1579Infrastructure
In 1579, Sir Francis Drake was purported to have sought shelter for his ship, the Golden Hinde, around Cape Arago.
1852Government
=== 19th century ===
The earliest settlement of European Americans in the area was in January 1852 when survivors of the Captain Lincoln shipwreck established Camp Castaway unt...
1853Government
There has been a permanent settlement on Coos Bay since 1853, when the town of Marshfield was founded there and named after the Massachusetts hometown of its founder, J.
1857Government
The first Methodist church in the area was established in 1857.
1858Government
Empire City post office was established in 1858 and ran until 1894, when it was renamed Empire.
1866Architecture
By 1866 the inhabitants, who were reliant on the sea for their income, had built the Cape Arago Light.
1870Government
1870 saw Coos Bay set up its first, and the state's 48th, chartered Masonic Lodge.
1871History
The setting up of a post office in 1871 and the arrival of the Coos Bay Wagon Road in the town a year later connected Coos County with the Umpqua River valley in neighboring Dou...
1874Government
With this development, the incorporation of Marshfield came in 1874.
1882Architecture
Coos Bay Iron Works, a producer of logging equipment, opened in 1882 and is still in business on Front Street, using a variety of antique tools dating to the Industrial Revolution.
1888Government
One of the nation's oldest still-operating machine shops, the Nelson Machine Works-Coos Bay Iron Works, was founded in 1888.
1891Government
East Marshfield post office was established in 1891 and it operated intermittently until 1908, when the name was changed to Eastside.
1902Crime
=== 20th century ===
==== Alonzo Tucker ====
On September 18, 1902, the only lynching ever to be documented in Oregon occurred in Coos Bay, of Alonzo Tucker, an African-Ameri...
1906History
==== Consolidation ====
Several votes to consolidate or merge cities around Coos Bay were held in the 20th century, beginning in 1906.
1916Architecture
In 1916 a rail line was completed that linked the region to other interior settlements and towns, which increased commercial trade and tourism Significant urban growth occurred ...
1925Architecture
Built in 1925, the theatre was closed in 2005, but it was reopened shortly after by a nonprofit agency.
1931Education
This 100-acre (0.40 km2) marine station was first deeded to the University of Oregon in 1931.
1936Architecture
The completion of the North Bend Bridge (now McCullough Memorial Bridge) in 1936 and the Roosevelt Highway significantly improved modern transportation connections and provided ...
1944History
What now makes up the central district of Coos Bay was called Marshfield until November 10, 1944.
1950Culture
== Arts and culture ==
=== Museums and other attractions ===
Coos Art Museum, a museum in Downtown Coos Bay, has operated since 1950.
1962History
In May 1962 and November 1962, voters in Coos County rejected propositions that would have merged the cities of Coos Bay, North Bend, Empire, and Eastside into a single city.
1964History
Empire voted to merge with Coos Bay in December 1964 and was approved by the city council the following month.
1965History
In 1965, the city of Empire voted to consolidate with Coos Bay.
1978Government
Oregon Coast Music Festival is an annual festival held the last two weeks of July, founded in 1978.
1982Culture
Blackberry Arts Festival is an annual festival that began in 1982, held in August, that showcases local arts, crafts, food and entertainment in the historic Marshfield District.
1983History
Eastside's merger was approved in November 1983 and took effect on December 29, 1983.
1999History
On February 4, 1999, a Japanese ship named the New Carissa ran aground on a beach 2.75 miles (4.3 km) north of the entrance to Coos Bay, drawing international attention to the a...
2000History
=== 2000 census ===
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,374 people, 6,497 households, and 4,028 families residing in the city.
2002Disaster
=== 21st century ===
The worst loss of life for a fire department in modern Oregon history occurred in Coos Bay on November 25, 2002, when three firefighters were killed by a st...
2008History
In 2008, the stern of the New Carissa was cut into pieces and removed from the beach.
2009History
The record high temperature of 102 °F (38.9 °C) was recorded on September 22, 2009, and the record low of 12 °F (−11.1 °C) was recorded on December 21, 1990.
2010History
=== 2010 census ===
As of the census of 2010, there were 15,967 people, 6,950 households, and 3,991 families residing in the city.
2011Culture
Closed again in 2011, the Egyptian Theatre Preservation Association and the Coos Bay Urban Renewal Agency were successful in raising enough money to reopen in June 2014.
2012History
== Renewable energy ==
In 2012, Ocean Power Technologies proposed a commercial wave park in North America at Coos Bay.
2014Military
Ocean Power Technologies surrendered the project's permit in 2014, citing high costs and "a difficult regulatory process".
2015Architecture
The museum opened in Spring 2015.
2017History
Oregon's Bay Area (also called the Coos Bay Micropolitan Statistical Area) has a total urban population of 31,995 (2017), and a MSA population of 64,709 (2012).