First century A.D. VIA MILITARIS (in Roman times, a military road connecting the inner regions of a country with its borders). One of the oldest is the road going from Singidunum (today’s Belgrade) via Naissus and Serdica (today’s Sofia) all the way to Constantinople. The beginning of second century A.D. – First sources mentioning Naissus.
2nd–3rd centuries A.D. AQUADUCT – a waterline in ancient Niš built in the end of the second and the beginning of the third century A.D. At the Kamenička River spring there was a Roman capping with the help of which all of ancient Niš was provided with water.
169 A.D. The first Roman COHORT formed in Naissus, consisting of a thousand soldiers and equites.
269 A.D. Near Naissus, an important battle was fought between the Romans, led by Claudius II, and the Goths.
280 A.D. The birth of Constantine I the Great, the Emperor of Rome (306–337).
4th century Naissus reached its peak of development and the economy flourished (among other things, Naissus had a silverware manufacture).
441 The Huns under Attila besieged and utterly devastated Naissus.
471 Naissus (not yet recovered from the Huns’ devastation) easily succumbed to the attacks of the Goths.
530–552 Naissus was rebuilt. Procopius states: “Having realized that the walls of Naissus and Serdica had been damaged in the course of time…, (Justinian) fortified them, thus rendering them unconquerable to enemies”.
550 Procopius writes of the first Slavic incursions around Naissus.
612–614 The fall of Roman Naissus. Characterized by the end of money circulation within the city, which caused the forts to be deserted.
618 The Slavs and the Avars conquered Niš and destroyed it completely.
1072 The Hungarian army penetrated through to Niš via the Morava River valley. The city was conquered and plundered. The same year, the Byzantine government was re-established.
1019 and 1020 In the Charters, the Byzantine emperor Vasilije II (having beaten and succeeded Samnilo) promoted the Niš episcopacy from the 31st to the 10th place in the Byzantine Empire.
1183 The grand župan Stefan Nemanja claimed Niš from the Byzantines. In the rebuilt city, in July 1189, he met with the German Emperor Friedrich I Barbarossa to negotiate a future alliance. He intended to declare Niš a new capital of Serbia. The Niš episcopacy became a part of Serbia. Stefan Nemanja rebuilt the temple dedicated to St. Panteleimon the martyr.
1190 The battle of the Morava after which Byzantium re-claimed Niš.
1386 After 25 days of battle, Murat I conquered Niš.
1498 The Niš county numbered a population of 33,000, and the city itself 915 (including 144 Christians). That year, Niš received the KANUN, a municipal law regulating market and other duties along with production and sales taxing.
1516 The building of the first CARAVANSERAI (a large inn providing accommodation for travellers and merchants, enclosing a courtyard for horses and carts).
1619 Niš Fortress was partially rebuilt due to more frequent haiduk attacks. That year, the Niš stone bridge was built, with a resting booth in the middle.
1660 The business district of Niš had around 200 shops.
1689 The Austrians conquered Niš.
1690 Niš suffered heavy losses during a Turkish invasion.
1719–1730 The Turks built the Fortress.
1722 The Church of St. Nikola was built under the Gorica.
1734 Death of the first metropolitan Joamikije.
1743 Founding of the first company for the transport of goods from Niš to Belgrade (The Arabadžijska Company).
1804–1813 Rebellions in Niš during the First Serbian Uprising.
1809 The battle of Čegar (Stevan Sindjelić blew up the gunpowder room, killing himself along with the remaining Serbs and Turks). The Skull Tower, containing the skulls of the Serbs who died in the battle, was erected the same year.
1819 The Church of St. Archangel was built, and twenty years later, open porches were added to three of its sides.
1837–1838 A big plague epidemic in Niš.
1830 With the arrival in Niš of the teacher Spiridon Jovanović, modern teaching began. Besides the church books, he also used Serbian grammar and history textbooks.
1837–1838 The school was out due to the plague epidemic. 1838 Bishop Grigorije relieved Spiridon Jovanović of his post and hired priest Milovan as the teacher.
1843 Bishop Venedikt and the citizens of Niš were all in favour of building “a new spacious one–storey school building with four classrooms”.
1845 Bishop Venedikt allowed Spiridon Jovanović to return to Niš and appointed him the “first town teacher” with the condition that he taught everything he knew in sciences.
1857–1872 The building of the Cathedral, which was finished after the liberation from the Turks.
1845 The first school for both boys and girls was opened.
1852 The first trading business, Mita Veličković & Son, was founded.
1861 The school building built by order of Bishop Venedikt was burnt in a fire.
1863–1864 A large two-storey building of the primary school was built near the Cathedral. All teachers were from Niš and the school numbered 300 pupils.
1865 Mithad-pasha founded the artisan school Islahan, where both Muslim and Christian children were accepted in order that they acquire basic education and learn a trade. The two-storey boarding house was subsidized by the city council.
1868 The first Turkish public library was opened in Niš.
1873–1874 A secondary school offering a two-year education was opened (on January 6, 1874, the Schooling and Teaching Board sent the following books to the school: Mineralogy, Physics, Zoology, Botany, Planimetry etc.).
1878 The Niš grammar school was opened in a rented building, having a single class.
1878 The first taverns were opened by Đorđe Mišić, Andon Panajotović (Srpska Kruna, or “Serbian Crown”) and Dušan Cvitanović (Kod Sloge).
1876–1878 Wars for liberation.
1878 Niš liberated from the Turks.
1878 The Berlin Congress. After a great diplomatic struggle, Serbia won its independence and expanded its territories to the districts of Niš, Pirot, Leskovac and Vranje.
1878 The session of the Serbian National Assembly was formally opened on November 23, in the primary school building (behind the Cathedral), with a solemn speech by Prince Milan Obrenović. Among other things, the Assembly passed the press law. The session ended after 20 months. It continued with its work on November 1, 1879, and finished on November 3, 1880. The Assembly have met one more time before the beginning of the Serbian-Turkish War in 1885. After this session, the Assembly continued its work in Belgrade until 1914, when it once again moved to Niš.
1878 Atila Okoličanji opened the first civil pharmacy.
1878 The first monument, a modest granite pyramid resembling a tombstone, was built outside Niš, at the spot of Stevan Sindjelić’s trench from 1809, on the Čegar promontory.
1878 A site rich with coal was discovered in the village of Jelašnica and the first coalmine in the newly liberated territories was immediately opened.
1879–1880 The state allowed funds to help make the thermo-mineral water in Niš Spa available to the public. Two swimming pools were enclosed, one of which was used by women, and the other by men.
1879 The city’s public library was founded, with Stevan Sremac as its first bookkeeper.
1879 The “Europe” hotel was built, only to be redesigned and added on to on several occasions. It was torn down in 1958, when it was the “Jastrebac” movie theatre.
1881 The first bank was founded (Niš District Savings). It did not operate with state capital but with church and trustee fixed-term deposits. It also used court, police and other deposits.
1881 A civil hospital was founded under the name of District Hospital in a private building next to the Nišava, behind today’s Youth Club. In 1910, it was moved out to the newly developed, modern hospital pavilions.
1881 Serbia and Austria-Hungary signed a trading contract, thus enabling lower prices of agricultural products, which in turn engendered a fierce competition with the crafts and extremely hard conditions for industrial development.
1882–1887 The foundations were laid for the District Magistracy building, which was ready for use in 1887.
1883 Laza Popović’s touring company performed the first play in Niš.
1884 The first steam engine arrived in Niš on January 31, followed by the first train on September 15, thus connecting Niš not only with Belgrade but also with Europe.
1884 The first written records of foreign consulates in Niš. From 1888 to 1892 the British vice consul served his term in Niš and in 1890 the Austro-Hungarian; in 1893, the Greek consulate was opened, followed by the French in 1889.
1883 A bookseller, printer and publisher Kosta Čendaš founded the first printing firm (the fourth in inner Serbia). In 1884, he started issuing “The Niš Herald” and then “The Niš Papers”.
1884 The first working-men amateur singing society “Sloga” was founded but was active for one year only. It was then reactivated in 1889.
1884 Jovan Appel opened a steam-powered brewery.
1884 The railroad repair shop started to work.
1885 The Old Monopoly was built as a tobacco-buying post.
1887 On the initiative of the grammar school teachers the church singing company “Branko” was founded.
1887 Mihailo Dimić founded the first theatre in Niš, called “Niš Sindjelić Theatre”. Plays were performed in the “Prince Mihajlo” tavern until the theatre was closed down in 1889. Owing to the efforts of the distinguished citizens of Niš and the theatrical board, the theatre was re-opened in 1891. Plays were first performed at the “Europe” hotel auditorium and then at the “Bulevar” tavern (formerly the Officers Club, today’s Youth Club).
1888 At Caribrod and Ristovac, a railroad connection was established with Bulgaria and Turkey, respectively.
1890 The French Club was opened in Niš.
1890 The historical archives building was erected. Up to the present day, it has served many purposes: it was first the Serbian Army’s cartography department, then the 1st artillery school for non-commissioned officers and finally, from 1955, the historical archives.
1892 The first monument in Niš was built – a chapel enclosing the Skull Tower, thus making it a mausoleum of heroism and freedom.
1894 A workshop for manufacturing military clothes and footwear was founded (the army sewing shop).
1894 The State grapevine seedling-nursery was founded.
1897 Niš was flooded for the first time.
1899 Mita Ristić founded “the first Serbian textile mill” called “Nitex”.
1889 The “Orient” hotel was built but torn down in 1960 to give way for the new hotel “Ambassador”.
1900 The radio station building (Jovan Popić’s building) was erected. During World War I, it served as King Petar’s residence.
1900 Barracks for the engineer corps were built.
1900 The Pasteur’s Institute building was built, marking the beginning of the work of the first preventive medicine institution in the country.
1902 A monument shaped like a rifle bullet was built within the Fortress to mark the 25th anniversary of the liberation from the Turks.
1904 On the initiative of the grammar school teachers, the National Library was founded. The basic legacy out of which it was constituted were the books and two buildings bequeathed to the future library by bishop Jeronim in 1894. In 1908, Stevan Sremac bequeathed his personal library to the National Library.
1906 The first full-time movie theatre began to work under the marquee at Sindjelić Square.
1906 The Workers’ Culture and Arts Society “Abrašević” was founded.
1907 The military hospital surgical pavilion was built.
1908 The “St. Petka” hydroelectric power plant was built on the Nišava in the Sićevo gorge. At the time, it was the largest in Serbia. It started delivering electricity for industrial purposes in 1911. In 1912–1913, a back-up power station was built as an additional source of electricity, the original plant not being able to fulfil all the needs. In 1926, a third generator was built in.
1908 Aviation: in 1908, in Medoševac, the first carrier pigeon post in Serbia began its work; in 1909, two hot-air balloons were acquired; in 1912, the first airport was finished on a field near Trupale; in 1913, a hydrogen station in Medoševac was put into operation. The first airplanes were brought to Niš in parts on December 27, 1912 and were put inside six hangars, where they were assembled. The Aviation headquarters was established on December 24, 1912.
1909–1910 At the spot of Ahmed-bey’s house in which Nikola Kole Rašić used to reside, the County court building was erected. First, it served as the County magistrate and then as the County and District court. In 1937, another wing was added on the building followed by an extra storey in 1957.
1912–1913 The Balkan Wars: the Serbian supreme command headquarters was in Niš.
1913 A monument was built in front of the bridge near the Fortress, at the exact spot where the Turks hanged five citizens of Niš in 1821. In 1959, the monument was moved inside the Fortress.
1913 The first museum exhibition included archaeological collections, collections of arms, military uniforms and flags, ethnographic collections and paintings. The museum’s activity began along with the beginning of World War I.
1914 On July 25, the Serbian Government moved to Niš. The Government’s example was followed by the National Assembly and other political and administrative bodies in the Kingdom along with diplomatic and military representatives from Ally and neutral countries, as well as foreign newspaper reporters.
1914 On July 26, a dispatch arrived in Niš announcing Austria-Hungary’s declaration of war on Serbia – World War I started. 1914 The “Niš Declaration” was issued, mentioning for the first time the official request for the union of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians.
1914 The Tobacco Factory was moved to Niš from Belgrade.
1915 A cemetery for British soldiers came into being: the English Military Cemetery.
1920 A public employment office was founded to help the unemployed find work.
1921 The National Bank branch was opened in the building where today’s City Council is.
1929 Morava District was founded.
1930 Tram traffic was introduced. The last tram was driven on August 9, 1958.
1930 A warehouse was built in the Red Cross district and used as a concentration camp by the Nazis during World War II.
1933 The Teachers Centre was finished and formally opened.
1933 The National Museum was founded.
1934 The military airport was arranged to include civilian traffic and in 1935, “Aero-put” airlines from Belgrade provided daily flights from Belgrade to Skopje via Niš during the summer.
1937 A modern water supply, built in 1936, was put into operation.
1937 Designed by Antun Augustinčić, the Monument to the Liberators of Niš was revealed on June 28.
1937 Hotel “Park” was built at the spot of Bećir-bey’s inn and the King’s Court.
1937 Girls’ grammar school (afterwards the Higher Learning School of Pedagogy, from 1971 the Faculty of Philosophy) was opened after being built for two years.
1939 The newly built National Theatre was solemnly consecrated on January 1.
1951 Children saw the first performance by the Puppet Theatre at the Pioneers Club in the Fortress.
1958 A professional theatre company was founded.