Arizona History Timeline - Important Dates & People -

Events in Arizona History

Events 1 - 100 of 102

1848-02-02 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ends the Mexican–American War. Mexico loses 55 percent of its territory to the US, including California, Nevada and Utah in exchange for $15 million.
1848-05-30 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo between the United States and Mexico comes into force, giving California Nevada, Utah and most of Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona to the US in return for $15 million

Gadsden Purchase

1853-06-24 US President Franklin Pierce signs the Gadsden Purchase, buying 29,670 square-miles (76,800 square km) from Mexico for $10 million (now southern Arizona and New Mexico)

1856-11-17 On the Sonoita River in present-day southern Arizona, the United States Army establishes Fort Buchanan in order to help control new land acquired in the Gadsden Purchase.
1861-02-13 First military action to result in Medal of Honor, as Bernard J.D. Irwin volunteers to lead rescue of 60 soldiers from Chiricahua Indians at Apache Pass, Arizona
1861-03-16 Arizona Territory votes to leave the Union (US Civil War)
1862-01-18 Confederate Territory of Arizona forms

1863-02-24 Arizona Territory created
1868-06-01 Treaty of Bosque Redondo is signed allowing the Navajos to return to their lands in Arizona and New Mexico
1871-04-30 The Camp Grant Massacre of Apache Indians in Arizona Territory is committed by white and Mexican adventurers, 144 die
1881-02-05 Phoenix, Arizona incorporates
1888-07-04 1st organized rodeo competition held, Prescott, Arizona

Lowell Observatory Views Mars

1894-05-24 Lowell Observatory, Arizona, first begins observations of Mars with an eighteen-inch telescope, leads its builder Percival Lowell to conclude there are canals on Mars

1905-07-07 127°F (53°C), Parker, Arizona (state record until 1994)
1911-02-06 1st old-age home opened in Prescott, Arizona
1912-02-14 Arizona was admitted to the Union as the 48th state
1912-07-19 A meteorite of estimated 190kg mass explodes over Holbrook in Navajo County, Arizona, causing approximately 16,000 pieces of debris to rain down on the town
1912-11-05 Arizona, Kansas & Wisconsin vote for female suffrage
1917-01-16 "Zimmermann Telegram" is sent from Germany to Mexico, offering promise of Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico being given to Mexico in return for joining World War I if the US enters on the Allied side; British intelligence intercepts the communication and partially deciphers it by the next day. It's release in March shifts US public opinion in favor of war against Germany.
1917-07-12 The Bisbee Deportation occurs as vigilantes kidnap and deport nearly 1,300 striking miners and others from Bisbee, Arizona
1919-02-26 US Congress establishes Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona
1919-11-20 1st municipally owned airport in US opens in Tucson, Arizona
1921-12-21 Supreme Court rules Arizona statute protecting labor rights to picket and insulating disputes from court injunctions is unconstitutional
1929-01-20 1st feature talking motion picture taken outdoors, "In Old Arizona"
1929-02-08 KOY-AM in Phoenix Arizona begins radio transmissions
1930-03-04 Coolidge Dam in Arizona dedicated

Hoover Dam

1936-09-07 Boulder Dam (now Hoover Dam), on the Colorado River, between Nevada and Arizona begins operation

1953-05-02 KYTL (now KPNX) TV channel 12 in Mesa/Phoenix, Arizona AZ (NBC) begins broadcasting with a telethon to benefit United Cerebral Palsy
1953-07-26 Arizona Governor John Howard Pyle orders an anti-polygamy law enforcement crackdown on residents of Short Creek, Arizona, which becomes known as the Short Creek Raid
1960-03-16 Dedication of National Observatory at Kitt Peak, in the Quinlan Mountains of the Arizona-Sonoran Desert, Tohono O'odham Nation lands of Arizona dedicated

Music Concert

1961-03-25 Elvis Presley performs live at Pearl Harbor’s Bloch Arena in a benefit for the USS Arizona Memorial; his return to the concert stage after a stint in the US Army raises $60K and worldwide awareness of the project [1]

1965-06-08 MLB Draft: Kansas City Athletics A's select Arizona State University outfielder Rick Monday #1; inaugural MLB Draft
1966-11-12 18-year-old US High schooler Robert Smith kills 5 people at Arizona's Rose-Mar Beauty College for fame
1968-04-18 London Bridge is sold to US oil company (to be erected in Arizona)
1970-09-04 -5) 29.0 cm rainfall at Workman Creek, Arizona (state record)
1971-01-07 -40°F (-40°C) in Hawley Lake, Arizona (state record)

Sports History

1971-10-03 American tennis star Billie Jean King becomes first female athlete to win $100,000 in prize money in a single year; wins the $4,000 Virginia Slams Tournament in Phoenix, Arizona

Super Bowl XLIX

2015-02-01 Super Bowl XLIX, University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ: New England Patriots beat Seattle Seahawks, 28-24; MVP: Tom Brady, New England, QB

2018-03-18 First fatal accident involving an Uber self-driving car hitting a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona
2018-05-02 E. coli outbreak linked to Romaine lettuce grown in Yuma, Arizona, reports the first fatality with 121 cases across 25 US states

John McCain Lies in State

2018-08-29 John McCain is only the third person to lie in state at the Arizona state capital rotunda in Phoenix

2019-01-31 US border agency seizes its biggest ever fentanyl bust, nearly 254 pounds hidden in Tractor-trailer in Nogales, Arizona
2019-03-27 British indie-rock duo "Her's" - English guitarist-singer Stephen Fitzpatrick (24) and Norwegian bassist Audun Laading (25), and American manager Trevor Engelbrektson (37) killed in car crash in Arizona
2019-06-17 Mayor of Phoenix, Arizona, Kate Gallego apologies for local police threatening to shoot African American family after their four-year shoplifted a doll
2020-03-30 Three out of four Americans now ordered to stay home due to COVID-19 as states of Virginia, Maryland, Arizona and Florida issue lockdowns
2020-06-28 COVID-19 cases surge in southern and western US states with California, Texas and Florida closing bars, Arizona reports 20% of tests returning as positive
2021-01-07 Arizona called the COVID-19 "hotspot of the world" by local health officials as state suffers an average of 118.3 new cases per 100,000 people
2021-04-04 39th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Stanford Cardinal defeat Arizona Wildcats, 54–53 to win their third NCAA title
2021-08-14 Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Tyler Gilbert throws a no-hitter in his MLB debut, defeating San Diego Padres, 7-0 in Phoenix; record equalling 8th no-hitter of the season
2021-08-16 First official water shortage declared at Lake Mead, major reservoir on Colorado river supplying 40 million people, with cuts mandated mainly for Arizona

NHL Record

2022-11-05 Alex Ovechkin scores 787th career goal for the Washington Capitals surpassing Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings, for all-time NHL record for most goals scored for a single team, in 3-2 loss to Arizona Coyotes

Rihanna Performs at Super Bowl

2023-02-12 Rihanna performs half-time at the Super Bowl, in her first live performance in six years in Glendale, Arizona [1]

2023-05-22 New deal cutting water usage of the Colorado River agreed by California, Arizona and Nevada, aims to conserve 3 million acre-feet of water by 2026 [1]
2023-07-18 City of Phoenix, Arizona breaks a five decade heat record recording 19 consecutive days of temperature at or above 110°F (43.3°C); overnight low of 97°F (36.1°C) highest since 1989 [1]
2023-07-27 City of Phoenix, Arizona heat record continues with 28 consecutive days of temperature at or above 110°F (43.3°C); overnight low falls below 90°F (32.2°C) for first time in 18 days
2023-07-31 City of Phoenix, Arizona high temperature of 108°F (42.2°C) ends heat record of 31 consecutive days of temperature at or above 110°F (43.3°C) [1]

Famous People from Arizona

Birthdays 1 - 100 of 189

1874-09-13 Henry F. Ashurst, American Democratic politician (U.S. Senator from Arizona), born in Winnemucca, Nevada (d. 1962)
1888-04-05 Franklin Van Valkenburgh, United States Navy officer (Captain of USS Arizona), Medal of Honor recipient, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (d. 1941)

1889-11-09 Harry "Snub" Pollard, Australian actor (Don't Shove, Arizona Days), born in Melbourne, Victoria (d. 1962)

1890-04-17 Arthemus "Art" Acord, American silent film actor and rodeo champion (Arizona Kid, Hard Fists), born in Glenwood, Utah (d. 1931)
1891-02-12 Max Terhune, American actor (Arizona Stagecoach, Hit the Saddle, Range Justice), born in Franklin, Indiana (d. 1973)
1891-02-26 Alan Bridge, American actor (North of Arizona, Badmen of the Hills), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1957)
1897-07-12 Fred Enke, American College basketball coach (University of Arizona 1925–1961, record 522–344), born in Olmsted County, Minnesota (d. 1985)
1905-10-07 Andy Devine, American character actor (Roy Roger's sidekick - "Cookie"; Stagecoach; Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok, 1951-58), born in Flagstaff, Territory of Arizona (d. 1977)
1908-04-29 Jack Williamson, American sci-fi author (Cometeers), born in Brisbee, Arizona Territory (d. 2006)

1927-04-04 Bob Stump, American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona, born in Phoenix, Arizona (d. 2003)
1927-08-15 Joe Castro, American bebop and West Coast jazz pianist (Teddy Edwards Quartet; June Christy), born in Miami, Arizona (d. 2009)
1929-01-04 Darrell Mudra, American College Football HOF coach (Adams State, North Dakota State, Uni of Arizona, Western Illinois Uni, Florida State, Eastern Illinois Uni; Montreal Alouettes), born in Omaha, Nebraska (d. 2022)
1929-11-30 Joan Ganz Cooney, American educational television writer and producer (co-founder of the Children's Television Workshop; Sesame Street), born in Phoenix, Arizona
1930-01-27 Esteban Edward Torres, American politician (Rep-D-CA, 1983-99), born in Miami, Arizona (d. 2022)
1930-03-11 Bobby Winkles, American College Baseball Hall of Fame coach (Arizona State University) and manager (California Angels, Oakland A's), born in Tuckerman, Arkansas (d. 2020)
1930-09-30 Ben Cooper, American western actor (The Rose Tattoo; Outcast; Arizona Raiders), born in Hartford, Connecticut (d. 2020)

1932-06-14 Joe Arpaio, American law enforcement officer (Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, 1993-2016), pardoned of federal contempt of court conviction by President Trump, born in Springfield, Massachusetts
1934-07-28 Norman D. Shumway, American politician (Rep-R-California, 1979-91), born in Phoenix, Arizona (d. 2022)
1934-09-22 Lute Olson, American Basketball Hall of Fame coach (Uni of Iowa 1974-83; NCAA Division I Tournament 1997, Uni of Arizona 1983-2008), born in Mayville, North Dakota (d. 2020)
1936-05-10 Jayne Cortez, Fort Huachuca, Arizona, poet (I see Chano Pozo), (d. 2012)

John McCain (1936-2018)

1936-08-29 American war hero and Republican politician (Rep-Arizona, 1983-2018, Presidential candidate, 2008), born in Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone

1947-02-06 Charles Hickcox, American 200m/400m medley swimmer (Olympic-3 gold-1968), born in Phoenix, Arizona (d. 2010)
1947-07-04 Bill Schnee, American Grammy and Emmy Award-winning audio engineer (Steely Dan; Bette Midler; Natalie Cole), and music producer (Pablo Cruise; Huey Lewis; Boz Scaggs), born in Phoenix, Arizona
1948-03-09 Jaime Lyn Bauer, American actress (Young & Restless, Centerfold Girls), born in Phoenix, Arizona
1948-03-16 Michael Bruce, American rock guitarist and keyboard player (Alice Cooper, 1969-73), born in Arizona

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