| 1604 | French explorer Samuel de Champlain visited the Saint John River |
| 1631 | The first permanent European settlement was established by the French |
| 1785 | Saint John was incorporated as a city |
| 1785-1830 | Saint John was one of the busiest ports in North America, with a thriving shipbuilding industry |
| 1785-1917 | Saint John suffered several devastating fires, including the Great Fire of 1877, which destroyed much of the city |
| 1812-1814 | Saint John played a significant role in the War of 1812, with American forces attacking the city twice |
| 1830-1860 | Saint John became a major hub for the timber trade, with logs from the surrounding forests floated down the Saint John River to the city’s sawmills |
| 1867 | Saint John was one of the founding cities of the Dominion of Canada |
| 1870 | The first train arrived in Saint John, linking the city to the rest of Canada |
| 1880s-1920s | Saint John’s economy shifted from shipbuilding and timber to manufacturing, with industries such as textiles, food processing, and tobacco becoming prominent |
| 1960s-1980s | Saint John experienced economic decline as many of its traditional industries struggled |
| 1984 | The Irving Oil Refinery, one of the largest employers in the area, was built in Saint John |
| 2010 | Saint John celebrated its 225th anniversary as a city |
