WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

take place
    v 1: come to pass; "What is happening?"; "The meeting took place
         off without an incidence"; "Nothing occurred that seemed
         important" [syn: happen, hap, go on, pass off,
         occur, pass, fall out, come about, take place]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

20 Moby Thesaurus words for "take place":
   be found, be met with, be realized, befall, betide, come,
   come about, come down, come off, come to pass, come true,
   eventuate, fall, go off, hap, happen, occur, pass, pass off,
   transpire