Chennai City

Goldingham sets Madras time

Astronomer John Goldingham of the Madras Observatory fixed Madras time at 5 hours 21 minutes ahead of Greenwich.

Great Trigonometrical Survey begins at Madras

Measuring a baseline close to Madras, William Lambton set the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India in motion.

First segment of the Buckingham Canal opens

In 1806 a saltwater canal linking Madras with Ennore was finished; it would later form part of the Buckingham Canal.

College of Fort St. George founded

Francis Whyte Ellis founded the College of Fort St. George in Madras to train officials in South Indian languages.

John Binny establishes Binny & Co in Madras

Merchant John Binny, in Madras since 1797, established the firm of Binny & Co, one of the city's oldest mercantile houses.

Church Missionary Society begins work in Madras

After the Charter Act of 1813 allowed missionaries into India, the Church Missionary Society placed its first missionaries at Madras in 1814.

St. George's Church built in Madras

St. George's Church on the Choultry Plain was opened in 1815 and later became the cathedral of the Diocese of Madras.

Madras Literary Society founded

In 1817 a learned society and library, the Madras Literary Society, was established in Madras.

Ellis orders new wells during the Madras water shortage

During a severe drinking water shortage in Madras, Collector Francis Whyte Ellis had 27 wells dug, one bearing a Tamil inscription honouring Thiruvalluvar.

Madras Eye Infirmary established

The Madras Eye Infirmary, now the Egmore Eye Hospital, was founded and is regarded as the oldest eye hospital in Asia.

St. Andrew's Church (the Kirk) consecrated

Built in Egmore for the Scots of Madras, St. Andrew's Church was consecrated in 1821.

Thomas Glanville Taylor takes charge of the Madras Observatory

T. G. Taylor came to Madras as head of the observatory, where he compiled the Madras Catalogue of Stars.

First census of Madras city

The first census of the city of Madras was taken in 1831.

Madras Club founded

Founded for Europeans only, the Madras Club is among the oldest gentlemen's clubs in India.

Madras Medical College founded

A medical school was opened in Madras that grew into Madras Medical College, one of the oldest in Asia.

Anglican Diocese of Madras created

Daniel Corrie was consecrated the first Bishop of Madras, and St. George's Church became the cathedral of the new diocese.

Red Hill Railway carries granite to Madras

Built by Arthur Cotton as an early experiment, the Red Hill Railway hauled granite from Red Hills into Madras for road works.

Madras Chamber of Commerce founded

The Madras Chamber of Commerce was set up at the Binny & Co. office by merchants from the Parry, Binny and Arbuthnot firms.

General Assembly's School, origin of Madras Christian College

Scottish missionary John Anderson opened the General Assembly's School in Madras, which grew into Madras Christian College.

Equestrian statue of Thomas Munro unveiled

Francis Chantrey's bronze equestrian statue of Governor Thomas Munro was ceremonially opened on the Island in Madras.

Madras Preparatory School, forerunner of Presidency College

A government preparatory school opened in Madras in 1840; it grew into the High School and eventually Presidency College.

Ice House built on the Madras beach

Frederic Tudor built the Ice House facing the sea at Madras to store ice shipped from America; it is now Vivekanandar Illam.

Madras General Hospital opens to Indians

Once reserved for Europeans, the Madras General Hospital moved to a new H-shaped building and admitted Indians.

Pachaiyappa's Central Institution opens

Funded by the bequest of merchant Pachaiyappa Mudaliar, Pachaiyappa's Central Institution opened in Madras.

Bank of Madras formed

The Bank of Madras, one of the three Presidency banks, came into being through the merger of several banks in Madras.

Higginbotham's bookshop founded in Madras

Abel Joshua Higginbotham founded Higginbotham's on Mount Road, regarded as India's oldest bookshop still in existence.

Madras's first standalone lighthouse begins operation

A granite Doric column built north of Fort St. George began working as Madras's lighthouse on 1 January 1844.

The Crescent, first Indian-owned newspaper in Madras

The Crescent, launched by Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty, was the Madras Presidency's first newspaper under Indian ownership.

Madras Railway Company formed

The Madras Railway was established to build the first main line railways of South India.

Madras School of Art founded

Surgeon Alexander Hunter founded a private art school in Madras, today's Government College of Fine Arts.

Government Museum, Madras founded

Built on collections donated by the Madras Literary Society, the Madras Government Museum, India's second oldest, was founded.

Madras Native Association founded

One of India's earliest Indian political bodies, the Madras Native Association, was set up by Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty.

Railway construction begins at Royapuram

Work on South India's first main railway line, from Madras towards Arcot, began at Royapuram in 1853.

Imperial Hotel opens in Madras

The Imperial Hotel, later the Connemara, opened in 1854 and is the oldest functioning hotel in Chennai.

Madras Zoo begins at the Government Museum

Edward Balfour started a zoological park in the Government Museum premises, the origin of today's Vandalur zoo.

Carnatic Nawabship abolished under the Doctrine of Lapse

On the death of the last Nawab, Ghulam Muhammad Ghouse Khan, the Company abolished the Carnatic Nawabship.

First train in South India, Royapuram to Wallajah Road

The Madras Railway opened South India's first railway line, from Royapuram in Madras to Wallajah Road near Arcot.

University of Madras founded

An act of the Legislative Council incorporated the University of Madras, among the first three modern universities in India.

Madras High Court established

Crown Letters Patent created the High Court of Judicature at Madras in place of the Supreme Court of Madras.

Spencer's begins trading in Madras

Spencer's started as a small business in Madras in 1864 and grew into what was then the largest department store in Asia.

Agricultural school opens at Saidapet

An agricultural school was started at Saidapet, Madras, the institution that later became the agricultural college at Coimbatore.

The Madras Mail newspaper founded

Charles Lawson and Henry Cornish started The Madras Mail, an English-language evening daily that was published until 1981.

Napier Bridge built over the Cooum

Planned by Governor Lord Napier, a cast iron lattice bridge went up over the Cooum's mouth, joining Fort St. George to the Marina side.

Presidency College moves to its Marina building

Presidency College, Madras moved into its new building opposite Marina Beach, on today's Kamaraj Salai.

Madras Central railway station built

Designed by George Harding and later altered by Robert Chisholm, Madras Central station was put up by the Madras Railway as its terminus in the city.

Senate House of the University of Madras completed

Built from 1874 to 1879 to a design by Robert Chisholm, the Senate House on the Marina was an early Indo-Saracenic landmark.

Madras Observatory begins daily weather reports

The Madras Observatory started issuing daily weather reports, an early step in organised weather forecasting in south India.

Red Hills (Puzhal) reservoir built for Madras

The Puzhal reservoir at Red Hills was built to supply water to Madras, and remains one of the city's main reservoirs.

Buckingham Canal extended as famine relief

A section of the coastal canal linking the Adyar and Cooum rivers was dug as famine relief work, and the canal was renamed the Buckingham Canal.

Binny's Buckingham Mill begins production in Madras

Registered in 1876, Binny and Co.'s Buckingham Mill went into operation in 1878, and the Carnatic Mills came three years later in 1881.

The Hindu newspaper founded

Founded in Madras as a weekly, The Hindu was started by the Triplicane Six, among them G. Subramania Iyer and M. Veeraraghavachariar.

Madras Harbour begins operations

An artificial harbour at Madras began handling ships in 1881, though a cyclone the same year wrecked much of the breakwater.

Swadesamitran Tamil newspaper launched

G. Subramania Iyer started Swadesamitran, the first Tamil newspaper owned and run by Indians, in Madras.

Theosophical Society moves headquarters to Adyar

Helena Blavatsky and Henry Steel Olcott moved the headquarters of the Theosophical Society to Adyar in Madras.

Victoria Public Hall built in Madras

The foundation stone of Victoria Public Hall, the town hall of Madras, was laid in 1883; it was named after Queen Victoria in 1888.

Madras Mahajana Sabha formed

The Madras Mahajana Sabha, an early political association of educated Indians in the Madras Presidency, was formed in 1884.

Governor Grant Duff creates the Marina promenade

Governor Mountstuart Elphinstone Grant Duff laid out a promenade along the Madras beach in 1884 and named it the Marina.

Indian National Congress holds first Madras session

The third session of the Indian National Congress met in Madras under the presidency of Badruddin Tyabji.

Construction of the Madras High Court building begins

Construction started in George Town, Madras, on the Indo-Saracenic High Court complex, designed by J. W. Brassington and opened in 1892.

The Hindu becomes a daily newspaper

The Hindu, founded as a weekly in 1878 by the 'Triplicane Six', began publishing daily in 1889.

Victoria Technical Institute opens in Madras

Marking Queen Victoria's golden jubilee, the Victoria Technical Institute opened on Pantheon Road in Egmore.

Suguna Vilasa Sabha theatre company founded

Pammal Sambandha Mudaliar founded the Suguna Vilasa Sabha in Madras to revive and reform Tamil drama.

Madras High Court building inaugurated

After three decades in temporary quarters, the Madras High Court moved into its Indo-Saracenic complex, inaugurated on 12 July 1892.

Congress session in Madras presided by Alfred Webb

In December 1894 Madras hosted the tenth Indian National Congress session, presided over by Alfred Webb, an Irish nationalist MP.

Electric trams begin in Madras

The Madras Electric Tramways began service, the first electric tram system in India.

Brahmavadin journal launched in Madras

Brahmavadin, a journal of Vedanta, was launched by Alasinga Perumal and fellow Madras followers of Swami Vivekananda.

Connemara Public Library opens

The Connemara Public Library, founded in 1890 by Governor Lord Connemara, opened to the public in Madras in 1896.

San Thome Cathedral rebuilt and consecrated

The church over the traditional tomb of St Thomas at Santhome, Madras, was rebuilt in neo-Gothic style and consecrated on 1 April 1896.

Prabuddha Bharata journal founded in Madras

Started in Madras in July 1896 on Swami Vivekananda's encouragement, Prabuddha Bharata was an English-language journal of the Ramakrishna movement.

Swami Vivekananda visits Madras

Returning from the West, Swami Vivekananda stayed at the Ice House on the Madras beach from 6 to 14 February 1897.

Congress session in Madras presided by Ananda Mohan Bose

The fourteenth session of the Indian National Congress met in Madras in December 1898 under Ananda Mohan Bose.

King Institute of Preventive Medicine established

Set up at Guindy in Madras, the King Institute of Preventive Medicine was created to fight infectious diseases.

Moore Market completed in Madras

Completed in 1900 beside Madras Central, Moore Market was an Indo-Saracenic building meant to accommodate the hawkers of Broadway.

Madras Veterinary College established

Housed at first in a modest building called Doblin Hall, the Madras Veterinary College opened its doors on 1 October 1903.

Congress session in Madras presided by Lalmohan Ghosh

The nineteenth Congress session met in Madras in December 1903; president Lalmohan Ghosh called for compulsory primary education.

Kasturi Ranga Iyengar acquires The Hindu

S. Kasturi Ranga Iyengar bought The Hindu in 1905; it has remained with his family since.

Collapse of Arbuthnot & Co

The failure of the Madras banking firm Arbuthnot & Co caused the worst financial crisis in the city's history and fuelled support for Indian-owned banks.

Indian Bank founded in Madras

Inspired by the Swadeshi movement, the Indian-owned Indian Bank opened in Madras following the failure of Arbuthnot & Co.

Madras Egmore station building opens

The Indo-Saracenic terminal of Egmore station, Madras terminus of the South Indian Railway, was opened on 11 June 1908.

Congress session in Madras after the Surat split

A year after the Congress split at Surat, the moderate-led Congress met in Madras in December 1908 under Rash Behari Ghosh.

R. Venkaiah opens the Gaiety cinema in Madras

Film pioneer Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu built the Gaiety in 1912, one of the first permanent cinema theatres in Madras.

Ramanujan writes to G. H. Hardy

Srinivasa Ramanujan, a clerk at the Madras Port Trust, began corresponding with G. H. Hardy, who arranged for him to travel to Cambridge in 1914.

Ripon Building becomes home of the Madras Corporation

The Madras Municipal Corporation moved into the newly completed Ripon Building in 1913; Lord Minto had laid its foundation stone in 1909.

Madras College for Women (Queen Mary's College) founded

In 1914 Dorothy de la Hey opened the Madras College for Women on the Marina, the first women's college in the city, which took the name Queen Mary's in 1917.

Congress session in Madras presided by Bhupendra Nath Bose

The Indian National Congress held its 1914 annual session in Madras under Bhupendra Nath Bose, months after the First World War began.

German cruiser Emden shells Madras

Early in the First World War, the German light cruiser SMS Emden shelled Madras, setting fire to oil tanks in the harbour area.

Women's Christian College founded in Madras

Twelve missionary societies from Britain, Canada and the USA jointly founded the Women's Christian College in Madras in 1915.

First Madras Presidency cricket match

The Madras Presidency Match, a yearly cricket contest between Europeans and Indians also called the Pongal match, started on the final day of 1915.

Annie Besant launches the Home Rule League at Adyar

Annie Besant founded the All India Home Rule League at Adyar, Madras, to campaign for self-government within the British Empire.

Keechaka Vadham, the first South Indian film

R. Nataraja Mudaliar's silent film Keechaka Vadham, the first film made in South India, was released in 1917 or 1918.

Women's Indian Association founded at Adyar

Margaret Cousins, Annie Besant, Dorothy Jinarajadasa and others founded the Women's Indian Association at Adyar to campaign for women's rights.

Madras Labour Union founded

B. P. Wadia and Thiru. V. Kalyanasundaram founded the Madras Labour Union, among the first organised trade unions in India.

Influenza pandemic reaches Madras

The 1918 influenza pandemic reached Madras by the end of June 1918 and caused heavy mortality across the presidency.

Gandhi conceives the Rowlatt hartal in Madras

While staying with C. Rajagopalachari in Madras, Gandhi conceived a nationwide hartal against the Rowlatt Act, observed on 6 April 1919.

Madras Corporation starts a school meal scheme

At a corporation school in Thousand Lights, the Madras Corporation started a breakfast scheme that foreshadowed Tamil Nadu's noon meal programmes.

Death of Srinivasa Ramanujan

The self-taught mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan died in Madras at the age of 32, a year after returning from Cambridge.

Bank of Madras merged into the Imperial Bank of India

The Bank of Madras, one of three Presidency banks, was amalgamated with the banks of Bengal and Bombay to form the Imperial Bank of India.

Buckingham and Carnatic Mills strike

Workers of the Buckingham and Carnatic Mills in Madras went on a prolonged strike against Binny and Co. over wages and conditions.

First May Day celebration in India

Singaravelar organised the first May Day celebration in India at Madras and launched the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan.

Death of P. Theagaraya Chetty

P. Theagaraya Chetty, a founder and leader of the Justice Party and of the non-Brahmin movement, died in Madras.

Loyola College founded in Madras

Loyola College in Madras, affiliated to the University of Madras, was established by the French Jesuit Francis Bertram.

Neill Statue Satyagraha

Nationalists in Madras campaigned for the removal of the statue of Colonel James Neill from Mount Road.

Madras session of the Indian National Congress

The annual Congress session held in Madras under M. A. Ansari called for complete independence and a boycott of the Simon Commission.

Madras Music Academy founded

The Music Academy was founded in Madras following the 1927 Congress session and became a leading institution for Carnatic music.

Madras aerodrome and Madras Flying Club begin operations

The Madras Flying Club came into existence and the Madras aerodrome, ancestor of Chennai airport, was commissioned.

Muthulakshmi Reddy starts Avvai Home

Muthulakshmi Reddy founded the Avvai Home in Madras to shelter and educate orphaned and destitute girls.

First electric suburban trains in Madras

The first electric suburban rail service in Madras began between Madras Beach and Tambaram.

The Indian Express founded in Madras

P. Varadarajulu Naidu started the English daily The Indian Express in Madras; it was later taken over by Ramnath Goenka.

Tata air mail service reaches Madras

Tata Air Lines' inaugural air mail run from Karachi through Bombay went on to Madras, the first scheduled flight to touch down there.

Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway strike

Railway workshop workers at Perambur began a strike against retrenchment that spread across the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway.

Office of Mayor of Madras created

The post of Mayor of Madras was revived and M. A. Muthiah Chettiar became the first holder of the modern office.

Death of Annie Besant at Adyar

Annie Besant, Theosophical Society president and Home Rule leader, died at Adyar in Madras.

First Test match in Madras at Chepauk

Chepauk in Madras hosted its first Test match, between India and England.

First Ranji Trophy match played at Chepauk

The opening match of the first Ranji Trophy, India's national first-class cricket championship, was played at Chepauk in Madras.

Kalakshetra founded by Rukmini Devi Arundale

Rukmini Devi Arundale founded Kalakshetra at Adyar, Madras, an academy for Bharatanatyam and the arts.

Madras Christian College moves to Tambaram

After a century in the city centre, Madras Christian College moved to a large new campus at Tambaram.

Indian Overseas Bank founded

M. Ct. M. Chidambaram Chettiar founded Indian Overseas Bank to serve overseas trade, opening at Karaikudi, Madras and Rangoon.

Tambaram World Missionary Conference

Madras Christian College at Tambaram hosted the International Missionary Council's world conference, a landmark in the ecumenical movement.

S. Satyamurti becomes Mayor of Madras

Congress leader S. Satyamurti served as Mayor of Madras and pressed for the Poondi reservoir to improve the city's water supply.

S. S. Vasan founds Gemini Studios

S. S. Vasan acquired a studio in Madras and established Gemini Studios, which became one of India's major film studios.

1943 Madras floods

Six days of continuous northeast monsoon rain caused the Cooum and Adyar rivers to overflow, flooding slums across Madras.

Alagappa College of Technology founded

Funded by Alagappa Chettiar, the University of Madras set up the Alagappa College of Technology for courses such as chemical engineering.

Haridas released

Haridas, a Tamil film with M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar in the lead, played at one Madras theatre across three Diwalis in a row, a record that stood for years.

Lakshmikanthan murder case

Film stars M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and N. S. Krishnan were convicted in the murder of journalist C. N. Lakshmikanthan, later freed on appeal.

Gandhi presides over Hindi Prachar Sabha silver jubilee

Gandhi came to Madras to preside at the Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha's silver jubilee.

India becomes independent; Madras Province

India gained independence and the Madras Presidency became Madras Province of the Dominion of India; Periyar called it a day of mourning.

Central Leather Research Institute founded in Madras

The Central Leather Research Institute was founded in Madras as a laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.

Ashok Motors (later Ashok Leyland) founded in Madras

Raghunandan Saran founded Ashok Motors in Madras to assemble cars; it became Ashok Leyland in 1955.

Standard Motor Products begins car production in Madras

Standard Motor Products of India completed its first locally built Standard Vanguard cars at Vandalur near Madras.

India's first Test cricket victory at Chepauk

At Chepauk in Madras, India defeated England by an innings and 8 runs, winning a Test for the first time in its 25th match.

Potti Sriramulu dies fasting for Andhra State

Potti Sriramulu died in Madras after a long fast demanding a separate Telugu-speaking state, prompting the creation of Andhra State.

Andhra State carved out of Madras State

The Telugu-speaking northern districts were separated from Madras State to form Andhra State, with Madras city remaining in Madras State.

First passenger terminal built at Meenambakkam airport

Meenambakkam got the first passenger terminal of Madras airport, which then served as a customs airport handling a few international flights.

Cancer Institute (WIA) established at Adyar

The Women's Indian Association, led by Muthulakshmi Reddy, set up the Cancer Institute at Adyar in Madras.

Enfield India set up to build the Bullet in Madras

Enfield India was formed with Madras Motors to assemble the Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle in Madras.

Integral Coach Factory founded at Perambur

The Integral Coach Factory, a railway coach manufacturing unit of Indian Railways, was established at Perambur in Madras.

Indian Institute of Technology Madras founded

Classes started at IIT Madras in Guindy, the third IIT, which was set up with West German help.

Madras Rubber Factory incorporated to make tyres

Madras Rubber Factory, begun as a balloon maker at Tiruvottiyur, was incorporated to manufacture tyres.

Madras State Housing Board formed

The City Improvement Trust of 1947 was expanded into a statewide housing board, later the Tamil Nadu Housing Board.

Manuel Aaron becomes India's first International Master

Madras chess player Manuel Aaron became the first Indian to earn the FIDE title of International Master.

Madras Refineries formed as a joint venture

Madras Refineries Limited was formed by the Government of India, Amoco and the National Iranian Oil Company to build a refinery at Manali.

Statues of Tamil literary figures erected on the Marina

Statues of Tamil poets and scholars, including Kambar, Bharathiyar and Robert Caldwell, were unveiled on Marina Beach for the World Tamil Conference.

Ennore Thermal Power Station commissioned

The coal-fired Ennore Thermal Power Station north of Madras began generating electricity, with units added through 1975.

Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board created

The Karunanidhi government created the Slum Clearance Board to replace slums with tenements, later backed by a 1971 Act.

Madras Institute of Development Studies founded

Economist Malcolm Adiseshiah and Elizabeth Adiseshiah founded the Madras Institute of Development Studies.

Madras Metropolitan Development Authority constituted

A metropolitan development authority was set up to plan Madras city and its suburbs, becoming a statutory body in 1974.

Madras Snake Park moves to Guindy

On land leased from the Forest Department in Guindy, herpetologist Romulus Whitaker established an enlarged snake park, run by a trust he set up.

Pallavan Transport Corporation formed for Madras buses

The Pallavan Transport Corporation took over city bus services in the Madras metropolitan area with 1,029 buses.

Anna (Gemini) Flyover opened in Madras

The Anna Flyover on Mount Road, the first flyover in Madras and then the longest in India, was opened to traffic.

Television arrives in Madras with Doordarshan Kendra

Doordarshan began television broadcasts from Madras, the first TV station in South India.

Madras Crocodile Bank founded

The Madras Crocodile Bank was founded on the East Coast Road by Romulus Whitaker, Zai Whitaker and others to protect India's crocodile species.

Krishna water supply (Telugu Ganga) project agreed for Madras

Tamil Nadu and the Krishna basin states agreed on a scheme to carry Krishna river water to Madras city, later built as the Telugu Ganga project.

First Madras Book Fair held

Organised by the Booksellers and Publishers Association of South India, the first Madras Book Fair later developed into the yearly Chennai Book Fair.

Guindy declared a national park

What was left of the forest on the old Guindy estate in Chennai was made a national park, among the smallest in India and one of only a few within a city.

Anna University established

Anna University was established in Madras as a technical university, named after former Chief Minister C. N. Annadurai.

Sankara Nethralaya eye hospital founded in Madras

Led by S. S. Badrinath, a group in Madras founded Sankara Nethralaya, a charitable eye hospital run on a not-for-profit basis.

Apollo Hospitals founded in Madras

Prathap C. Reddy founded Apollo Hospitals in Madras, India's first corporate healthcare provider.

Sunil Gavaskar scores record 236 not out at Madras

In the sixth Test against the West Indies at Madras, Sunil Gavaskar scored 236 not out, his 30th Test century and then the highest Test score by an Indian.

Madras Export Processing Zone set up at Tambaram

The Union government set up the Madras Export Processing Zone on GST Road at Tambaram to attract foreign investment and boost exports.

Meenambakkam airport bomb blast

A bomb exploded at Meenambakkam airport in Madras, killing several people.

Madras zoo moves to Vandalur as Arignar Anna Zoological Park

The Madras Zoo, founded in 1855, moved to a large new site at Vandalur as the Arignar Anna Zoological Park.

India and Australia play the tied Test at Madras

The India-Australia Test at Chepauk ended in a tie, only the second tied Test in cricket history.

MRF Pace Foundation set up in Madras

MRF Limited set up a fast-bowling academy in Madras with the help of Australian bowler Dennis Lillee.

Viswanathan Anand becomes India's first grandmaster

Chess player Viswanathan Anand of Madras became India's first grandmaster.

SPIC Science Foundation founds the school that became Chennai Mathematical Institute

The SPIC Science Foundation founded a School of Mathematics in Madras, which grew into the Chennai Mathematical Institute.

MGR memorial on the Marina inaugurated

The memorial to M. G. Ramachandran on Marina Beach, begun in 1988, was inaugurated by his widow V. N. Janaki Ramachandran.

EPRLF leader K. Pathmanabha killed in Madras

EPRLF leader K. Pathmanabha and others were shot dead by gunmen in a Kodambakkam flat in Madras, in killings attributed to the LTTE.

Bombing of RSS office in Chennai

A bomb destroyed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh office in Chetpet, Chennai, killing several people.

Cyclone crosses the coast near Madras

A cyclonic storm made landfall near Madras on 31 October 1994, causing about 115 million US dollars in damage and some 304 deaths.

Chennai MRTS opens, India's first elevated railway

India's first elevated urban railway came into service when the opening section of Chennai's Mass Rapid Transit System, linking Beach and Chepauk, began running.

Madras hosts the 7th South Asian Games

The 7th South Asian Federation Games were held in Madras, with the rebuilt Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium as the main venue; India topped the medal table.

Koyambedu wholesale market complex opens

On Chennai's western side, the Koyambedu Wholesale Market Complex, one of the largest perishable goods markets in Asia, was opened.

Madras officially renamed Chennai

The Tamil Nadu government officially changed the capital's name from Madras to Chennai.

ATP tennis tournament moves to Chennai as the Gold Flake Open

India's only ATP Tour event moved from New Delhi to Chennai, where it was held every January until 2017 before shifting to Pune.

Pakistan win a close Test against India at Chepauk

Pakistan beat India by 12 runs at Chepauk in the first Test of their first tour of India in 12 years, despite Sachin Tendulkar's 136.

TIDEL Park inaugurated in Chennai

TIDEL Park, one of the largest IT parks in South Asia at the time, was inaugurated in Chennai by Prime Minister Vajpayee.

Viswanathan Anand wins the FIDE World Chess Championship

Chennai's Viswanathan Anand defeated Alexei Shirov in Tehran to become FIDE World Chess Champion, the first Indian world chess champion.

Tamil Nadu Open University established

Through the Tamil Nadu Open University Act, 2002, the state set up an open university in Chennai offering distance higher education.

Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus opens at Koyambedu

The Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus at Koyambedu was opened to the public, becoming the city's main hub for long-distance buses.

Rainwater harvesting made mandatory for all buildings

After severe drought, a 2003 ordinance required every building in Tamil Nadu to install rainwater harvesting structures by 31 August.

New Veeranam water supply project completed

A project to pipe water from Veeranam Lake to Chennai, first conceived in 1967, was completed during a severe water shortage.

First Madras Day celebration

Madras Day, held each 22 August, was first celebrated in Chennai, recalling the 1639 acquisition of the land where the city developed.

2005 Chennai floods and relief camp stampedes

Heavy north-east monsoon rain flooded Chennai, and two stampedes at relief distribution camps killed more than 50 people.

First Chennai Sangamam folk arts festival

Chennai Sangamam, an open-air festival of Tamil folk and traditional arts around Pongal, was held for the first time with state government backing.

Pallikaranai marsh notified as a reserve forest

To stop the shrinking of Chennai's last large freshwater marsh, 317 hectares of Pallikaranai were declared a reserve forest.

India win the Hockey Asia Cup in Chennai

Chennai hosted the men's Hockey Asia Cup, and India beat South Korea 7-2 in the final to win the title.

Viswanathan Anand becomes undisputed world chess champion

Chennai-born grandmaster Viswanathan Anand won the World Chess Championship tournament in Mexico City without losing a game.

Kathipara cloverleaf grade separator opens

The Kathipara cloverleaf interchange near Guindy, one of the largest in South Asia at the time, was fully opened to traffic.

Construction of the Chennai Metro begins

Work started on the first phase of the Chennai Metro, approved by the state government in November 2007, with an elevated viaduct at Koyambedu.

New Assembly-Secretariat complex inaugurated

A new legislature and secretariat building on Anna Salai was opened, but the next government moved back to Fort St. George and turned it into a hospital.

Chennai Super Kings win their first IPL title

Founded in 2008, the Chennai Super Kings defeated Mumbai Indians in the final to take their first Indian Premier League title.

Anna Centenary Library opens in Kotturpuram

A large public library named after C. N. Annadurai opened in Chennai on his birth anniversary.

Tholkappia Poonga eco-park opens on the Adyar estuary

A park restoring the ecology of the Adyar creek in Chennai opened and was named in honour of the Tamil grammarian Tholkappiar.

Amma Unavagam subsidised canteens open

The Chennai Corporation opened low-cost canteens selling idli for one rupee, later expanded across the state.

Chennai hosts the Anand-Carlsen World Chess Championship

Playing in his home city, Viswanathan Anand put his world title on the line against Magnus Carlsen and lost it to the Norwegian.

Moulivakkam building collapse

An eleven-storey apartment block under construction collapsed at Moulivakkam in Chennai, killing 61 people, mostly construction workers.

Chennai Outer Ring Road phase I opens

The first phase of the Chennai Outer Ring Road, built to divert traffic around the city, was opened to the public.

Chennai Metro begins service

The first stretch of Chennai Metro, between Koyambedu and Alandur, opened to passengers.

2015 Chennai floods

Extremely heavy north-east monsoon rains flooded Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Cuddalore, killing hundreds of people.

Chennaiyin FC win the Indian Super League

Chennaiyin FC beat FC Goa 3-2 in the final in Goa to win the Indian Super League in only its second season.

Free bus rides for senior citizens in Chennai

Senior citizens in Chennai were allowed ten free rides a month on ordinary city buses, using tokens issued by the transport corporation.

Cyclone Vardah hits Chennai

Cyclone Vardah made landfall near Chennai, uprooting thousands of trees and cutting power and communication across the city.

Tamil Thalaivas join the Pro Kabaddi League

When the Pro Kabaddi League grew to twelve teams for its fifth season, Tamil Nadu gained a franchise of its own.

Ennore oil spill after tanker collision

Two tankers collided off Kamarajar Port in Ennore, and the resulting oil spill spread along the north Chennai coast.

Chennai Super Kings win the IPL on return from suspension

In their first season back after a two-year suspension, Chennai Super Kings beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets in the IPL final.

Chennai water crisis

After a failed monsoon, Chennai's main reservoirs dried up, forcing heavy reliance on tankers and water brought by train from Jolarpet.

COVID-19 pandemic reaches Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu reported its first COVID-19 case in March 2020; the pandemic brought lockdowns and two severe waves.

Cyclone Nivar makes landfall near Marakkanam

Cyclone Nivar crossed the north Tamil Nadu coast near Marakkanam, flooding parts of Chennai during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Several Tamil Nadu wetlands designated Ramsar sites

Pallikaranai marsh, Karikili and Vedanthangal bird sanctuaries and other Tamil Nadu wetlands were added to the list of Ramsar sites.

44th Chess Olympiad in Mamallapuram

India hosted the Chess Olympiad for the first time, at Mamallapuram near Chennai, with Tamil Nadu organising it at short notice.

India win the Asian Champions Trophy hockey in Chennai

India won a record fourth men's Asian Champions Trophy at home in Chennai, beating Malaysia 4-3 in the final.

Cyclone Michaung floods Chennai

Very heavy rain from Cyclone Michaung flooded large parts of Chennai and neighbouring districts.

Ennore ammonia gas leak

Ammonia leaked from a subsea pipeline of a fertiliser plant at Ennore, sending dozens of residents of fishing villages to hospital.

Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus opens at Kilambakkam

To ease pressure on Koyambedu, a new long-distance bus terminus was opened at Kilambakkam on the southern fringe of Chennai.

Murder of BSP state president K. Armstrong

Prominent Dalit leader K. Armstrong, who headed the Bahujan Samaj Party in Tamil Nadu, was hacked to death near his house in Chennai.

Night street race on the Chennai Formula Racing Circuit

A street circuit around Island Grounds in Chennai staged a round of the Indian Racing League alongside the F4 Indian Championship.

D. Gukesh becomes world chess champion

Chennai's Gukesh Dommaraju defeated Ding Liren in Singapore to become the youngest undisputed world chess champion.