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Rotterdam is founded in the Netherlands

Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands by population and the largest by area (319.4 km2).

Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands by population and the largest by area (319.4 km2). It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the New Meuse inland shipping channel, dug to connect to the Meuse at first and now to the Rhine.

Rotterdam's history goes back to 1270, when a dam was constructed in the Rotte. In 1340, Rotterdam was granted city rights by William IV, Count of Holland. The Rotterdam–The Hague metropolitan area, with a population of approximately 2.7 million, is the 10th-largest in the European Union and the most populous in the country.

A major logistic and economic centre, Rotterdam is Europe's largest seaport.

Historical Significance

Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands by population and the largest by area (319.

Events Before

  1. Otto the Merry, Duke of Austria, becomes Duke of Carinthia

    Otto the Merry, Duke of Austria, becomes Duke of Carinthia

  2. Ex-emperor Hanazono (95th Emperor of Japan) becomes a Zen priest

    Ex-emperor Hanazono (95th Emperor of Japan) becomes a Zen priest

  3. Italian Renaissance poet Francesco Petrarch famously climbs Mont Ventoux

    Italian Renaissance poet Francesco Petrarch famously climbs Mont Ventoux

  4. Jacob of Arteveld elected mayor of Ghent

    Jacob of Arteveld elected mayor of Ghent

  5. The six Electors of the Holy Roman Empire signed the Agreement of Rhense confirming Emperor Louis IV.

    The six Electors of the Holy Roman Empire signed the Agreement of Rhense confirming Emperor Louis IV.

Events After

  1. Petrarch crowned a poet on the Capitoline Hill in Rome

    Francis Petrarch, born Francesco di Petracco, was a scholar from Arezzo and poet of the early Italian Renaissance, as well as one of the earliest humanists. Petrarch's rediscovery of Cicero's letters...

  2. Sack of Saluzzo (Italy) by Italian-Angevine troops under Manfred V of Saluzzo

    Sack of Saluzzo (Italy) by Italian-Angevine troops under Manfred V of Saluzzo

  3. Count Hartmann II becomes the ruler of Vaduz, Liechtenstein

    Count Hartmann II becomes the ruler of Vaduz, Liechtenstein

  4. Fictional character of "The Hobbit" Bilbo Baggins returns to his home at Bag End, Shire Reckoning

    Fictional character of "The Hobbit" Bilbo Baggins returns to his home at Bag End, Shire Reckoning

  5. Pope Clement VI names John IV of Arkel as bishop of Utrecht

    Pope Clement VI names John IV of Arkel as bishop of Utrecht

More from the 1340s

Black Death Massacre: Between 100 and 3,000 Jews are killed in Black Death riots in Erfurt, Germany; part of a wave of p

Black Death Massacre: Between 100 and 3,000 Jews are killed in Black Death riots in Erfurt, Germany; part of a wave of pogroms across Western Europe

Papal bull of Pope Clement VI issued during the Black Death states Jews are not to blame and encourages their protection

Papal bull of Pope Clement VI issued during the Black Death states Jews are not to blame and encourages their protection

Battle of Crécy: Edward III's English longbows defeat Philip VI's army south of Calais in northern France; cannons are u

Battle of Crécy: Edward III's English longbows defeat Philip VI's army south of Calais in northern France; cannons are used for the first time in battle

Battle of Rio Salado (or Tarifa): King Afonso IV of Portugal and King Alfonso XI of Castile defeat Sultan Abu al-Hasan '

Battle of Rio Salado (or Tarifa): King Afonso IV of Portugal and King Alfonso XI of Castile defeat Sultan Abu al-Hasan 'Ali of Morocco and Yusuf I of Granada in the last Marinid invasion of the Iberian Peninsula

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on June 7, 1340?
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands by population and the largest by area (319.4 km2). It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the New Meuse inland shipping channel, dug to connect to the Meuse at first and now to the Rhine. Rotterdam's history goes back to 1270, when a dam was constructed in the Rotte.
Why is Rotterdam is founded in the Netherlands significant?
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands by population and the largest by area (319.

Explore More

June 7 in HistoryYear 1340