Timeline of Dakar

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Dakar , capital of present-day Senegal. For more on this, see the History of Senegal, Senegambia, and Timeline of Serer history.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Prior to 20th century

• 1857
  • Gorée merchants settle in Dakar.
  • French build fort on Dakar Point. ^[1]
• 1862 – "Master plan for Dakar is drafted by Émile Pinet-Laprade." ^[2]
• 1863
  • Streets named. ^[2]
  • Catholic Apostolic Vicariate of Senegambia established. ^[3]
• 1867 - Port was opened for commerce. ^[4]
• 1872 – Town becomes part of the commune of Gorée. ^[5]
• 1878 – Population: 1,600. ^[6]
• 1885
  • Rue Blanchot mosque built (approximate date). ^[7]
  • Opening of the Dakar–Saint-Louis railway (163 miles long). ^[4]
• 1887
  • Dakar commune formed. ^[4]
  • Jean Alexandre becomes mayor. ^[5]
• 1891 – Population: 8,737. ^[5]
• 1900 – "Military seaport" built. ^[2]

20th century

1900s–1950s

• 1902 – Capital of French West Africa moved to Dakar from Saint-Louis. ^{[8] [4]}
• 1903 – Hann Park  [ fr ] created. ^[9]
• 1904
  • Avenue Gambetta, Avenue de la Liberté, and Boulevard de la République open. ^[2]
  • Population: 18,447. ^[4]
• 1905 – Brest-Dakar telegraph in operation. ^[4]
• 1907
  • Government Palace  [ fr ] built. ^[10]
  • L'A.O.F. newspaper begins publication. ^[11]
• 1908 – Harbor constructed. ^[4]
• 1913
  • Democratie du Senegal newspaper begins publication. ^[11]
  • National Archives of Senegal formed. ^[12]
• 1914
  • Train station opens. ^[5]
  • Bubonic plague epidemic. ^[13]
• 1918
  • French West Africa School of Medicine established.
  • Population: 25,468. ^[14]
• 1920 – Blaise Diagne becomes mayor. ^[5]
• 1921 – Population: 32,440. ^[5]
• 1924 – Dakar–Niger Railway begins operating. ^[15]
• 1926 – Population: 33,679. ^[5]
• 1929
  • Gorée annexed to Dakar. ^[5]
  • Société des brasseries de l'Ouest africain  [ fr ] formed.
• 1933
  • Paris-Dakar newspaper begins publication.
  • Foyer France Sénégal football club formed.
• 1934 – Armand-Pierre Angrand becomes mayor.
• 1936 – Catholic Cathédrale du Souvenir africain de Dakar inaugurated. ^[16]
• 1938 - Institut Français d’Afrique Noire ^[17] and museum founded.
• 1940 - Battle of Dakar.
• 1940s – Mama Casset  [ fr ] photo studio in business. ^[18]
• 1944 – Thiaroye Massacre.
• 1950 – Cours Sainte Marie de Hann founded.^{[ citation needed ]}
• 1957 – University of Dakar established.
• 1959
  • City becomes capital of Mali Federation.
  • French Cultural Centre created.

1960s–1990s

• 1960 – École de Dakar (art)  [ fr ] movement active. ^[19]
• 1961
  • Dakar-Matin  [ fr ] newspaper begins publication.
  • Population: 374,700 urban agglomeration. ^[20]
• 1962 – House of Slaves (Gorée) museum opens.
• 1963
  • December: Political demonstration; crackdown. ^[8]
  • Borom Sarret film released (set in Dakar). ^[21]
• 1964 - Dakar Grand Mosque built.
• 1966
  • Daniel Sorano Theatre opens (approximate date). ^[22]
  • Amity Stadium opens (approximate date). ^[22]
  • World Festival of Black Arts held. ^{[23] [21]}
• 1969 – Population: 581,000 urban agglomeration. ^[24]
• 1970
  • Le Soleil newspaper begins publication.
  • Club Baobab opens. ^[25]
• 1972 – Enda Third World and Centre Culturel Régional Blaise Senghor ^[26] established.
• 1973 – Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa headquartered in Dakar.
• 1974 – Laboratoire Agit'Art (art group) formed. ^[19]
• 1975 – Association Nationale des Bibliothécaires, Archivistes et Documentalistes Senegalais headquartered in city. ^[17]
• 1978 – Dakar Rally motor vehicle race begins.
• 1984
  • Mamadou Diop becomes mayor.
  • WalFadjri newspaper begins publication.^{[ citation needed ]}
• 1989
  • May: Meeting of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie held in city.
  • Musée historique du Sénégal à Gorée  [ fr ] opens.
  • Ethnic violence. ^[27]
• 1990
  • Dakar Biennale begins.
  • Public library established. ^[17]
  • Sét Sétal  [ it ] art movement develops. ^[21]
  • Population: 1,405,000 (urban agglomeration). ^[28]
• 1993
  • Sud Quotidien begins publication.
  • West African Research Center established.
• 1994
  • Henriette-Bathily Women's Museum opens. ^[17]
  • Kermel market burns down.
• 1995 – Population: 1,688,000 (urban agglomeration). ^[28]
• 1996
  • Municipal administration divided into 19 communes d'arrondissement: Biscuiterie, Cambérène, Dieuppeul-Derklé, Fann-Point E-Amitié, Gueule Tapée-Fass-Colobane, Gorée, Grand Yoff, Grand Dakar, Hann Bel-Air, HLM, Médina, Mermoz-Sacré-Cœur, Ngor, Ouakam, Parcelles Assainies, Patte d'Oie, Dakar-Plateau, Sicap-Liberté, and Yoff.^(fr)
  • City becomes part of Dakar Department, Dakar Region.
  • Musée des Forces Armées Senegalaise established. ^[17]
• 1997
  • Media Centre de Dakar in operation. ^[29]
  • Mosquée de la Divinité built.
• 1998 – Doole community exchange system established. ^[30]
• 1999 – Festival international du film de quartier de Dakar  [ fr ] begins.
• 2000 – Population: 2,029,000 (urban agglomeration). ^[28]

21st century

• 2001 – Student protests. ^[31]
• 2002 – Pape Diop becomes mayor.
• 2003
  • Le Quotidien newspaper begins publication.
  • West Africa Democracy Radio begins broadcasting.
  • Meeting of the Association Internationale des Maires Francophones held in city.
  • Closure of the Dakar–Saint-Louis railway, (approx date)
• 2005 – Population: 2,434,000 (urban agglomeration), ^[28] 1,030,594 (city).
• 2006 – City hosts African Swimming Championships.
• 2007 – June: Economic protest. ^[32]
• 2008 - Raw Material Company (art space) founded. ^[33]
• 2009
  • City website online (approximate date). ^{[34] [ chronology citation needed ]}
  • Khalifa Sall becomes mayor. ^[35]
• 2010 – African Renaissance Monument dedicated. ^[36]
• 2011
  • City hosts World Social Forum and ICANN conference. ^[37]
  • Google office in business. ^[38]
  • Population: 3,035,000. ^[39]
• 2013
  • June: U.S. President Obama visits city. ^[40]
  • Air pollution in Dakar reaches annual mean of 34 PM2.5 and 141 PM10, much higher than recommended. ^[41]
• 2014
  • November: Meeting of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie held in city.
  • Statue of Léopold Sédar Senghor  [ fr ] installed.
• 2025 – Charles de Gaulle Boulevard was renamed after former Senegalese Prime Minister Mamadou Dia. ^[42]

See also

• Dakar history (fr)
• List of mayors of Dakar
• List of heritage sites in the Dakar Region  [ fr ]
• Timeline of Senegal  [ fr ]
• Timeline of Saint-Louis, Senegal

References

1. Whittlesey 1941.
2. Bigon 2016.
3. "Chronology of Catholic Dioceses: Senegal". www.katolsk.no. Norway: Oslo katolske bispedømme (Oslo Catholic Diocese). Retrieved 30 September 2014.
4. Britannica 1910.
5. Historique de la ville (in French), Ville de Dakar, retrieved 30 August 2015
6. Nelson 2007.
7. Cleo Cantone (2006). "A Mosque in a Mosque: Some Observations on the Rue Blanchot Mosque in Dakar & Its Relation to Other Mosques in the Colonial Period". Cahiers d'Études Africaines. 46 (182): 363–387. doi: 10.4000/etudesafricaines.15253 . JSTOR   4393580.
8. "Senegal". Political Chronology of Africa. Political Chronologies of the World. Europa Publications. 2001. p. 357+. ISBN   978-0203409954.
9. "Garden Search: Senegal". London: Botanic Gardens Conservation International . Retrieved 30 August 2015.
10. Saglio, Christian (1983). Guide de Dakar et du Sénégal. Société africaine d'édition. p. 42.
11. G. Wesley Johnson (1971), The emergence of Black politics in Senegal , Stanford, Calif.: Published for the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace, by Stanford University Press, ISBN   978-0804707831
12. "Les Archives Nationales du Sénégal". Archived from the original on 1 September 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
13. Betts 1971.
14. "France: Africa: French West Africa and the Sahara". Statesman's Year-Book. London: Macmillan and Co. 1921. pp. 895–903 – via Internet Archive. Colony of Senegal
15. De Benoist, Joseph-Roger (1987). Église et pouvoir colonial au Soudan français: les relations entre les administrateurs et les missionnaires catholiques dans la Boucle du Niger, de 1885 à 1945. KARTHALA Editions. p. 270. ISBN   9782865371693.
16. Elizabeth A. Foster (2009). "An Ambiguous Monument: Dakar's Colonial Cathedral of the Souvenir Africain". French Historical Studies. 32 (1): 85–119. doi:10.1215/00161071-2008-014.
17. Bernard Dione; Dieyi Diouf (2010), "Senegal: Libraries, Archives and Museums", in Marcia J. Bates (ed.), Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences, Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press, ISBN   9780849397127
18. Kevin Mulhearn (2006). "Photography in Africa: Central and West". In Lynne Warren (ed.). Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century Photography. Routledge. p. 27+. ISBN   978-1-135-20536-2.
19. Glossary of art terms, UK: Tate , retrieved 30 August 2015
20. "Population of capital cities and cities of 100,000 and more inhabitants". Demographic Yearbook 1965. New York: Statistical Office of the United Nations. 1966.
21. "Western and Central Sudan, 1900 A.D.–present: Key Events". Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art . Retrieved 14 July 2017.
22. "Festival Time in Dakar". Negro Digest. April 1966.
23. Hoyt W. Fuller (July 1966). "World Festival of Negro Arts". Ebony. Chicago, US.
24. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Statistical Office (1976). "Population of capital city and cities of 100,000 and more inhabitants". Demographic Yearbook 1975. New York. pp. 253–279.
25. S. Sherwood (3 December 2009). "The Songs of Senegal". New York Times. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
26. "Centre Culturel Régional Blaise Senghor" (in French). Ministere de la culture du Senegal. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
27. McLaughlin 2001.
28. "The State of African Cities 2010: Governance, Inequalities and Urban Land Markets". United Nations Human Settlements Programme. 2010. Archived from the original on 17 June 2013.
29. "Média Centre de Dakar: L'ambition de faire renaître le cinéma africain". Observatoire sur les Systèmes d'information. 10 December 2004.
30. Stephen Demeulenaere (Summer 2001). "On the Doole". Alternatives Journal . 27 (3).
31. "Student Killed in Senegal Protest". Chronicle of Higher Education. 47 (24). 23 February 2001.
32. Andreas Mehler; et al., eds. (2008). "Senegal". Africa Yearbook: Politics, Economy and Society South of the Sahara in 2007. Vol. 4. Koninklijke Brill. p. 175+. ISBN   9789004168053.
33. "Senegal". Art Spaces Directory. New York: New Museum . Retrieved 2 December 2013.
34. "Ville de Dakar". Archived from the original on 16 October 2009 – via Internet Archive, Wayback Machine.
35. Diouf, Mamadou (2013). Les arts de la citoyenneté au Sénégal: espaces contestés et civilités urbaines. KARTHALA Editions. p. 114. ISBN   9782811109561.
36. "Statuesque or grotesque?". The Economist. 25 February 2010.
37. "ICANN Dakar Senegal No.42: 23–28 October 2011". ICANN. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
38. "Corporate Information: Google Offices". Google Inc. Archived from the original on 29 May 2011.
39. The State of African Cities 2014. United Nations Human Settlements Programme. 10 September 2015. ISBN   978-92-1-132598-0. Archived from the original on 10 September 2014.
40. "Première nuit de Obama au Sénégal". Le Quotidien (in French). Dakar. 27 June 2013. Archived from the original on 28 June 2013.
41. World Health Organization (2016), Global Urban Ambient Air Pollution Database, Geneva, archived from the original on 28 March 2014
42. "Sénégal: à Dakar, le boulevard Général-de-Gaulle va devenir le boulevard Mamadou-Dia". Le Monde. 3 April 2025. Retrieved 4 April 2025.

This article incorporates information from the French Wikipedia.

Bibliography

in English

published in 20th century

• "Dakar"  . Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 7 (11th ed.). 1910. p. 762.
• Derwent Whittlesey (1941). "Dakar and the Other Cape Verde Settlements". Geographical Review. 31 (4): 609–638. Bibcode:1941GeoRv..31..609W. doi:10.2307/210502. JSTOR   210502.
• Raymond F. Betts (April 1971). "Establishment of the Medina in Dakar, Senegal, 1914". Africa: Journal of the International African Institute. 41 (2): 143–152. doi:10.2307/1159424. JSTOR   1159424. S2CID   143324799.
• M. Diouf. (1999). "Urban youth and Senegalese politics: Dakar 1988-1994", In J. Holston, ed., Cities and Citizenship. Durham, NC: Duke University Press

published in 21st century

• Fiona McLaughlin (2001). "Dakar Wolof and the Configuration of an Urban Identity". Journal of African Cultural Studies . 14 (2).
• Dickson Eyoh and Paul Tiyambe Zeleza, ed. (2003). "Dakar". Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century African History. Routledge. ISBN   978-0415234795.
• Kwame Anthony Appiah and Henry Louis Gates, ed. (2005). "Dakar". Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. p.  304. ISBN   978-0-19-517055-9.
• Kevin Shillington, ed. (2005). "Dakar". Encyclopedia of African History. Fitzroy Dearborn. ISBN   978-1-57958-245-6.
• David Nelson (2007). "Defining the Urban: The Construction of French-Dominated Colonial Dakar, 1857-1940". Historical Reflections . 33 (2): 225–255. JSTOR   41299411.
• Mamadou Diouf (2008). "(Re)Imagining an African city: performing culture, arts, and citizenship in Dakar (Senegal), 1980-2000". In Gyan Prakash and Kevin Michael Kruse (ed.). Spaces of the Modern City: Imaginaries, Politics, and Everyday Life. Princeton University Press. p.  346+. ISBN   978-0-691-13343-0.
• Simon Bekker and Goran Therborn, ed. (2011), "Dakar", Capital Cities in Africa: Power and Powerlessness, Dakar: Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa, ISBN   978-2-8697-8495-6
• Liora Bigon; Yossi Katz, eds. (2014). "From metropolitan to colonial planning: Dakar between garden city and cité-jardin". Garden Cities and Colonial Planning. Manchester University Press. ISBN   978-1-5261-0678-0.
• Profile of Crime Markets in Dakar, Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2014 – via International Relations and Security Network
• Daniel Castillo Hidalgo (2014). "Port of Dakar: Technological Evolution, Management and Commercial Activity". In Miguel Bosa Suirez (ed.). Atlantic Ports and the First Globalisation C. 1850–1930. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN   978-1-137-32798-7.
• Liora Bigon (2016). French Colonial Dakar: the Morphogenesis of an African Regional Capital. Manchester University Press. ISBN   978-1-78499-786-1. (Includes timeline)

in French

• Ch. Brossard, ed. (1906). "Afrique occidentale française: Senegal: Description des villes: Dakar". Colonies françaises. Géographie pittoresque et monumentale de la France (in French). Paris: Flammarion. hdl:2027/mdp.39015005579753. (+ table of contents)
• Claude Faure (1914). Histoire de la presqu'ile du Cap Vert et des origines de Dakar (in French). Paris: Emile Larose.
• Jacques Charpy (1958). La Fondation De Dakar, 1845-1857-1869 (in French). Paris. OCLC   8248635.
• Suzanne Daveau [in Portuguese] (1959). "Une enquête urbaine à Dakar". L'Information géographique (in French). 23 (5): 211–215. doi:10.3406/ingeo.1959.1940 – via Persee.fr.
• Assane Seck (1961). "Dakar". Cahiers d'Outre-Mer (in French). 14– via Persee.fr.
• Assane Seck (1970). Dakar, metropole ouest-africaine (in French). Dakar. OCLC   813651508.
• Denise Bouche (1978). "Dakar pendant la deuxième Guerre mondiale: Problèmes de surpeuplement". Revue française d'histoire d'outre-mer (in French). 65 (240): 423–438. doi:10.3406/outre.1978.2135 – via Persee.fr.
• Alain Sinou (1993). Comptoirs et villes coloniales du Senegal: Saint-Louis, Goree, Dakar (in French). Paris.
• Thomas Saupique (2002). "L'électrification de la ville de Dakar après 1945". Outre-mers (in French). 89– via Persee.fr.
• Abdoul Aziz Diop (2007). "Quelles centralités pour la ville de Dakar, Sénégal?". Rives nord-méditerranéennes (in French). 26 (26): 75–92. doi: 10.4000/rives.921 – via Revues.org.
• "Histoire". Dakar. Le Petit Futé (in French). 2011. p. 21+.

External links

• "(Dakar)". Directory of Open Access Journals . UK. (Bibliography of open access articles)
• "(Dakar)" – via Qatar National Library, Qatar Digital Library. (Images, etc.)
• "(Dakar)" – via Europeana. (Images, etc.)
• "(Dakar)" – via Digital Public Library of America. (Images, etc.)
• "(Dakar)". Internet Library Sub-Saharan Africa . Germany: Frankfurt University Library. 29 September 2016. (Bibliography)
• "(Dakar)". Connecting-Africa. Leiden, Netherlands: African Studies Centre. (Bibliography)
• "(Dakar)". AfricaBib.org . (Bibliography)
• "Dakar, Senegal". BlackPast.org . US. June 2010.
• "Senegal: Dakar". ArchNet . Archived from the original on 14 February 2006.