USA 09847 Grand Canyon Luca Galuzzi 2007

The following is a timeline of the

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...

of the area which today comprises the U.S. state of

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

. Situated in the

desert southwest The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural list of regions of the United States, region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacen ...

, for millennia the area was home to a series of Pre-Columbian peoples. By 1 AD, the dominant groups in the area were the

Hohokam Hohokam () was a culture in the North American Southwest in what is now part of Arizona, United States, and Sonora, Mexico. It existed between 300 and 1500 AD, with cultural precursors possibly as early as 300 BC. Archaeologists disagree about ...

, the Mogollon, and the

Ancestral Puebloans The Ancestral Puebloans, also known as the Anasazi, were an ancient Native American culture that spanned the present-day Four Corners region of the United States, comprising southeastern Utah, northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, a ...

(also known as the Anasazi). The Hohokam dominated the center of the area which is now Arizona, the Mogollon the southeast, and the Puebloans the north and northeast. As these cultures disappeared between 1000 and 1400 AD, other Indian groups settled in Arizona. These tribes included the

Navajo The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...

Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...

Southern Paiute The Southern Paiute people are a tribe of Native Americans who have lived in the Colorado River basin of southern Nevada, northern Arizona, and southern Utah. Bands of Southern Paiute live in scattered locations throughout this territory and ha ...

, Hopi, Yavapai, Akimel O'odham, and the Tohono O'odham. The first European presence in the state were the Spanish. In 1539 Marcos de Niza explored the area, followed by

Francisco Vásquez de Coronado Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name ''Franciscus''. Nicknames In Spanish, people with the name Francisco are sometimes nicknamed "Paco". San Francisco de Asís was known as ''Pater Comunitatis'' (father of ...

the following year. Spanish missionaries began to settle in the southern portion of the state, near present-day Tucson, around 1700, but did not move further north. With the construction of the

Presidio San Augustin del Tucson A presidio ( en, jail, fortification) was a fortified base established by the Spanish Empire around between 16th century, 16th and 18th century, 18th centuries in areas in condition of their control or influence. The presidios of Captaincy Genera ...

, on August 20, 1775, Tucson became the first European city in what would become Arizona. In 1822, Arizona became part of the state of

Sonora, Mexico Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into 72 municipalities; the ...

, but most of current Arizona was transferred to the United States as a result of the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

, with the rest transferring with the completion of the

Gadsden Purchase The Gadsden Purchase ( es, region=MX, la Venta de La Mesilla "The Sale of La Mesilla") is a region of present-day southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico that the United States acquired from Mexico by the Treaty of Mesilla, which took effe ...

in 1853. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, both sides laid claim to Arizona, although the North and South split the New Mexico/Arizona area differently: the South split the territory into north and south divisions, creating

Confederate Arizona Arizona Territory, Colloquialism, colloquially referred to as Confederate Arizona, was an Constitution of the Confederate States, organized incorporated territory of the Confederate States that existed from August 1, 1861 to May 26, 1865, wh ...

, while the northern section remained part of the United States as the New Mexico Territory; while the North in 1863, after driving Confederate forces from the Tucson area, created the

Arizona Territory The Territory of Arizona (also known as Arizona Territory) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of ...

from the New Mexico Territory by splitting off the western section. Prescott became the territory's first capital, which would transfer to Tucson in 1867, then back to Prescott in 1877, before settling finally in Phoenix in 1889. Arizona achieved statehood in 1912, becoming the 48th state, with Phoenix remaining the capital of the new state. In the 1900s, the state, particularly the Phoenix Metropolitan area, has seen tremendous population growth. Phoenix currently ranks as the 6th most populous city in the nation.

Pre-Columbian and Spanish eras

Pre-Columbian

* ca. 9,000 BC – Paleo-Indians arrive in the southwest, including Arizona, known as the Clovis culture, they were hunter-gatherers. * ca. 4,500 BC –

Maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...

is introduced into the southwest United States, including Arizona. * ca. 1,500 BC –

Pre-Columbian In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, th ...

Indians begin developing irrigation systems. * 1,250 BC – Las Capas, slightly north of present-day Tucson, settled by pre-Columbian peoples, centered on an irrigation system. * 600 BC–550 AD –

begin to settle on the

Four Corners The Four Corners is a region of the Southwestern United States consisting of the southwestern corner of Colorado, southeastern corner of Utah, northeastern corner of Arizona, and northwestern corner of New Mexico. The Four Corners area ...

area. * 1–300 AD –

establish several villages along the

Gila River The Gila River (; O'odham ima Keli Akimel or simply Akimel, Quechan: Haa Siʼil, Maricopa language: Xiil) is a tributary of the Colorado River flowing through New Mexico and Arizona in the United States. The river drains an arid watershed of n ...

. * 200 AD – The Mogollon culture begins to appear in the southeast area of Arizona. * 300 AD – Ceramics appear in the Hohokam culture. * ca. 450 AD – Pueblo Grande settled. * 600–1300 AD – Hohokam build large network or irrigation canals throughout the area. * 875 AD – Patayan peoples appear along the Colorado River. * 899 AD – Major floods along Salt River disrupt Hohokam irrigation systems. * 1000 AD – The Kayenta tradition of the Ancestral Puebloans develops in northern Arizona. * 1100 AD – The

Hopi The Hopi are a Native American ethnic group who primarily live on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona, United States. As of the 2010 census, there are 19,338 Hopi in the country. The Hopi Tribe is a sovereign nation within the Unite ...

found the village of

Oraibi Oraibi, also referred to as Old Oraibi, is a Hopi village in Navajo County, Arizona, United States, in the northeastern part of the state. Known as Orayvi by the native inhabitants, it is on Third Mesa on the Hopi Reservation near Kykotsmovi ...

, the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in North America. * 1276–99 AD – Severe drought hits the

Colorado Plateau The Colorado Plateau, also known as the Colorado Plateau Province, is a physiographic and desert region of the Intermontane Plateaus, roughly centered on the Four Corners region of the southwestern United States. This province covers an area of ...

. * 1276–99 AD – Grasshopper Pueblo founded by the Mogollon and Ancestral Puebloans. * 1300 AD – Ancestral Puebloans abandon their communities in north Arizona. * 1300 AD – Hohokam have largest population in the southwest. * 1300 AD – Awatovi founded by the Hopi. Malotki, Ekkehart. 2002. Hopi Tales of Destruction. Bison Books. pp. 230 * 1300 AD – The Yavapai, descended from the Patayan, begin settling in Arizona near the southern extent of the Colorado Plateau. * 1370s AD – Drought hits the Hopi areas. * 1300–1450 AD – Periods of drought alternate with flooding in the Salt River area. * 1400 AD – The Athabaskan ancestors of the Navajo enter Arizona. * 1430s AD – Drought hits the Hopi areas. * 1440s AD – Drought hits the Hopi areas. * ca. 1450 AD – Pueblo Grande abandoned due to drought. * 1455–65 AD – Drought hits the Hopi areas.

Arrival of the Spanish

* 1539 – Marcos de Niza, a Jesuit Franciscan leads an expedition which passes through eastern Arizona. * 1540–42 –

Francisco Vázquez de Coronado Francisco Vázquez de Coronado y Luján (; 1510 – 22 September 1554) was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who led a large expedition from what is now Mexico to present-day Kansas through parts of the southwestern United States between 15 ...

leads an expedition, part of which explores Arizona. * 1583 – Antonio de Espejo's explores eastern Arizona, discovers mines near present-day

Jerome Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian presbyter, priest, Confessor of the Faith, confessor, th ...

. * 1598 – Juan de Ornate leads an expedition into Arizona, explores the

Verde Valley The Verde Valley ( yuf-x-yav, Matkʼamvaha; es, Valle Verde) is a valley in central Arizona in the United States. The Verde River runs through it. The Verde River is one of Arizona's last free-flowing river systems. It provides crucial habitat ...

. * 1687 – Jesuit priest

Eusebio Kino Eusebio Francisco Kino ( it, Eusebio Francesco Chini, es, Eusebio Francisco Kino; 10 August 1645 – 15 March 1711), often referred to as Father Kino, was a Tyrolean Jesuit, missionary, geographer, explorer, cartographer and astronomer born i ...

establishes missions among the Tohono O'odham people along the Santa Cruz River. * 1691 – Kino establishes the Mission Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi. * 1694 – Kino explores Arizona, discovers the ruins of Casa Grande. * 1732 – Mission San Xavier del Bac founded by Jesuits near present-day Tucson. * 1736 – Silver discovered on the ranch of the Basque settler, Bernardo de Urrea, near the Guevavi mission. The name of Urrea's ranch was ''Arizona'', meaning "the good oak tree". * 1751 – The O'odham people rebel against the Spanish, but the rebellion is put down. * 1752 – In response to the rebellion, the Spanish construct a presidio at

Tubac Tubac is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,191 at the 2010 census. The place name "Tubac" is an English borrowing from a Hispanicized form of the O'odham name ''Cuwak'', which tr ...

, the first permanent European settlement in Arizona. * 1757 – Tumacácori Mission established. * 1768 – Arizona becomes part of the Provincia de las Californias, under Spanish rule. * 1775 – Southern Arizona explored by

Juan Bautista de Anza Juan Bautista de Anza Bezerra Nieto (July 6 or 7, 1736 – December 19, 1788) was an expeditionary leader, military officer, and politician primarily in California and New Mexico under the Spanish Empire. He is credited as one of the founding fa ...

while leading an expedition from Mexico to San Francisco. * 1776 –

(military outpost) established, when the presidio of Tubac was relocated. * 1779 – December 6:

First Battle of Tucson The First Battle of Tucson was a confrontation at Tucson, Arizona on December 6, 1779, as part of the Apache-Mexico Wars. Captain Pedro Allande y Saabedra with a force of only fifteen men defeated an army of around 350 strong. Battle Not much ...

. * 1781 – Yuma Indians

massacre A massacre is the killing of a large number of people or animals, especially those who are not involved in any fighting or have no way of defending themselves. A massacre is generally considered to be morally unacceptable, especially when per ...

Spanish settlers and missionaries. * 1782 ** May 1:

Second Battle of Tucson The Second Battle of Tucson or the May Day Attack was a battle in Tucson, Arizona, and the neighboring pueblo. It occurred during the Mexican Apache Wars on May 1, 1782, between a small garrison of Spanish soldiers and hundreds of Apache warri ...

. ** December 25: Third Battle of Tucson (1782). * 1784 – March 21: Fourth Battle of Tucson,

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...

New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( es, Virreinato de Nueva España, ), or Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain during the Spanish colonization of the Am ...

. * 1789 – One of the first Spanish land grants is bestowed to Toribio de Otero, a 63-acre ranch which remained in the Otero family until 1941. * 1804 – The Spanish province of Las Californias is split, and Arizona becomes part of the new province of

Alta California Alta California ('Upper California'), also known as ('New California') among other names, was a province of New Spain, formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but ...

. * 1821 – Mexico achieves independence from Spain. * 1824 – The Alta California Territory was formed, which included Arizona, under the

Mexican Constitution of 1824 The Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1824 ( es, Constitución Federal de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos de 1824) was enacted on October 4 of 1824, after the overthrow of the Mexican Empire of Agustin de Iturbide. In the new Fr ...

. * 1825 – The first people from the fledgling United States enter Arizona, the trapper Sylvester Pattie and his son James; trapping along the San Francisco, Gila, and San Pedro rivers. * 1846 ** December 16: Capture of Tucson,

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, by United States forces. ** Kit Carson leads an exploration which passes through Arizona on their way from Santa Fe to California. ** Lieutenant Colonel Phillip Cooke led a group of Mormon settlers, known as the "Mormon Battalion" across Arizona on their way to San Diego. * 1847 – Tucson occupied by "Mormon Battalion."

U.S. possession and territory

1840s

* 1848 ** With the end of the

, the area which includes today's Arizona becomes part of the United States, as part of the

New Mexico Territory The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of ''Santa Fe de Nuevo México ...

. ** Population of Tucson is 760.

1850s

* 1853 ** The most southern section of Arizona becomes part of the United States per

. ** Lieutenant

Amiel Weeks Whipple Amiel Weeks Whipple (October 21, 1817 – May 7, 1863)Anderson, TSHA was an American military officer and topographical engineer. He served as a brigadier general in the American Civil War, where he was mortally wounded at the Battle of Chance ...

led a surveying party from

Fort Smith, Arkansas Fort Smith is the third-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 89,142. It is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas–Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Are ...

, to Los Angeles, through northern Arizona. The party reached Flagstaff by Christmas. * 1855 – While surveying a road from New Mexico to California, Lieutenant Beale's company camps at the current site of Flagstaff. The location got its name when his men stripped a local tree and ran a flag up the staff. * 1856 – August 29: Conference held to organize

. * 1857 – San Antonio-San Diego Mail Line in operation. * 1859 – Gold is discovered near the confluence of the Gila and Colorado Rivers, creating Arizona's first "gold rush".

1860s

* 1862 ** February 14:

officially becomes a territory of the Confederate States of America, consisting of the portion of the New Mexico Territory below the 34th parallel, with Mesilla, New Mexico as the territorial capital. ** February: Tucson occupied by

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

forces. ** May 20: Capture of Tucson by

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

forces. ** Gold is discovered north of Yuma, and the town of La Paz is founded. By the end of the year, it would be the most populous settlement in Arizona, and the capital of Yuma County. The following year, it would be considered for the capital of the Arizona Territory. * 1863 ** February 24: The

is created by splitting the

virtually in half. ** A party which included Jack Swilling discovers gold along the Hassayampa River, on what is now known as Rich Hill. **

Wickenburg Wickenburg is a town in Maricopa and Yavapai counties, Arizona, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the town was 7,474, up from 6,363 in 2010. History The Wickenburg area, along with much of the Southwest, became part of ...

becomes the first town to be established in what is now Maricopa County, Arizona. ** Tully, Ochoa & Co. merchandisers opens in Tucson. * 1864 ** May 30: Prescott founded, and named the capital of the Arizona Territory. ** November 7:

Arizona Historical Society The Arizona Historical Society (AHS) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to connect people through the power of Arizona's history. It does this through four regional divisions. Each division has a representative museum. The statewide di ...

founded by an Act of the First Territorial Legislature. ** Fort Whipple moved near Prescott (from Chino Valley, where it had been established the prior year). * 1865 – Camp McDowell (later Fort McDowell) is set up on the Verde River. * 1866 – L. Zechendorf & Co. merchandisers opens in Tucson. * 1867 ** November:

Jack Swilling John W. "Jack" Swilling (April 1, 1830 – August 12, 1878) was an early pioneer in the Arizona Territory. He is commonly credited as one of the original founders of the city of Phoenix, Arizona. Swilling also played an important role in the ...

, resident of Wickenburg, establishes the Swilling Irrigating and Canal Company with the intent to develop the Phoenix area, which he became impressed with after viewing the area on a visit to Camp McDowell. ** December: Swilling leads a group of 17 miners from Wickenburg to the Phoenix area and begins the process of developing a canal system. ** Territorial capital moved from Prescott to Tucson. * 1868 ** May 4: Phoenix is officially recognized by the Board of Supervisors of Yavapai County, which at that point contained Phoenix. ** June 15: First post office in Phoenix is established, in the Swilling homestead, with Swilling as postmaster. ** Swilling has completed almost 3 miles of his canals in Phoenix. ** Mary Adeline Gray, the first European woman settler in Phoenix, and her husband Columbus, arrive. ** Salt River floods for the first of many times during Phoenix's settlement. * 1869 – St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church built in Tucson.

1870s

* 1870 ** October 20: Town site selected in what is currently downtown Phoenix. ** Phoenix is laid out, original town site consists of 320 acres, or 0.5 square miles. ** Population of the Salt River Valley reaches 240, the Arizona Territory has 9,658 people. ** 1700 acres under cultivation in the Salt River Valley. ** Maricopa Canal completed. ** '' Arizona Citizen'' newspaper begins publication in Tucson. ** J.S. Mansfield news depot opens in Tucson. * 1871 ** February 12: Maricopa County is broken out of Yavapai County, Phoenix becomes the county seat. ** July 4: First wheat ground in Salt River Valley at Birchard's Mill. ** First permanent building in Phoenix, the Hancock residence, is constructed at Washington and First Streets. ** The second building in Phoenix, a brewery, is constructed. ** The first store (Hancock's) and the first church (Central Methodist) open in Phoenix. ** The Tempe Irrigating Canal Co. is created. ** Tempe founded by Charles T. Hayden. ** Population of Phoenix reaches 500. * 1872 ** September 5: Phoenix public school in session. ** December 19: Fort Grant is established at the foot of

Mount Graham Mount Graham (called in Nnee biyati' (Western Apache) Dził Nchaa Sí'an - ′Big Seated Mountain′) is a mountain in Graham County, Arizona, United States, approximately northeast of Tucson. The mountain reaches in height. It is the highes ...

. ** Adobe schoolhouse constructed in Phoenix. ** Phoenix's first wedding, between George Buck and Matilda Murray. ** Phoenix's first Chinese settlers arrive. ** The first bookstore and newsstand in Phoenix is opened by Edward Irvine. ** Public School department in Tucson is organized. ** Population of Tucson is 3,500 (estimate). * 1873 ** Hellings Mill in the Phoenix area expands to include a hog-slaughterhouse. ** San Diego-Tucson telegraph

begins Dawn of Destiny is a German power metal band from Bochum, which incorporates elements of thrash, gothic, symphonic and death metal. Their latest album ''Of Silence'' was released in June 2022 containing guest appearance by Chris Harms (Lord of ...

operating (approximate date). **

Fort Lowell Fort Lowell was a United States Army post active from 1873 to 1891 on the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona. Fort Lowell was the successor to Camp Lowell, an earlier Army installation.http://www.oflna.org/fort_lowell_museum/ftlowell.htm Fort Lowell, ...

built near Tucson. * 1874 ** Hayden's mill opens in the Phoenix/Tempe area. It will remain in operation for more than 100 years. ** Phoenix's formal patent for the town site is formally granted. ** Salt River floods. * 1875 – Salt River floods. * 1876 ** July 1: Territorial Prison built in Yuma. First prison in Arizona. **

Empire Ranch Empire Ranch is a working cattle ranch in southeastern Pima County, Arizona, that was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. In its heyday, Empire Ranch was one of the largest in Arizona, with a range spanning over , and it ...

is founded in southeastern Pima County. ** Salero founded as a mining camp. Currently a ghost town, one of the best preserved in Arizona. * 1877 ** Tucson incorporated. ** Maricopa Library Association organized. **

Lehi Lehi (; he, לח"י – לוחמי חרות ישראל ''Lohamei Herut Israel – Lehi'', "Fighters for the Freedom of Israel – Lehi"), often known pejoratively as the Stern Gang,"This group was known to its friends as LEHI and to its enemie ...

is founded by Mormon settlers (now part of Mesa). ** Territorial capital returned to Prescott, from Tucson. ** Copper deposits discovered in Bisbee and

. * 1878 ** ''Salt River Herald'', Phoenix' first newspaper, begins publication. ** The first bank in Phoenix, a branch of the Bank of Arizona, opens. ** Population of Phoenix reaches 1500. ** Brick factory opens in Phoenix. ** Grand Canal completed. ** Mesa is founded. ** ''El Fronterizo'' newspaper begins publication. * 1879 ** Presbyterian church established in Phoenix. **

Salt River Indian Reservation Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantiti ...

is formed. ** The Southern Pacific railroad reaches Maricopa. ** ''

Arizona Daily Star The ''Arizona Daily Star'' is the major morning daily newspaper that serves Tucson and surrounding districts of southern Arizona in the United States. History L. C. Hughes was the Arizona Territory governor and founder of the ''Arizona Star'', ...

'' newspaper begins publication in Tucson. ** Presbyterian Church built in Tucson. ** Town of Terminus is founded as a supply stop for the construction of the Southern Pacific Railroad. ** Colossal Cave is discovered southeast of Tucson.

1880s

* 1880 ** ''Arizona Gazette'' newspaper begins publication. ** Methodist church established in Phoenix. ** First legal hanging in Maricopa County. ** Southern Pacific Railroad begins operating in Tucson. ** Tucson Library Association organized. ** St. Mary's Hospital opens near Tucson. ** Terminus is renamed

Casa Grande , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = Casa Grande-Casa Grande Union High School-1920-2.jpg , imagesize = 250px , image_caption = Historic Casa Grande Union High School which now serves as the ...

. Population by end of year was 33. ** Population of Phoenix reaches 1,800; population of Tucson reaches 7,007. ** Bien/McNatt House is built in Casa Grande. ** Harshaw founded as a mining town. Currently a ghost town. * 1881 ** February 25: Phoenix officially incorporated when Governor John C. Frémont signs "The Phoenix Charter Bill", and instituting a mayor-council form of government. ** ''La Guardia'', Phoenix's first Spanish language newspaper, begins publication. ** May 3:

John T. Alsap John Tabor Alsap (February 26 or 28, 1830Some sources list Alsap's year of birth as 1832. – September 10, 1886) was an American physician, lawyer, politician, and farmer active in the early days of Arizona Territory. Among his accomplishments ...

defeated

James D. Monihon James D. Monihon (November 6, 1837September 2, 1904) was an American businessman and politician. He was a signatory to the formation of the Salt River Valley Town Association, the first government of the area that became Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix ...

, 127 to 107, to become the Phoenix's first mayor. ** May 9:

City Council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

begins meeting. ** June 24: Catholic church in Phoenix dedicated. ** Phoenix Rangers organized in response to hostile Apache activity in Tonto Basin. ** Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railroad begins operating in Tucson. ** Methodist Church built in Tucson. ** AT&SF's subsidiary, the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad constructs line from Albuquerque to California. The line passes through Flagstaff, and many towns in northern Arizona take their names from men working on the line: Kingman, Holbrook, Drake and Winslow. * 1882 ** March 20:

Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman and gambler in the American West, including Dodge City, Deadwood, and Tombstone. Earp took part in the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, during which law ...

kills Frank Stilwell in Tucson. ** Kingman founded. ** The '' Kingman Daily Miner'' begins publishing. As of 2015, it is still in publication. ** Robles Ranch established. Will become Three Points. * 1883 ** Cotton cultivation is brought to the Salt River Valley. ** Two smallpox outbreaks in Phoenix. City creates the position of Health Officer. ** Mesa City incorporates. ** Tucson chartered. Townsite is bounded by Speedway Boulevard on the north, 22nd Street on the south, 1st Avenue on the east, & on the west by Main Avenue from north of 18th Street, & 10th Avenue from south of 18th Street. ** First church, a Methodist congregation, established in Flagstaff. Phoenix1885-AerialMap HiRes

* 1884 ** Arizona Industrial Exposition begins. ** Valley Bank founded by William Christy. ** The Women's Christian Temperance Union opens a Phoenix branch. * 1885 ** Arizona Canal completed. ** Phoenix broken up into four wards, although city officials remain citywide offices. ** Destructive fire destroys major portions of Phoenix. ** Arizona Insane Asylum is awarded to Phoenix, while the state university is awarded to Tucson. * 1886 ** A second major fire in Phoenix destroys several buildings and results in approximately $100,000 in damage. **

Phoenix Fire Department The Phoenix Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona. The department responded to 186,594 calls during 2014–2015, with 88% being for emergency medical services. ...

established, when bond issue passes establishing 2 fire companies. ** First private gas lighting company established in Phoenix. ** First telephone company opens in Phoenix. ** Phoenix Opera House is completed. ** Arizona Insane asylum's construction is completed. ** Casa Grande suffers from a devastating fire. ** Judge William T. Day House is built in Casa Grande. ** Fire destroys a major portion of Flagstaff on Valentine's Day. * 1887 **

Maricopa Maricopa can refer to: Places * Maricopa, Arizona, United States, a city ** Maricopa Freeway, a piece of I-10 in Metropolitan Phoenix ** Maricopa station, an Amtrak station in Maricopa, Arizona * Maricopa County, Arizona, United States * Marico ...

-Phoenix railway and horse-drawn

Street Railway A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

begin operating. ** Public water system created in Phoenix. ** Public Health Department is established in Phoenix. ** Mule-drawn streetcar system established in Phoenix. ** ''Salt River Valley News'' begins weekly publication. ** Philanthropist Mary Tileston Hemenway sponsored an archeological expedition led by

Frank Hamilton Cushing Frank Hamilton Cushing (July 22, 1857 in North East Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania – April 10, 1900 in Washington, D.C.) was an American anthropologist and ethnologist. He made pioneering studies of the Zuni Indians of New Mexico by enter ...

which explored the Casa Grande ruins. ** McMillan Building built in Flagstaff. * 1888 ** Electric power company created in Phoenix. ** New city hall opens in Phoenix. ** November 4 – Phoenix Chamber of Commerce established. ** Peoria is founded. ** For the second time in 3 years, Flagstaff suffers a major fire. ** Babbitt Brothers building constructed in Flagstaff. * 1889 ** Prescott incorporated. ** Capital of

relocated to Phoenix from Prescott. ** Citrus cultivation is begun in the Salt River Valley by the Arizona Improvement Company. ** The Atlantic & Pacific Railroad constructs a freight depot in Flagstaff.

1890s

* 1890 ** '' Arizona Republican'' newspaper begins publication. ** Population of Phoenix reaches 3,152; Casa Grande's population was 256. ** Walnut Grove dam bursts, 50 people killed. ** Ladies Benevolent Society formed in Phoenix. ** Shonessy House in Casa Grande is built. ** Dr. Alexander Chandler purchases 80 acres southeast of Phoenix, and establishes a ranch and trading post. * 1891 ** Phoenix Indian School opens. ** Largest flood in the history of the Salt River Valley occurs. ** Telephones come to Phoenix. ** A territorial convention is held in Phoenix. The idea of becoming a state is discussed, but is voted down. **

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. T ...

opens per Morrill Act;

Old Main, University of Arizona Old Main, University of Arizona, originally known as the University of Arizona, School of Agriculture building, was the first building constructed on the University of Arizona campus in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Old Main is one of the oldest ...

built. * 1892 ** June 22: Casa Grande Reservation is created by President Benjamin Harrison. The first prehistoric and cultural reserve in the United States. ** The Phoenix Sewer and Drainage Department is created. ** The Phoenix Indian School holds its first classes. ** ''Mesa Free Press'' begins publication. ** Flagstaff suffers another major fire. * 1893 ** The

Phoenix Street Railway The Phoenix Street Railway provided streetcar service in Phoenix, Arizona, from 1888 to 1948. The motto was "Ride a Mile and Smile the While." History The line was founded in 1887 by Moses Hazeltine Sherman and used horse-drawn carts. The sy ...

switches over from mule-drawn to electrical streetcars. ** The Arizona Territory passes a law allowing cities, including Phoenix, to annex land surrounding the city, as long as it obtained the permission of the inhabitants of that area. ** Arizona State Museum established in Tucson. ** Casa Grande suffers its second major fire in 6 years. ** The Abineau building, a brick liquor store, was built in Flagstaff. * 1894 ** Orangedale (later called Scottsdale) is founded by Winfield Scott. ** Phoenix passes an ordinance limiting prostitution to a single block area. ** Phoenix's speed limit is raised to 6 mph. ** Tempe incorporates. **

Lowell Observatory Lowell Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. Lowell Observatory was established in 1894, placing it among the oldest observatories in the United States, and was designated a National Historic Landmark ...

is established. * 1895 **

Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway The Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway (SFP&P) was a common carrier railroad that later became an operating subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in Arizona. At Ash Fork, Arizona, the SFP&P connected with Santa Fe's oper ...

begins operating. ** '' Arizona Gazette'' newspaper begins publication. ** Phoenix Union High School opens, and the Phoenix Union High School district is created. **

Rosson House Rosson House, at 113 North 6th Street at the corner of Monroe Street in Downtown Phoenix, Arizona, is a historic house museum in Heritage Square. It was built between 1894 and 1895 in the Stick-Eastlake - Queen Anne Style of Victorian archite ...

built in downtown Phoenix. ** Sisters of Mercy Hospital (today called St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center) opens in Phoenix. ** In Phoenix, the New York Store is opened by Sam Korrick; Nathan and Isaac Diamond open the Boston Store; and Baron Goldwater opens a branch of his Flagstaff store, M. Goldwater and Brothers. * 1896 ** The Adams Hotel opens in Phoenix. ** Date Palms are introduced into the Salt River Valley. ** Sirrine House built in Mesa. ** The Cathedral of Saint Augustine is constructed. * 1897 ** May 24: Peoria founded. ** The Friday Club begins a movement to open a public library in Phoenix. ** Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson established; Cathedral of Saint Augustine (Tucson) built. ** Flagstaff suffers its fourth major fire in 11 years. ** The Little Red Schoolhouse is constructed in Kingman. * 1898 ** ''El Demócrata'' newspaper begins publication in Phoenix. ** The block of the red-light district is now illegal in Phoenix. ** Doris Opera House Opens in Phoenix. ** First public library opens in Phoenix. ** Casa Grande Hotel opens. ** The Coconino Chop House, an iron building, was constructed in Flagstaff. * 1899 ** Phoenix Library Association created. **

Northern Arizona University Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a public research university based in Flagstaff, Arizona. It was founded in 1899 as the final public university established in the Arizona Territory, 13 years before Arizona was admitted as the 48th state. ...

(NAU) founded in Flagstaff. ** The second half of the

Weatherford Hotel The Weatherford Hotel is a historic hotel in the downtown district of Flagstaff, Arizona. The hotel was established in 1897 by John W. Weatherford, and is located at 23 North Leroux Street, one block north of U.S. Route 66. History Disastrous ...

is constructed in Flagstaff, and the hotel would open on New Year's Day, 1900. ** Las Dos Naciones Cigar Company founded, the only cigar company in the southwest.

1900–09

* 1900 ** July 14: Most of downtown Prescott is destroyed by fire. ** Dorris Theatre opens in Phoenix (approximate date). ** Phoenix accesses unincorporated lands, area increases from .5 acre to over 2 acres. ** In spite of efforts by the Women's Temperance Union, Phoenix has 28 saloons and 18 casinos. ** First automobiles arrive in Phoenix. ** Population in Phoenix reaches 5,544, population of Tucson is 7,531. **

San Rafael Ranch The San Rafael Ranch, formerly known as the Greene Ranch, is a historic cattle ranch located in the San Rafael Valley about a mile and a half north of Lochiel, Arizona, near the international border with Sonora, Mexico. History The land that is n ...

built south of Patagonia. * 1901 ** February 25: The State Capitol building is dedicated, built at a cost of $130,000. ** Drought hits Phoenix. ** The Phoenix Women's Club is founded. ** The Carnegie Free Library opens in Tucson. * 1902 – Evans School for Boys opens; later renamed

Mesa Ranch School The Mesa Ranch School was a ranch school in Mesa, Arizona, that was established in 1902 by H. David Evans, a British People, Briton with a University of Cambridge, Cambridge education who arrived in Arizona in 1899.Louis C. Hughes (1916): ''Arizona ...

. * 1903 ** February 7:

Salt River Project The Salt River Project (SRP) is the umbrella name for two separate entities: the Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District, an agency of the state of Arizona that serves as an electrical utility for the Phoenix metropolitan a ...

founded (as the Salt River Valley Water Users' Association). ** Voters in Phoenix approve a bond to create a municipal waterworks. **

Desert Laboratory The Desert Laboratory is a historic biological research facility atop Tumamoc Hill (O'odham: ''Cemamagĭ Doʼag'') at 1675 West Anklam Road in Tucson, Arizona. It was founded by the Carnegie Institution in 1903 to study how plants survive and thr ...

founded in Tucson. * 1904 ** Chandler's ranch has grown to 18,000 acres. ** Riordan Mansion built in Flagstaff. * 1905 ** The largest agricultural crop in Phoenix is alfalfa. ** Flooding once again causes issues in Phoenix. * 1906 ** Construction begins on the Theodore Roosevelt Dam. ** Gambling is outlawed in Phoenix. ** A.J. Chandler purchases 100 ostriches, the beginning of Ostrich farming in Chandler. * 1907 ** St. Luke's Home, a tuberculosis treatment center, opens in Phoenix. ** The YMCA raises $100,000 to construct a building in Phoenix. **

Southern Pacific The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...

railway station built. ** Roskruge School, Tucson's first high school, opens. * 1908 ** Salt River again floods. **

Prescott National Forest The Prescott National Forest is a 1.25 million-acre (510,000 ha) United States National Forest located in north central Arizona in the vicinity of Prescott. The forest is located in the mountains southwest of Flagstaff and north of Phoenix in ...

is established. ** Granite Reef dam completed. ** In Phoenix, the Carnegie Library is completed and open to the public. ** The Coconino County Hospital for the Indigent is opened in Flagstaff. ** The Arizona Prison at Florence opens. * 1909 ** In Phoenix, the Central Avenue bridge over the Salt River is approved. ** The original "Old Main" campus of

Mesa High School Mesa High School is a public high school in Mesa, Arizona, United States. Mesa High School currently accommodates grades 9–12 as part of Mesa Public Schools. Mesa High School is the oldest high school in Mesa, Arizona, and is home of the Jackr ...

opens. ** Mesa installs potable waterworks system. ** Arizona Overland Telephone Company opens in Flagstaff, giving residents long distance capability for the first time; headquartered in the Telegraph Building, built the same year. ** September 15: Yuma Territorial Prison is closed.

1910s

* 1910 ** Speed limit in Phoenix is increased to 12 mph in city limits; city has 329 licensed cars. ** Phoenix city schools establish an official segregation policy. ** In Phoenix, the Adams Hotel is destroyed by fire, but is rebuilt. ** Guidelines concerning surface water rights are established by the Kent decree. ** Population in Phoenix reaches 11,134, Tucson hits 13,193. ** The oldest synagogue in Arizona, Stone Avenue Temple, opens in Tucson. Currently known as Temple Emanu-El. * 1911 ** May 18: Roosevelt Dam dedicated by

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

, it is the first multi-purpose (electricity and water) dam built under the

National Reclamation Act The Reclamation Act (also known as the Lowlands Reclamation Act or National Reclamation Act) of 1902 () is a United States federal law that funded irrigation projects for the arid lands of 20 states in the American West. The act at first covere ...

. ** Center Street Bridge in Phoenix opens. ** Mesa takes over irrigation system operation within incorporated city limits. ** Hinchcliffe Court opens near Tucson, the first auto court motel in Arizona. * 1912 ** February 14: Arizona becomes the 48th state of the United States; Phoenix becomes the state capital. ** May 17: Chandler is founded by Alexander Chandler, from the breakup of his ranch. ** May 21: The ''Chandler Arizonan'' begins publication. ** Women are granted the right to vote. ** '' Casa Grande Dispatch'' founded. ** Chandler Grammar School opens. ** Fort Grant becomes the State Industrial School for Wayward Boys and Girls.

Statehood through World War II

1910s, continued

* 1913 ** November 22: Hotel San Marcos, the first golf resort in the state, opens in Chandler. ** Phoenix adopts council-manager form of government (previously mayor-council), becoming one of the first cities in the country to adopt this form of government. ** 35% of the votes cast in Phoenix were by women. ** Phoenix has 646 registered automobiles. ** Ash Avenue Bridge is completed in Phoenix. * 1914 ** Arizona votes to ban alcohol. ** William Fairish becomes Phoenix's first manager. ** Chandler High School is formed, classes are held at the Grammar School, and at several local merchants until a building can be constructed (which was done in 1922). * 1915 ** St. Mary's Basilica in Phoenix is dedicated. ** Phoenix's first sewer treatment plant is completed. ** Mesa installs sanitary sewer system. * 1917 ** Arizona adopts its state flag. ** Litchfield is founded when the Goodyear Tire Company purchases a tract of land. ** Salt River Valley Water Users Association gains control of the Salt River Project. ** Migrant workers from Mexico are brought in to pick cotton in the Salt River Valley. ** Mesa purchases existing gas and electric utilities from Dr. A.J. Chandler. ** Orpheum Theater opens in Flagstaff. * 1918 ** August 3: Casa Grande Ruins are declared a national monument by President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

. ** Alfalfa falls to the number two agricultural product, behind cotton in Phoenix. ** The Rialto Theatre opens in Phoenix. ** Spanish flu infects a significant portion of the population in Phoenix. * 1919 ** In anticipation of the upcoming U.S. Census, Phoenix votes to extend the city limits. ** City airfield established in Tucson. **

Hotel Congress The Hotel Congress is a federally-recognized historic building located in downtown Tucson, Arizona, Tucson. It was built in 1918 and designed by the Los Angeles architectural firm William and Alexander Curlett as part of an expansion of Congress ...

opens in Tucson. ** Rialto Theater opens in Tucson.

1920s

* 1920 ** Congregation Beth Israel formed in Phoenix. ** The Heard Building, the first skyscraper in Phoenix, is constructed. ** Phoenix Union High School has 2000 students. ** The entirety of the original Phoenix town site is now completely paved. ** A precipitous drop in the price of cotton, from $1.35 to $0.35 a pound, creates a financial crisis in Phoenix. ** Phoenix has over 11,000 registered vehicles. ** Chandler is incorporated. ** Rialto Theatre (Arizona) opens in Tucson. **

Phoenix College Phoenix College (PC) is a public community college in Encanto, Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 1920, it is one of the oldest community colleges in the country. History The college was originally a part of the Phoenix Union High School and Junio ...

, one of the oldest community colleges in the United States, and part of the Maricopa Community College District, is established. ** Population in Phoenix reaches 29,053. * 1921 ** Temple Beth Israel, Phoenix's first synagogue, opens. ** "Rich, Resolute, Ready, Phoenix, Salt River Valley" becomes the official tourism slogan of Phoenix. ** Mesa Welfare League founded. **

Casa Grande Union High School Casa Grande Union High School is a high school in Casa Grande, Arizona. It is part of the Casa Grande Union High School District. The original high school and gym, now used as the Casa Grande City Hall, are listed on the National Register of Hist ...

is constructed. * 1922 ** Valley and Gila River Banks merge. ** Water from the Verde River becomes available in Phoenix through a wooden pipeline. ** KFAD becomes Phoenix's first radio station (later renamed KTAR; it was followed shortly by KFCB, which today is called

KOY KOY (1230 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Phoenix, Arizona, and is owned and operated by iHeartMedia, Inc. The station broadcasts a Regional Mexican radio format and is branded as "93.7 El Patrón". The studios are located in Phoe ...

. ** Casa Grande Municipal Airport opens (date approximate). ** Chandler High School building is completed, and classes begin there in September. * 1923 ** Cave Creek Dam is completed. ** Salt River Project absorbs the Tempe Irrigating Canal Company. ** Union Station is built in Phoenix. ** Deaconess Hospital (today known as Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center) opens in Phoenix. ** ''

Mesa Tribune The ''East Valley Tribune'' is a newspaper concentrated on cities within the East Valley region of metropolitan Phoenix, including Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert, and Queen Creek. Formerly a daily newspaper, the ''Tribune'' resulted from the ...

'' newspaper begins publication. * 1924 ** Luhrs Building constructed in Phoenix. ** The depression in Phoenix caused by the drop in the cotton price in 1920 ends. ** Phoenix Sanitarium opens. ** Jokake Inn opens in Phoenix. ** South Mountain Park (originally named Phoenix Mountain Park) is created in Phoenix. * 1925 ** 12 subdivisions are annexed by Phoenix. ** Phoenix Fine Arts Association formed. ** The private electric streetcar system is purchased by the City of Phoenix for $20,000. ** Mormon Flat Dam completed. ** Voters approve a separate high school for blacks in Phoenix. ** First municipal airport in Phoenix is opened, near Christy Road and 59th Avenue. ** Phoenix implements a zoning program. ** The '' Nogales International'' newspaper founded. * 1926 ** The Phoenix Main Line of the Southern Pacific Railroad is completed, intercontinental rail will begin being routed through Phoenix the following year. **

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison, Kansas, Atchison and Top ...

builds the passenger terminal in Flagstaff. ** The first Annual Masque of the Yellow Moon is held in Phoenix. ** The segregated Phoenix Union Colored High School opens. * 1927 ** Salt River Canal is diverted underground. ** Phoenix voters approve a $750,000 bond issue to improve the street car system. ** Horse Mesa Dam is completed. ** Mesa Arizona Temple dedicated (first time). **

Charles Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, author, inventor, and activist. On May 20–21, 1927, Lindbergh made the first nonstop flight from New York City to Paris, a distance o ...

visits Tucson. ** Temple of Music & Art built in Tucson. **

Casa Grande Stone Church Casa Grande Stone Church is a church located at 110 West Florence Boulevard in Casa Grande, Arizona. The church was originally built by Michael Sullivan (stonemason), Michael Sullivan, a local stonemason. It was the largest fieldstone building ...

is built. ** Hotel Monte Vista is constructed in Flagstaff. * 1928 **

Hotel San Carlos The Hotel San Carlos branch in Phoenix, Arizona, also known as San Carlos Hotel, is both an operating hotel and tourist site. It has been associated with ghost sightings. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1983 a ...

and Westward Ho hotel open in Phoenix. ** Phoenix completes 2 years of annexation, absorbing 74 subdivisions. ** Construction of Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix is begun. ** Phoenix Little Theatre is incorporated. ** The first paved road connecting Phoenix with Los Angeles (via

Blythe The name Blythe ( or ) derives from Old English ''bliþe'' ("joyous, kind, cheerful, pleasant"; modern ''blithe''), and further back from Proto-Germanic ''*blithiz'' ("gentle, kind"). People * Blythe (given name), including a list of people named ...

), is completed. ** Phoenix creates a zoning and planning commission. ** First production of the

Mesa Arizona Easter Pageant The Mesa Arizona Easter Pageant (Mesa Pageant) is an annual production of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) entitled ''Jesus the Christ'' and staged on the grounds of the Mesa Arizona Temple. One of the six LDS pageants ...

. ** James A. Walsh United States Courthouse built in Tucson. ** Casa Grande Hospital built. ** Chandler Heights Citrus District is founded by Dr. Alexander Chandler. ** Museum of Northern Arizona founded in Flagstaff. ** Flagstaff incorporates as a city **

Sharlot Hall Museum The Sharlot Hall Museum is an open-air museum and heritage site located in Prescott, Arizona. Opened in 1928 by Sharlot M. Hall as the Gubernatorial Mansion Museum, the museum that now bears her name is dedicated to preserving the history and ...

opens in Prescott. * 1929 ** February 23: Arizona Biltmore Hotel opens in Phoenix. ** February 23: Scheduled airline service from Los Angeles to Phoenix begins. ** September 2: Sky Harbor Airport opens in Phoenix. ** Phoenix sells municipal airport. **

Heard Museum The Heard Museum is a private, not-for-profit museum in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, dedicated to the advancement of American Indian art. It presents the stories of American Indian people from a first-person perspective, as well as exhibitio ...

opens in Phoenix. ** The Tempe Normal School is renamed Arizona State Teachers College. ** Orpheum Theatre and First Baptist Church are built in Phoenix. ** Tourism revenue in Phoenix tops $10 million for first time. ** Phoenix has over 53,000 registered cars. **

Pima County Courthouse Pima County Courthouse is the former main county courthouse building in downtown Tucson, Arizona. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was designed by Roy Place in 1928 in Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival sty ...

and

Consolidated National Bank Consolidated National Bank of New York was a bank operating in New York City. Also referred to in the press as Consolidated National Bank, the institution was organized on July 1, 1902, with capital of $1 million. Wrote ''The New York Times'', t ...

building constructed in Tucson. ** Pioneer Hotel opens in Tucson. ** Paramount Theatre opens in Casa Grande. **

Fox Theater Fox Theatre or Fox Theater or Fox Theater Building may refer to: U.S. * Fox Tucson Theatre (Tucson, Arizona) *Fox Theater (Bakersfield, California) * Fox Theatre (Fullerton, California) * Fox Theater, Westwood Village (Los Angeles, California) * Fo ...

opens in Tucson. ** The first skyscraper in Tucson, the Valley National Bank Building, is erected.

1930s

* 1930 ** March 4: Coolidge Dam dedicated by Calvin Coolidge. **

American Airlines American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...

brings passenger and air postal service to Phoenix. ** KTAR in Phoenix becomes an NBC affiliate. ** Stuart Mountain Dam is completed. ** In Phoenix the high school installs lights in its athletic stadium. **

Fox Tucson Theatre The Fox Tucson Theatre is located in downtown Tucson, Arizona, United States. The theater opened on April 11, 1930 as a performance space in downtown Tucson. It hosts a wide spectrum of events and concerts featuring a variety of performing talen ...

and Plaza Theater (Tucson) open. ** Arizona Inn built in Tucson. ** The dwarf planet

Pluto Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of trans-Neptunian object, bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the S ...

is discovered by Clyde Tombaugh at Lowell Observatory. ** Population reaches 48,118 in Phoenix. * 1931 ** Hunt's Tomb built in Papago Park in Phoenix. ** Construction on

Tovrea Castle Tovrea Castle is an historic structure and landmark at 5041 East Van Buren Street in Phoenix, Arizona on 44 acres bounded by the Red Mountain Freeway ( State Route 202), Washington Street on the South, Van Buren Street on the North and the Main ...

completed in Phoenix. ** Fox Movie Palace opens in Phoenix. ** Mesa town area expanded. * 1932 **

Wrigley Mansion The Wrigley Mansion in Phoenix, Arizona, is a landmark building constructed between 1929 and 1931 by chewing-gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. It is also known as William Wrigley Jr. Winter Cottage and as La Colina Solana. Located at 2501 East ...

completed in Phoenix. ** State of Arizona repeals state law banning alcohol. ** The inaugural Phoenix Open is held. ** Ike and Eddie Basha Sr. found Bashas' supermarkets. * 1933 ** Since the start of the Great Depression, 33% of banks and savings & loans in Phoenix have failed. ** In Phoenix, over 300 bars have obtained liquor licenses since the repeal of the Arizona state law banning alcohol. ** Pueblo Grande Museum Archaeological Park opens. * 1934 **

Encanto Park Encanto Park is a public park in central Phoenix, Arizona. The park is composed of of land consisting of picnic areas, a lagoon, a boat house, swimming pool, nature trail, amusement park, fishing and two golf courses. The lagoon is approxima ...

opens in central Phoenix. ** The term, "Valley of the Sun" is invented by a local advertising agency. * 1935 ** July 16: The city of Phoenix purchases Sky Harbor Airport, which has been run by the city ever since. ** The Federal government becomes the largest employer in Phoenix. **

Saint Anthony's Church and Rectory Saint Anthony's Church is a Roman Catholic religious complex on Picacho Street in Casa Grande, Arizona. The church, along with the associated rectory, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. The church is built of ado ...

, a Roman Catholic church, is built in Casa Grande. **

Smoki Museum The Museum of Indigenous People, formerly known as the ''Smoki Museum of American Indian Art and Culture'', is located in Prescott, Yavapai County, Arizona holds collections of Native American artifacts. History The museum was started, in part ...

, housing American Indian artifacts, opens in Prescott. * 1936 – Federal Building-U.S. Post Office in Phoenix is built. * 1937 ** Federal Art Center established, which will become the Phoenix Art Museum. ** Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District is created. ** Mesa City Hall built. ** Chandler Fire Department organized. * 1938 ** Phoenix Thunderbirds are created by the Chamber of Commerce. ** The First Baptist Church in Casa Grande is built. ** The McCullough-Price House built in Chandler. **

Arizona Snowbowl Arizona Snowbowl is an alpine ski resort in the southwest United States, located on the San Francisco Peaks of northern Arizona, north of Flagstaff. The Snowbowl ski area covers approximately one percent of the San Francisco Peaks, and its slo ...

skiing facility opens near Flagstaff. * 1939 ** Desert Botanical Garden opens in Phoenix. ** Bartlett Dam completed. ** Phoenix's second high school, North High School, opens.

1940s

* 1940 ** Civic Center Association formed to raise funds for Phoenix Art Center. It was dissolved in 1955 when all fund raising and archival activities were taken over by the Fine Arts Association. ** Tucson Army Air Field established. **

South Tucson South Tucson is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States and an enclave of the much larger city of Tucson. South Tucson is known for being heavily influenced by Hispanic, and especially Mexican, culture; restaurants and shops which sell tr ...

incorporates as a city. ** Population of Phoenix reaches 65,414. * 1941 ** January 2: Construction begins on

Thunderbird Field Thunderbird Field was a military airfield in Glendale, Arizona, used for contract primary flight training of Allied pilots during World War II. Created in part by actor James Stewart, the field became part of the United States Army Air Forces trai ...

in Glendale (later renamed Thunderbird Field No. 1), funded by a collaborative group of Hollywood personalities, including

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...

, Henry Fonda,

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...

, and

Margaret Sullavan Margaret Brooke Sullavan (May 16, 1909 – January 1, 1960) was an American stage and film actress. Sullavan began her career onstage in 1929 with the University Players. In 1933, she caught the attention of film director John M. Stahl and had ...

. The field opens in April. ** Luke Air Force Base opens, its first class graduating in June. ** Williams Air Force Base opens in December. ** Falcon Field opens in Mesa as a training location for British RAF pilots. ** Kingman Airport opens as the Kingman Army Airfield. **

Ernest A. Love Field Prescott Regional Airport, Ernest A. Love Field is a public use airport north of Prescott, in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. Love Field is used for general aviation and facilitates scheduled passenger airline service to Denver and Lo ...

opens near Prescott. ** Urban renewal project in Phoenix creates 3 new housing developments: Marcos de Niza Project for Mexicans, Matthew Henson Project for Blacks, and Frank Luke Jr. Project for Whites. * 1942 ** April 1: the Desert Training Center, formed by General

George S. Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...

, is created. The base, located in the

Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert ( ; mov, Hayikwiir Mat'aar; es, Desierto de Mojave) is a desert in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Southwestern United States. It is named for the indigenous Mojave people. It is located primarily in ...

in Southern California and the

Sonoran Desert The Sonoran Desert ( es, Desierto de Sonora) is a desert in North America and ecoregion that covers the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur, as well as part of the southwestern United States (in Arizona ...

in western Arizona, stretched to within 50 miles of Phoenix. ** June 22: Thunderbird Field #2 opens in Scottsdale. Later renamed

Scottsdale Airport Scottsdale Airport is north of downtown Scottsdale, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier for the FAA and IATA, but Scottsdale Airport is SDL to the FAA and SCF to the IA ...

. ** July 20: Gila River War Relocation Center, an internment camp for Japanese-Americans opens southwest of Phoenix, on the

Gila River Indian Reservation Gila River Indian Reservation was a reservation established in 1859 by the United States government in New Mexico Territory, to set aside the lands of the Akimel O’odham (Pima) and the Piipaash (Maricopa) people along the Gila River, in what i ...

. ** November 26: Black troops from segregated units riot in Phoenix. ** December: Gila River War Relocation Center is Arizona's fourth largest city, with a population of 13,348. ** Japanese-Americans from Phoenix are relocated to internment camps at

Sacaton , native_name_lang = ood , settlement_type = CDP , image_skyline = Sacaton-Cook Memorial Church-1870-1.JPG , imagesize = 250px , image_caption = The C. H. Cook Memorial Church, listed in the National ...

and Poston. ** Alzona Park in Phoenix is built by the Federal Government as worker housing. ** Williams Auxiliary Army Airfield #5 is built near Chandler. Would become Chandler Memorial Airport, and is currently known as

Gila River Memorial Airport Gila River Memorial Airport was a private-use airport owned and operated by the Gila River Indian Community, located southwest of the central business district of Chandler, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It was used for cropdust ...

. * 1943 **

Camp Papago Park Camp Papago Park was a prisoner of war (POW) facility located in Papago Park in the eastern part of Phoenix, Arizona, United States. It consisted of five compounds, four for enlisted men and one for officers. The property now is divided between the ...

(

POW A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war ...

camp) opens in Phoenix in June. ** Litchfield Naval Air Facility opens. ** The new airport at

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals *Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking *Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...

is designated the first international airport in the United States. ** The Marana Army Air Field opens in

Marana Marana may refer to: * Maraña, a village in León, Spain * Maraṇa, the Pali/Sanskrit term for death * Marana, Arizona, a town in Pima County, Arizona, United States * Marana, Estonia, a village in Estonia * Marana, Syria, a village in Syria ...

as a training site for the Army Air Corps. Currently named the Pinal County Airpark. * 1944 ** December 23:

Great Papago Escape The Great Papago Escape was the largest Axis prisoner-of-war escape to occur from an American facility during World War II. On the night of December 23, 1944, twenty-five Germans tunneled out of Camp Papago Park, near Phoenix, Arizona, and fled i ...

of German prisoners, the largest single escape by POW's in any camp in the United States. ** St. Monica's Hospital, the first integrated hospital in Phoenix, opens (today known as Phoenix Memorial Hospital). * 1945 ** November 10: Gila River War Relocation Center is officially closed. ** Arizona State Teachers College becomes Arizona State College. **

Mystery Castle Mystery Castle is located in the city of Phoenix, Arizona, in the foothills of South Mountain Park. It was built in the 1930s by Boyce Luther Gulley for his daughter Mary Lou Gulley. After learning he had tuberculosis, Gulley moved from Seattle ...

is built in Phoenix. ** Several large factories which were created in Phoenix for war production, begin to close down operations.

Post-war years through the 1960s

1940s, continued

* 1946 ** The Arizona State Constitution is amended; Arizona becomes a right-to-work state. ** Ray Bussey is elected mayor of Phoenix. ** Avondale incorporated. ** Tempe Airport starts operations as a private airport. ** Gilbert Airport is opened as a private airport, it would close in 1962–63. * 1947 ** October: A fire destroys all but four of Phoenix's electric streetcars. The city begins the process of transitioning to a public bus transit system. ** The Phoenix Charter Revision Committee is formed. The political group, headed by Barry Goldwater, would dominate city politics in the 1950s. **

Phoenix Symphony Orchestra The Phoenix Symphony is an American symphony orchestra based in Phoenix, Arizona. The orchestra performs primarily at Phoenix Symphony Hall, and is the only full-time, professional orchestra in the state of Arizona. History Founded in 1947, th ...

is founded. ** The

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

start spring training in Phoenix. * 1948 **

Motorola Motorola, Inc. () was an American Multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, United States. After having lost $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009, the company split into two independent p ...

opens a research and development center for military electronics in Phoenix. ** '' Phoenix Jewish News'' begins publication. ** Phoenix establishes its first sales tax. **

KPHO-TV KPHO-TV (channel 5) is a television station in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Gray Television alongside independent station KTVK (channel 3) and low-power LATV affiliate KPHE-LD (channel 44). KPHO-TV and K ...

becomes Phoenix's first television station. ** Barry Goldwater elected to the Phoenix city council. ** Mesa Country Club established. ** Falcon Field becomes part of Mesa ** Casa Grande Cotton Kings, a semi-professional ball team were founded. ** The

Church of the Nazarene The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged in North America from the 19th-century Wesleyan-Holiness movement within Methodism. It is headquartered in Lenexa within Johnson County, Kansas. With its members co ...

, was built in Casa Grande. ** Chandler Municipal Airport opens. * 1949 – Modern wastewater treatment plant built at Riverview in Mesa.

1950s

* 1950s – Widespread use of air-conditioning leads to a construction and population boom in Phoenix. * 1950 **

Catalina Highway The Catalina Highway, officially the General Hitchcock Highway, is the popular name for a Forest Highway and scenic route located in Pima County in southern Arizona. Also known as the Sky Island Scenic Byway, the Mount Lemmon Highway and Arizona ...

constructed in Tucson. **

KTYL-FM KTYL-FM (93.1 MHz) is a Townsquare Media radio station, licensed to Tyler, Texas, serving the Tyler- Longview-Jacksonville area, with a Top 40 (CHR) format. KTYL operates with an ERP of 82 kW from a transmitter site near Overton in western Ru ...

radio in Mesa begins broadcasting. ** The Phoenix population reaches 106,818, now 99th most populous city in the United States, and the largest in the Southwest; Mesa's population reaches 16,790; Chandler's population stands at 3,800. **

Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra The Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra played its first concert in 1950 under the name Northern Arizona Orchestra. It is associated with the non-profit Flagstaff Symphony Association, which was incorporated in 1961. The orchestra is currently composed of ...

is formed. * 1952 ** Wright House (residence) built in Phoenix. ** Republican Barry Goldwater elected United States Senator, defeating the Senate Majority Leader Ernest McFarland; Republican John Howard Pyle elected governor ** Arizona Public Service formed by the merger of Central Arizona Light and Power and Northern Arizona Light and Power ** Racial segregation is banned at Sky Harbor Airport. ** Adam Diaz becomes the first Hispanic on the Phoenix city council. **

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a 98-acre (40 ha) zoo, aquarium, botanical garden, natural history museum, publisher, and art gallery founded in 1952. Located just west of Tucson, Arizona, it features two miles (3.2 km) of walking paths ...

founded. ** Kingman incorporated. * 1953 ** State courts declare school segregation illegal. Phoenix begins school desegregation. ** KYTL-TV begins operations as an NBC affiliate in Phoenix. Currently

KPNX-TV KPNX (channel 12) is a television station licensed to Mesa, Arizona, United States, serving the Phoenix area as an affiliate of NBC. The station is owned by Tegna Inc., and maintains studios at the Republic Media building on Van Buren Street i ...

. ** Channel 10 begins broadcasting in Phoenix, currently KSAZ-TV, the Fox affiliate. ** General Motors Desert Proving Grounds opens in Mesa. ** 10 million gallon Pasadena city reservoir completed in Mesa. * 1954 ** May 24: Chandler upgraded from a town to a city. ** Peoria incorporated. ** Phoenix finishes the desegregation of Public schools. ** Tempe Airport purchased by the city of Tempe. * 1955 ** January 24: Ira Hayes, one of the men made famous by the flag raising on

Iwo Jima Iwo Jima (, also ), known in Japan as , is one of the Japanese Volcano Islands and lies south of the Bonin Islands. Together with other islands, they form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The highest point of Iwo Jima is Mount Suribachi at high. ...

, and a member of the Pima Indian Tribe, was found dead of exposure near Sacaton. ** Terminal 1 opens at Sky Harbor Airport, built at a cost of $835,000, it represented the most modern and efficient passenger terminals of its time. It was demolished in 1991. ** In Phoenix, Metropolitan Bus Lines is purchased by L.A. Tanner and renamed Valley Transit Line. Tanner was unsuccessful in his attempts to also purchase the city-run municipal bus system. ** Phoenix battles Scottsdale over annexation of unincorporated areas. This battle would last until an agreement was reached regarding "spheres of annexation influence" in 1964. **

KTVK-TV KTVK (channel 3) is an independent television station in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. It is owned by Gray Television alongside CBS affiliate KPHO-TV (channel 5) and low-power LATV affiliate KPHE-LD (channel 44). KTVK and KPHO-TV share st ...

opens operations as an ABC affiliate in Phoenix. ** Agriculture falls to second behind manufacturing in Phoenix's economy. ** Phoenix bans segregation in public housing. **

United States Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station The United States Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station (NOFS), is an astronomical observatory near Flagstaff, Arizona, US. It is the national dark-sky observing facility under the United States Naval Observatory (USNO). NOFS and USNO combine ...

opens. * 1956 –

Tucson Air National Guard Base Tucson International Airport is a civil-military airport owned by the City of Tucson south of downtown Tucson, in Pima County, Arizona, United States. It is the second busiest airport in Arizona, after Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airp ...

active. * 1957 ** Park Central Shopping City in business. ** Phoenix Towers built. ** Tempe Airport is closed by the city and razed. ** Radio station

KNOT A knot is an intentional complication in cordage which may be practical or decorative, or both. Practical knots are classified by function, including hitches, bends, loop knots, and splices: a ''hitch'' fastens a rope to another object; a ' ...

begins airing from Flagstaff. * 1958 ** Phoenix doubles in size through annexation ** Arizona State College becomes Arizona State University. ** The first Cactus Fly-In, a show of vintage aircraft, takes place at Casa Grande Airport. ** Phoenix Flyers Club established. ** Radio station KVNA begins broadcasting on AM from Flagstaff. An FM counterpart would begin broadcasting in 1999. * 1959 **

Phoenix Art Museum The Phoenix Art Museum is the largest museum for visual art in the southwest United States. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, the museum is . It displays international exhibitions alongside its comprehensive collection of more than 18,000 works of ...

opens. ** L.A. Tanner is successful in purchasing the city-owned municipal bus system, merging it into his Valley Transit Line. All bus service in Phoenix is now unified. ** Sunnyslope annexed by Phoenix. ** Deer Valley airport opens. ** The

Francisco Grande Francisco Grande is a hotel and golf resort located in Casa Grande, Arizona, approximately 46 miles south east of Phoenix. History In 1959 the San Francisco Giants' owner Horace Stoneham developed the property as a spring training camp for his ...

hotel is opened in Casa Grande as the spring training location for the San Francisco Giants.

1960s

* 1960 **

Phoenix Corporate Center The Phoenix Corporate Tower (formerly known as First Federal Savings Building) is a 26-story high-rise office building in Phoenix, Arizona. It was built in 1965 and designed in the International Style. The tower was built two miles north of Down ...

built. ** Ben Avery Shooting Facility, begun in 1957 and one of the largest publicly operated shooting ranges, opens. **

University of Arizona Poetry Center The University of Arizona Poetry Center in Tucson, Arizona, is among the most extensive collections of contemporary poetry in the United States. It is the largest such collection which is "open shelf." History of the collection and the center The ...

founded in Tucson. **

Old Tucson Studios Old Tucson (formerly Old Tucson Studios) is an American movie studio and theme park just west of Tucson, Arizona, adjacent to the Tucson Mountains and close to the western portion of Saguaro National Park. Built in 1939 for the movie ''Arizona'' ...

theme park and El Con Mall open in Tucson. ** During the 1950s, Phoenix annexed 94.86 square miles of land. ** Phoenix annexes Maryvale and South Phoenix. ** Population in Phoenix reaches 439,170. ** Del Webb's Sun City opens. * 1961 ** Deer Valley is annexed by Phoenix. ** The town of Paradise Valley is incorporated. **

Chris-Town Mall Christown Spectrum is the oldest operating mall in Phoenix, Arizona and was the third shopping mall built in the city. It is located at 1703 W. Bethany Home Road in Phoenix, Arizona. The name Christown Spectrum is derived from Chris-Town Mall an ...

, the first air-conditioned indoor mall in Phoenix, opens. **

KAET-TV KAET (channel 8), known as Arizona PBS, is a PBS member television station in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, owned by Arizona State University and operated by ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. KAET's studios are ...

begins operations as a NET affiliate in Phoenix. * 1962 ** Phoenix Zoo opens. **

Phoenix City Square Phoenix City Square, formerly Kent Plaza and the Rosenzweig Center, is a mixed use high rise complex covering 15 acres at 3800-4000 N. Central Ave. in Phoenix, Arizona. The project was developed by the Del Webb Corporation in 1962. The complex fea ...

built. ** In Phoenix, city bus drivers participate in an unsuccessful 62-day strike, which precipitates the decline of public transit in Phoenix. ** Terminal 2 opens at Sky Harbor Airport; passengers served passes the 1 million mark. ** Westwood High School opens in Mesa. ** Phoenix Title Building constructed in Tucson. **

Maricopa Community College District The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD), also known as Maricopa Community Colleges, is a community college district in Arizona with its headquarters in Tempe. It is one of the largest, serving more than 220,000 students each yea ...

is created. It is currently the largest community college district in the United States. *
Arizona Town Hall
was established to facilitate semi-annual discussions about topics of major concern to Arizona's future. * 1963 ** March 13: Phoenix Police arrest

Ernesto Miranda Ernesto Arturo Miranda (March 9, 1941 – January 31, 1976) was an American criminal and laborer whose conviction on kidnapping, rape, and armed robbery charges based on his confession under police interrogation was set aside in the landmark U.S. ...

without informing him of his rights. This leads to the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case

Miranda v. Arizona ''Miranda v. Arizona'', 384 U.S. 436 (1966), was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in which the Court ruled that the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution restricts prosecutors from using a person's statements made in response to ...

. ** Municipal golf course built in Papago Park in Phoenix. ** Ernest Miranda is arrested. His arrest and confession lead to the landmark Miranda Warning Supreme Court case. **

Tucson International Airport Tucson International Airport is a civil-military airport owned by the City of Tucson south of downtown Tucson, in Pima County, Arizona, United States. It is the second busiest airport in Arizona, after Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airp ...

begins operating. **

Lake Havasu City Lake Havasu City (, ) is a city in Mohave County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 57,144, up from 52,527 in 2010. It is served by Lake Havasu City Airport. History The community first started as an ...

established as a planned community. ** Titan Missile Site 571-7 is made operational south of Tucson. * 1964 **

Phoenix Municipal Stadium Phoenix Municipal Stadium is a baseball stadium, located in Phoenix, Arizona. It is often referred in short as Phoenix Muni. The stadium was built in 1964 and holds 8,775 people. It is currently the home to the Arizona State Sun Devils baseball pr ...

opens. ** Barry Goldwater loses the election for President of the United States. **

Tucson Botanical Gardens The Tucson Botanical Gardens is a 5.5 acre (2.2 ha) collection of sixteen residentially scaled urban gardens in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Paths connect these gardens, which include a Zen Garden, a Prehistoric Garden, a Barrio Garden, a B ...

founded. **

Phoenix International Raceway Phoenix Raceway is a 1-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona, near Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually including the final championship race since 2020. P ...

opens. * 1965 ** Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum opens in Phoenix. ** East wing of the Phoenix Art Museum opens, resulting in almost tripling the museum's space. ** Morrison Warren becomes first black on the Phoenix city council. **

Mesa Community College Mesa Community College (MCC) is a public community college in Mesa, Arizona. It is the largest of the 10 community colleges in the Maricopa County Community College District, the largest community college district in the United States in ter ...

, part of the Maricopa Community College District, and Adelante con Mesa established. **

Yavapai College Yavapai College is a public community college in Yavapai County, Arizona. The main campus is in Prescott, with locations in Clarkdale, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley and Sedona. History Yavapai College was established in 1965 by means of a c ...

, a community college in Prescott, opens. ** DeGrazia Gallery built in Tucson. ** Glendale Community College, the second community college in the Maricopa Community College District, is created. * 1966 ** August 9: Phoenix City Council unanimously approves the "Plan for the Phoenix Mountains", thereby creating the Phoenix Mountain Preserve. ** Valley Transit Line is sold to American Transit Systems (headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri), and the transit system is renamed Phoenix Transit System. **

Prescott College Prescott College is a private college in Prescott, Arizona. History In 1965, the Ford Foundation brought together a group of educators from around the United States. Prescott College was the result of this gathering. The college was originall ...

founded. * 1967 ** St. Mary's Food Bank established in Phoenix. ** Original "Old Main" building of

burns to the ground. **

University of Arizona College of Medicine A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

and

Reid Park Zoo The Reid Park Zoo, founded in 1967, is a city-owned and operated non-profit zoo located within Reid Park in Tucson, Arizona. The zoo features more than 500 animals. It was unofficially established in 1965 by Gene Reid, the parks and recreation d ...

founded. ** Tucson Federal Savings & Loan Association Building constructed. * 1968 **

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...

basketball team formed. **

Phoenix Financial Center The Phoenix Financial Center consists of a high-rise office building and two adjacent rotunda buildings located along Central Avenue in the Midtown district of Phoenix, Arizona, United States. They were built in 1963 by the Financial Corporati ...

is completed. ** President Lyndon B. Johnson signs a bill approving the Central Arizona Project, to bring water from the Colorado River to central Arizona. ** Phoenix purchases Goodyear Airport as a general aviation supplement to Sky Harbor. **

Tri City Mall Tri-City Pavilions, formerly Tri-City Mall, is a shopping mall in Mesa, Arizona, United States. It was developed in 1968 as an enclosed shopping mall featuring Diamond's and JCPenney as the anchor stores. The mall underwent a period of decline fo ...

in business in Mesa. ** KMND radio in Mesa begins broadcasting. ** City of Mesa takes over operations of Falcon Field ** GateWay Community College, part of the Maricopa Community College District, is founded in Phoenix. **

Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory The Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory is an American astronomy, astronomical observatory owned and operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO); it is their largest field installation outside of their main site in Cambridge, Mass ...

opens 35 miles south of Tucson, in the Santa Rita Mountains. ** The Central Arizona Project was created by the Colorado River Basin Project Act of 1968, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 30, 1968. * 1969 ** Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix established. ** Santa Fe Railway ceases passenger trains to Phoenix in April. ** Phoenix taxes cigarettes and liquor to cover budget shortfall. ** Pima Community College established. ** Central Arizona College, a community college in the Pinal Community College District, opens in Coolidge. ** Scottsdale Community College, part of the Maricopa Community College District, is founded.

1970s through the end of the millennium

1970s

* 1970 ** Phoenix Mountains Preservation Council founded in August, to purchase all of the 7000 acres in the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, and a total of 9700 acres. ** Remnants of Tropical Storm Norma slam into Phoenix, causing flooding and resulting in 23 deaths. ** During the 1960s, Phoenix annexed 134.55 square miles of land, now totaling 245.5 square miles. **

becomes part of Mesa. ** The Fountain, which gives the name to

Fountain Hills Fountain Hills is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Known for its impressive fountain, once the tallest in the world, it borders the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, and Scottsdale. The ...

, is erected. ** The town of Fountain Hills is founded as a master planned community. ** Phoenix population reaches 581,562, city becomes the nation's 20th most populous; Mesa's population reaches 63,049. * 1971 ** May 1: Amtrak takes over intercity rail routes in Phoenix. ** First National Bank Plaza, currently known as the Wells Fargo Plaza, is built in Phoenix. ** The third building, 3838 N. Central Avenue, is built, completing

. ** Phoenix purchases the Phoenix Transit System from American Transit, who agrees to continue to manage the operation. ** The city adopts the Central Phoenix Plan in an attempt to develop the Central Avenue corridor. ** The first

Fiesta Bowl The Fiesta Bowl is an American college football bowl game played annually in the Phoenix metropolitan area. From its beginning in 1971 until 2006, the game was hosted at the Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Since 2007, the game has been playe ...

is played. ** Prehab of Mesa (youth-related nonprofit) established. ** Tucson Opera Company founded. ** Tucson Convention Center built. **

London Bridge Several bridges named London Bridge have spanned the River Thames between the City of London and Southwark, in central London. The current crossing, which opened to traffic in 1973, is a box girder bridge built from concrete and steel. It r ...

opens in Lake Havasu City, after being transported from London, England. * 1972 **

Phoenix Symphony Hall Symphony Hall is a multi-purpose performing arts venue, located at 75 North 2nd Street between North 3rd Street and East Washington Street in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. Part of Phoenix Civic Plaza, the hall is bounded to the north by the West B ...

opens. ** Chase Tower in Phoenix is built. ** Salt River floods several times, killing 8. **

reopens at a new location (farther east and south). ** Mesa Central High School opens at site of original Mesa High campus. **

Planetary Science Institute The Planetary Science Institute (PSI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit research institute based in Tucson, Arizona, focusing on planetary science. , its director is Dr. Mark V. Sykes. PSI, along with Space Science Institute (SSI) Southwest Researc ...

founded in Tucson. ** Inaugural Copperstate Fly-In, an annual vintage airshow, held at Casa Grande Airport. * 1973 ** Voters approve a $23.5 million bond issue, to fund the Phoenix Mountain Preserve. ** Dobson Ranch planned community began selling homes in the first phase of its 26-year development. ** A boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE) kills 11 firefighters in Kingman. ** Fort Grant becomes an Arizona state prison. ** Construction of the Central Arizona Project began. * 1975 ** Phoenix elects its first female mayor: Margaret Hance. ** Papago Freeway is passed by the voters of Phoenix. ** After extensive renovations, the Mesa Arizona Temple is rededicated ** The Park of the Canals in Mesa is added to the National Register of Historic Places; work then commences for developing park facilities and later the botanical garden. **

Chandler Unified School District Chandler Unified School District serves most of the city of Chandler, Arizona, plus portions of Gilbert, and Queen Creek. The district serves over 45,000 students, making it the 3rd largest school district in Arizona.Margaret Hance becomes mayor of Phoenix. ** U.S. Bank Center and Hyatt Regency are built in Phoenix. ** Construction begins on Terminal 3 at Sky Harbor Airport. ** Tourism moves ahead of agriculture into the number two largest economic sector in Phoenix. ** Mountain View High School opens. * 1977 ** Mesa Southwest Museum (later renamed the

Arizona Museum of Natural History The Arizona Museum of Natural History (originally the Mesa Southwest Museum) is the only natural history museum in the greater Phoenix area and is located in Mesa, Arizona. It exhibits the natural and cultural history of the Southwestern Unite ...

) founded. ** The original Hohokam Park opens in Mesa. ** Bank of America Plaza (Tucson) built. **

is founded in Mesa, originally exhibiting in the City Hall. * 1978 ** March 9:

Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza The Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza is an urban park and gathering place in front of the Arizona state capitol complex in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. One of the Phoenix Points of Pride, it is the site of various memorials honoring prominent figures, w ...

established in Phoenix. **

Prescott Valley Prescott Valley is a town located in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States, approximately east of Prescott. According to the 2020 United States Census, Prescott Valley has a population of 46,785 residents. History Prescott Valley's Fitzmaur ...

incorporates. ** Phoenix Transit begins to offer "Dial-a-Ride" services in low-population density areas. **

Arizona Street Railway Museum The Phoenix Trolley Museum, incorporated as the Arizona Street Railway Museum, is a railway museum established in 1975, with an emphasis on preserving historical street cars in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. The museum is "dedicated to the preservation of ...

opens in Phoenix. ** Western Design Center is founded by

Bill Mensch William David Mensch, Jr. (born February 9, 1945) is an American electrical engineer born in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. He was a major contributor to the design of the Motorola 6800 8-bit microprocessor and was part of the team led by Chuck Pedd ...

. ** Arizona State Prison Complex – Tucson opens. **

Rio Salado College Rio Salado College is a public community college headquartered in Tempe, Arizona United States. It is part of the Maricopa County Community College District and accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. It offers associate degree and certif ...

and South Mountain Community College, part of the Maricopa Community College District, are established in Tempe and Phoenix, respectively. ** Lake Havasu City incorporates. * 1979 ** Terminal 3 at Sky Harbor Airport opens. ** City adopts the Phoenix Concept 2000 plan, which split the city into urban villages. **

Fiesta Mall Fiesta Mall is a former shopping mall in Mesa, Arizona, United States. Opened in 1979 after nine years of development, it was built by Homart Development Company, the former shopping mall development division of the department store Sears. Sears w ...

opens. ** Mesa Amphitheatre built. ** ''Mesa Weekly News'' begins publication. ** Radio station KMLE begins broadcasting from Chandler.

1980s

* 1980 ** February: Salt River floods, washing away most of the bridges spanning it. ** 3300 Tower built in Phoenix. ** During the 1970s, Phoenix annexed 75.53 square miles of land, now totaling 321.03 square miles. ** Arizona Museum for Youth opens in Mesa. ** Population in Phoenix reaches 789,704; population in Mesa is at 152,453. ** South Mountain Community College, part of the Maricopa Community College District, is established in Phoenix. ** The Arizona Museum for Youth, the only children's museum in the United States focusing on fine art, is founded. Now known as the I.d.e.a. Museum. * 1981 ** President

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

appoints

Sandra Day O'Connor Sandra Day O'Connor (born March 26, 1930) is an American retired attorney and politician who served as the first female associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1981 to 2006. She was both the first woman nominated and th ...

to the U.S. Supreme Court. ** Mesa Sister Cities Association founded. and Mesa United Way **

Champlin Fighter Museum The Champlin Fighter Museum was an aircraft museum located at Mesa, Arizona. It specialized in airworthy World War I and World War II fighters. After 22 years of operation, the Museum was closed on May 26, 2003, and its collection was moved to t ...

opens in Mesa. * 1982 ** Phoenix voters expand the city council from 6 citywide members to 8 members, each representing a distinct area. ** Federal Correctional Institution, Tucson opens. ** Tucson Mall and Casas Adobes

Foothills Mall (Arizona) Foothills Mall is an indoor regional shopping mall located in Casas Adobes, Arizona, United States, with a Tucson postal address. Foothills Mall is a dead mall with capacity for over 90 stores and outlets for consumers and/or tourists, along with ...

open in Tucson. * 1983 ** August 4:

Riordan Mansion State Historic Park Riordan Mansion State Historic Park is an historic site in Flagstaff, Arizona, bordering Northern Arizona University. Origin This park features the duplex home of Timothy and Michael Riordan, lumber baron brothers who married sisters, Caroli ...

in Flagstaff, is opened to the public. **

America West Airlines America West Airlines was a major American airline, founded in 1981, with service commencing in 1983, and having reached US$1 billion in annual revenue in 1989, headquartered in Tempe, Arizona. At the time of its acquisition of US Airways, Americ ...

is formed by valley investors. ** Terry Goddard elected mayor of Phoenix. **

Dobson High School Dobson High School is a public high school located in Mesa, Arizona, United States. It is one of six high schools in Mesa Public Schools and serves grades 9-12. Rhodes and Summit Academy feed students into Dobson. The school's mascot is a Mustang ...

opens in Mesa. **

Arizona Railway Museum The Arizona Railway Museum is a railroad museum located in Chandler, Arizona. It was founded and incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1983. It is dedicated to the railroads of Arizona and the Southwestern United States. It has an ext ...

is opened in Chandler. ** Firebird International Raceway (currently

Wild Horse Motorsports Park Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park is a 450-acre (180 ha) motorsport racing complex, located in Chandler, Arizona, Chandler, Arizona, United States, about southeast of downtown Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix. History The facility opened as Firebird ...

), opens. ** Radio station

KNAU Knau is a village and a former municipality in the district Saale-Orla-Kreis, in Thuringia, Germany. The former municipality Bucha was merged into Knau in January 2019. Since December 2019, it is part of the town Neustadt an der Orla Neustadt a ...

, run by NAU, begins airing in Flagstaff. * 1984 **

Arizona State University West campus Arizona State University at the West Campus is a public university in Phoenix, Arizona. It is one of five university campuses that compose Arizona State University (ASU). The West campus was established by the Arizona Legislature in 1984, and is ...

established by the legislature. **

Arizona Science Center The Arizona Science Center, at 600 East Washington Street in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, is a science museum located in Heritage and Science Park. It was founded in 1984 as the Arizona Museum of Science & Technology in a downtown storefront, Its ...

opens in Phoenix. **

Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve The Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve, formerly known as the Deer Valley Rock Art Center, is a 47-acre nature preserve featuring over 1500 Hohokam, Patayan, and Archaic petroglyphs visible on 500 basalt boulders in the Deer Valley area of Phoenix, ...

opens in Phoenix. ** The Public Transportation Administration becomes an official department of Phoenix. ** Al Brooks becomes

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

of Mesa. * 1985 ** Valley Metro Regional Public Transportation Authority formed, after passage of Proposition 300, tasked to create a regional transit plan and system in the Salt River Valley. ** Great American Tower built in Phoenix. ** First water from the Central Arizona Project reaches Maricopa County. ** Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation established. **

Chandler–Gilbert Community College Chandler–Gilbert Community College (CGCC) is a public community college with multiple locations in Maricopa County, Arizona. It is part of the Maricopa County Community College District. In fall 2018, 14,728 students were enrolled at the coll ...

, part of the Maricopa Community College District, is founded in Chandler. **

Compadre Stadium Compadre Stadium was a stadium located in Chandler, Arizona. It was the spring training home of the Milwaukee Brewers from 1986 to 1997 and the home field of the Chandler Diamondbacks of the Arizona Fall League from 1992 to 1994. The ballpark ...

is built in Chandler for the Milwaukee Brewers Spring training, who begin playing there in 1986. **

Paradise Valley Community College Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC) is a public community college in Phoenix, Arizona. A branch campus, PVCC at Black Mountain, opened in August 2009 in the far northern section of Scottsdale, Arizona to serve this rapidly growing area. I ...

, part of the Maricopa Community College District, is established in Phoenix. * 1986 ** In Phoenix, city urban village divisions created:

Ahwatukee Ahwatukee Foothills (also Ahwatukee) is an urban village of Phoenix, Arizona. Ahwatukee forms the southernmost portion of Phoenix, and is considered part of the East Valley region of the Phoenix metropolitan area. In 2022, ''Niche'' rated Ahwatu ...

Alhambra The Alhambra (, ; ar, الْحَمْرَاء, Al-Ḥamrāʾ, , ) is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. It is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the ...

, Camelback East,

Central City In urban planning, a core city, principal city metropolitan core, or central city, is the largest or most important city or cities of a metropolitan area. A core city is surrounded by smaller satellite cities, towns, and suburbs. A central city i ...

, Deer Valley, Desert View,

Encanto ''Encanto'' is a 2021 American computer-animated musical fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The 60th film produced by the studio, it was directed by Jared Bus ...

, Estrella, Laveen, Maryvale,

North Gateway North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north'' is ...

, North Mountain, Paradise Valley, Rio Vista, and South Mountain. ** Renaissance Square Tower 1 built in Phoenix. **

Ballet Arizona Ballet Arizona is a professional ballet company in Phoenix, Arizona directed by Ib Andersen. The company was created in 1986 by a merger of three smaller Arizonan dance companies that were struggling to survive. Today, the company of thirty-one dan ...

headquartered in Phoenix. **

Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station The Palo Verde Generating Station is a nuclear power plant located near Tonopah, Arizona, in western Arizona. It is located about due west of downtown Phoenix, Arizona, and it is located near the Gila River, which is dry save for the rainy seaso ...

opens, with two of three units on-line. It is the largest nuclear power plant (by net generation) in the United States. ** Radio station

KMGN KMGN (93.9 FM) is an American commercial mainstream rock music radio station in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States, broadcasting to the Flagstaff–Prescott, Arizona area. History KCTB-FM signed on in 1975. It was owned by and named for Christ ...

begins airing from Flagstaff. * 1987 ** Phoenix receives visits from both

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

and

Mother Teresa Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu, MC (; 26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997), better known as Mother Teresa ( sq, Nënë Tereza), was an Indian-Albanian Catholic nun who, in 1950, founded the Missionaries of Charity. Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu () was bo ...

. **

Mesa Historical Museum The Mesa Historical Museum is a historical museum in Mesa, Arizona, United States. It was opened in 1987 by the Mesa Historical Society to preserve the history of Mesa, Arizona. The museum's exhibits include a comprehensive history of Mesa, a re ...

opens. * 1988 ** Cardinals

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

team relocates to Phoenix. **

Telephone Pioneers of America Park Telephone Pioneers of America Park, also known as Telephone Pioneers Park or Telephone Park, is an adaptive recreation park serving the needs of physically disabled persons in Phoenix, Arizona. The park opened in 1988 from private donations coll ...

, the first barrier-free park in the United States, for disabled Americans, opens in Phoenix. **

Red Mountain High School Red Mountain High School is a four-year public high school in the eastern part of Mesa, Arizona. It opened in 1988 with Robert Free as the founding principal. In the 1994–95 and 1995-96 school years, it was honored as a Blue Ribbon school. RMHS ...

opens in Mesa. **

Titan Missile Museum The Titan Missile Museum, also known as Air Force Facility Missile Site 8 or as Titan II ICBM Site 571-7, is a former ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) site located about south of Tucson, Arizona in the United States. It was constructed ...

, site of Titan Missile Site 571–7, opens, the only remaining Titan ICBM complex in the United States. * 1989 ** Sunnyslope Historical Society founded in Phoenix. **

Arizona Center Arizona Center is a shopping center and office complex located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. Layout Arizona Center features two office buildings, retail and a 24-screen AMC theatre. One Arizona Center is tall and has 19 floors. It was comp ...

built. **

Herberger Theater Center Herberger Theater Center is an indoor performing arts venue featuring three stages in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, whose mission is to support and foster the growth of performing arts in Phoenix as the premier performance venue, arts incubator and ...

(HTC) opens in Phoenix. ** Voters in Phoenix turn down a $10 billion referendum for a valley-wide rapid transit system, due to the cost and dissatisfaction with the elevated portions of the proposed system. ** Phoenix Grand Prix is run in Downtown Phoenix in June. ** Annual Ostrich Festival begins in Chandler. ** Chandler Center for the Arts opens. ** Fountain Hills is incorporated.

1990s

* 1990 ** The Barry Goldwater Terminal (terminal 4) opens at Sky harbor airport with 5 concourses and 44 gates. ** November 10: The Desert Sky Pavilion (currently named the

Ak-Chin Pavilion Ak-Chin Pavilion (originally known as the Desert Sky Pavilion) is an amphitheater located in Phoenix, Arizona, which seats 8,106 under a pavilion roof and an additional 12,000 on a hillside behind the main stands. It opened on November 11, 1990 ...

) opens in Phoenix. Billy Joel is its first act. **

The Stack The Stack is a colloquialism used to describe the symmetrical, four-level stack interchange in Phoenix, Arizona that facilitates movements between Interstate 17/ U.S. Route 60 and Interstate 10. Description In 2006, the Stack interchange saw an ...

(road interchange) and

Papago Freeway Tunnel The Papago Freeway Tunnel, better known to Phoenix residents as the Deck Park Tunnel, is a vehicular underpass built underneath Downtown Phoenix. It was built as part of Interstate Highway 10 in Phoenix, Arizona. Route The underpass extends fro ...

open in Phoenix. **

Superstition Springs Center Superstition Springs Center is a shopping mall located in Mesa, Arizona. It is owned by Macerich, and was developed by Westcor. The mall features the traditional retailers Dillard's, JCPenney, and Macy's in addition to an 8-screen Picture Show. ...

opens in Mesa. ** First section of

Arizona State Route 202 Arizona State Route 202 (SR 202) or Loop 202 is a semi-beltway circling the eastern and southern areas of the Phoenix metropolitan area in central Arizona. It traverses the eastern end and the southern end of the city of Phoenix, ...

opens; downtown

was removed to make way for it. ** During the 1980s, Phoenix annexed 99.33 square miles of land, now totaling 420.36 square miles. ** Population in Phoenix reaches 983,403; population of Mesa hits 288,091; population of Tucson reaches 405,390; population of Chandler stands at 90,533. * 1991 ** Viad Tower built in Phoenix. ** Phoenix transit implements a Bus Card Plus Program, allowing participants reduced fares. ** East Valley Institute of Technology Main campus opens in Mesa. **

Biosphere 2 Biosphere 2 is an American Earth system science research facility located in Oracle, Arizona. Its mission is to serve as a center for research, outreach, teaching, and lifelong learning about Earth, its living systems, and its place in the univers ...

built in Tucson. **

Coconino County Community College Coconino Community College (CCC) is a public community college in Coconino County, Arizona. It enrolls more than 7,500 learners annually. The college offers more than 50 associate degrees and certificates. Scholarships are available through the ...

opens in Flagstaff. * 1992 **

America West Arena Footprint Center (formerly known as America West Arena, US Airways Center, Talking Stick Resort Arena and Phoenix Suns Arena) is a multi-purpose arena in Phoenix, Arizona. Built in the regional population center of the southwestern United Sta ...

opens in Phoenix. ** Bike racks become available on all almost all buses citywide in Phoenix. ** Joe Arpaio elected Maricopa County Sheriff. **

Estrella Mountain Community College Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC) is a public community college in Avondale, Arizona. The college has been serving the Southwest Valley community since 1990 and at the Avondale campus since 1992. Estrella Mountain is one of the ten Mar ...

, part of the

, is established. * 1993 ** September 30: Williams Air Force Base closes after 52 years of military service. ** RPTA adopts the name, Valley Metro, for the regional transit system. Phoenix and Mesa become the first two systems in the valley to agree to the name. ** Phoenix wins the Carl Bertelsmann Prize, for the best run city government in the world. ** Arpaio creates Tent City, to help alleviate crowding. ** Salt River floods and destroys the new Mill Avenue Bridge in Phoenix. ** Steve Benson, a cartoonist for the Arizona Republic, wins the Pulitzer Prize. ** Construction of th
Central Arizona Project
was completed. * 1994 **

John B. Nelson John B. Nelson (born January 12, 1936) is an American Republican politician, former city councilman of Phoenix, Arizona former member of the Arizona House of Representatives and a former member of the Arizona Senate. Nelson is a member of the Re ...

becomes mayor if Phoenix, succeeded by

Thelda Williams Thelda Marie Williams (née Bender) is an American politician and has served as a city councilor in Phoenix, Arizona since 1985. She has been appointed multiple times as interim Mayor of Phoenix Biography Williams, who had served on the Phoenix ...

and

Skip Rimsza Anton "Skip" Rimsza (born March 31, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American politician and was a mayor of Phoenix, Arizona from 1994 to 2004. Biography Skip Rimsza was born March 31, 1955 in Chicago, Illinois. His parents were Anton Vincent ...

. ** The 20-story Phoenix City Hall opens. ** Williams Gateway Airport in operation. ** Low-floor buses are added to the Valley Metro fleet. ** Radio station

KSED KSED (107.5 FM) is a radio station licensed to Sedona, Arizona, United States, and serving the Flagstaff-Prescott, Arizona area. Owned by Stone Canyon Media Group, the station broadcasts a country music format. History KSED signed on in Spr ...

begins broadcasting out of Flagstaff. ** Peoria Sports Complex opens. * 1995 **

Burton Barr Central Library The Burton Barr Central Library is the central library of Phoenix, Arizona. It is the flagship location and administrative headquarters for the Phoenix Public Library. It was named in honor of Burton Barr, the Republican Majority Leader in the ...

opens in Phoenix. ** Valley Metro becomes the first municipal bus service in the country to accept credit cards. ** Robotic Lunar Observatory opens in Flagstaff. * 1996 ** Amtrak discontinues service to Phoenix. ** September 24: Construction begins on a new Central Station for Valley Metro, near Central and Van Buren Avenues. **

Arizona State University at the Polytechnic campus Arizona State University Polytechnic campus is a public university in Mesa, Arizona. It is one of five campuses of Arizona State University. Founded as ASU East, the campus opened in fall 1996 on the former Williams Air Force Base in southeast ...

opens on the former Williams Air Force Base. ** Sun Valley High School opens in Mesa. ** Goodricke-Pigott Observatory dedicated in Tucson. **

Museum of Contemporary Art, Tucson The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Tucson, Arizona, United States, was founded in 1997, by Julia Latane, James Graham, and David Wright. The museum was founded to create a permanent institution for contemporary art in Tucson's arts distri ...

founded. * 1997 ** Hayden Flour Mill, which in the late 1800s supplied most of the flour for the state of Arizona, closes after 123 years. **

Phoenix Lights The Phoenix Lights (sometimes called the "Lights Over Phoenix") were a series of widely sighted unidentified flying objects observed in the skies over the southwestern states of Arizona and Nevada on March 13, 1997. Lights of varying descript ...

, alleged UFO sighting, seen over the city. ** The new HoHoKam Stadium opens in Mesa. * 1998 ** Sixth concourse added to the Barry Goldwater Terminal at Sky Harbor airport. ** Arizona Diamondbacks begin play in the National League as an expansion team. ** Bank One Ballpark, currently called Chase Field, opens in Phoenix. ** Anthem, Arizona, just north of Phoenix, is begun. ** Hamilton High School, the second high school in Chandler, opens. **

Maryvale Baseball Park American Family Fields of Phoenix, formerly known as Maryvale Baseball Park and briefly as Brewers Fields of Phoenix, is a baseball park located in the Maryvale community of Phoenix, Arizona. The facility is owned and operated by the city's Pa ...

, Spring training venue for the Milwaukee Brewers, opens. ** Radio station

KWMX KWMX (96.7 FM, "96.7 The Wolf") is a radio station licensed to Williams, Arizona and serving the Flagstaff–Prescott, Arizona area. Owned by Stone Canyon Media Group, the station broadcasts a classic rock format. History KWMX signed on in 1998 ...

begins broadcasting out of Williams. * 1999 **

Tempe Town Lake Tempe Town Lake is an artificial perennial reservoir located just north of Tempe Butte at the confluence of the intermittent Salt River (Arizona), Salt River and the ephemeral Indian Bend Wash Area, Indian Bend Wash in Tempe, Arizona, United State ...

is completed. ** Skyline High School opens in Mesa. ** Chandler Fire Department becomes one of only 14 fire departments in the world accredited by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International. ** San Rafael State Natural Area created on site of San Rafael ranch.

21st century

2000–09

* 2000 ** Bank of America Tower built in Phoenix. **

Ro Ho En The Japanese Friendship Garden is a Japanese stroll garden located in Phoenix, Arizona. The garden encompasses and includes a tea garden and tea house. It is a joint project of the sister cities of Phoenix, Arizona, and Himeji, Japan. The Japa ...

, the Japanese friendship garden between Phoenix and its sister-city,

Himeji City file:Himeji City Hall 20180505.jpg, 260px, Himeji City Hall is a Cities of Japan, city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 525,682 in 227,099 households and a population density of ...

, Japan, opens. **

Sandra Day O'Connor United States Courthouse The Sandra Day O'Connor United States Courthouse is a courthouse at 401 West Washington Street in Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona. Pursuant to , enacted by the United States Congress, it is named after Sandra Day O'Connor, who served as an ...

opens in Phoenix. ** During the 1990s, Phoenix annexed 54.79 square miles of land, now totaling 475.15 square miles. ** "Transit 2000" proposition passes, approving construction of 24 miles of light rail with Phoenix city limits, named

Valley Metro Rail Valley Metro Rail (styled as METRO) is a light rail line serving the cities of Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa in Arizona, USA. The network, which is part of the Valley Metro public transit system, began operations on December 27, 2008. In , the sys ...

. ** Tempe city council passes motion approving an additional 5 miles of light rail to be constructed and linked to the Phoenix light rail system. ** Population of Phoenix reaches 1,321,045; population in Mesa reaches 396,375. * 2001 ** Glendale voters approve a sales tax increase to fund transportation improvements, including 5 miles of light rail to connect with the Metro Light Rail. ** Arizona Diamondbacks defeat the New York Yankees in the World Series. **

Anselmo Valencia Tori Amphitheater Anselmo Valencia Tori Amphitheater (commonly AVA Amphitheater) is the first amphitheater concert facility, in Tucson, Arizona, with a capacity of about 4,500-5,000. It officially opened on October 14, 2001, as part of the new Casino Del Sol, loca ...

opens in Tucson. ** Casa Verde High School opens in Casa Grande as a charter high school. * 2002 ** Comerica Theatre opens in Phoenix. **

Desert Ridge High School Desert Ridge High School (DRHS) was founded in 2002 in Mesa, Arizona, and is part of Gilbert Public Schools Gilbert Unified School District #41 (GUSD), also known as Gilbert Public Schools (GPS), is a school district based in Gilbert, Arizona ...

opens; physically located in Mesa, it is part of

Gilbert Public Schools Gilbert Unified School District #41 (GUSD), also known as Gilbert Public Schools (GPS), is a school district based in Gilbert, Arizona, United States in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The district is the 7th largest in Arizona, and serves over ...

. ** Basha High School, named for Eddie Basha, Jr., opens in Chandler. * 2003 ** Construction begins on Metro Light Rail in Phoenix. ** Arizona Roller Derby headquartered in Phoenix. ** Jobing.com Arena, currently known as the Gila River Arena, opens in Glendale. * 2004 ** Phil Gordon becomes mayor. ** Maricopa County voters approve a 20-year continuation of the 1985 sales tax to fund transportation needs. The plan includes almost $25 billion in funding for: freeways, bus transit expansion, light rail, city streets, and bike and pedestrian paths. ** The

Translational Genomics Research Institute The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a non-profit genomics research institute based in Arizona, United States. History and activities TGen was established in 2002 by Jeffrey Trent in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. T ...

opens in downtown Phoenix. **

Mini Stack The Mini Stack is the freeway interchange among Interstate 10, State Route 51, and Loop 202 in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, located northeast of downtown. Reconstructed in 2004 to its current setup, the interchange, which is the busiest in ...

(road interchange) built in Phoenix. * 2005 ** The seventh concourse is added to the Barry Goldwater Terminal at Sky Harbor airport, bringing the total number of gates in the terminal to 84. ** America West and US Airlines merge, creating the nation's fifth-largest airline. **

Mesa Arts Center The Mesa Arts Center is a performing and visual arts complex in downtown Mesa, Arizona. At more than square feet, the $95 million facility, completed in 2005, is the largest comprehensive arts campus in the state.Mesa Arts Center. (n.d.). ''Fa ...

built. **

Mesa Miners The Mesa Miners were an independent professional baseball team based in Mesa, Arizona. They began as a member of the Arizona Division of the now-defunct Golden Baseball League in 2005. The original team became known as the Reno Silver Sox in 2 ...

baseball team is founded. ** Mesa adopts city flag. **

Jewish History Museum (Tucson) The Jewish History Museum, formerly known as the Jewish Heritage Center of the Southwest, is a museum housed in a historic synagogue building in Tucson, Arizona. The museum's building, which housed the first synagogue in the Arizona Territory, i ...

established. **

Southern Arizona Transportation Museum The Southern Arizona Transportation Museum is a railroad museum in Tucson, Arizona. It is located in the former records vault building at the former Southern Pacific Depot, which was renovated by the City of Tucson in 2004. The museum does not c ...

dedicated in Tucson. * 2006 **

Phoenix Metropolitan Opera The Phoenix Opera is a professional opera company located in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. It is an affiliate member of OPERA America.Cardinals Stadium State Farm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Glendale, Arizona, United States, west of Phoenix. It is the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) and the annual Fiesta Bowl. State Farm Stadium replaced Sun Devil S ...

, now titled State Farm Stadium, opens. ** Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport begins operations on the site of the closed Williams AFB. **

Peoria Center for the Performing Arts The Peoria Center for the Performing Arts is a community theater and event space located in the historic Old Town district of Peoria, Arizona. The building houses two theaters. The venue was completed and a dedication ceremony was held on Decemb ...

opens. * 2007 ** July 27: News helicopter collision. **

Phoenix Mercury The Phoenix Mercury are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference (WNBA), Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded before the league ...

win the WNBA championship. **

Mesa Riverview Mesa Riverview is an outdoor shopping center in Mesa, Arizona (part of the Phoenix metropolitan area) located in the northwestern corner of the city near Loop 202 and Dobson Road. The shopping center has a gross leasable area of 1,115,112 squar ...

opens. ** United States Penitentiary, Tucson in operation. ** Perry High School opens in Gilbert. It is the fourth high school in the Chandler Unified School District. * 2008 **

begins operation in Phoenix. ** Sycamore Drive and Main Street

station opens, in front of the former

location; it is the first Metro Light Rail station in Mesa. **

44 Monroe 44 Monroe is a US$70 million, residential high-rise building, located at the northeast corner of Monroe Street and First Avenue in Downtown Phoenix, Arizona. The 34-story tower is currently Arizona's tallest residential structure. History In 20 ...

built in Phoenix. **

Super Bowl XLII Super Bowl XLII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...

played at University of Phoenix Stadium. The New York Giants defeat the New England Patriots. ** In Phoenix, Squaw Peak is renamed Piestewa Peak, in honor of the first Native American woman killed in combat, Lori Piestewa. * 2009 **

Phoenix Civic Space Park Civic Space Park is an urban park in Downtown Phoenix, Arizona which first opened to the public in April 2009. It is located directly across Central Avenue from the main part of the ASU Downtown Campus. It is also located north of the Central ...

opens. **

Freeport-McMoRan Center Freeport-McMoRan Center (formerly One Central Park East) is a highrise located in Downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It is located adjacent to Arizona State University's Downtown campus. Upon completion in 2009, the building was the first high-rise offi ...

built in Phoenix. ** Arizona Cardinals lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII. ** Desert Proving Ground Yuma opens, replacing the General Motors Desert Proving Grounds in Mesa.

2010s

* 2010 ** The Musical Instrument Museum, the largest museum of its type in the world, opens in Phoenix. ** Tempe Town Lake dam bursts. ** Population of Phoenix reaches 1,445,632,

metro Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to: Geography * Metro (city), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...

4,192,887; population of Mesa reaches 439,041; population of Tucson reaches 520,116. * 2011 ** January 8:

Shooting Shooting is the act or process of discharging a projectile from a ranged weapon (such as a gun, bow, crossbow, slingshot, or blowpipe). Even the acts of launching flame, artillery, darts, harpoons, grenades, rockets, and guided missiles can ...

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

Gabby Giffords and eighteen others in Casas Adobes, Tucson. ** July 5: Major sandstorm (haboob) hits Phoenix. ** University of Arizona's Center for Social Cohesion active. ** East Valley Institute of Technology East campus opened, adjacent to ASU Polytechnic. ** Chandler Museum opens in the McCullough-Price House. * 2012 ** Greg Stanton becomes mayor of Phoenix. ** CityScape building constructed in Phoenix. ** February 22:

Republican Party presidential primaries Presidential primaries have been held in the United States since 1912 to nominate the Republican presidential candidate. 1912 This was the first time that candidates were chosen through primaries. President William Taft ran to become the nomine ...

debate held. * 2013 **

Mesa Grande Mesa Grande Cultural Park, in Mesa, Arizona, preserves a group of Hohokam structures constructed during the Classic Period. The ruins were occupied between AD 1100 and 1400 ( Pueblo II – Pueblo IV Era) and were a product of the Hohokam civil ...

Cultural Park opens. ** Matt Salmon becomes

U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

for

Arizona's 5th congressional district Arizona's 5th congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of Arizona, currently represented by Republican Andy Biggs. The district contains Gilbert, Queen Creek, southern and eastern Chandler, and eastern Mesa ...

and

Kyrsten Sinema Kyrsten Lea Sinema (; born July 12, 1976) is an American politician and former social worker serving as the senior United States senator from Arizona since January 2019. A former member of the Democratic Party, Sinema became an independent in ...

becomes

for

Arizona's 9th congressional district Arizona's 9th congressional district was created as a result of the 2010 Census. The first candidates ran in the 2012 House elections, and the first representative was seated for the 113th Congress in 2013. Formerly located in the Phoenix are ...

. ** Population in Phoenix estimate of 1,513,367. * 2014 –

Cubs Park Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago Wh ...

opens in Mesa. * 2015 ** January 1: The Lowell Discovery Telescope, constructed with funding from the Discovery Channel, and owned by

becomes fully operational. ** Renovations begin on Terminal 3 at Sky Harbor airport, part of a 3-phase redevelopment of the terminal expected to be completed in 2020. **

Casteel High School Casteel High School is a junior high and high school in Queen Creek, Arizona, the fifth public high school operated by the Chandler Unified School District Chandler Unified School District serves most of the city of Chandler, Arizona, plus porti ...

opens. First class will begin attending school in September.

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

* * Phoenix Public Library
Arizona Room
(local history) {{U.S. political divisions histories History of Arizona

Arizona-related lists Years in Arizona