Timeline
​
1839 British capture Aden
Treaty of Friendship between British and Sultan of Lahej and other local rulers of territory adjacent to Aden
St. Anthony's Church built
Post Office opens in Crater (Camp)
​
1842 Captain Luke Thomas arrived in Aden
Major flooding from rainfall 28th December
​
1844 Smallpox epidemic
1846 Major flooding 2nd May
Cholera outbreak 20 Europeans & 366-480 natives died
Civil Hospital built 1846 or earlier (dates not certain)
​
1848 Smallpox epidemic. Few casualties
Smallpox Hospital built in Tawila Valley
1850 St. Joseph's Church built
1853 Aden declared a free port by East India Company
​
1854 First postage stamps issued
Commander Haines , Moolla Jaffa & Lt. C.J. Cruttenden removed from their posts
​
1855 Cowasjee Dinshaw arrives in Aden
1856 Restoration of Tawila Tanks starts
1857 Steamer Point Post Office built
1858 Cholera outbreak. 15 Europeans & 560 natives died
New Steamer Point Post Office opened
Construction started on Coghlans school
1859 Major flooding
Cholera outbreak following floods. 1 European & 83 natives died
1860 Port moved from Front Bay to Tawahi
Commander Haines died in India
Coghlans school closed down end of February
1863/4 Murrain, a cattle disease, killed most of the animals
1864 Christ Church built
Garrison church at Steamer Point consecrated by Bishop of Bombay in February
Construction starts on 4 infantry barrack blocks
Murrain continues - famine imminent
1865 Paul Ries & Sons business started
Cholera from May-August. 1 European & 53 natives died
1866 Ras Marshag lighthouse built
Famine
New school founded, recommended by Col. Merewether
1867 Italian Consulate established
Col. Merewether raised the Aden Levy, renamed Aden Troop
Garrison church in Crater under construction
Bombay Act III requires registration of prostitutes
1867/8 Cholera kills 57
​
1868 New, larger Steamer Point Post Office completed and opened on 31st March
​
1869 Suez Canal opens
Post Office opens
Smallpox. 273 cases, 103 died, mostly Somalis
1870 May 28th. Major storms and flooding
Submarine cable line opened for traffic
1871 St. Mary’s Garrison Church consecrated by Bishop of Bombay
Bhicajee Cowasjee started business
1872/3 Severe dengue fever epidemic. Almost everyone affected but no deaths
1873/4 Cattle disease killed many animals
Metalled road was laid (just) around the Crescent
1875 Prince of Wales visits
1880 Arthur Rimbaud arrived in Aden
​
1883 Parsee Temple built
1886 Protectorate treaty with Sultan of Qishn and Socotra
Luke Thomas Building completed
1887 Ion Keith-Falconer died
1888 Oromo slaves rescued
1891 Sheikh Othman Post Office opened
1892 Khormaksar Post Office opened 1st April
1894/5 Hogg Clock Tower built
National Bank of India opened
1901 Prince of Wales visits Aden
1905/1906 Duke of Connaught visits
1911 King George V visits
1912 'The King's Cup', a polo trophy, arrived from England
1914 Convention with Turkey defining the border between the Protectorate and the Ottoman Empire
1915/1916 Military Railway to Sheikh Othman constructed
1921 Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) visited
1922 Maalla-Lahej railway opened for public
1924 Scott Market opened in Maalla
1927 April - Aden becomes an Air Command
1929 Aden Railway closed down
Maalla Post Office closed
Selim Jewish Girl's School founded
1930 Aden Railway dismantled
1931 Maalla Post Office closed 1st May
Gandhi visits
1932 Aden become Chief Commissionership under control of Central Government of India
Crescent Hotel opened [Year not 100% certain. May have been 1920-28]
1934 King of Italy visits
Baden Powell visits
1936 Perim Post Office closed 1st October
1937 Aden becomes a Crown Colony, separate from India
1940 11th June Italian aircraft bombed Aden
1946 Census
December - anti-Jewish riots
King George V Jewish Boys School burned in riots
1947 Legislative Council formed in Aden Colony
Start of the Abyan agricultural and irrigation scheme with a grant of £270,000 the Colonial Development & Welfare Fund.
1950 Crescent Hotel Annexe opened
St. Mary’s Garrison Church closed
1949 Aden Airways formed
1951 Currency changes from the Indian Rupee to the East African Shilling
Antonin Besse died
1953 Aden College opened
1954 Queen Elizabeth visits Aden
Queen Elizabeth Hospital opened in Khormaksar
Construction began on Rock Hotel
BP Oil Refinery opens at Little Aden
1955 'Democratic' elections for the Aden Colony Legislative Council
President Tito of Yugoslavia visited
Census, first since 1946.
1956 Rock Hotel opened
Lady Churchill visited
Sir Tom Hickinbotham retired
Sir William Luce appointed Governor
1958 New Civil Hospital opened
1959 Inauguration of new constitution and Legislative Council
1963 Sir Charles Hepburn Johnston appointed High Commissioner
Sir Kennedy Trevaskis appointed High Commissioner
1964 Sir Richard Turnbull appointed High Commissioner
1965 Sir Arthur Charles assassinated 1st September
26th September Aden Constitution suspended
1966 Bombing of Aden Airways DC3 22nd November
1967 Sir Humphrey Trevelyan appointed High Commissioner
British withdraw from Aden
Queen Victoria Statue moved to British Consulate
Aden Airways Viscount bombed 21st July
1976 Parsee Holy Flame moved to Lonvala, India
2002 Queen Victoria Statue returned to Victoria Park Gardens
2008 St Mary's Garrison Church demolished
Talk of relocating the minaret of the former Manara Mosque