Chronology of History

• 1550 Ramallah settled by Rashed Haddad and his family about 1550 1671 Ramallah, a growing village, several workers from Ramallah volunteer to help repair the roof of the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem
• 1700 Ya'coub Elias of the Yousef clan, the first Ramallah man to be ordained a priest by the Greek Orthodox church. 1706 A priest in the Greek Orthodox Church started teaching the parish boys to read and write both Arabic and Greek.
• 1807 The priest Mitry Elias Kassees built the first Greek Orthodox Church in Ramallah with the cooperation of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate and the people of Ramallah . It was located near the present-day Ramallah bus station.
• 1834 Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt occupies Ramallah without resistance.
• 1838 Dr. E.Robinson and E. Smith visit Ramallah and estimate its population between 800-900 people.
• 1850 The present Greek Orthodox Church was built in Ramallah.
• 1850 Bishop Samuel Ghobat starts a boys' school in Ramallah about 1850.
• 1857 The Roman Catholic Church comes to Ramallah and opens a school for boys.
• 1869 Eli and Sybil Jones visit Ramallah with other Quakers from England. Within 3 months the Friends Girls School opens.
• 1873 The sisters of St. Joseph open a girls' school and a clinic.
• 1883 The Friends open a clinic with Dr. George Hassenauer in charge. He was the first doctor to come to Ramallah.
• 1889 The Friends open a boarding school for girls with 15 pupils. Girls from other cities begin to come to Ramallah for their schooling.
• 1895 The Greek Catholic Church begins to conduct services in Ramallah with Rev. Saba Salem Mogannam in charge.
• 1895 A severe snow storm hits Palestine while Russian pilgrims were travelling from Nazareth to Jerusalem. Thirty pilgrims die near Al-Bireh and the rest could go no further. Ramallah people rush to rescue them with donkeys and mules and help bury their dead.
• 1901 Ramallah men begin to emigrate to the United States.
• 1901 The Friends start a boarding school for boys, also with 15 pupils.
• 1901 Turkish government completes a road for carriages from Jerusalem to Nablus going past Ramallah and Bireh. This is the present Ramallah-Jerusalem road.
• 1902 The Turkish government makes Ramallah a district seat for 30 surrounding villages, and appoints Ahmad Murad of Jerusalem as the first mudeer (governor). He makes many civic improvements.Till 1902 there had been no government rule in the villages and small towns of Palestine.
• 1903 1903 Nicola Khoury brings the first mechanical mill for grinding wheat to Ramallah. All wheat had been ground by hand up to this time.
• 1903 Ibrahim Esa Abu Shihady initiates horse carriage service between Ramallah and Jerusalem.
• 1903 A light earthquake strikes Ramallah, none hurt or killed.
• 1908 1908 Ramallah incorporated as a city; Elias Audi the first mayor and Ass'ad Ibrahim Kassees secretary and treasurer. City Council consisted of one representative from each clan.
• 1910 Dr. Nicola Shihadeh, the first native of Ramallah to become a doctor , returns from medical school in the United States and opens a clinic.
• 1914 World War I breaks. About 30 Ramallah men serving in the Turkish army die during the war.
• 1915 A locust plague hits Ramallah. No crops escape damage. The economy suffers greatly.
• 1916 Typhus plague hits. About 30% of Ramallah's population perish.
• 1917 December 27, The British Army occupies Ramallah. British rule Palestine from 1918 - 1948 . British Mandate over Palestine begins April, 1920
• 1927 1927 A strong earthquake strikes Palestine . Two Ramallah inhabitants killed, property damaged.
• 1932 A 3% school tax on income from all dwellings is imposed by the city for the benefit of its school.
• 1936 Electricity comes to Ramallah from the Jerusalem Electric Company. Most homes soon had electric lights.
• 1945 The Ramallah Summer Resorts Co. is organized by Jaleel Harb and others with 50,000 Jordanian dinars. Most of the Stock holders are Ramallah people. It greatly helped Ramallah's development. Dividends have been paid regularly.
• 1948 Thousands of refugees pour into Ramallah as a result of the Arab-Israeli War and the establishment of the state of Israel.
• 1951 The Summer Resorts Co. with the cooperation of the municipalities of Ramallah and AL-Bireh, brings additional water to Ramallah and vicinity form Fara Spring (Ain Fara) .
• 1952 The American Ramallah Federation is incorporated m Detroit, Michigan for the benefit of Ramallah people. The Federation holds a yearly convention in the United States.
• 1963 May 20. The Ramallah New Hospital is completed and opens its door to treat the ill.
• 1967 Ramallah falls under Israeli occupation.
• 1974 First Municipal elections after occupation.
• 1982 Elected Municipal Council resigned as Israeli authorities dismissed late Mayor Kareem Khalaf from office.
• 1987 Intifada starts against Israeli occupation.
• 1996 Israeli withdrawal from Ramallah and the Palestinian National Authority took full responsibilities.