The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Bilbao in the Biscay province of Spain.

Prior to 19th century

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History of Spain
Prehistory Prehistoric Iberia
Early history Pre-Roman peoples Carthaginian Spain (575–206 BCE)
Roman Hispania Roman Conquest (206–27 BCE) Hispania (218 BCE–472 CE) Romanization Diocese of Hispania
Early Middle Ages Kingdom of the Suebi (409–585) Kingdom of the Visigoths (418–721) Byzantine Spania (552–624)
Middle Ages Muslim conquest (711–716) Al-Andalus (711–1492) Reconquista (711–1492) Christian kingdoms (718–1479)
Early modern period Catholic Monarchs (1479–1516) Granada War (1482–1492) Colonisation of the Americas (1492–1898) Habsburgs (1516–1700) Golden Age (1556–1659) Bourbons (1700–1808) War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714) Nueva Planta Decrees (1707–1716)
Peninsular War Abdications of Bayonne (1808) Napoleonic Spain (1808–1813) Cortes of Cádiz (1810–1814) Constitution of Cádiz (1812) Treaty of Valençay (1813)
Absolutist restoration Sexenio Absolutista (1814–1820) Trienio Liberal (1820–1823) Ominous Decade (1823–1833)
Reign of Isabella II Regency of María Cristina (1833–1840) First Carlist War (1833–1840) Regency of Espartero (1840–1843) Década moderada (1844–1854) Second Carlist War (1846–1849) Bienio progresista (1854–1856) Glorious Revolution (1868)
Sexenio Democrático Provisional Government (1868–1871) Reign of Amadeo I (1870–1873) Third Carlist War (1872–1876) First Republic (1873–1874)
Restoration Spain Reign of Alfonso XII (1874–1885) Regency of María Cristina (1885–1902) Reign of Alfonso XIII (1886–1931) Spanish–American War (1898) Spain during World War I (1914–1918) Rif War (–1927) Dictatorship of Primo de Rivera (1923–1930) Dictablanda of Dámaso Berenguer (1930–1931)
Second Republic Provisional Government (1931) First Biennium (1931–1933) Second Biennium (1933–1936) Revolution and Asturian miners' strike (1934) 1936 general election (1936) 1936 coup d'état (1936) Civil War (1936–1939) Nationalist victory (1939)
Francoist Spain Spanish Maquis (1939–1965) Spain during World War II (1939–1945) Blue Division (1941–1944) Basque conflict (1959–2011)
Contemporary history Transition to democracy (1975–1978) Current constitution (1978) 1981 coup d'état attempt Madrid train bombings (2004) 2008–2014 financial crisis 2017 Barcelona attacks Coronavirus pandemic (2020–present)
Topic Economic history Law enforcement LGBT history Military history Religious history
Timeline
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• 1300 – Bilbao founded by Diego López V de Haro.^[1][2]
• 1397 – Santiago Cathedral built (approximate date).
• 1510 – Church of San Antón built.
• 1511
  • Consulado established.^[3]
  • Basilica of Begoña construction begins.
• 1795 – July: Town occupied by French forces.^[1][2]

19th century

• 1804 – Zamacolada [eu] conflict.^[4]
• 1808 – French occupation begins.^[2]
• 1813 – French occupation ends.^[2]
• 1833 – Biscay Province established.
• 1836 – December: Battle of Luchana.
• 1845 – Arenal Bridge constructed.
• 1846 – Fabrica de Nuestra Senora de la Merced (steel mill) in business near town.^[4]
• 1855 – Fabrica de Nuestra Senora del Carmen in business.^[4]
• 1857 – Bank established.^[2]
• 1859 – British Protestant Cemetery established.^[5]
• 1863 – Tudela-Bilbao railway begins operating.^[2]
• 1870 – Population: 17,649.^[2]
• 1874 – February–May: Town besieged by Carlist forces.^[6]
• 1877 – San Antón Bridge built.
• 1882 – Bilbao-Atxuri Station built.
• 1886
  • Orfeón Bilbaíno (choir) founded.
  • University of Deusto opened.
• 1887 – Population: 50,772.^[7]
• 1890
  • Stock Exchange founded.
  • Teatro Arriaga built.
  • May: Ironworkers strike.^[6]
• 1892 – Bilbao City Hall built.
• 1893 – Vizcaya Bridge built.
• 1894 – Chavarri Palace built.
• 1895 – Gaceta del Norte newspaper begins publication.^[8]
• 1896 – Dry dock built.^[2]
• 1897 - Population: 74,076.^[2]
• 1898 – Athletic Club (football club) formed.
• 1900
  • Biscay Foral Delegation Palace built.
  • Population: 83,306.^[2]

20th century

• 1905 – A second dry dock built.^[2]
• 1906 – August: General strike.^[6]
• 1907 – Doña Casilda Iturrizar park created.
• 1913
  • San Mamés Stadium opens.
  • Euzkadi newspaper begins publication.
• 1914 – Bilbao Fine Arts Museum established.
• 1922 – Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa founded.
• 1924 – Museum of Modern Art established.
• 1937 – 19 June: "Nationalists capture Bilbao."^[9]
• 1940 – Population: 195,186.^[7]
• 1950 – Bilbao Airport in operation.
• 1960 – Population: 297,942.^[7]
• 1968 – University of Bilbao established.
• 1970 – Population: 410,490.^[7]
• 1978 – Great Week of Bilbao begins.
• 1979 – City becomes part of the Basque Country (autonomous community) of Spain.
• 1980 – University of the Basque Country established.
• 1983 – In region near Bilbao, construction of Lemoniz Nuclear Power Plant ceases.
• 1991 – Population: 372,054.^[7]
• 1995 – Metro Bilbao begins operating.
• 1997 – Guggenheim Museum Bilbao^[10] and Zubizuri footbridge open.
• 1999
  • Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria established.
  • Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall opens.
  • Iñaki Azkuna becomes mayor.^[11]

21st century

• 2004 – Bilbao Exhibition Centre opens in Barakaldo.
• 2006 – Bilbao Live Festival begins.
• 2010 – Alhóndiga Bilbao opens.
• 2011 – Iberdrola Tower built.
• 2013 – Population: 351,629.
• 2014 – 11 January: Pro-ETA demonstration.^[12]
• 2018 – 10 June: Pro-independence, 202 kilometer human chain formed between cities of Bilbao, San Sebastián, and Vitoria-Gasteiz.^[13]