Cape Town history:
1488 - Bartolomeu Dias (Portuguese) discovered the Cape after sailing down the west coast of Africa.
Vasco da Gama report again about the Cape in his quest to find a route between Europe and Asia - 1497
1503 - Antonio de Saldanha was the first explorer to mention Table Mountain (Taboa de Caba)
Jan van Riebeeck was send by the VOC to establish a halfway station for fresh food and water
(VOC = Vereenigde Oostindiche Compagnie, Netherlands) - 1652
1666 - He started building the Castle of Good Hope (completed - 1679). This is the oldest building in South Africa.
Simon van der Stel replaced Jan van Riebeeck as governor and started the wine industry with grapes from Europe.
The town Stellenbosch was named after him - 1679
1688 - The Huguenots (French) fled from anti-protestant persecution and brought more wine experience to the Cape.
They were accommodated in the area known today as Franschhoek.
The Netherlands was invaded by the French and the VOC began to experience financial problems.
Britain offer to help the Netherlands and eventually invaded the Cape. After the war
it was agreed to return the Cape to the Dutch. - 1795
1806 - The war between the British and the French began again and Britain regain possession of the Cape.
The Noon Gun was fired for the first time and today you can still set your watch to the firing of the Noon Gun - 1806
1814 - Britain won the war against the French and took the Cape permanently.
The Green Point lighthouse was built - 1824
1834 - Slaves were emancipated and this led to the establishment of the Muslim community
in the area today known as the Bo-Kaap.
Some Dutch families left the Cape to explore the land further north.
This exodus are referred to as the Great Trek. - 1836
1880 - Cecil J Rhodes became the new prime minister of the Cape Colony and instigated a rapid expansion
of the British influence into the hinterland. Inter-ethnic tension followed that led to the Anglo-Boer War.
Kaapse Klopse minstrel festival begins - 1887
1889 - Newlands Cricket ground in use.
The Anglo-Boer war ended when the two parties signed the treaty of Vereeniging. - 1902
1928 - Table Mountain Aerial Cableway began operating.
Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital opens. - 1956
1964 - Nelson Mandela arrived on Robben Island where he would spend 18 of his 27 prison years.
Surgeon Christiaan Barnard performed the first human heart transplant in Groote
Schuur Hospital, Cape Town. - 1967
1968 - District Six was bulldozed and people were relocated to the Cape Flats as the area was
declared a white only neighborhood.
The first Two Oceans Ultra Marathon (56km) was held and it's known as the world's
most beautiful marathon. - 1970
1978 - Cape Town Cycle Tour began and grew to be the world's largest timed cycle race.
V&A Waterfront(Pty)Ltd was established to redevelop Cape Town's docklands area with continued
operations of a working harbor. - 1988
1990 - Nelson Mandela made his first public speech in decades from the balcony of the Cape Town City Hall.
Cape Town entered the race to host the 2004 Olympics, but Athens won the bid. - 1997
1999 - Ajax Cape Town football team was established.
When the Cricket World Cup was held in South Africa, Newlands was one of the test grounds. - 2003
2008 - Cape Town TV was established.
One of the world's most beautiful cities (forbes.com). - 2010
2010 - The Cape Town Stadium was build to help South Africa host the Soccer World Cup.
Trip Adviser Traveler's Choice award Best Destination. - 2011
2011 - The MyCiti bus service began operating.
Table Mountain became one of the New7Wonders of nature. - 2012
2013 - The Telegraph Travel Awards' favorite city.
New York Times named Cape Town the best place in the world to visit. - 2014
2016 - Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens won its 34th gold medal in 41 years at the Chelsea Flower Show.
ZeitzMOCAA, the largest museum of contemporary African art in the world,
opens in the V&A Waterfront - 2017
2018 - CNN Travel put Cape Town on their “planet’s most extraordinary destinations” list.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) a world wide crisis with a negative impact on tourism - 2020
2020 - Cape Town was recognised by Tourlane as one of the world’s eco-friendly travel destinations
