{"slug": "christchurch", "label": "Christchurch", "wikipedia": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christchurch", "wikidata": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q79990", "qid": "Q79990", "description": "largest city in the South Island of New Zealand", "entries": 22, "years": 19, "span": [1850, 2019], "span_label": ["1850 CE", "2019 CE"], "topics": [{"title": "Religion & Belief", "count": 3}, {"title": "Technology & Infrastructure", "count": 3}, {"title": "Culture & Society", "count": 3}, {"title": "Climate & Environment", "count": 3}, {"title": "Exploration & Expansion", "count": 2}, {"title": "Economy & Finance", "count": 2}, {"title": "Deaths", "count": 2}, {"title": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "count": 1}, {"title": "Conflict & Security", "count": 1}, {"title": "Disasters & Accidents", "count": 1}, {"title": "Health & Medicine", "count": 1}], "also_known_as": [], "related": [{"slug": "new-zealand", "label": "New Zealand", "shared": 2}, {"slug": "royal-charter", "label": "Royal charter", "shared": 1}], "items": [{"year": 1850, "year_label": "1850 CE", "section": "Exploration & Expansion", "date": "December 16", "text": "December 16 – Members of the Canterbury Association, the first settlers bound for Christchurch, arrive from England at the port of Lyttelton, New Zealand, aboard the Charlotte Jane and Randolph.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1365770371#October–December", "title": "1850", "revid": 1365770371, "section": "Events › October–December"}}, {"year": 1856, "year_label": "1856 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": "July 31", "text": "31 July – By Royal Charter, Christchurch is proclaimed New Zealand's first city.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373441804#Events", "title": "1856 in New Zealand", "revid": 1373441804, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1856, "year_label": "1856 CE", "section": "Religion & Belief", "date": "July 31", "text": "July 31 – Christchurch, New Zealand, is chartered as a city.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1371140008#July–September", "title": "1856", "revid": 1371140008, "section": "Events › July–September"}}, {"year": 1860, "year_label": "1860 CE", "section": "Religion & Belief", "date": null, "text": "The Canterbury Vocal Union is formed by nine men in Christchurch. It shortly afterwards merges with the St. Cecilia Society and will eventually become the Royal Christchurch Music Society.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1308208573#Music", "title": "1860 in New Zealand", "revid": 1308208573, "section": "Arts and literature › Music"}}, {"year": 1862, "year_label": "1862 CE", "section": "Technology & Infrastructure", "date": "July 1", "text": "1 July – The first telegraph transmission in New Zealand is made from Lyttelton Post Office to Christchurch.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373442049#Events", "title": "1862 in New Zealand", "revid": 1373442049, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1863, "year_label": "1863 CE", "section": "Culture & Society", "date": "June 13", "text": "June 13 – Samuel Butler's dystopian article \"Darwin among the Machines\" is published (under the pen name Cellarius) in The Press newspaper in Christchurch, New Zealand; it will be incorporated into his novel Erewhon (1872).", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1363782030#June", "title": "1863", "revid": 1363782030, "section": "Events › June"}}, {"year": 1863, "year_label": "1863 CE", "section": "Technology & Infrastructure", "date": "December 1", "text": "December 1 – The first steam-operated passenger railway in New Zealand opens at Christchurch in South Island.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1363782030#December", "title": "1863", "revid": 1363782030, "section": "Events › December"}}, {"year": 1866, "year_label": "1866 CE", "section": "Culture & Society", "date": null, "text": "The Union Rowing Club of Christchurch is formed.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373443327#Rowing", "title": "1866 in New Zealand", "revid": 1373443327, "section": "Sport › Rowing"}}, {"year": 1879, "year_label": "1879 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": "December 26", "text": "December 26 - the New Zealand Orange riots unfolds, when sectarian Irish Catholic rioters attacked Orange processions held by the New Zealand Orange Order, taking place in Timaru and Christchurch. These two events became known as the \"Siege of Timaru\" and the \"Battle of the Borough\" respectively.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1361195613#Events", "title": "1879 in New Zealand", "revid": 1361195613, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1881, "year_label": "1881 CE", "section": "Climate & Environment", "date": "December 5", "text": "5 December – a magnitude 6.0 earthquake strikes near Castle Hill, widely felt in the South Island and causing damage in Christchurch", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1328153373#Events", "title": "1881 in New Zealand", "revid": 1328153373, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1891, "year_label": "1891 CE", "section": "Technology & Infrastructure", "date": "January 13", "text": "13 January – The first public phonograph performance in New Zealand is made at Christchurch.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1340599412#Events", "title": "1891 in New Zealand", "revid": 1340599412, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1904, "year_label": "1904 CE", "section": "Economy & Finance", "date": "September", "text": "September: The Canterbury Steam Shipping Co is founded in Christchurch.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1354297212#Events", "title": "1904 in New Zealand", "revid": 1354297212, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1906, "year_label": "1906 CE", "section": "Exploration & Expansion", "date": "November 1", "text": "November 1 – International Exhibition opens in Christchurch, New Zealand.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373343237#November–December", "title": "1906", "revid": 1373343237, "section": "Events › November–December"}}, {"year": 1906, "year_label": "1906 CE", "section": "Culture & Society", "date": "November 1", "text": "1 November: The International Exhibition begins in Hagley Park, Christchurch.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1354297608#November", "title": "1906 in New Zealand", "revid": 1354297608, "section": "Events › November"}}, {"year": 1916, "year_label": "1916 CE", "section": "Economy & Finance", "date": "September 20", "text": "20 September – The Canterbury (NZ) Aviation Company is established in Christchurch. Henry Wigram is the main instigator. The Company's aims are to train pilots for the war, promote local aviation defence and pioneer commercial aviation.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1359007009#Events", "title": "1916 in New Zealand", "revid": 1359007009, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1922, "year_label": "1922 CE", "section": "Climate & Environment", "date": "December 25", "text": "25 December – a 6.4 magnitude earthquake strikes Motunau on Christmas day, causing widespread damage in North Canterbury and Christchurch", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1337339598#Events", "title": "1922 in New Zealand", "revid": 1337339598, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1947, "year_label": "1947 CE", "section": "Disasters & Accidents", "date": "November 18", "text": "November 18 – Ballantyne's fire: A fire in Ballantynes department store in Christchurch, New Zealand, kills 41 people.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1371901060#November", "title": "1947", "revid": 1371901060, "section": "Events › November"}}, {"year": 1964, "year_label": "1964 CE", "section": "Health & Medicine", "date": "August 28", "text": "28 August – Emergency number 111 is introduced in Christchurch.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1358090585#Events", "title": "1964 in New Zealand", "revid": 1358090585, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 1978, "year_label": "1978 CE", "section": "Religion & Belief", "date": "December", "text": "December – Holy Name Seminary, Christchurch (Catholic) closed.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1371765927#Events", "title": "1978 in New Zealand", "revid": 1371765927, "section": "Events"}}, {"year": 2010, "year_label": "2010 CE", "section": "Climate & Environment", "date": "September 4", "text": "September 4 – A 7.1 magnitude earthquake rocks Christchurch, New Zealand causing large amounts of damage but no direct fatalities. It is the first in a series of earthquakes between 2010 and 2012 that resulted in the deaths of 187 people and over $40 billion worth of damage. Seismologists noted that the earthquake sequence was highly unusual, and likely to never happen again anywhere else in the world.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1372829682#September", "title": "2010", "revid": 1372829682, "section": "Events › September"}}, {"year": 2011, "year_label": "2011 CE", "section": "Deaths", "date": "February 22", "text": "February 22 – A 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes Christchurch, in what becomes New Zealand's third-deadliest natural disaster. 185 people are killed, many ESL students within the CTV Building, and the city centre and 10,000 homes are destroyed. Many foreign search and rescue workers respond to the event.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1372940525#February", "title": "2011", "revid": 1372940525, "section": "Events › February"}}, {"year": 2019, "year_label": "2019 CE", "section": "Deaths", "date": "March 15", "text": "March 15 – 51 people are killed and 50 others injured in terrorist attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is the deadliest mass shooting and terrorist attack in New Zealand's history.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373255188#March", "title": "2019", "revid": 1373255188, "section": "Events › March"}}]}