Timeline of Virginia Beach, Virginia

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA.

Prior to 20th century

1607 - English colonists land on beach.^[1]
1639 - Lynnhaven Parish Church built.
1720 - Adam Thoroughgood House built (approximate date).
1736 - Old Donation Episcopal Church built.
1750 - Kempsville district established as Kemps Landing (approximate date).
1775 - Battle of Kemp's Landing
1781 - September 5: Battle of the Chesapeake.^[2]
1791 - Nimmo Church constructed. It is the oldest church with the original foundation in the area. Bishop Francis Asbury preached there.[10]
1810 - Francis Land House built (approximate date).
1879 - Cape Henry Lighthouse built.^[3]
1888 - Oceanfront Boardwalk built.^[2]
1891 - Norwegian ship Dictator wrecked offshore.^[1]
1900 - Population: 11,192.

1906 - Town of Virginia Beach incorporated.^[1]
1933 - Bayne Theatre opens (approximate date).^[4]
1935 - Cape Henry Memorial erected.
1941 - The Virginia Beach and Princess Anne Chapters of the NAACP were formed.^[5]
1952 - City of Virginia Beach incorporated.
1953 - August: Hurricane Barbara.
1960 - Population: 84,215.
1963 - City merges with Princess Anne County.^[1]^[6]
1964 - Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel opens.
1970 - Population: 172,106.^[7]
1980 - Population: 262,199.^[7]
1988 - Meyera E. Oberndorf becomes mayor.
1989 - Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art opens.
1990 - Population: 393,069.^[7]
2000 - City website online (approximate date).^[8]^{[chronology citation needed]}

2009 - Will Sessoms becomes mayor.
2010 - Population: 437,994 in city;^[9] 1,676,822 in Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.
2019 - The Virginia Beach shooting occurs.
2023 - An EF3 tornado rips through the northern edge of the city, damaging or destroying several homes. There was no fatalities and no injuries.

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Nergal 1980.
^ ^a ^b "History". About the City. City of Virginia Beach. Retrieved August 30, 2014.
^ Federal Writers' Project 1941.
^ "Movie Theaters in Virginia Beach, VA". CinemaTreasures.org. Los Angeles: Cinema Treasures LLC. Retrieved August 30, 2014.
^ 400 Facts Committee, Virginia Beach 2007 (2006). 400 Facts About Princess Anne County and Virginia Beach History: 1607-2007. Published by Virginia Beach Public Library. p. 7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ Swartz 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990, US Census Bureau, 1998
^ "VBgov.com". Archived from the original on 2000-04-08 – via Internet Archive, Wayback Machine.
^ "Virginia Beach (city), Virginia". State & County QuickFacts. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved August 30, 2014.

10. "Nimmo Church". Princess Anne County/Virginia Beach Historical Society. Retrieved 2010-09-05.

Federal Writers' Project (1941), "Virginia Beach", Virginia: a Guide to the Old Dominion, American Guide Series, Oxford University Press, pp. 481–482, OL 24223083M481-482&rft.pub=Oxford University Press&rft.date=1941&rft_id=https://openlibrary.org/books/OL24223083M#id-name=OL&rft.au=Federal Writers' Project&rft_id=https://archive.org/stream/virginiaguidetoo00writ#page/481/mode/1up&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Timeline of Virginia Beach, Virginia" class="Z3988">{{citation}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
Ory Mazar Nergal, ed. (1980), "Virginia Beach, VA", Encyclopedia of American Cities, New York: E.P. Dutton, p. 350 , OL 4120668M
Nicholas J. Swartz (2010). "Does consolidation make a difference?: a comparative analysis of Richmond and Virginia Beach, Virginia". In Suzanne M. Leland; Kurt Thurmaier (eds.). City-County Consolidation: Promises Made, Promises Kept?. Georgetown University Press. ISBN 978-1-58901-622-4.