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Wilmington, North Carolina

Located in New Hanover County, North Carolina, Wilmington was founded in 1739. The 1898 Wilmington coup is the only successful overthrow of an elected government in U.S. history. Wilmington's film studios have produced Dawson's Creek, One Tree Hill, and Iron Man 3.
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Founded 1739 | Population 131,000 | Peak 131,000 (2024) | County New Hanover County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Wilmington, North Carolina

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1739 Port City Founded: Major colonial port on Cape Fear River.
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1861 Civil War Blockade Running: Last major Confederate port for blockade runners.
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1898 Wilmington Coup: Only successful coup d'état in U.S. history. White supremacists overthrow elected government.
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1942 Battleship North Carolina: WWII battleship eventually docked as museum in Wilmington.
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1984 Film Industry Arrives: EUE Screen Gems Studios opens; Wilmington becomes 'Hollywood East.'.
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2018 Hurricane Florence: Category 1 hurricane stalls and dumps record rainfall; catastrophic flooding.
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Latest News in Wilmington

Jan 1, 1970
Outrage as State Worker Keys Teslas and Gets Slap on Wrist
Minnesota state employee Dylan Bryan Adams was recently arrested for a series of deliberate acts of vandalism targeting Tesla vehi…
Jan 1, 1970
North Carolina’s New ‘Abolitionist’ Judge Sparks Outrage
Habekah Cannon, a far-left Democrat, has secured a seat as a judge in North Carolina, igniting widespread controversy and drawing …
Jan 1, 1970
Missouri High School Students Walk Out Protest Transgender Girl
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (March 7, 2016) — Tensions boiled over at a Missouri high school on Monday when dozens of students staged a …
Jan 1, 1970
Carson Weighs Criticism Voter Id Laws Are Racist
Washington, D.C. – In the heat of the 2016 presidential race, Ben Carson, the retired neurosurgeon turned Republican candidate, …
Jan 1, 1970
Us Episcopal Church Installs its First Black Presiding Bishop
Washington, D.C. – The Episcopal Church broke new ground on February 15, 2016, when it installed its first African American as p…
Jan 1, 1970
Rev Franklin Graham Islam and Christianity do not Worship Same God
On January 17, 2016, evangelical leader Franklin Graham stirred debate with a bold declaration that Islam and Christianity do not …

Complete Historical Timeline

1739 Culture
Port City Founded
1861 Disaster
Civil War Blockade Running
1898 Civil Rights
Wilmington Coup
1942 Government
Battleship North Carolina
1984 Culture
Film Industry Arrives
2018 Disaster
Hurricane Florence

Did You Know?

1
The 1898 Wilmington coup is the only successful overthrow of an elected government in U.S. history.
2
Wilmington's film studios have produced Dawson's Creek, One Tree Hill, and Iron Man 3.
3
Battleship North Carolina participated in every major Pacific naval offensive in WWII.
4
Wilmington is located in New Hanover County, North Carolina.
5
Wilmington was founded in 1739.

Famous People from Wilmington, North Carolina

SL
Sugar Ray Leonard
Actor, Boxer · Born May 17, 1956 · Age 69
AD
Ariana DeBose
Actor, Singer · Born Jan 25, 1991 · Age 35
S
Stoya
Actor, Writer · Born Jun 15, 1986 · Age 39
SJ
Sam Jones
Basketball Player, Basketball Coach · Born Jun 24, 1933 · Died Dec 30, 2021 (age 88)
CD
Charlie Daniels
Actor, Composer · Born Oct 28, 1936 · Died Jul 6, 2020 (age 83)

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D
Durham
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D
Durham
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