The following is a historical events of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, including its formation prior to 20th century by chronology.

Part of a series on the
History of Ethiopia
Early history Prehistory   Dʿmt 980 – 400 BC
Middle Ages Aksum 100 – 940 AD Zagwe dynasty 900–1270 Early Solomonic period 1270–1529 Amda Seyon's Expansions 1314–1344
Early modern history Ethiopian–Adal War 1527–1543 Oromo migrations 1543 – 17th cent. Habesh Eyalet 1557 – 17th cent. Gondarine period 1632–1769 Zemene Mesafint 1769–1855 Ottoman border conflict 1832–1848
Modern history Unification 1855–1913 Menelik's Invasions 1878–1904 First Italo–Ethiopian War 1895–1896 Modernization 1913–1974 World War I 1914–1918 Second Italo–Ethiopian War 1935–1936 Italian East Africa 1936–1941 World War II 1941 Italian guerrilla war 1941–1943 Federation with Eritrea 1952–1962 Eritrean Independence War 1961–1991 Ethiopian Civil War 1974–1991 Ogaden War 1977–1978
Recent history Eritrean–Ethiopian War 1998–2000 Eritrean border conflict 1998–2018 Police massacre 2005 War in Somalia 2006–2009 East Africa drought 2011–2012 Oromo protests 2014–2016 Ethiopian civil conflict 2018–present Tigray war 2020–2022
Topics Economic history Emperor Aristocracy Military Army of the Empire Expansion Currency Aksumite Famines

• 15th-century – "Barara" was identified as possible location of the city
• 1450 – Italian cartographer, Fra Mauro depicted the city standing between Mounts Zikwala and Menegasha
• 1529 — Ethiopian-Adal War, the Adal Sultanate entirely sacked the city under general Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi .
• 1884 – Mount Entoto was founded by Negus and later Emperor Menelik II
• 1886 — The city's former name called Finfinne renamed "Addis Ababa" ("New Flower") by Taytu Betul, Empress Consort of the Ethiopian Empire.^[1]
• 1889 — Population: 15,000 (estimate).^[2]
• 1891 — Ethiopian Empire capital relocated to Addis Ababa from Entoto (approximate date).^[3][4]
• 1896 — St. George's Cathedral built.
• 1897
  • Harar-Addis telephone line constructed.^[3]
  • Hospital opens.^[5]

• 1903 — Eucalyptus trees planted.^[1]
• 1904
  • Mint established.^[3]
  • Asmara — Addis telephone line constructed.^[3]
• 1906 — Telegraph office^[3] and Menelik II school established.^[6]
• 1907
  • Ras Makonnen bridge constructed.^[3]
  • Itegue Taitu Hotel in business.^[7]
• 1908 — Tefere Makonnen high school established.^[8]
• 1913 — Courrier d'Ethiopie newspaper begins publication.
• 1917 — Djibouti-Addis Ababa railway begins operating.^[9]
• 1922
  • Nasibu Emmanual becomes mayor.
  • Leprosy hospital built.^{[citation needed]}
• 1924 — Medhane Alem school established.^[6]
• 1928 — Empress Menen school established.^[6]

• 1930
  • 2 November: Haile Sellasie crowned "King of Kings of Ethiopia."
  • Guenete Leul Palace built.
  • Population: 80,000 (estimate).^[2]
• 1935 — Hager Fikir Association formed.^{[citation needed]}
• 1936
  • April: Aerial bombing by Italian forces.^[10]
  • 5 May: City taken by Italian forces.^[4]
  • City becomes capital of Italian East Africa.^[4]
  • Giuseppe Bottai becomes governor, succeeded by Alfredo Siniscalchi.
• 1937
  • 19 February - Attempted assassination of Rodolfo Graziani at Viceregal Palace.^[11][12]
  • 19–20 February: Crackdown by Italian forces on Ethiopian population.^[11][13]
• 1938 — Francesco Camero Medici becomes governor.
• 1939 — Enrico Cerulli becomes governor, succeeded by Guglielmo Nasi.
• 1940
  • Giuseppe Daodice becomes governor.
  • Hailé Sélassié Stadium opens.
• 1941
  • Agenore Frangipani becomes governor.
  • 5 May: Haile Selassie returns.
  • Addis Zemen Amharic-language newspaper begins publication.^[14]
• 1942 — Holy Trinity Cathedral built.
• 1943 — Haile Selassie I school established.^[6]
• 1944 — Public library inaugurated.^[8][15]
• 1945 — Anbessa City Bus Service founded.
• 1947 — Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce founded.^[16]

• 1950 — University College of Addis Ababa established.^[8]
• 1952 — Prince Makonnen school established.^[6]
• 1955 — Jubilee Palace^[5] and Haile Sellasie I Theatre built.^[1]
• 1958
  • Institute of Archaeology founded.
  • Economic Commission for Africa headquartered in city.^[17]
• 1960
  • December: Coup attempt.^[18]
  • Koka Dam constructed.
• 1961
  • Bole Airport established.
  • United Nations Economic Commission for Africa headquartered in Addis Ababa.
• 1963
  • Organization of African Unity headquartered in Addis Ababa.^[19]
  • Orchestra Ethiopia, Addis Ababa Bank, and Addis Ababa University's Institute of Ethiopian Studies^[5] established.
• 1965
  • Council of the Oriental Orthodox Churches held.^[19]
  • Population: 560,000.^[20]
• 1966
  • Centre International de Developpement et de Recherche^[21] and Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural History Society^[18] headquartered in Addis Ababa.
  • University Students' Union of Addis Ababa established.

• 1974
  • February: Demonstrations.^[11]
  • Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in operation.
• 1975
  • Population: 1,161,267.^[22]
  • Kebeles established.
• 1977
  • February: Coup at Menelik Palace.^[18]
  • Alemu Abebe becomes mayor.
• 1984
  • Addis Ababa Museum established.^[8]
  • Population: 1,412,575.^[23]
• 1987 — City becomes capital of People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

• 1991
  • Finfinne become the capital city of the Oromia Region.
  • City taken by Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front.^[4]
  • An ammunition warehouse explodes, killing 100^[24]
  • Ethiopian Economic Association headquartered in Addis Ababa.^[25]
• 1992 — Ethiopian International Institute for Peace and Development headquartered in Addis Ababa.^[21]
• 1994
  • Theological College of the Holy Trinity re-opens.^[26]
  • Population: 2,112,737.^[19]
• 1995
  • Addis Ababa "given the status of self-governed city."^[27]
  • The Reporter newspaper begins publication.^[28]
• 1996
  • Addis Chamber International Trade Fair begins (approximate date).^[29]
  • Goshu Art Gallery and Asni Gallery founded.^[8]
• 1998 — Addis Ababa Ring Road construction begins.
• 1999
  • Mojo-Addis Ababa highway constructed.^[30]
  • Ethiopian National Archives and Library established.^[15]

• 2000
  • City administrative areas reorganized into 10 sub-cities: Arada, Addis Ketema, Akaki Kalati, Bole, Cherkos, Gulele, Kolfe Keranio, Lideta, Nefas Silk, and Yeka.^[31]
  • Oromia's capital relocated from Finfinne to Adama.
  • Addis Ababa Women Entrepreneurs Association^[32] and Universal Arts and Crafts gallery^[8] established.
  • November: Burial of Haile Selassie.^[4]

• 2001 — City plan adopted.^[27]
• 2002
  • African Union headquartered in Addis Ababa.^[19]
  • AIDS Resource Center launched.^[33]
  • Population: 2,646,000.^[34]
  • Bole Airport new terminal opens.^[18]
• 2003 — Arkebe Oqubay becomes mayor.
• 2004 — Ethiopian Orthodox Library-Museum inaugurated.^[8]
• 2005
  • Oromia's capital restored to Addis Ababa
  • Election protest.^[35]
• 2006
  • 12 May: Bombings.^[36]
  • Federation of African Societies of Chemistry headquartered in Addis Ababa.^[37]
• 2007
  • Addis International Film Festival begins.^[38]
  • Dembel Mall built.
• 2008
  • Addis Ababa Women’s Affairs Bureau established.^[39]
  • Kuma Demeksa becomes mayor.
  • April–May: African Championships in Athletics held.
• 2009 — Cinema Yoftahe opens.^[40]

• 2011 — Jazzamba Lounge (nightclub) in business.^[41]
• 2012
  • Muslim protest.^[42]
  • African Union Conference Center inaugurated.^[43]
• 2013 — 2 June: Anti-government protest.^[44]
• 2017
  • Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway in operation.
  • The Koshe landfill collapses, burying stick and brick houses, killing many people.
  • Population: 4,215,965 (estimate).^[45]
• 2018
  • Takele Uma Benti becomes mayor.

• 2020
  • Adanech Abebe becomes a Deputy mayor, being the first female mayor to hold a position.
• 2021
  • Adanech Abebe reelected as a mayor
  • United Front of Ethiopian Federalist and Confederalist Forces groups close in on Addis Ababa and threaten to take it.^[46]

• History of Addis Ababa
• Timeline of Ethiopia [fr]

This article incorporates information from the German Wikipedia and the Italian Wikipedia.

Published in 19th-20th century

• "Capital of Abyssinia". Scottish Geographical Magazine. 1895.
• P.H.G. Powell-Cotton (1902). "(Adis Ababa)". A Sporting Trip through Abyssinia. London: Rowland Ward.
• "Addis Ababa is New Town of Ethiopia". New York Times. May 3, 1936. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
• Richard Pankhurst (1961). "Menelik and the Foundation of Addis Ababa". Journal of African History. 2 (1): 103–117. doi:10.1017/S0021853700002176. JSTOR 179586. S2CID 162496774.
• W. T. S. Gould (1973). "Provision of Secondary Schools in African Cities: A Study of Addis Ababa". Town Planning Review. 44 (4): 391–403. doi:10.3828/tpr.44.4.gjp8500406g838tq. JSTOR 40102950.
• J. John Palen (1974). "Housing in a Developing Nation: The Case of Addis Ababa". Land Economics. 50 (4): 428–434. doi:10.2307/3145012. JSTOR 3145012.
• Ahmend Zekaria; et al., eds. (1987). Proceedings of the International Symposium on the Centenary of Addis Ababa 1986.
• Alain Gascon [in French] (1995). "La naissance du paysage urbain à Addis Abäba (Birth of the Urban Landscape in Addis Ababa)". In Alessandro Triulzi (ed.). Fotografia e storia dell'Africa (in French). Università degli Studi di Napoli "L'Orientale". OCLC 34610996.
• Peter P. Garretson (2000). A History of Addis Abäba from Its Foundation in 1886 to 1910. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. ISBN 978-3-447-04060-0.

Published in 21st century

• City Government, City Development Plan 2001-2010, Addis Ababa
• Paul Tiyambe Zeleza; Dickson Eyoh, eds. (2003). "Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.". Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century African History. Routledge. ISBN 0415234794.
• Kwame Anthony Appiah; Henry Louis Gates, eds. (2005). "Addis Ababa". Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 33. ISBN 978-0-19-517055-9.
• M. Rutten and T. Degefa (2005). "Addis Ababa". In K. Shillington (ed.). Encyclopedia of African History. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-57958-245-6.
• Bahru Zewde (2005). "The City Centre: a Shifting Concept in the History of Addis Ababa". In Abdoumaliq Simone; Abdelghani Abouhani (eds.). Urban Africa: Changing Contours of Survival in the City. London: Zed Books. ISBN 1842775936.
• Annabel Erulkar; et al. (2006). "Migration and Vulnerability among Adolescents in Slum Areas of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia". Journal of Youth Studies. 9.
• Ethiopia: Addis Ababa Urban Profile. United Nations Human Settlements Programme. 2008.

Media related to History of Addis Ababa at Wikimedia Commons

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