS Discovery, opens.
• 1994 – Abertay University gains university status.
• 1996 – Verdant Works Museum opens.
• 1997
• The world's first computer games design degree is introduced at Abertay University.
• Grand Theft Auto is first released by DMA Design.
• Green's Playhouse is rebuilt after a fire and operates as a Mecca Bingo Hall.
• 1998
• Dundee Royal Infirmary closes.
• Last jute cargo arrives in Dundee bringing an end to the city's jute trade.
• 1999 – Dundee Contemporary Arts Centre opens.

2000–present

• 2000
• Dundee Central Mosque opens.
• Dundee Science Centre opens.
• Dundee International Book Prize established.
• The Overgate Centre opens.
• 2001
• The Dundee Waterfront project launches with the aim of transforming the city's waterfront by 2031.
• 2001 Morgan Academy fire: A fire engulfs Morgan Academy and results in pupils and staff to be decanted to the former Rockwell High School site. The damaged school is then repaired and reopened in 2004.
• 2004 – Dundee and Dubai, United Arab Emirates become twin cities.
• 2006
• The world's first ethical hacking degree is introduced at Abertay University.
• Radio 1's Big Weekend takes place at Camperdown Country Park.
• 2007 – Scottish Challenge Cup Final takes place in Dens Park.
• 2009 – Dundee International Submarine Memorial dedicated.
• 2010
• Dundee Museum of Transport is established.
• Winter of 2010–11: A major thundersnow storm occurs in Dundee, resulting between 8 and 10 inches of snow falling rapidly, accompanied by thunder, lightning, and fierce winds, described as “the perfect storm”
• 2011
• DUNDEAD, a horror film festival hosted by Dundee Contemporary Arts, launches.
• Dundee House, the headquarters of the city council, opens.
• 2013
• Dundee is shortlisted for the UK City of Culture in 2017, but loses out to Hull.
• Dundee Culture is established.
• Dundee and West Dundee in the United States become twin cities.
• 2014
• Dundee is granted UNESCO City of Design status, the first city in the UK to receive the designation.
• The University of Dundee's Discovery Centre opens.
• 2015
• A memorial for Mary Slessor is unveiled outside the Steeple Church in Dundee’s Nethergate area on the 100th anniversary of her death.
• Dundee Museum of Transport successfully purchases the Maryfield Tram Depot to transform it into a new museum.
• The Scottish Traditional Music Awards and the ISAM International Congress are hosted in Dundee at the Caird Hall for the first time.
• 2016
• Beano Studios is established by DC Thomson.
• The Scottish Traditional Music Awards are hosted at the Caird Hall for the second time.
• 2017
• Dundee International Book Prize disestablished.
• Carnival 56, Dundee’s own music festival, takes place at Camperdown Country Park, but it is scrapped after one year.
• Dundee bids to be European Capital of Culture for 2023, but due to Brexit, the bid is terminated.
• 2018
• Dundee Pride is established and the city's first pride event is held.
• The Dundee Design Parade is established.
• Dundee's new railway station concourse opens.
• V&A Dundee opens.
• 2019 – Dundee Synagogue closes.
• 2020
• NHS Tayside announces that they have "effectively eliminated" hepatitis C.
• BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend, scheduled to be hosted at Camperdown Country Park, is cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Plans for an Eden Project visitor attraction are revealed for Dundee.
• Camperdown Golf Course closes amid cuts by Dundee City Council.
• Rockstar Dundee is established after Ruffian Games is taken over by Rockstar Games, marking the game company’s return to Dundee for the first time in 21 years.
• Debenhams close their department store in the Overgate Centre.
• 2021
• Dundee is named as the UK's only "City of the Future" by Cognizant.
• The Caird Hall operates as a mass COVID‑19 vaccination centre in February under the direction of NHS Tayside and delivered around 135,000 vaccine doses before it closed in September.
• Emanata Studios is established as a division of Beano Studios by DC Thomson.
• 2022
• 2022 Kirkton riot: Disturbance takes place in the Kirkton area of the city which leads to multiple arrests.
• Dundee, along with Perth and Fife form a bid to be UK City of Culture in 2025, but the bid does not get shortlisted.
• The Scottish Traditional Music Awards is hosted at the Caird Hall for a third time.
• 2023
• BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend takes place at Camperdown Country Park for the second time, after it was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dundee becomes the first Scottish city to host the event twice.
• The first Scottish Esports degree is introduced by Dundee and Angus College.
• Ambassador Cruise Line announces Dundee as a home port for their new cruise liner, Ambition.
• Mike Ashley purchases the Overgate Centre for approximately £30 million.
• The 2012 RRS Discovery visits Dundee for the first time.

• 2024
• Mills Observatory, Broughty Castle Museum and Caird Park Golf Course are earmarked for closure by Dundee City Council to cut costs. Mills Observatory is later saved from closure following a resurgence in visitor numbers whilst the decision on Broughty Castle Museum is deferred.
• The Competitive Games Lab and Wacom Cintiq Lab opens at Abertay University, specialising in research and development in gaming, esports and digital art.
• Planning permission is approved for Eden Project Dundee.
• Plans to repurpose the Wellgate Centre into a new college campus operated by Dundee and Angus College are unveiled.
• Dundee becomes the first city in Europe to implement a personalised cancer treatment based on an individual's immune system with a positive response reported by 2026 leading to scientists describing it as a "game changer".
• 2025
• Broughty Castle Museum is given £50,000 of funding to continue operating for a year, after previously being earmarked for closure.
• Mills Observatory records its 2024/25 season as its best on record and receives £5,000 of funding from Culture & Business Scotland to refurbish ahead of its 90th anniversary season.
• University of Dundee reveals a £35 million deficit which resulted in 632 jobs being put under threat. The Scottish Government subsequently gives the university a £22 million bailout.
• The CoSTAR Realtime Lab opens at Dundee’s waterfront, specialising in developing new technologies for TV, film and gaming.
• LIVEHOUSE Dundee, a multi-purpose live entertainment venue opens at the former Green's Playhouse site.
• Caird Park Golf Course closes following cuts from Dundee City Council.
• Frasers opens up their new department store in the Overgate Centre, replacing Debenhams which closed in 2020.
• The Dundee Book Festival and Dundee Music Festival is established.
• The inaugural Dundee Economic Summit is held by the Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce.
• University of Dundee principal Shane O'Neill resigns following an independent investigation which revealed financial mismanagement at the university.
• Dundee hosts the Scottish Album of the Year Award for the first time at the Caird Hall in a role that the city will take up to 2027.
• Doof in the Park, an EDM festival organised by Hannah Laing, is launched and takes place in Camperdown Country Park. A second edition for 2026 was announced shortly after the 2025 edition.
• The PS Waverley returns to Dundee for the first time since 1984.
• Dundee hosts the Scots Language Awards for the second time.
• RRS Discovery marks 100 years as a designated Royal Research Ship. To celebrate, the 2012 RRS Discovery ship, named after the 1901 ship built in Dundee, returns to the city for the first time in two years.
• Canadian singer Justin Bieber makes an unannounced visit to Dundee, where he films his music video for “Bad Honey” in a city centre bar.
• The world’s first remote transatlantic stroke treatment is conducted by the University of Dundee.
• 2026
• Dundee is set to host the 37th European Cetacean Society Conference at LIVEHOUSE Dundee.

See also

• Dundee
• History of Dundee
• Timeline of Scottish history

Notes

References