- 1863
- Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Hepburn founded an English academy in Yokohama. This Hepburn Academy, along with the Brown Academy (founded in Yokohama by S.R. Brown), had as its aim moral education based upon the Christian faith. This is the spirit of Meiji Gakuin, and this spirit has played a primary role in its development.
- September 1877
- The Tokyo Union Theological Seminary, a merger of three churches (the Presbyterian Church in the United States, the Dutch Reformed Church in America, and the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland), was established in the Tsukiji enclave in Tokyo.
- April 1880
- The Hepburn Academy moved to the Tsukiji enclave and changed its name to “Tsukiji Dai-Gakko”. J.C. Ballagh was its principal.
- June 1886
- The Tokyo Union Theological Seminary merged with the United Japanese-English Union School and the Japanese English Preparatory School and assumed the name “Meiji Gakuin”.
・The United Japanese-English Union School was the result of the merging of Tsukiji Dai-Gakko and the Senshi School, which was managed by the American Reformed Church in Yokohama.
・The Japanese English Preparatory School was a preparatory school for the United Japanese-English Union School opened in the Kanda area of Tokyo.
- January 1887
- The Tokyo Government allowed the establishment of the private institution Meiji Gakuin, and its campus was opened at its present location in Shirokane.
- October 1889
- J.C. Hepburn was appointed as Meiji Gakuin’s first President.
- 1907
- The school song was created from a poem written by Toson Shimazaki, with music by Kyuhachi Maeda.
- April 1928
- The Trade High School became an independent department.
- March 1930
- The theology department was moved away from the main campus as a result of the establishment of the Japan Theological Seminary.
- April 1947
- The middle school had its name changed to Meiji Gakuin Junior High School, and it was separated from the high school due to educational reforms.
- April 1948
- Meiji Gakuin High School was established due to educational reforms.
- April 1949
- The establishment of Meiji Gakuin University was approved. Primary and secondary arts faculties were established, each with departments of English, sociology, and economics.
- April 1952
- Faculty name changes and the creation of new departments were approved. Primary and secondary faculties of letters were established, each with departments of English and sociology, and primary and secondary faculties of economics were established, each with departments of economics and commerce.
- April 1965
- The Faculty of Letters Department of Sociology was abolished and the Faculty of Sociology & Social Work was established with the Department of Sociology and the Department of Social Work. The Department of French Literature was established in the Faculty of Letters. The Secondary Department of Sociology of the Faculty of Letters was replaced with the Secondary Department of Sociology of the Faculty of Sociology & Social Work.
- April 1966
- Primary and secondary faculties of law were established, each with a Department of Juridical Studies.
- October 1976
- The General Education Council changed its name to the Faculty of General Education.
- May 1982
- The groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new school building in Yokohama.
- April 1985
- The Yokohama school building opened.
- April 1986
- The Faculty of International Studies Department of International Studies was established.
- February 1989
- A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the first stage of redevelopment of the Shirokane campus.
- April 1990
- The Faculty of Letters Department of Art Studies and Department of Psychology, and the Faculty of Law Department of Political Science were established.
- February 1993
- The first stage of the main university building is completed.
- April 1996
- The Faculty of Economics Department of Economics and Secondary Department of Economics were renamed the Department of Business Administration.
- April 1998
- Educational reforms were implemented. The general college subjects were redesigned so as to be common to all departments, and the curriculums were reformed.
- April 2000
- Day and night courses opened at the Faculty of Law Department of Current Legal Studies.
Day and night courses were also made available at the Faculty of Sociology & Social Work Department of Sociology and Department of Social Work.
- April 2001
- The university went completely to a semester system. The university completely goes over to a semester system.
- April 2002
- The Center for Liberal Arts was inaugurated.
- 2003
- Redevelopment was completed at the Shirokane campus.
- 2004
- The Faculty of Psychology Department of Psychology was established.
- 2006
- The Faculty of Economics Department of International Business was established.
- 2010
- The Faculty of Psychology Department of Education and Child Development was established.
- 2011
- The Faculty of International Studies Department of Global and Transcultural Studies was established.
- 2013
- Celebration of 150th anniversary of founding of Meiji Gakuin University.
- 2018
- The Faculty of Law Department of Global Legal Studies was established.
