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.
April 13, 1929: The City pays $94,400 for the land and changes the name of the Airport to Atlanta Municipal Airport.
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.
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 6 million travelers a year. Within its first year, 9.5 million people visited, stretching the new terminal past its capacity.
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.
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.
October 2003: To honor late Atlanta Mayor Maynard H. Jackson, the Atlanta City Council legislated a name change of the Airport. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport recognizes the visionary leadership that both William B. Hartsfield and Jackson had for the Airport. 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.
May 2006: The fifth runway opens. It is hailed as “The Most Important Runway in America.”
May 12, 2012: The new $1.4 billion, 1.2 million-square-foot Maynard H. Jackson International Terminal opens, introducing a second front door for the airport along with a new 12-gate Concourse F.
December 27, 2015: Passenger No. 100 million passes through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, pushing the airport to a new record for the number of passengers served in one year.