The first mention of Szeged in public documents was in 1138.

Szeged was given the rank of free royal town in 1246.

By 1522 Szeged was one of the biggest cities in Hungary, with a population of 7000 (same as Buda's and Pest's).

The army of Ibrahim captured and plundered the castle of Szeged on September 28-29 of 1526. The area came under the rule of the Turks.

On October 23rd of 1686, with the help of the Austria forces, the city was recaptured.

March 12th, 1879 brought Szeged's darkest hour–the Great Flood. Both the Tisza and the Maros river was bursting with extra water caused by the melting of snow up shore. Shortly after midnight (taking everybody by complete surprise) the dyke near the outskirts of Szeged gave way and the river literally washed the whole city away. Of the 70,000 people living in the city, 151 died that day. Only 265 houses remained standing, and 5458 were destroyed.

With the financial help of Vienna, London, Brussels, Paris, Rome and Berlin a new modern city was built.

In 1883 a bridge was built over the Tisza, which connected Szeged and Újszeged (New Szeged).

On the 100 year anniversary of the 1879 flood a second bridge was built across the Tisza.