1251 The village of Bolton is made into a town. Bolton is given a charter and is allowed to hold markets and an annual fair.
1516 Bolton Grammar School is founded. Bolton is a thriving little town.
1623 Bolton is struck by plague
1643 During the Civil War the royalists try to capture Bolton but they are beaten off
1644 The royalists are beaten off again in February but in May they capture Bolton
mid-17th Century Bolton has a population of about 2,000. It is described as a fair, well-built town with broad streets.
1773 The population of Bolton is 5,339
c 1780 The cotton industry in Bolton booms
1792 A body of men called Improvement Commissioners is formed to pave, clean, and light the streets
1801 The population of Bolton is 17,416
1819 The streets of Bolton are lit by gas
1824 A water company is formed in Bolton
1838 Bolton is made a borough
1843 A railway to Preston opens
1853 The first public library opens in Bolton
1866 Queens Park opens
1873 The Town Hall opens
1880 Horse drawn trams begin running in the streets of Bolton
1883 The Royal Infirmary opens
1894 Bolton gains an electricity supply
1900 Electric trams begin running in Bolton
1901 The population of Bolton is 168,000
1910 The first cinema in Bolton opens
1916 A Zeppelin raid kills 13 people in Bolton
1920s The cotton industry in Bolton begins a long, slow decline
1941 A bombing raid kills 11 people in Bolton
1947 The last tram in Bolton runs
1967 The Octagon Theatre opens
1971 Crompton Place Shopping Centre opens
1988 Market Place Shopping Centre opens
1997 Reebok Stadium opens