Following is a Waterbury History Timeline that is very much a 'work in progress'.
| Date | | Event Description |
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| 1674 | | A group of 31 came from Farmington to establish a settlement at the Indian village called 'Matetacoke' (now the Town Plot section of Waterbury) |
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| 1675 | | Early settlers retreat to Farmington at the onset of King Philip's War |
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| 1677 | | Settlers from Farmington return and establish the settlement of Mattatuck east of the Great River (Naugatuck) around center square (The Green in downtown Waterbury) |
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| 1681 | | ... |
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| 15 May 1686 | | The villiage of Mattatuck incorporates as the township of Waterbury and becomes the 28th town officially recognized by the General Court of Connecticut |
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| 1691 | | A great flood hits the Waterbury area |
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| May 1728 | | Waterbury becomes part of New Haven County (formerly had been considered part of Hartford County given that it was settled from Farmington) |
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| 1756 | | First recorded population of Waterbury was 1,829 residents |
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| 1782 | | Waterbury tax lists show just 310 dwellings |
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| 1803 | | Colonel William Leavenworth becomes the first postmaster as the city gets its own Post Office |
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| 1811 | | Leavenworth, Hayden & Scovill was established (later Scovill Manufacturing Company) |
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| 1844 | | The American is established as Waterbury's first newspaper |
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| 1849 | | Railroads arrive |
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| 1849 | | Daguerreotypes invented in France; within months Scovill was manufacturing plates and cases for this new photographic process and would become the leading provider of equipment in the country |
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| 1853 | | Waterbury incorporates as a city (population 5,137) |
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| 13 Aug 1863 | | Civil War hero Colonel John L. Chatfield buried in Riverside Cemetery |
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| 1869 | | Waterbury's first City Hall opened facing the green, between Leavenworth and Lewis Streets |
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| 1877 | | Waterbury's first telephones installed (wires run between Dr. Charles Rodman's office at Waterbury National Bank to his home on Prospect Street |
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| 23 Oct 1884 | | The Soldiers Monument was unveiled at the west end of the green |
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| 12 Mar 1888 | | The 'Blizzard of 88' hits Connecticut and blankets Waterbury with 50 inches of snow in a 48-hour period |
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| 1902 | | A devastating fire destroys the center of Waterbury |
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| 1912 | | Waterbury City Hall burned to the ground |
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| 1915 | | The new City Hall on Grand Street, designed by Cass Gilbert, is dedicated |
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| 1918 | | Waterbury is among the hardest hit cities in the state, with more than 1,200 deaths reported due to an influenza epidemic |
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| 1939 | | The Republican-American is awarded the Pulitzer Gold Medal (joining just 2 other New England papers - Boston Post, 1921 and the Boston Globe in 1966 |
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| 19 Aug 1955 | | The great flood of '55 is one of the most devastating natural events ever recorded in the history of Waterbury |
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| Nov 1960 | | U.S. Senator John F. Kennedy visits the city as part of his presidential campaign and is greeted by a crowd of 40,000 on The Green |
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| 24 May 1962 | | Tornado hits the city of Waterbury |
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| 1970 | | U.S. Federal Census figures place Waterbury as the 5th largest city in Connecticut (population 108,033) |
If you know of an event with historical significance to the Greater Waterbury area would like it added to the Waterbury History Timeline, please contact us with details.
