1524- Giovanni da Verrazano explores New York Bay.

1646- Town of Brooklyn (Breuckelen) chartered by Dutch West India Company.

1683- Towns of Brooklyn, Bushwick, Flatbush, Flatlands, Gravesend and New Utrecht form Kings County.

1698- First census of Kings County is taken - 2,017 (1,721 white; 296 of African descent).

1776- George Washington retreats across the East River and Brooklyn is occupied by British soldiers.

1776-1783- The British occupation of Brooklyn.

1802- A petition to the State Legislature proposes constructing a bridge

1814- Steamship Nassau begins ferry service between Brooklyn and New York.

1816 - Village of Brooklyn, present-day downtown area, is incorporated within the Town of Brooklyn.

1834- Town of Brooklyn incorporated as City of Brooklyn.

1854- Consolidation Act of 1854 joined Williamsburg and Bushwick to Brooklyn.

1857- A bill is proposed to the New York Legislature to build a suspension bridge over the East River to Brooklyn.

1865- John A. Roebling and Wilhelm Hildenbrand draw plans.

1866- A bill is passed by the New York State Legislature for construction.
April, 1867- The New York Bridge Company is incorporated.
May, 1867- The New York Bridge Company makes John A. Roebling engineer.

1869- President Ulysses S. Grant signs a bill approving the plan.

July, 1869- John A. Roebling 66, dies in an accident making observations to determine the exact location of the Brooklyn tower. His son, Washington Roebling, succeeds him.

January, 1870- Work begins.

May, 1871- The New York caisson is launched. Although the Brooklyn foundation hit bedrock at 44 feet, the foundation on the Manhattan end rests on sand at 78 feet.

1872- Roebling is stricken by caisson disease, (decompression sickness) during construction of the Manhattan caisson, 24 meters (78 feet) beneath the surface of New York's East River. This disease left Colonel Roebling paralyzed, partly blind, deaf, and mute. He supervises the building of the Bridge from his bedroom, his wife instructing the Bridge engineers. Emily Roebling became the surrogate Chief Engineer for the bridge between 1872 and its opening in 1883. To keep the bridge construction in the Roebling name, Emily Roebling continued the work of her husband. She learned higher math and engineering through "on-the-job" training.

1874- The Brooklyn Bridge is made public, repaying the subscribers with interest.

May, 1875- The Brooklyn tower is completed.

July, 1875- The New York tower is completed.

1887- A temporary footbridge between the towers is built.

1887- Scandal over the supply of faulty wire.

May 24,1883- The Brooklyn Bridge is opened