1920

April 16, 1925
Mayor Walter A. Sims signs a five-year lease on an abandoned auto racetrack and commits the City to developing it into an airfield. As part of the agreement, this 287 acres of land is renamed Candler Field after its former owner's family, including Coca-Cola magnate Asa Candler. The infield of the old racetrack had been used as a landing site for many years prior to 1925.
September 15, 1926
Florida Airways delivers mail on the Tampa/Jacksonville/Atlanta route to become the first commercial flight into Candler Field.
October 11, 1927
Charles Lindbergh is given a hero's welcome as he visits Atlanta in The Spirit of St. Louis.
May 1, 1928
Airmail provider Pitcairn Aviation (later known as Eastern Airlines) begins regularly scheduled air service.
April 13, 1929
The City pays $94,400 for the land and changes the name of the airport to Atlanta Municipal Airport.

1930 

June 12 1930
Delta Air Service (later known as Delta Air Lines) begins a trial service from Birmingham, Ala., on June 12 and on June 18 made it an “official” permanent route.
December 10, 1930
Eastern Air Transport, formerly Pitcairn Aviation, inaugurates first continuous passenger service from Atlanta to New York.
July 4, 1934
Delta re-establishes Ft. Worth-Atlanta route securing its place in Atlanta's aviation history as the airport's oldest continuous tenant.
March 1939
The airport opens its first control tower.

1940

October, 1940
Atlanta was declared an air base by the U.S. government. Candler Field would double in size during World War II.
1941
Delta Air Services moved company headquarters from Monroe, Louisiana to Atlanta, Georgia.
1942
In July, because of a dispute with the Post Office, the City reaffirmed the name as Atlanta Municipal Airport because they could not find the original paperwork. Hartsfield later was quoted as saying that he very clearly remembered that the City had officially changed the name in 1929.
A record 1,700 takeoffs and landings in a single day was set and Candler Field was named the nation's busiest airport in terms of flight operation.
May 9, 1948
Airport officials temporarily move operations into a war-surplus hangar as plans were developed to build a larger terminal. More than one million people came through Atlanta's airport during that year.

1950

1957
Work begins on new terminal to help alleviate congestion. Atlanta was the busiest airport in the country with more than two million passengers passing through Atlanta Municipal Airport. Between noon and 2 p.m. each day, Atlanta became the busiest airport in the world.

1960

May 3, 1961
Atlanta Municipal Airport is ushered into the "Jet Age" with the opening of the largest single terminal in the country. The new $21 million structure could accommodate six million travelers a year. Within its first year, 9.5 million people visited, stretching the new airport past its capacity.
1964
The Atlanta Region Metropolitan Planning Commission (ARMPC) does the first formal planning studies and proposes the mid-field terminal concept eventually opened in 1980.


1970 

February 1971
William B. Hartsfield dies on Feb. 22 and on Feb. 28, what would have been Hartsfield’s 81st birthday, the airport name is changed to William B. Hartsfield Atlanta Airport.
July 1, 1971
The airport’s name is again changed, this time to William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, when Eastern Airlines introduces flights to Mexico and Montego Bay, the airport’s first international service.
January 1977
Construction begins on the world's largest terminal complex. This $500 million project would be the largest construction project in the South.
June 1, 1978
Sabena Belgian World Airlines becomes Altanta's first foreign international carrier when it begins a four-time a week service to Brussels.

1980

September 21, 1980
William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport opens the world’s largest air passenger terminal complex, covering 2.5 million square feet. The terminal is designed to accommodate up to 55 million passengers a year.
December 1984
A 9,000-foot fourth parallel runway was completed. A separate expansion the following spring gave the airport an 11,889-foot runway capable of handling the largest commercial airplane in use or in development.
June 18, 1988
MARTA's airport station opened, linking the airport to Atlanta's rapid transit system.

1990 

Fall 1992
The Atlanta Perishable and Equine Complex opens.
September 1994
The new 1.3 million square foot International Concourse "E" is opened. Concourse "E" is the largest, single international facility in the nation. Blending state-of-the-art technology with innovative architectural design, distinctive art and pleasant amenities, Concourse "E" is designed to help move international passengers quickly and smoothly to their next destination.
May 1996
The $250 million Hartsfield Improvement Program for 1996 (HIP "96) is completed. This ambitious renovation and restructuring effort was designed to make Hartsfield a more user-friendly airport. One of the more dramatic improvements of this program is the addition of the beautiful, three-story, 250,000 s.f. Atrium.
June 1996
The Department of Aviation begins developing its new Master Plan - Hartsfield - 2000 and Beyond.
July 1996
The Centennial Olympic Summer Games come to Georgia.
February 1999
Hartsfield gains the title World’s Busiest Airport in passenger volume after accommodating 73.5 million travelers in 1998.

2000

March 2000

Hartsfield is recognized as the World’s Busiest Airport in terms of both passenger traffic and landings and takeoffs after accommodating more than 78 million passengers and over 900,000 landings and takeoffs for 1999.
April 2001
The City of Atlanta celebrates the groundbreaking for the new 5th Runway at Hartsfield. This project is a major component within the $6 +billion, 10-year capital improvement program. The 5th Runway is the largest public works project in Georgia history.
October 2001
Following the horrific attacks of 9/11 enhanced security measure were adopted at the nation's airports. Members of the Georgia National Guard begin security patrols at Hartsfield to support existing security personnel and Atlanta Police officers at Hartsfield.
October 2003
To honor former Atlanta Mayor, the late Maynard H. Jackson, the Atlanta City Council legislated a name change of the Airport on October 20, 2003. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport recognizes the visionary leadership that both William B. Hartsfield and Jackson has for the airport, promoting its growth as well as the significant role the Airport continues to play in the aviation industry. Hartsfield-Jackson, the world's busiest passenger airport for the fourth consecutive year, stands as a testament to two of the city's greatest leaders.
July 2004
Construction begins on the $215 million TSA Baggage Security Screening Project, which create specially constructed rooms below the airport roadways for Explosive Detection Systems currently located in the ticketing lobbies. As part of the project, additional screening facilities were constructed at International Concourse E, airport roadways were reconfigured and improved terminal curb fronts were installed.
December 2004
A record 83.6 million passengers passed through the Airport, and since 1998, Hartsfield-Jackson has retained its title as the world's busiest passenger airport. Additionally, a record six million international passengers travel through Hartsfield-Jackson, marking a 103 percent growth since the city of Atlanta hosted the 1996 Olympic Summer Games.

July 2005
Once 'Candler Field,' Hartsfield-Jackson celebrates 80 years of existence. From its humble beginnings to its present world-class distinction and into its illustrious future, the Airport continues to be a vital link in the world's air transportation system.