1852History
A History of Early Carbondale, Illinois, 1852–1905.
1853Government
Carbondale was established in 1853 and developed as a crossroads of the railroad industry.
1854History
The first train through Carbondale arrived on Independence Day 1854, traveling north on the main line from Cairo, Illinois.
1856Government
The city has had a college since 1856 beginning with the Presbyterian-founded Carbondale College which was later converted to an elementary school.
1866Military
On April 29, 1866, one of the first formal Memorial Day observations following the Civil War was held at the city's Woodlawn Cemetery.
1868Civil Rights
Logan, as co-founder of the Civil War veteran's group the "Grand Army of the Republic", issued General Order #11 on March 3, 1868, calling for a national day of remembrance for ...
1874Education
Carbondale also won the bid for the new state teacher training school for the region, and Southern Illinois Normal University opened in 1874.
1903Education
In the early 20th century, Carbondale was known as the "Athens of Egypt," due to the expansion of the college and university, and the region's moniker of "Little Egypt." The phr...
1922History
By 1922, the Carbondale Free Press was using the phrase on its flag.
1947Education
In 1947, the name was changed to Southern Illinois University (SIU).
1970Culture
On November 12, 1970, a largescale shootout occurred between local police and members of the local chapter of the Black Panther Party who were meeting at a house in town.
1972History
The Women's Center, in continuous service since its founding in 1972, was one of the first domestic violence shelters in the United States.
1977History
Extremes in temperature range from −25 °F (−32 °C) on January 11, 1977, up to 113 °F (45 °C) on August 9, 1930.
1985History
== Healthcare ==
Carbondale did not provide abortions from 1985 to 2022, but after the Dobbs v.
2000Crime
The last Halloween riot occurred in 2000, when students clashed with and were tear gassed by police.
2001Culture
In 2001, the city was the location for the national Green Party Congress.
2007Culture
In 2007, the Stage Company and Carbondale Community Arts (CCA) partnered to purchase and renovate the Varsity Theater, which had been vacant since 2003, into the Varsity Center ...
2010Architecture
In 2010 the park district opened a new spray park in Crispus Attucks Park, and a water park opened in May 2016 at the Superblock.
2011Education
In 2011, the Occupy Movement took up residence on the lawn of Quigley Hall at Southern Illinois University, occasionally clashing with local police and with university policy.
2013History
The first Hindu temple in Southern Illinois held its grand opening in Carbondale in June 2013.
2014Education
This institution, now recognized as a national research university, has nearly 18,000 students enrolled (as of 2014) and offers a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate spec...
2015Government
On April 7, 2015, John "Mike" Henry was elected mayor, and he took office in May 2015.
2017History
In February 2017, the City of Carbondale spent $98,000 to rebrand itself with a new eclipse-themed logo.
2020History
== Demographics ==
=== 2020 census ===
As of the 2020 census there were 21,857 people, 11,103 households, and 3,757 families residing in the city.
2023Government
On April 4, 2023, Carolin Harvey was elected mayor, the first African-American to hold the office; Harvey had been acting mayor since Henry took a leave of absence.
2024History
It was also within the path of totality of the solar eclipse of April 8, 2024, making it one of only a handful of cities within the direct paths of both eclipses.