History of Toronto

Brief history of Toronto summarized

A brief summary of the history of Toronto, in a clear and simple way.

The founding of Toronto

For ten thousand years the natives lived on the site of the city of Toronto, being the beginning of their history. The first European to arrive in the area was a Frenchman named Etienne Brule in 1615.

However, the first European settlement was a French trading fort called Fort Rouille, built in 1750. However, after the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763) control of Canada passed to Great Britain.

Then, in 1793, Upper Canada’s first governor, John Graves Simcoe, founded a new town. He named the new city York after the Duke of York and made it the capital of Upper Canada.

Toronto in the 19th century

In April 1813, during the War of 1812, the Americans captured Toronto and burned several buildings. However, the Americans soon withdrew.

After the war ended in 1815, Toronto grew rapidly as many British immigrants arrived. The University of Toronto was founded in 1827. However, in 1832 Toronto suffered an outbreak of cholera. However, the city soon recovered and continued to flourish.

The first post office in its history opened in 1833. Then, in 1834, Toronto was incorporated as a city (its name was changed from York to Toronto). The city continued to grow rapidly.

In 1841, Toronto acquired gas street lighting. In 1849 Toronto suffered a serious fire, but soon recovered. St. Lawrence Hall was built in 1850 and by 1851 Toronto was a flourishing city of 30,000 people. Also, the railway reached Toronto in 1853. Beginning in 1861, horse-drawn streetcars ran through the streets of Toronto. They were electrified in 1892.

Meanwhile, in 1867 Toronto became the capital of Ontario. During the 19th century, Toronto’s population exploded as immigrants poured into the city. In 1891 the population of Toronto was over 180,000.

Toronto in the 20th century

In 1904 Toronto suffered another serious fire, one of the worst in its history. It started on April 19, 1904 and lasted all night, but fortunately no one was killed. Once again, Toronto soon recovered.

The Ontario Museum opened in 1914 and Union Station in 1927. However, Toronto suffered greatly in the depression of the 1930s. However, prosperity returned with World War II. Toronto’s population continued to grow.

Meanwhile, the first subway line in Toronto opened in 1954. The Yorkdale Shopping Center opened in 1964 and the Toronto City Hall opened in 1965.

The Ontario Science Museum opened in 1969. The CN Tower was built in 1975. Eaton Center opened in 1977 and Roy Thomson Hall in 1982. Rogers Center opened in 1989. In 1998 several municipalities merged to form a single city, sometimes known as the megacity.

Today Toronto is a flourishing city. Toronto is a major financial center. In 2018 Toronto’s population was 2.8 million. Toronto is the fifth largest city in North America and continues to grow steadily.

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