World City Guide

History

c. AD80 Roman trading post at Cathures (on the site of Glasgow)
543 St Kentigern (nicknamed St Mungo) settles in Glasgow and establishes a church
1115 Glasgow is established as an Episcopal See
1180 Glasgow is declared a Burgh by charter
1451 Glasgow University is founded
1560 Glasgow’s last Roman Catholic archbishop flees the city
1751 John Smith’s bookshop (the oldest existing trading company in Scotland) opens
1770-72 Clyde River is made navigable to large ships
1778 The first organised police force in the UK is formed in the city
1796 University of Strathclyde is founded
1819 Alan Pinkerton, founder of the renowned US detective agency and of the expression ‘private eye’, is born in the Glasgow area
1868 Charles Rennie Mackintosh is born in Glasgow.
1873 Scottish Football Association (the world’s second oldest) is founded
1879 Britain’s first telephone exchange opens in Glasgow
1888 Glasgow hosts the International Exhibition of Industry, Science and Art
1900 Glasgow reaches its peak of industrial production
1930s The launch of ocean liners Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth from docks on the Clyde
1938 Empire Exhibition is held in the city
1939 Glasgow’s population peaks at 1.13 million
1967 The Red Road Flats, the tallest housing blocks in Europe, are opened
1983 The Burrell Collection opens, heralding the city’s new role as a tourist destination
1988 Glasgow becomes the National Garden Festival City
1990 Glasgow is designated European City of Culture
1999 Glasgow is chosen as UK City of Architecture and Design