Portland, Oregon

1948Vanport Flood: The Columbia River breached a dike and destroyed Vanport, Oregon's second-largest city, in 35 minutes. Over 18,000 people were displaced, many of them Black workers who had come for wartime shipbuilding jobs.

1905Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition: The world's fair drew 1.6 million visitors to Portland, showcasing the city and the Pacific Northwest to a national audience for the first time.

1973Urban Growth Boundary Established: Oregon created the first statewide urban growth boundary, preventing sprawl around Portland and preserving farmland. The policy shaped Portland's identity as a dense, transit-friendly, environmentally conscious city.

2020Sustained Racial Justice Protests: Following the killing of George Floyd, Portland experienced over 100 consecutive nights of protests. Federal agents were deployed to the city, intensifying the confrontation.

1845Portland Named by Coin Toss: Founders Asa Lovejoy and Francis Pettygrove flipped a coin to name their new settlement. Pettygrove won and named it after his hometown of Portland, Maine.

1986Light Rail Opens: Portland's MAX light rail system opened, becoming a model for transit-oriented development across America.

1962Columbus Day Storm: The most powerful non-tropical storm to hit the Pacific Northwest brought 116 mph winds to Portland, killing 46 people across Oregon and causing catastrophic damage.

1851Portland Incorporated: Portland was incorporated with a population of about 800, strategically positioned at the head of navigation on the Willamette River.

1996Craft Beer Capital: Portland emerged as America's craft beer capital with more breweries per capita than any other city, a distinction it has maintained for decades.

1977Harbor Drive Removal: Portland demolished a major waterfront highway and replaced it with Tom McCall Waterfront Park, pioneering the urban park movement decades before other cities followed.