HomeOhioDayton

Dayton, Ohio

Located in Montgomery County, Ohio, Dayton was founded in 1796. The Wright Brothers built and tested their aircraft in Dayton before flying at Kitty Hawk. The Dayton Peace Accords that ended the Bosnian War were negotiated at Wright-Patterson AFB.
Founded 1796 | Population 137,011 | Peak 137,011 (2024) | County Montgomery County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Dayton, Ohio

undefined
1903 Wright Brothers First Flight Prep: Wilbur and Orville Wright build and test aircraft in their Dayton bicycle shop before Kitty Hawk.
undefined
1913 Great Flood of 1913: Catastrophic flooding kills 360+. Leads to creation of Miami Conservancy District — pioneering flood control.
undefined
1917 Wright-Patterson AFB Origins: McCook Field established for aviation research. Evolves into Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
undefined
1948 Dayton Accords Predecessor: City becomes center for defense research through WPAFB.
undefined
1995 Dayton Peace Accords: Bosnia peace agreement negotiated at Wright-Patterson AFB, ending Bosnian War.
undefined
2000 GM Plant Closures: Loss of manufacturing jobs accelerates economic decline.
undefined
2019 Oregon District Mass Shooting: Gunman kills 9 in entertainment district. City mourns and demands gun reform.
🧠
How Well Do You Know Dayton?
5 questions • 2 minutes
Take the Quiz →

Latest News in Dayton

May 22, 2016
Police 3 Year Old Boy Kills 1 Year Old
CLEVELAND, Ohio — In a tragic turn of events on May 22, 2016, a 3-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed his 1-year-old sibli…
May 19, 2016
Caring Nurse Gives Veteran Shoes his Own Feet
A small town hospital in Ohio, May 19, 2016 — In a moment that captured the quiet kindness often found in everyday heroes, a nur…
May 10, 2016
Southwests Kind Gesture Towards Mom Comatose Son Leaves Lasting Impression
In the midst of a family’s heartache, Southwest Airlines stepped in with a simple act of kindness that touched lives back in…
May 8, 2016
Family Makes Horrific Discovery Their Kitchen Photo
An ordinary family in suburban Ohio got the shock of a lifetime on May 8, 2016, when they stumbled upon something truly unsettling…
May 6, 2016
12 Year Old Rape Victim Made her Abortion Decision Based Doctors Response
In a heartbreaking case that gripped the nation back in May 2016, a 12-year-old girl in Ohio made the difficult choice to end her …
Apr 23, 2016
Concerned Mother Issues Warning All Parents Out There Photos
April 23, 2016 — A mother in suburban Ohio took to social media last week to sound the alarm for parents everywhere, sharing a s…

Complete Historical Timeline

1903 Science
Wright Brothers First Flight Prep
1913 Disaster
Great Flood of 1913
1917 Government
Wright-Patterson AFB Origins
1948 Government
Dayton Accords Predecessor
1995 Politics
Dayton Peace Accords
2000 Business
GM Plant Closures
2019 Crime
Oregon District Mass Shooting

Did You Know?

1
The Wright Brothers built and tested their aircraft in Dayton before flying at Kitty Hawk.
2
The Dayton Peace Accords that ended the Bosnian War were negotiated at Wright-Patterson AFB.
3
Dayton's 1913 flood led to pioneering flood control engineering that became a model worldwide.
4
Dayton is located in Montgomery County, Ohio.
5
Dayton was founded in 1796.

Famous People from Dayton, Ohio

JW
Jonathan Winters
Screenwriter, Actor · Born Nov 11, 1925 · Died Apr 11, 2013 (age 87)
MS
Martin Sheen
Actor, Television Producer · Born Aug 3, 1940 · Age 85
NB
Natalie Clifford Barney
Writer, Poet · Born Oct 31, 1876 · Died Feb 2, 1972 (age 95)
TS
Timothy Snyder
Writer, Historian · Born Aug 18, 1969 · Age 56
NC
Nancy Cartwright
Screenwriter, Actor · Born Oct 25, 1957 · Age 68

Other Cities in Ohio

View all Ohio cities →
C
Columbus
Pop. 905,748
C
Cleveland
Pop. 372,624
C
Cincinnati
Pop. 309,317
T
Toledo
Pop. 263,314
A
Akron
Pop. 189,423
P
Parma
Pop. 79,000
See something that needs correcting?
We take accuracy seriously. Help us keep Dayton's history right.