Water Tower erected. Floridan Hotel in business. 1930 – Population: 101,161. 1931 Labor strike of cigar workers. Tampa Junior College established. 1934 – Davis Causeway opens. 1938 – Janus Administration Building constructed. 1939 – U.S. Army Southeast Air Base established. 1940 – Population: 108,391. 1950 – Population: 124,681. 1955 - WFLA-TV and WTVT (television) begin broadcasting. 1956 – Britton Plaza Shopping Center in business. 1957 – Lowry Park Zoo opens. 1959 – Busch Gardens theme park in business. 1960s-1990s 1960 – Population: 274,970. 1961 - The Pinellas Manufacturers Association (now known as the Bay Area Manufacturers Association) was formed. 1962 – Museum of Science and Industry founded. 1966 – Franklin Exchange Building constructed. 1970 – Population: 277,767. 1972 Sant'Yago Knight Parade begins. Floriland Cinema in business. 1978 – Cracker Country (museum) established. 1979 May 8: Storm. Tampa Museum of Art founded. 1980 Hillsborough Area Regional Transit established. Population: 271,523. 1981 – Feeding America Tampa Bay active (approximate date). 1982 – Foreign trade zone and Ybor City Museum Society established. 1984 – Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System established. 1986 – Barnett Plaza (hi-rise) built. 1987 Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center opens. Children's Museum founded. 1988 – Rivergate Tower built. 1989 – Tampa Bay History Center founded. 1990 Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival begins. Population: 280,015. 1992 – AmSouth Building and SunTrust Financial Centre constructed. 1995 – Florida Aquarium opens. 1996 City website online. Ice Palace (arena) opens. 1997 Jim Davis becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 11th congressional district. Tampa Police Museum founded. 2000 - Channelside 9 Cinemas in business. 21st century 2001 The Stovall built. Tampa Gallery of Photographic Arts opens. Ruby (programming language) conference held in city. 2002 January 5: 2002 Tampa plane crash. TECO Line Streetcar begins operating; Centennial Park Station and Tampa Bay Federal Credit Union Station open. 2003 – Whiting Station opens. 2004 Ford Amphitheatre opens. Tampa Riverwalk construction begins. 2007 SkyPoint built. Kathy Castor becomes U.S. representative for Florida's 11th congressional district. 2009 – Tampa Bay History Center opens. 2010 – Population: city 335,709; metro 2,783,243. 2011 Florida Voices begins publication. Bob Buckhorn becomes mayor. Population: 346,037; metro 2,824,724. 2012 – August: 2012 Republican National Convention held. 2014 – Tampa Baseball Museum opens. 2018-21 – Water Street Tampa construction takes place 2019 Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute opens. Jane Castor becomes mayor. See also History of Tampa, Florida History of Ybor City