The New London Globe Theater Timeline - History of events
1919 Sam Wanamaker is born
1949 Sam Wanamaker arrives in London and decides to visit the site and the remains of the old Globe
         Theatre. All he finds is a plaque on the wall of a brewery commemorating the famous thaeter. 
1969 Sam Wanamaker starts campaigning to rebuild the Globe theatre. 
1970 Sam Wanamaker establishes the "Globe Playhouse Trust" an educational charity, in order to  
         raise funds for the building of a replica theatre. HRH Prince Philip is Patron of the Shakespeare 
         Globe Trust 
1970 Southwark council provides a 1.2 acre site for the project beside the River Thames, opposite St.
         Paul's Cathedral. Approximately 200 yards from the site of the original Globe theatres
1970 The key architect Theo Crosby, and his firm, Pentagram are appointed to design the replica of the
         Globe 1970 - 1987 The architects research the designs of other master builders of Shakespeare's
         time. 
1972 The Bear Gardens Museum opens with permanent exhibition of 16th and 17th century theatre
         history
1982 Professor John Orrell provides new evidence on the shape and dimensions of the Globe by the
         analysis of a 1647 map of London by Wenceslas Hollar
1985 The "Friends of Shakespeare's Globe" is founded. 
1987 The site is cleared in readiness for the new construction works.
1987 Excavation of the site begins 1987 The "diaphragm" wall, on the side of Theatre closest to the
         Thames, is constructed to keep the water out.
1988 The project runs out of money. Doubts whether it would be possible to raise the enormous amount of
          money required for the project . 
1989 The Globe's original foundations were discovered on Bankside, about two hundred metres from the
         reconstruction site, together with those of the Rose Theatre. 
1989 95% of the site of the original Globe is covered by a nineteenth century listed building at 1/15
         Anchor Terrace, Southwark Bridge Road
1989 Theo Crosby presents an idea called, "direct building." The idea was to build the project phase by
         phase as money came in.
1989 The Globe Playhouse Trust funds produced ideas to raise money through donations including paving
         stones engraved with a donator's name, laid on the piazza amongst those sponsored by celebrities
         such as Sir Laurence Olivier & Sir Anthony Hopkins
1989 The Globe's Education department officially comes into being. 
1991 Construction work begins on the foundations of Theatre complex and on the Piazza. 
1993 Construction work begins on Theatre itself. 
1993 The first performance at the new thater is made by the Bremer Shakespeare Company after the 
         temporary stage is dedicated by Sir John Gielgud. 
1993 18th Dec Sam Wanamaker CBE, dies. 
1994 12th September Theo Crosby dies
1994 August - Theatre opened its doors for visitors and between 1994 and 1996, over 300,000 visitors
         came to see the thater under construction
1995 April - First International Conference subject - Within this Wooden 'O'
1995 16th Oct The National Lottery donates 12.4 million pounds to the Globe Trust to fund the 
         completion of Globe, foyer areas and ancillary facilities. 
1996 January - Mark Rylance is appointed artistic director
1996 August 21, 1996 the New Shakespeare's Globe reopened with a short, unofficial season  
         performance of The Two Gentlemen of Verona
1996 December The Globe was awarded the European Tourism Initiative Golden Star Award by the 
         European Federation of Associations of Tourism Journalists. 
1996 September 10-11 - Second International Conference - "Shakespeare and Tudor Theatrical   
         Traditions" 
1997 19th - 20th April A team of blacksmiths forge the finishing touches to the ornamental gates facing on
         to the River Thames. 
1997 27th May - The first performance of the Preview Season starts. The Opening Season 
         includes Shakespeare's Henry V and The Winter's Tale1997 April - May - The stage is built,
         the Frons Scenae and Heavens are built then thatched and painted. 
1997 7th June - The Festival of Firsts begins; marking the official opening of the new Globe Theatre. 
1997 June 12 - Her Majesty the Queen, accompanied by HRH Prince Philip, inaugurates the Globe. 
1998 June to September the second season, featuring Shakespeare's As You Like It and The Merchant
         of Venice
1999 Winter-Spring - Work begins on the exhibition in the undercroft and on the Millennium footbridge
         which now links Bankside to Saint Paul's Cathedral and the City 
2003 May 7th - Zoe Wannamaker receives a Southwark Blue Plaque award on behalf of her father. 
2003 13th June - The Blue Plaque was unveiled outside Theater

The New London Theater Timeline - History of events