Washington State History Timeline

By:John Smith Student

Before 1600

• 100 million years ago- Most of Washington lies under the Pacific Ocean.

• 50 million years ago- A second micro continent collides with North America, creating western Washington and the Cascade Range.

• 15 million years ago- Vast amounts of lava flow form the Columbia Plateau.

• Two million years ago- Ice age glaciers spread over most of Washington.

• 30,000-12,000 years ago- Humans arrive in North America via the land bridge connecting Alaska and Siberia. (also possibly boats from Asia)

• 1579- Sir Francis Drake explores the west coast.

1600-1700

• 1625- Explorer named Juan De Fuca discovers the Western Passage.

• 1700- First written event in the pacific northwest, a tsunami recorded by Japanese scribes.

1700-1775

• 1741- Danish navigator Vitus Bering explores and claims Alaska for Russia.

• 1774- Juan Perez sails north from San Blas, Mexico, claiming all of the Pacific coast south of Russia. First European record of Washington Coast.

• 1775- First map of Washington coast is made.• July 12, 1775- Crewman of Bruno Heceta land on what

is now Grenville Bay, Washington, to claim the Pacific Northwest for spain. Later that day 7 of Heceta’s men become the first Europeans to die in Washington, killed by Quinault warriors.

1776-1790

• 1778- James Cook names Cape Flattery. His reports prompt the arrival of European fur trappers and traders by sea and land.

• During 1770’s- Smallpox and other European diseases are introduced to Native Americans, ravaging their population.

• 1790- Spanish explorer Manuel Quimper explores the Strait of Juan de Fuca as far east as the San Juan Islands in 1790 and lands at Neah Bay to secure Spanish claims to the Olympic Peninsula region.

• 1790- Pacific Northwest is opened to European countries other than the spanish.

1791-1800

• 1792- British Royal Navy Capt. George Vancouver names Point Grenville

• 1792-Captain Robert Gray enters Grays Harbor.• 1792- Captain Robert Gray becomes the first non-Indian navigator

to enter the Columbia River, which he later names.• 1792- George Vancouver, Peter Puget and Joseph Whidbey begin

charting the Puget Sound.• 1792- Dionisio Alcala Galiano and Cayetano Valdez lead Spain’s

final expedition into Pacific Northwest waters, when they meet British explorer George Vancouver.

1801-1850• 1805- Lewis and Clark reach the Pacific coast.• 1809- Fur trader David Thompson explores Pend Oreille River. • 1810- The North West Company establishes the Spokane House.• 1811- John Jacob Astor's Pacific Fur Co. establishes Fort Okanogan. (And later

establishes Fort Spokane in 1812)• 1819- Spain cedes its original Pacific Northwest claims to the United States in the

Transcontinental Treaty. • 1825- Hudson’s Bay Company establishes Fort Vancouver on March.• 1827- Hudson’s Bay Company establishes the first sawmill in future Washington near

Vancouver.

1851-1900• 1852- Washington’s first newspaper, the Columbian, begins publication at Olympia on

September 11 • 1855- Treaty of Neah Bay signed• 1860- Population of Washington Territory is 11,594 • 1867- Road is completed over Snoqualmie Pass • 1869- Seattle is incorporated into the Washington Territory • 1870- Population of Washington Territory is 23,955 • 1880- Population of Washington Territory is 75,116• 1883- Northern Pacific Railroad’s mainline between Washington and Minnesota is

completed at Gold Creek, Montana • 1889- Washington becomes a state• 1890- Population of Washington state is 357,232 • 1896- Japanese steamer Miiki Maru arrives in Seattle to establish regular trade • 1900- Population of Washington state is 518,103

1901-1950• 1909- Harbor Island, at the time the world's largest artificial island, is completed • 1910- Washington women win right to vote• 1910- Population of Washington state is 1,141,990 • 1916- Prohibition of alcohol takes effect in Washington • 1917- Boeing Airplane Co., formerly Pacific Aero-Products, is incorporated • 1918- World War I ends • 1918- Influenza Pandemic • 1920- Population of Washington state is 1,356,621 • 1924- Indian Citizenship Act makes all Native Americans U.S. citizens • 1930- Population of Washington state is 1,563,396 • 1933- Boeing 247 takes flight from Boeing Field, opening new vistas in commercial

air travel• 1933- Prohibition ends • 1938- Bonneville Dam is completed • 1940- Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapses • 1940- Population of Washington state is 1,736,191 • 1941- United States declares war on Japan • 1950- Population of Washington state is 2,378,963

1951-Present• 1960- Population of Washington state is 2,853,214• 1969- Boeing-built Saturn booster launches Apollo 11 towards humanity’s first moon

landing • 1970- Washington voters legalize abortion• 1970- Population of Washington state is 3,413,300 • 1974- World’s Fair in Spokane • 1979- Hood Canal Floating Bridge sinks during storm, reopening in 1982.• 1980- Mount St. Helens erupts • 1980- Population of Washington state is 4,132,400 • 1983- First Costco warehouse opens in Seattle • 1990- Population of Washington state is 4,866,700• 2000- Population of Washington state is 5,894,121