This is a timeline of the history of Vancouver.
18th century
1791 – José María Narváez explores the Strait of Georgia. 1792 – Captain George Vancouver spends one day on the site which, almost 100 years later, would bear his name. Captain Vancouver from England then took his ship, HMS Discovery, into Burrard Inlet.
19th century
1808 – Simon Fraser becomes the first European to reach the area overland, descending the river which bears his name. 1818 – Treaty of 1818 1827 – HBC Fort Langley established east of present-day Vancouver. Contact and trade began accelerating significantly, primarily with the Fraser River Salish. 1846 – The Oregon Treaty permanently established the 49th parallel as the boundary between the United States and British North America to the Pacific Ocean. 1858 – Colony of British Columbia established 1859 – New Westminster is named the capital of the Colony of British Columbia.
1866 – The Colony of British Columbia and Colony of Vancouver Island are united as the new Colony of British Columbia, with the capital at Victoria. 1867 Hastings Mill founded Gassy Jack opens the first saloon to provide drinks to workers from the Hastings Mill. Gastown then builds up around this popular saloon. Weekly stage service is established between the Brighton Hotel, a popular summer vacation spot which is located just west of the Second Narrows Bridge and New Westminster. 1869 – Gastown is surveyed as Granville Townsite. 1872 – Louis Gold is the first Jew among the merchants of newly emergent Gastown, opening a general store on the waterfront. 1885 – The last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) from Montreal to Vancouver is driven at Craigellachie, British Columbia. 1886 The Town of Granville is incorporated as the City of Vancouver (the name was chosen by the president of Canadian Pacific Railway). Rate-payers elect Malcolm Alexander MacLean, a real estate dealer, as the first mayor of Vancouver. The city has a population of about 1,000 people. The Canadian Pacific Railway's first transcontinental train from Montreal arrives in Port Moody. The very first Granville Street Bridge was completed and then another bridge was built later in 1909. Great Vancouver Fire Vancouver General Hospital opened on Pender Street Vancouver Police Department formed Vancouver Rowing Club formed 1887 Vancouver Board of Trade incorporated The Canadian Pacific Railway extends its line westward from the terminus at Port Moody to Vancouver. Canadian Pacific Railway’s Engine 374 brings the first transcontinental train into Vancouver. British mail liner SS Abyssinia arrives. 1888 Vancouver Daily World newspaper founded Real estate board formed Stanley Park opens. 1889 – The original Granville Street Bridge is completed. 1890 – The original Brockton Point Lighthouse is built. The current structure was built in 1914. 1892 – The Great Marpole Midden is excavated for its archeology by Charles Hill-Tout.
1897 – The Klondike Gold Rush boosts a continent-wide depression of the 1890s. By 1900, Vancouver displaces Victoria, the provincial capital, as the leading commercial centre on Canada's west coast. 1898 The 9 O'Clock Gun is placed at Brockton Point (it still signals the time by being discharged every evening at 9:00 p.m. precisely). The Province newspaper founded J. S. Matthews, later city archivist, settles in Vancouver.