This timeline is a chronology of significant events in the history of theU.S.State of Colorado and the historical area now occupied by the state.
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | January 24 | Amber McReynolds, Chair of theBoard of Governors of the United States Postal Service, andColorado GovernorJared Polis unveil theColorado statehood sesquicentennial postage stamp at theHistory Colorado Center inDenver. Theforever stamp was designed by USPS art director Derry Noyes and features a photograph of 13,826-foot (4,214 m) Jagged Mountain in theWeminuche Wilderness by Colorado nature photographer John Feilder.[1] |
| January 6 | TheUnited States Department of Health and Human Services announces $10 billion cuts to child care and other programs in California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York.GovernorJared Polis suspects retribution.[2] | |
| January 1 | AFort Collins woman is killed by acougar while hiking on the Crosier Mountain Trail nearGlen Haven.[3] | |
| 2025 | December 30 | PresidentDonald Trump vetoes H.R. 131, the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act, sponsored byRepresentativeLauren Boebert.[4] |
| December 17 | Russell Vought, director of the White HouseOffice of Management and Budget, announces that theNational Science Foundation will close theNational Center for Atmospheric Research inBoulder, the nation's premier center for weather and climate research.[5] This dismantlement is part of theProject 2025 effort to impede weather and climate research in the United States.[6] | |
| December 11 | PresidentDonald Trump issues a federal pardon forTina Peters who is serving a nine year sentence for election tampering in Colorado. Colorado officials ignore the federal pardon.[7] | |
| December 1 | TheUnited States Department of Energy announces that theNational Renewable Energy Laboratory has been renamed theNational Laboratory of the Rockies.[8] This renaming reflects theProject 2025 effort to impede renewable energy research in the United States.[9][10] | |
| September 10 | A 16-year-oldEvergreen High School student opens fire at the school, seriously wounding two students and then killing himself.[11] | |
| August 2 | Lightening ignites theLee Fire nearMeeker. Thewildfire will burn over 216 square miles (560 km2).[12][13] | |
| July 27 | American Airlines Flight 3023, aBoeing 737 MAX 8 plane carrying 173 passengers and six crew members on board, aborted takeoff in Denver after a suspected landing gear failure and a fire forced passengers to evacuate via emergency slides. One person was taken a medical facility and five people were evaluated for injuries at the scene.[14] | |
| July 10 | Wildfires erupt on both rims ofBlack Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, closing the park.Dry thunderstorms ignite numerous wildfires in the region.[15] | |
| June 11 | Cale Makar of theColorado Avalanche wins his secondJames Norris Memorial Trophy.[16] | |
| June 1 | In a terror attack inBoulder, aCimarron Hills manburns 15 predominately elderly persons demonstrating in support ofIsraeli hostages inGaza.[17] Karen Diamond, 82 of Boulder, will die on June 25 from her injuries.[18] | |
| March 13 | American Airlines Flight 1006, aBoeing 737-800 flying fromColorado Springs Airport en route toDallas-Fort Worth International Airport diverted toDenver International Airport inColorado after experiencing high engine vibrations. After landing, the right engine caught fire shortly before or shortly after arriving at the gate. No emergency had previously been declared, and emergency fire equipment did not arrive for several minutes. Several dozen passengers deplaned using the left over-wing exits, but had to wait for ground crew to bring air stairs and ramps since trailing-edge wing flaps were not deployed as a slide. The other passengers used the air bridge and the right rear inflatable slide. All 172 passengers and 6 crew aboard the flight were evacuated safely, although twelve passengers were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.[19] | |
| February 27 | TheUnited States Department of Commerce announces the abrupt firing of hundreds ofNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration workers in Colorado. These firings are part of theProject 2025 effort to reduce federal support for scientific research in the United States.[20] | |
| 2024 | December 14 | Travis Hunter of theUniversity of ColoradoBuffaloes football team wins the 2024Heisman Trophy.[21] |
| November 5 | In the 2024 General Election, Colorado voters elect tenU.S. Presidential Electors forVice PresidentKamala Harris. Voters elect fourRepublicans to theU.S. House of Representatives:Jeff Hurd for the3rd District,Lauren Boebert for the4th District,Jeff Crank for the5th District, andGabe Evans for the8th District; and re-elect four of the five incumbentDemocraticU.S. Representatives. Democrats retain control of theColorado General Assembly. Voters addReproductive Freedom Amendment 79 to theConstitution of Colorado.[22] | |
| September 12 | TheUnited States Army decommissions thePueblo Chemical Depot.[23] | |
| August 12 | AMesa County jury finds former Mesa County ClerkTina Peters guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, three counts of attempting to influence a public servant, first-degree official misconduct, violation of duty, and failure to comply with an order from the Secretary of State in her attempt to proveelection fraud in the2020 U.S. presidential election. The jury finds Peters not guilty of a second count of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, criminal impersonation, and identity theft. Peters is the only election official convicted of criminal charges involvingstolen election conspiracy theories of the 2020 election.[24] | |
| August 11 | Jennifer Valente ofColorado Springs wins her second consequetivegold medal for thewomen's cycling omnium with 144 points at theGames of the XXXIII Olympiad inParis. She becomes the most decorated U.S. female Olympic cyclist ever with three gold and two silver Olympic medals.[25] | |
| August 10 | Mallory Swanson ofHighlands Ranch scores the lone goal asTeam USA defeatsBrazil 1–0 to win thewomen's football (soccer) tournament at theGames of the XXXIII Olympiad inParis. Mallory with four goals in tournament play,Sophia Smith ofWindsor with three goals and two assists, and Team CaptainLindsey Horan ofGolden with two assists receiveOlympic gold medals.[26] | |
| August 7 | Sarah Hildebrandt ofColorado Springs wins thegold medal forwomen's 50 kilogram freestyle wrestling at theGames of the XXXIII Olympiad inParis.[27] | |
| Team USA wins thewomen's cycling team pursuit with an average speed of 36.625 mph (58.942 km/h) at theGames of the XXXIII Olympiad inParis. As a member of the four rider team,Jennifer Valente ofColorado Springs wins anOlympic gold medal.[28] | ||
| August 5 | Valarie Allman ofLongmont wins her second consequetivegold medal for thewomen's discus throw with a throw of 195.2 feet (59.50 m) at theGames of the XXXIII Olympiad inParis.[29] | |
| June 27 | Nathan MacKinnon of theColorado Avalanche wins both theNHLHart Memorial Trophy and theTed Lindsay Award.[30] | |
| June 25 | Greg Lopez wins thecongressional vacancy election forColorado's 4th congressional district seat vacated byKen Buck on March 22. Lopez will take office on July 8.[31] | |
| May 8 | Nikola Jokić (Никола Јокић) of theDenver Nuggets wins his thirdNBA MVP Award in four seasons.[32] | |
| April 13 | TheUniversity of Denver men's ice hockey team defeats theBoston College men's ice hockey team by 2–0 to win theNCAA Division I men's ice hockey championship for a record tenth time.[33] | |
| March 22 | Ken Buck resigns asU.S. Representative forColorado's 4th congressional district, reducing theRepublicanmajority in theUnited States House of Representatives to 218–213.[34] Buck cites congressional dysfunction as the reason for his resignation. | |
| March 4 | TheUnited States Supreme Court rules in an unsigned ruling with no dissent inTrump v. Anderson that theColorado Supreme Court erred when it blockedDonald Trump from seeking public office.[35] | |
| February 8 | TheTown of Keystone incorporates as ahome rule municipality.[36] | |
| January 23 | FormerColorado Rockiesthird basemanTodd Helton is elected to theBaseball Hall of Fame.[37] | |
| 2023 | December 27 | U.S. RepresentativeLauren Boebert announces that she will not run for re-election fromColorado's 3rd congressional district in southwestern Colorado, but that she will instead seek election fromColorado's 4th congressional district in northeastern Colorado.[38] |
| December 19 | In a four-to-three decision, theColorado Supreme Court overrules District Court Judge Sarah B. Wallace and rules thatDonald Trump is no longer eligible to seek public office under the14th Amendment to the United States Constitution.[39] | |
| November 17 | Colorado District Court Judge Sarah B. Wallace rules thatDonald Trump did incite an insurrection against the United States in theJanuary 6 United States Capitol attack, but the14th Amendment to the United States Constitution does not preclude his appearance on a Colorado Presidential Primary ballot.[40] | |
| October 3 | U.S. RepresentativeKen Buck votes with seven otherRepublican representatives to removeKevin McCarthy asSpeaker of the United States House of Representatives.[41] | |
| September 17 | Sepp Kuss, "The Durango Kid," ofDurango wins the2023 Vuelta a España withTeam Jumbo–Visma.[42] | |
| September 15 | TheUnited States Board on Geographic Names votes to rename 14,271-foot (4,350 m) Mount Evans asMount Blue Sky.[43] | |
| September 13 | Five Colorado restaurants are awardedMichelin Guide Stars: Bosq inAspen; Frasca Food and Wine inBoulder, and Beckon, Brutø, and The Wolf's Tailor inDenver.[44] | |
| July 22 | Sophia Smith ofWindsor scores two goals in her firstFIFA Women's World Cup appearance and team co-captainLindsey Horan ofGolden scores another goal to lead the United States to a 3–0 victory overVietnam inAuckland,New Zealand.[45] | |
| July 17 | Mike Johnston is inaugurated as the46th Mayor of the City and County of Denver.[46] | |
| June 23 | Trey Parker andMatt Stone reopenCasa Bonita inLakewood which they modestly bill asThe Greatest Restaurant in the World![47] | |
| June 13 | Ten people are wounded in a Denver gunfight in the hours after the Denver Nuggets won the 2023 NBA Finals.[48] | |
| June 12 | TheDenver Nuggets defeat theMiami Heat four games to one to win the2023 NBA Finals and theLarry O'Brien Championship Trophy, their first in franchise history.Nikola Jokić (Никола Јокић) wins theBill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award.[49] | |
| May 3 | A Denver man is shot to death in an altercation with anotherTesla driver over access to anelectric charging station inEdgewater.[50] | |
| March 11 | Mikaela Shiffrin ofEagle-Vail wins theslalom ski race atÅre, Sweden setting the all-time world record with 87International Ski FederationWorld Cup wins.[51] | |
| 2022 | December 31 | TheU.S.National Institute of Standards and Technology eliminates the official use of theU.S. survey foot, changing the official U.S. definition of the foot from approximately 304.800 609 601 219 mm to theinternational foot of exactly 304.8 mm.[52] This slight measurement change alters many traditional survey and elevation measures in Colorado. TheMile-High City is now officially 0.127 inches (3.219 mm) lower than before. |
| November 19 | A gunman invades theClub Q nightclub inColorado Springs and shoots 24 people, killing five, and causes injuries to six more before being subdued by club patrons. The gunman is later arranged on 305 counts.[53] | |
| November 8 | Colorado voters reelectGovernorJared Polis and the other four incumbent state officers.Brittany Pettersen is electedU.S. Representative for the7th Congressional District, andYadira Caraveo is elected for the new8th Congressional District.U.S. SenatorMichael Bennet and the six incumbent U.S. Representatives are reelected.Democrats retain control of theColorado General Assembly.[54] | |
| October 12 | U.S. PresidentJoe Biden issues a proclamation creatingCamp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument on 53,804 acres (217.74 km2) ofWhite River National Forest.[55] TheUnited States Forest Service will manage the monument. | |
| June 26 | TheColorado Avalanche defeat the world championTampa Bay Lightning four games to two to win their thirdStanley Cup.Cale Makar is awarded theConn Smythe Trophy.[56] | |
| June 21 | Cale Makar of theColorado Avalanche wins theJames Norris Memorial Trophy.[57] | |
| June 8 | TheWalton-Penner family agrees to purchase theDenver Broncos Football Club for $4.65 billionUSD, a new world record price for a professional sports franchise.[58] | |
| May 11 | Nikola Jokić (Никола Јокић) of theDenver Nuggets wins his second consecutiveNBA MVP Award.[59] | |
| April 4 | Colorado GovernorJared Polis signs theReproductive Health Equity Act which guarantees access to reproductive care and affirms the rights of pregnant people to continue or terminate a pregnancy.[60] | |
| 2021 | December 30 | Fanned by winds gusting over 110 miles per hour (180 km/h), theMarshall Fire burns 6,026 acres (24.39 km2) in southeasternBoulder County in six hours and forces the evacuation of more than 30,000 residents. The wildfire kills two people and destroys 1,084 homes and seven businesses and damages another 149 homes and 40 businesses with total losses estimated to exceed US$2 billion, making it the most expensive natural disaster in state history.[61] |
| December 27 | A Denver gunman kills three Denver residents and twoLakewood residents before being killed by seriously woundedLakewood Police Agent Ashley Ferris.[62] | |
| December 10 | A mere 0.3 inch (0.8 cm) of snow falls on Denver, the latest first seasonal snowfall in recorded Denver history.[63] | |
| November 16 | TheKruger Rock Fire ignites nearEstes Park. Afire retardanttanker plane crashes while battling the wildfire, killing its pilot.[64] | |
| October 20 | TheUnited States Forest Service andColorado Parks and Wildlife announce a first-of-its-kind agreement to createSweetwater Lake State Park,Colorado's 43rd state park.[65] | |
| September 17 | Meow Wolf Convergence Station opens in Denver.[66] | |
| August 2 | Valarie Allman ofLongmont wins thegold medal for thewomen's discus throw at theGames of the XXXII Olympiad inTokyo.[67] | |
| July 26 | TheUnited States Space Force recommissionsPeterson Air Force Base,Schriever Air Force Base, andCheyenne Mountain Air Force Station asPeterson Space Force Base,Schriever Space Force Base, andCheyenne Mountain Space Force Station.[68] | |
| June 27 | The first of a series of summermudslides precipitated by the 2020Grizzly Creek Fire closesInterstate 70 throughGlenwood Canyon.[69] | |
| June 8 | Nikola Jokić (Никола Јокић) of theDenver Nuggets wins theNBA MVP Award.[70] | |
| June 4 | TheUnited States Space Force recommissionsBuckley Air Force Base asBuckley Space Force Base.[71] | |
| May 9 | AColorado Springs man shoots six people to death at a family birthday party before taking his own life.[72] | |
| March 30 | ATrimble woman iskilled by ablack bear with two yearling cubs on a trail near her home.[73] | |
| March 22 | AnArvada manshoots ten people to death at agrocery store inBoulder.[74] | |
| March 14 | Ablizzard dumps up to three feet (90 cm) of snow on theFront Range Urban Corridor.[75] | |
| 2020 | December 10 | Elizabeth Ann, afemale black-footed ferret, is born at theNational Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center inWellington. Elizabeth Ann becomes the firstU.S. endangered species to be successfullycloned.[76] |
| December 3 | TIME names 15-year-oldGitanjali Rao ofLone Tree its first ever "Kid of the Year".[77] | |
| November 3 | In the2020 General Election, Colorado voters elect nineU.S. Presidential Electors forJoe Biden, electJohn Hickenlooper as a newU.S. Senator, electLauren Boebert as the new3rd District U.S. Representative, and re-elect the other six incumbentU.S. Representatives.Democrats retain control of theColorado General Assembly.[78] | |
| October 30 | Fishers Peak State Park opens to the public. | |
| October 17 | TheCalwood Fire ignites 3 miles (5 km) northwest ofJamestown. As many as 495 firefighters battle the wildfire as it consumes 10,106 acres (41 km2) of forest and 26 homes. | |
| October 14 | TheEast Troublesome Fire ignites north ofParshall. As many as 794 firefighters battle the wildfire as it consumes 193,812 acres (784 km2) of forest and rangeland to become thesecond most extensive Colorado wildfire in recorded history. Thousands evacuated, more than 300 homes destroyed, and two residents killed. The wildfire would become the most expensive in Colorado history with insured losses alone of $543 million. | |
| September 17 | TheMullen Fire ignites 7 miles (11 km) west ofCentennial, Wyoming. As many as 1,254 firefighters battle the wildfire as it spreads throughCarbon County, Wyoming,Albany County, Wyoming, andJackson County, Colorado and consumes 176,878 acres (716 km2) of forest.[79] | |
| September 6 | Lightning ignites theMiddle Fork Fire 10 miles (16 km) north ofSteamboat Springs. As many as 136 firefighters battle the wildfire as it consumes 20,517 acres (83 km2) of forest. | |
| August 19 | Palantir Technologies relocates its headquarters fromPalo Alto, California, toDenver. | |
| August 14 | Humans ignite theWilliams Fork Fire 9.5 miles (15.3 km) southwest ofFraser. As many as 396 firefighters battle the wildfire as it consumes 14,833 acres (60 km2) of forest. | |
| August 13 | TheCameron Peak Fire ignites 15 miles (24 km) southwest ofRed Feather Lakes. As many as 1,903 firefighters battle the wildfire as it consumes 208,913 acres (845 km2) of forest to become themost extensive Colorado wildfire in recorded history, surpassing the ongoingPine Gulch Fire. Thousands evacuated, 209 homes destroyed. | |
| August 10 | Humans ignite theGrizzly Creek Fire inGlenwood Canyon of theColorado River. The wildfire closesInterstate 70, theUnion Pacific Railroad, and theAmtrakCalifornia Zephyr for two weeks. As many as 889 firefighters battle the wildfire as it consumes 32,631 acres (132 km2) of forest. | |
| July 31 | Lightning ignites thePine Gulch Fire 18 miles (29 km) north ofGrand Junction. As many as 466 firefighters battle the wildfire as it consumes 139,007 acres (563 km2) of forest and rangeland to become themost extensive Colorado wildfire in recorded history, only to be surpassed by theCameron Peak Fire seven weeks later. | |
| June 27 | Aurora Police in riot gear disperse thousands of protestors in theViolin Protest of the death ofElijah McClain. | |
| June 24 | Colorado GovernorJared Polis announces a state investigation into the unprovoked death ofElijah McClain while in the custody ofAurora Police. | |
| June 16 | Colorado GovernorJared Polis issues astatewide COVID-19 mask order. | |
| April 26 | Colorado GovernorJared Polis rescinds hisstatewide Stay-at-Home order while requiring continuedCOVID-19 precautions. | |
| April 1 | The2020 United States census enumerates the population of the State of Colorado, later determined to be 5,773,714, an increase of 14.80% since the2010 United States census. Colorado becomes the21st most populous of the 50 U.S. states and will gain an8th Congressional District.[80] | |
| March 28 | U.S. PresidentDonald Trump declares that a major disaster exists in the State of Colorado as a result of theCOVID-19 pandemic. | |
| March 25 | Colorado GovernorJared Polis issues the firstColorado Stay-at-Home order effective at 6:00 a.m. the following morning. | |
| March 13 | A woman inEl Paso County becomes the first person in Colorado to die from theCOVID-19 virus. | |
| March 10 | Colorado GovernorJared Polis declares aColorado state of emergency in response to theCOVID-19 pandemic. | |
| March 5 | A visitor toSummit County becomes the first person in Colorado to test positive for theCOVID-19 virus. | |
| February 11 | United States SenatorMichael Bennet of Denver ends hiscampaign for President of the United States. | |
| February 4 | AFort Collinstrail runner is attacked by a youngmountain lion, but is able to strangle the animal. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | October 25 | Reprise Records releases theNeil Young albumColorado. |
| September 8 | Lightning ignites the Decker Fire in theSangre de Cristo Wilderness. Up to 720 firefighters will battle the wildfire which will consume 8,959 acres (36 km2) of forest. | |
| August 30 | Elijah McClain ofAurora dies six days after an unprovoked detention by Aurora police. | |
| August 15 | Former governorJohn Hickenlooper ends hiscampaign for President of the United States. | |
| July 20 | An ambient air temperature of 115 °F (46.1 °C) atJohn Martin Dam sets the official Colorado all-time high temperature record. | |
| May 7 | Two armed students attackSTEM School Highlands Ranch killing one student and wounding eight others. | |
| May 2 | United States SenatorMichael Bennet of Denver announces hiscandidacy for President of the United States. | |
| April 26 | TheRegional Transportation District begins operation of itscommuter railG line betweenDenver Union Station andWheat Ridge. | |
| March 17 | Mikaela Shiffrin ofEagle-Vail wins her third consecutiveInternational Ski FederationWomen's Overall World Cup. | |
| March 13 | Winter Storm Ulmer undergoesexplosive cyclogenesis as it rips across theSouthern Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Thebomb cyclone blizzard with hurricane-force winds sets all-time record low barometric pressure readings across the state. | |
| March 4 | Former governorJohn Hickenlooper of Denver announces hiscandidacy for President of the United States. | |
| January 8 | Jared Polis of Boulder assumes office as the forty-thirdGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 2018 | November 6 | In the2018 General Election,Democrats win all fiveColorado statewide offices and control of theColorado General Assembly.Republicans retain three of the state's seven Congressional seats. |
| August 18 | TheDenver Outlaws defeat theDallas Rattlers 16 to 12 to win their thirdMajor League LacrosseSteinfeld Cup. | |
| June 28 | Lightning ignites theWeston Pass Fire 9 miles (14 km) southwest ofFairplay. The wildfire will burn 13,023 acres (53 km2) of forest. | |
| June 7 | An illegal campfire ignites theSpring Creek Fire 9 miles (14 km) northeast ofFort Garland. The wildfire will burn 251 homes and 108,045 acres (437 km2) of forest. | |
| June 1 | An antique steam locomotive ignites the416 Fire 10 miles (16 km) north ofDurango. The wildfire will burn 54,129 acres (219 km2) of forest over a period of six months. | |
| April 17 | TheMile Marker 117 Fire ignites 17 miles (27 km) north ofPueblo. The wildfire will burn 42,795 acres (173 km2) of grassland. | |
| TheBadger Hole Fire ignites nearWalsh. The wildfire will burn 50,815 acres (206 km2) of grassland with 33,609 acres (136 km2) in Colorado and 17,206 acres (70 km2) in Kansas. | ||
| March 18 | Mikaela Shiffrin ofEagle-Vail wins her second consecutiveInternational Ski FederationWomen's Overall World Cup. | |
| March 17 | Theattack submarineUSSColorado (SSN-788) is commissioned at theNaval Submarine Base New London. | |
| March 2 | TheColorado House of Representatives expels State RepresentativeSteve Lebsock for inappropriate behavior. | |
| February 15 | Mikaela Shiffrin ofEagle-Vail wins theWomen's Alpine Skiing Giant Slalom Gold Medal at theXXIII Olympic Winter Games inPyeongchang, Korea. | |
| February 11 | Red Gerard ofSilverthorne wins theMen's Snowboarding Slopestyle Gold Medal at theXXIII Olympic Games inPyeongchang, Korea. | |
| 2017 | November 19 | Martin Truex Jr. of Denver wins the2017 NASCAR Cup. |
| October 8 | Eleven-year-oldGitanjali Rao ofLone Tree wins the 2017Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge for her invention of a device that can detect lead in water faster than existing techniques. | |
| April 10 | United States Circuit Court JudgeNeil Gorsuch of Boulder is sworn in as the 101stAssociate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. | |
| March 18 | Mikaela Shiffrin ofEagle-Vail wins theInternational Ski FederationWomen's Overall World Cup. | |
| 2016 | August 20 | TheDenver Outlaws defeat theOhio Machine 19 to 18 to win their secondMajor League LacrosseSteinfeld Cup. |
| June 19 | A child starts the Beaver Creek Fire nearWalden. The wildfire will burn one home, 16 outbuildings, and 38,380 acres (155 km2) of forest. | |
| March 22 | TheRegional Transportation District begins operation of itscommuter railA line betweenDenver Union Station andDenver International Airport. | |
| February 7 | TheDenver Broncos defeat theCarolina Panthers 24 to 10 to winSuper Bowl 50.Von Miller is named theSuper Bowl Most Valuable Player. QuarterbackPeyton Manning wins his second Super Bowl and his 200thNFL game. | |
| January 24 | TheDenver Broncos defeat theNew England Patriots 20 to 18 to win theAmerican Football Conference Championship for the eighth time. | |
| 2015 | February 19 | U.S. PresidentBarack Obama issues a proclamation creatingBrowns Canyon National Monument on 21,586 acres (87 km2) ofBureau of Land Management land.[81][82] |
| January 2 | Cory Gardner ofYuma assumes office as the juniorUnited States senator from Colorado. | |
| 2014 | October 6 | Immediately following a declination by theUnited States Supreme Court,Colorado Attorney GeneralJohn Suthers declares thatsame-sex marriage will be legal in Colorado as soon as legal stays can be lifted. |
| August 23 | TheDenver Outlaws defeat theRochester Rattlers 12 to 11 to win their firstMajor League LacrosseSteinfeld Cup. | |
| July 26 | TheRegional Transportation District reopensDenver Union Station marking the conclusion of a $56 million redevelopment into a regionalmultimodaltransit hub. | |
| May 25 | A 40,000,000 cu yd (31,000,000 m3)landslide breaks loose onGrand Mesa nearCollbran, hits speeds of more than 50 mph (80 km/h), and kills three men. | |
| February 21 | Mikaela Shiffrin ofVail wins thewomen's alpine skiing slalom gold medal at theXXII Olympic Winter Games inSochi, Russia. | |
| February 2 | TheDenver Broncos loseSuper Bowl XLVIII to theSeattle Seahawks 43 to 8 to become the first team to lose theSuper Bowl five times. | |
| January 19 | TheDenver Broncos defeat theNew England Patriots 26 to 16 to win theAmerican Football Conference Championship for the seventh time. | |
| January 1 | Colorado becomes the firstU.S. state to legalizecannabis for recreational use. | |
| 2013 | September 12 | Floods along theFront Range Urban Corridor kill 9 people. More than 22,000 residents are evacuated including 1,000 by military helicopters. More than 30,000 homes are damaged and 1800 are destroyed. Total damages will exceed $2.9 billion. |
| September 10 | Arecall election removesState Senate PresidentJohn Morse and State SenatorAngela Giron from office. | |
| July 18 | TheRoyal Gorge wildfire destroys buildings and the aerial tram at theRoyal Gorge Bridge and Park after starting on June 11. | |
| June 13 | TheBlack Forest fire north of Colorado Springs surpasses theWaldo Canyon fire as the most destructive in state history. A total of 486 homes will be destroyed by June 20. | |
| June 11 | Lightning ignites the Big Meadows fire inRocky Mountain National Park.[1] | |
| June 5 | Lightning ignites the first of theWest Fork Complex fires nearWolf Creek Pass. The wildfires will burn 109,049 acres (441 km2) of forest. | |
| May 1 | An Act of theColorado General Assembly makescivil unions legal in Colorado for bothconventional andsame-sex couples, althoughsame-sex marriage remains illegal for 17 months. | |
| March 20 | GovernorJohn Hickenlooper signs three bills intended to curbfirearm violence. | |
| March 19 | Tom Clements, executive director of theColorado Department of Corrections, is assassinated at his home inMonument. | |
| 2012 | December 10 | David J. Wineland of theNational Institute of Standards and Technology and theUniversity of Colorado Boulder andSerge Haroche receive the 2012Nobel Prize in Physics. |
| November 6 | Voters approveColorado Amendment 64 legalizing possession of small quantities ofcannabis. | |
| September 28 | TheHistory Colorado Center opens in Denver. | |
| September 21 | U.S. PresidentBarack Obama issues a proclamation creatingChimney Rock National Monument on 4,726 acres (19 km2) of theSan Juan National Forest.[81] | |
| July 30 | Missy Franklin ofCentennial wins the first of four gold medals in swimming at theGames of the XXX Olympiad inLondon. | |
| July 20 | Agunman opens fire in a cinema in anAurora, Colorado screeningThe Dark Knight Rises, killing 12 people and wounding 70 others. | |
| June 25 | Sparks ignite theLast Chance Fire on the prairie nearLast Chance. This wildfire will burn four homes, seven outbuildings, and 44,000 acres (178 km2) of grassland in a few hours. | |
| June 23 | TheWaldo Canyon Fire ignites west of Colorado Springs. The wildfire will destroy 347 homes. | |
| June 9 | A lightning strike ignites theHigh Park Fire west of Fort Collins. The wildfire will kill one person and destroy 248 homes and 87,250 acres (353 km2) of forest. | |
| April 28 | TheHistory Colorado Center opens in Denver. | |
| March 16 | Lindsey Vonn ofVail wins her fourthInternational Ski FederationWomen's Overall World Cup. | |
| 2011 | November 18 | TheClyfford Still Museum opens in Denver. |
| October 22 | Missy Franklin ofCentennial sets her first swimming world record at theFédération Internationale de Natation (FINA)Swimming World Cup inBerlin. | |
| September 23 | Occupy Denver begins a protest of the growing disparity of wealth and political power in the United States. | |
| July 18 | Michael Hancock is inaugurated as the45th Mayor of the City and County of Denver. | |
| April 1 | CenturyLink, Inc. completes its $24 billion acquisition of the largerQwest Communications International, Inc. of Denver. | |
| January 12 | Deputy MajorBill Vidal assumes office as the44th Mayor of the City and County of Denver replacingJohn Hickenlooper. | |
| January 11 | John Hickenlooper assumes office as the forty-secondGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 2010 | November 21 | TheColorado Rapids defeatFC Dallas 2 to 1 to win their firstMajor League Soccer Cup. |
| November 6 | TheCity of Castle Pines North votes to shorten its name to theCity of Castle Pines. The City of Castle Pines is the youngest of the 272 active municipalities of the State of Colorado.[83] | |
| October 14 | Workers uncover a trove ofPleistocenefossils at theSnowmastodon site while excavating a reservoir nearSnowmass Village. | |
| September 6 | TheFourmile Canyon fire begins west of Boulder. Thewildfire will destroy 169 homes. | |
| April 1 | The2010 United States census enumerates the population of the State of Colorado, later determined to be 5,029,196, an increase of 16.92% since the2000 United States census. Colorado becomes the22nd most populous of the 50 U.S. states. | |
| March 14 | Lindsey Vonn ofVail wins her third consecutiveInternational Ski FederationWomen's Overall World Cup. | |
| February 17 | Lindsey Vonn ofVail wins thewomen's alpine skiing downhill gold medal at theXXI Olympic Winter Games atWhistler Blackcomb. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | October 15 | Theballoon boy hoax discombobulates emergency services in northeastern Colorado. |
| August 7 | AOuray woman iskilled by ablack bear at her home. | |
| March 15 | Lindsey Vonn ofVail wins her second consecutiveInternational Ski FederationWomen's Overall World Cup. | |
| February 27 | TheRocky Mountain News, the region's oldest and second highest circulation newspaper, publishes its last edition just 55 days before of itssesquicentennial (c.f. April 23, 1859.)The Denver Post survives as the city's only major newspaper. | |
| January 21 | Michael Bennet of Denver assumes office as the juniorUnited States senator from Colorado. | |
| January 3 | Mark Udall ofEldorado Springs assumes office as the juniorUnited States senator from Colorado. | |
| 2008 | August 28 | Barack Obama accepts the nomination of theDemocratic National Convention in Denver forPresident of the United States. |
| August 13 | Jack Weil, founder andCEO of Rockmount Ranch Wear, dies at his home in Denver at age 107. | |
| August 4 | The extension ofInterstate HighwayI-270 fromI-76 to the intersection ofI-25 andUS 36 opens to traffic, lengthening I-270 to 7.107 miles (11.438 km). | |
| June 10 | Lightning ignites the Bridger Fire on theU.S. ArmyPiñon Canyon Maneuver Site. The fire will burn 46,612 acres (189 km2) of forest and grassland. | |
| March 15 | Lindsey Vonn ofVail wins theInternational Ski Federation2008 Women's Overall World Cup. | |
| February 16 | TheBradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum opens inGolden. | |
| February 11 | TheLuis A. Jiménez, Jr. sculptureBlue Mustang is unveiled atDenver International Airport. The sculpture will attain local notoriety asBlucifer as the cause of the death of its creator on June 13, 2006. | |
| January 2 | EchoStar Communications Corporation ofEnglewood splits intoEchoStar Corporation andDish Network Corporation. | |
| 2007 | November 6 | TheCity of Castle Pines North incorporates.[83] |
| October 28 | TheBoston Red Sox defeat theColorado Rockies in four games to win the2007 World Series. | |
| October 15 | TheColorado Rockies defeat theArizona Diamondbacks in four games to win their firstNational League Pennant. | |
| August | TheAnschutz Medical Campus of theUniversity of Colorado Denver opens. | |
| July 12 | TheUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service establishes theRocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge. | |
| April 27 | TheUnited States National Park Service establishes theSand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, commemorating theSand Creek Massacre on November 29, 1864.[82] | |
| April 7 | TheColorado Rapids defeatD.C. United 2 to 1 in their first game played in the newDick's Sporting Goods Park. | |
| January 9 | Bill Ritter assumes office as the forty-firstGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 2006 | November 17 | TheT-REX Project in southeast metropolitan Denver is completed 22 months ahead of schedule. |
| November 7 | Voters approve anamendment to theConstitution of the State of Colorado banningsame-sex marriage. | |
| October 7 | TheFrederic C. Hamilton Building of theDenver Art Museum opens. | |
| July 28 | TheNorth American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)moves the operations of theCheyenne Mountain Complex toPeterson Air Force Base. | |
| June 13 | SculptorLuis A. Jiménez, Jr. is killed in hisHondo, New Mexico studio assembling hisBlue Mustang sculpture intended forDenver International Airport. | |
| May 20 | TheDenver Outlaws defeat theChicago Machine 24 to 14 in their firstMajor League Lacrosse game. | |
| May 13 | TheColorado Mammoth defeat theBuffalo Bandits 16 to 9 to win their firstNational Lacrosse LeagueChampion's Cup. | |
| 2005 | December 10 | ProfessorJohn L. Hall of theUniversity of Colorado Boulder,Theodor W. Hänsch, andRoy J. Glauber receive the 2005Nobel Prize in Physics. |
| June 13 | TheCussler Museum opens inArvada. | |
| June | The Lawrence Argent sculptureI See What You Mean, locally known as theBlue Bear, is erected outside theColorado Convention Center in Denver. The sculpture will become a beloved symbol of Denver. | |
| January 1 | An Act of Congress changes the name of theColorado Canyons National Conservation Area to theMcInnis Canyons National Conservation Area. | |
| 2004 | November 2 | U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush defeats Colorado nativeJohn Kerry in the2004 U.S. presidential election. |
| September 24 | U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush signsAn Act to provide for the establishment of the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve and the Baca National Wildlife Refuge in the State of Colorado, and for other purposes, creatingGreat Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve fromGreat Sand Dunes National Monument and creating theBaca National Wildlife Refuge.[82] | |
| June 4 | Anirate citizen ofGranby goes on a rampage with a self-builtarmored bulldozer destroying $7,000,000 worth of property before killing himself. | |
| 2003 | November 24 | TheNorthwest Parkway toll road fromBroomfield to the intersection ofI-25 andE-470 opens to traffic. |
| July 21 | John Hickenlooper is inaugurated as the43rd Mayor of the City and County of Denver. | |
| April 8 | TheUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service establishes theBaca National Wildlife Refuge. | |
| January 3 | The last segment of theE-470 toll road opens to traffic. | |
| 2002 | December 4 | U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush signsAn Act to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the Old Spanish Trail as a National Historic Trail, creating theOld Spanish National Historic Trail. |
| June 9 | The Missionary Ridge Fire starts burning in the mountains north ofDurango. The wildfire will kill one firefighter and burn 46 homes and 71,739 acres (290 km2) of forest. | |
| June 8 | AU.S. Forest Service technician ignites theHayman Fire in the mountains of central Colorado. The wildfire will burn 133 homes, 467 outbuildings, and 137,760 acres (557 km2) of forest, the most in Colorado recorded history. | |
| April 22 | Linda Lovelace (née Linda Susan Boreman), formerpornographic film actor andanti-pornography activist, dies in Denver following an automobile accident. | |
| 2001 | December 10 | ProfessorEric Allin Cornell of theUniversity of Colorado Boulder,Carl Wieman, andWolfgang Ketterle receive the 2001Nobel Prize in Physics. |
| November 15 | TheColorado General Assembly creates theCity and County of Broomfield from portions ofBoulder,Adams,Jefferson, andWeld counties.[84] | |
| June | Construction on theT-REX Project in southeast metropolitan Denver begins. | |
| June 9 | TheColorado Avalanche defeat theNew Jersey Devils in seven games to win their secondStanley Cup. | |
| January 1 | Denver celebrates the arrival of theThird Millennium with fireworks above the16th Street Mall after canceling last year's celebrations for safety concerns.[85] | |
| 2000 | October 24 | U.S. PresidentBill Clinton signs an act of Congress creating theColorado Canyons National Conservation Area and theBlack Ridge Canyons Wilderness. |
| October 1 | TheState of Colorado transfersBuckley Air National Guard Base back to theUnited States Air Force asBuckley Air Force Base. | |
| August 21 | Xcel Energy Inc. is formed by the merger ofNew Century Energies, Inc. of Denver into the smallerNorthern States Power Company. | |
| June 30 | US West, Inc. of Denver merges into the smallerQwest Communications International, Inc., also of Denver. | |
| June 9 | U.S. PresidentBill Clinton issues a proclamation creatingCanyons of the Ancients National Monument.[81] | |
| May 9 | TheDenver Museum of Natural History changes its name to theDenver Museum of Nature and Science. | |
| April 7 | TheAmerican Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) approves the extension of theInterstate HighwayI-270 designation fromI-76 northwest to the intersection ofI-25 andUS 36. | |
| April 1 | The2000 United States census enumerates the population of the State of Colorado, later determined to be 4,301,262, an increase of 30.56% since the1990 United States census. Colorado becomes the24th most populous of the 50 U.S. states and will gain a7th Congressional District. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | October 21 | U.S. PresidentBill Clinton signsAn Act to redesignate the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument as a national park and establish the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area, and for other purposes, creatingBlack Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and theGunnison Gorge National Conservation Area.[81][82] |
| April 20 | TheColumbine High School massacre begins whenEric Harris and Dylan Klebold open fire on theColumbine High School campus inJefferson County killing 12 students and a teacher and wounding 24 others before killing themselves. | |
| January 31 | TheDenver Broncos defeat theAtlanta Falcons 34 to 19 inSuper Bowl XXXIII. QuarterbackJohn Elway wins his second consecutive Super Bowl and his 148thNFL game, and is named theSuper Bowl Most Valuable Player. | |
| January 17 | TheDenver Broncos defeat theNew York Jets 23 to 10 to become the first team to win theAmerican Football Conference Championship six times. | |
| January 12 | Bill Owens assumes office as the 40thGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 1998 | October 12 | Matthew Shepard dies atPoudre Valley Hospital inFort Collins six days after a savage beating and robbery inLaramie, Wyoming. |
| June 5 | TheUnited States Air Force renamesFalcon Air Force Base asSchriever Air Force Base. | |
| January 25 | TheWild CardDenver Broncos defeat the world championGreen Bay Packers 31 to 24 inSuper Bowl XXXII.Terrell Davis is named theSuper Bowl Most Valuable Player. | |
| January 11 | TheWild CardDenver Broncos defeat thePittsburgh Steelers 24 to 21 to win theAmerican Football Conference Championship for the fifth time. | |
| 1997 | August 13 | The animated television seriesSouth Park debuts. The series set in the fictional town of South Park, Colorado in the real mountain basin ofSouth Park, will become the longest running TV series with a Colorado setting. |
| August 1 | New Century Energies, Inc. of Denver is formed by the merger ofSouthwestern Public Service Company with the largerPublic Service Company of Colorado. | |
| July 17 | ALakewood boy is killed by amountain lion while hiking with his family inRocky Mountain National Park. | |
| June 20 | TheGroup of Eight's 23rd annual meeting convenes in Denver. | |
| January 3 | Diana DeGette of Denver succeeds CongresswomanPat Schroeder in theUnited States House of Representatives. | |
| 1996 | December 26 | The body ofJonBenét Ramsey is found in the basement of her home inBoulder. |
| September 11 | TheSouthern Pacific Transportation Company merges with theUP Holding Company, Inc. to form theUnion Pacific Corporation. TheSouthern Pacific Railroad becomes part of theUnion Pacific Railroad. | |
| July 22 | Amy Van Dyken ofEnglewood wins the first of her six Olympic gold medals in swimming at theGames of the XXVI Olympiad inAtlanta. | |
| June 11 | TheColorado Avalanche defeat theFlorida Panthers in four games to win their firstStanley Cup, becoming the first major league sports team to bring a championship trophy to Colorado. | |
| May 20 | TheUnited States Supreme Court rules inRomer v. Evans thatColorado Amendment 2 approved in 1992 violates theUnited States Constitution. | |
| April 13 | TheColorado Rapids lose toSporting Kansas City 3 to 0 in their firstMajor League Soccer game. | |
| 1995 | December 28 | EchoStar Communications Corporation ofEnglewood successfully launches its first satellite,EchoStar I. |
| October 6 | TheColorado Avalanche defeat theDetroit Red Wings 3 to 2 in their first game since relocation. | |
| June 11 | Denver International Airport opens replacingStapleton International Airport. | |
| April 26 | TheColorado Rockies defeat theNew York Mets 11 to 9 in the first game played in the newCoors Field. | |
| March 25 | TheMichael Graves designed addition to the centralDenver Public Library opens. | |
| 1994 | December 15 | TheTown of Foxfield incorporates.[83] |
| December 10 | Rashaan Salaam of theUniversity of ColoradoBuffaloes football team wins the 1994Heisman Trophy. | |
| October 7 | TheRegional Transportation District beginslight rail service in Denver. | |
| July 6 | A blowup of theSouth Canyon Fire kills 14 wildlands firefighters onStorm King Mountain, nearGlenwood Springs. | |
| 1993 | December 15 | Colorado district judge Jeffrey Bayless rules thatColorado Amendment 2 violates theUnited States Constitution. |
| September 15 | The interchange ofI-76 withI-25 is opened, completing the extended 188.10-mile (302.72 km) length ofInterstate Highway I-76 in Colorado. This project completes the original design of theInterstate Highway System in Colorado, although improvements and enhancements will continue. | |
| August 10 | Pope John Paul II arrives in Denver to celebrateWorld Youth Day. This is the first visit to Colorado by a pope. | |
| AFremont County man iskilled by ablack bear in his trailer. | ||
| April | Construction begins to directly connect the intersection ofI-270 andI-76 with the intersection ofI-25 andUS 36. | |
| April 9 | TheColorado Rockies defeat theMontreal Expos 14 to 4 in their very first home game. | |
| April 5 | TheColorado Rockies lose their very first game to theNew York Mets 3 to 0. | |
| July 13 | Steve Ells opens the firstChipotle Mexican Grill at 1644 East Evans Avenue in Denver. | |
| 1992 | November 3 | Voters approveColorado Amendment 2 to the state constitution which prohibits "special rights" based upon sexual orientation. Amendment 2 never takes effect due to legal challenges. |
| Voters approveColorado Amendment 1 to the state constitution, also known as theColorado Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR). | ||
| October 14 | GovernorRoy Romer dedicates the segment ofI-70 throughGlenwood Canyon, completing the extended 449.589-mile (723.543 km) length ofInterstate Highway I-70 through Colorado. | |
| October 9 | U.S. PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush signs an act of Congress creating theRocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. | |
| August 3 | U.S. PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush signs anAct to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the California National Historic Trail and Pony Express National Historic Trail as components of the National Trails System. | |
| May 26 | U.S. PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush signs an act of Congress creating theTwo Ponds National Wildlife Refuge. | |
| 1991 | October 15 | Giant Records releases theWarren Zevon albumMr. Bad Example including the song"Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead". |
| September 16 | U.S. PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush announces the promotion of theSolar Energy Research Institute to theNational Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a national laboratory of theUnited States Department of Energy. | |
| July 15 | Wellington Webb is inaugurated as the firstAfrican-American and42nd Mayor of the City and County of Denver. | |
| June | The first segment of theE-470 toll road opens to traffic. | |
| January 14 | AnIdaho Springs man is killed by amountain lion on a trail near his home. | |
| January 1 | TheUniversity of ColoradoBuffaloes football team defeat theUniversity of Notre DameFighting Irish 10 to 9 to win theOrange Bowl and theAssociated Press National Championship Trophy. | |
| 1990 | November 26 | TheUnited States Army transfers thePiñon Canyon Maneuver Site toComanche National Grassland.[86] |
| November 24 | TheU.S.Environmental Protection Agency vetoes theTwo Forks Dam Project proposed by theDenver Board of Water Commissioners. | |
| November 7 | TheColorado Fuel & Iron company in Pueblo files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. | |
| June 23 | TheColorado Convention Center opens in Denver. | |
| April 1 | The1990 United States census enumerates the population of the State of Colorado, later determined to be 3,294,394, an increase of 13.99% since the1980 United States census. Colorado becomes the26th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. | |
| January 28 | TheSan Francisco 49ers defeat theDenver Broncos 55 to 10 inSuper Bowl XXIV. | |
| January 14 | TheDenver Broncos defeat theCleveland Browns 37 to 21 to win theAmerican Football Conference Championship for the fourth time. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | December 10 | ProfessorThomas Cech of theUniversity of Colorado Boulder andSidney Altman receive the 1989Nobel Prize in Chemistry. |
| November 22 | The City and County of Denver holds a ground-breaking ceremony for anew airport to replace the agingStapleton International Airport. | |
| June 6 | TheFederal Bureau of Investigation and theEnvironmental Protection Agency raid theDepartment of EnergyRocky Flats Plant nearArvada. | |
| 1988 | November 8 | Voters inAdams,Arapahoe,Boulder,Denver,Douglas, andJefferson counties approved the creation of theScientific and Cultural Facilities District. |
| October 13 | TheDenver and Rio Grande Western Railroad becomes part of theSouthern Pacific Railroad whenRio Grande Industries, Inc. acquires theSouthern Pacific Transportation Company. | |
| June 18 | TheUnited States Air Force renamesFalcon Air Force Station asFalcon Air Force Base. | |
| January 31 | TheWashington Redskins defeat theDenver Broncos 42 to 10 inSuper Bowl XXII. | |
| January 17 | TheDenver Broncos defeat theCleveland Browns 38 to 33 to win theAmerican Football Conference Championship for the third time. | |
| 1987 | May 8 | U.S. PresidentRonald Reagan signsAn Act to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the Santa Fe Trail as a National Historic Trail, creating theSanta Fe National Historic Trail. |
| U.S. SenatorGary Hart announces the end of hispresidential campaign which began the previous month. | ||
| April 5 | TheNational Mining Hall of Fame and Museum opens inLeadville. | |
| January 13 | Roy Romer assumes office as the thirty-ninthGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| January 25 | TheNew York Giants defeat theDenver Broncos 39 to 20 inSuper Bowl XXI. | |
| January 11 | TheDenver Broncos defeat theCleveland Browns 23 to 20 in overtime to win theAmerican Football Conference Championship for the second time.The Drive becomes a part of American football lore. | |
| 1985 | September 26 | TheUnited States Air Force opens theConsolidated Space Operations Center atFalcon Air Force Station nearColorado Springs. |
| February 1 | An ambient air temperature of −61 °F (−51.7 °C) atMaybell sets the official Colorado all-time low temperature record. | |
| 1984 | November | TheAnschutz Corporation acquiresRio Grande Industries for $500 million. The new Rio Grande Holdings, Inc. includes theDenver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. |
| August 1 | A truck carrying six torpedoes for theUnited States Navy overturns and dumps its potentially explosive load into the intersection ofI-25 andI-70 in Denver, the busiest intersection in Colorado known locally as theMousetrap. | |
| July 22 | Marianne Martin ofBoulder wins the firstTour de France féminin with a time of 29:39:02. | |
| June 18 | Alan Berg is murdered at his home in Denver by members ofThe Order. | |
| February 16 | Scott Hamilton wins the Olympic gold medal inMen's Figure Skating at theXIV Olympic Winter Games inSarajevo. | |
| January 1 | US West, Inc. of Denver is formed by theBell System divestiture as a holding company withMountain States Telephone and Telegraph (dbaMountain Bell),Northwestern Bell Telephone Company (dbaNorthwestern Bell), andPacific Northwest Bell Telephone Company (dbaPacific Northwest Bell). | |
| 1983 | July 2 | Federico Peña is inaugurated as the first Hispanic and41st Mayor of the City and County of Denver. |
| June 5 | TheIrish bandU2 performs at theRed Rocks Amphitheatre in a concert recorded asU2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky. | |
| May 17 | TheUnited States Air Force begins construction ofFalcon Air Force Station nearColorado Springs. | |
| 1982 | December 28 | Congressman-elect and former astronautJack Swigert ofLittleton dies inWashington, D.C. at age 51. |
| October 4 | The16th Street Mall in Denver opens. | |
| June 4 | TheAmerican Homebrewers Association sponsors the firstGreat American Beer Festival at itsFourth Annual Conference inBoulder. | |
| April 3 | TheColorado Rockies defeat theCalgary Flames 3 to 1 in their finalNational Hockey League game. In their six NHL seasons, the Rockies compiled a record of 113 wins, 283 losses, and 86 ties. | |
| 1981 | October 1 | The annexation of theBroadmoor, Skyway,Ivywild, Cheyenne Canon, and Stratton Meadows neighborhoods by theCity of Colorado Springs is upheld by theColorado Supreme Court after a District Court voided the annexation. |
| January 12 | The television seriesDynasty debuts. The series will become the longest running non-animated TV series set in Colorado (8 seasons, c.f.Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman 6 sessions,Mork & Mindy 4 sessions). | |
| 1980 | December 9 | Charlie Ergen, Jim DeFranco, and Cantey McAdams formEchoSphere inLittleton. |
| April 1 | The1980 United States census enumerates the population of the State of Colorado, later determined to be 2,889,964, an increase of 30.93% since the1970 United States census. Colorado becomes the28th most populous of the 50 U.S. states and will gain a6th Congressional District. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | December 25 | Pope John Paul II grants theCathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Denver the titleBasilica minor. |
| December 21 | GovernorDick Lamm dedicates theEdwin C. Johnson Bore of theEisenhower–Johnson Memorial Tunnel completing the section ofInterstate Highway 70 under theContinental Divide. | |
| November 1 | CongressmanKen Kramer leaks the location selected for theConsolidated Space Operations Center east of Colorado Springs. | |
| 1978 | November 10 | U.S. PresidentJimmy Carter signs theNational Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 authorizing theContinental Divide National Scenic Trail, theMormon Pioneer National Historic Trail, and theOregon National Historic Trail. |
| October 11 | U.S. PresidentJimmy Carter signsAn Act to create the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area and the Arapaho National Recreation Area, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the feasibility of revising the boundaries of the Rocky Mountain National Park, and to add certain lands to the Oregon Islands Wilderness, creating theIndian Peaks Wilderness Area and theArapaho National Recreation Area. | |
| October 9 | TheUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designatesMesa Verde National Park as one of the first 12World Heritage Sites. | |
| September 14 | The comedy television seriesMork & Mindy, set inBoulder, debuts. | |
| August | TheTown of Avon incorporates.[83] | |
| August 1 | TheUnited States Olympic Committee moves into its new headquarters at theUnited States Olympic Training Center inColorado Springs. | |
| U.S. Highway 36 is extended westward alongState Highway 66 fromEstes Park to Deer Ridge Junction inRocky Mountain National Park. | ||
| February 26 | Boettcher Concert Hall of theDenver Center for the Performing Arts opens in theDenver Performing Arts Complex. | |
| January 15 | TheDallas Cowboys defeat theDenver Broncos 20 to 17 inSuper Bowl XII. | |
| January 1 | TheDenver Broncos defeat theOakland Raiders 20 to 17 to win their firstAmerican Football Conference Championship. | |
| 1977 | September 30 | Proposed ColoradoInterstate HighwayI-470 is withdrawn from theInterstate Highway System. |
| July 28 | GovernorDick Lamm requests that the proposed 26.3-mile (42.3 km) ColoradoInterstate HighwayI-470 be withdrawn from theInterstate Highway System. | |
| July 5 | TheUnited States Department of Energy opens theSolar Energy Research Institute (SERI) inGolden. | |
| June | TheUnited States Olympic Training Center theEnt Air Force Base inColorado Springs opens to athletes. | |
| May 21 | TheUnited States Postal Service issues theColorado statehood centennial postage stamp at theDenver Post Office eight months after the Colorado statehood centennial on August 1, 1976. | |
| 1976 | October 22 | TheDenver Nuggets defeat theIndiana Pacers 123 to 110 in their first game as aNational Basketball Association franchise. |
| October 5 | TheColorado Rockies defeat theToronto Maple Leafs 4 to 2 in their firstNational Hockey League game since relocation. | |
| October 1 | Ent Air Force Base closes inColorado Springs. | |
| August 1 | A somber State of Colorado observes itsstatehoodcentennial as it assesses the damage from theBig Thompson Flood the previous evening. | |
| July 31 | Aflash flood inBig Thompson Canyon kills 143 people just hours before the Colorado State Centennial. | |
| July 4 | The State of Colorado celebrates theBicentennial of the United States of America. | |
| May 21 | The final segment ofI-225 is opened in Denver, completing the entire 11.959-mile (19.246 km) length ofInterstate Highway I-225. | |
| May 13 | TheNew York Nets defeat theDenver Nuggets 112 to 106 in the lastAmerican Basketball Association game ever played. The Denver Rockets/Nuggets finish their nine seasons in the ABA with a record of 474 wins and 432 losses. | |
| March 1 | TheUnited States Air Force renamesPeterson Field inColorado Springs asPeterson Air Force Base. | |
| February 23 | TheUnited States Postal Service issues the 50 American Bicentennial State Flag postage stamps. TheColorado state flag 13-cent postage stamp features theColorado state flag. | |
| 1975 | August 18 | Construction of the second bore of theEisenhower Tunnel begins. |
| April 1 | Ent Air Force Base is downgraded to theEnt Annex of theCheyenne Mountain Air Force Station. | |
| January 14 | Dick Lamm assumes office as the thirty-eighthGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 1974 | December 21 | The firstTelluride Film Festival begins. |
| October 16 | TheDenver Nuggets lose to theKentucky Colonels 117 to 99 in their first game since the team name was changed from theDenver Rockets. | |
| August 1 | Interstate highwayI-80S is redesignatedI-76. Over 500 route markers will be replaced in Colorado over the next two years. | |
| TheUnited States Army renamesFitzsimons Army Hospital inAurora asFitzsimons Army Medical Center. | ||
| Chogyam Trungpa establishes theNaropa Institute inBoulder. | ||
| April | TheCity of Cañon City annexes theTown of East Cañon. | |
| March | Reprise Records releases theBob Seger albumSeven including the song"Get out of Denver". | |
| 1973 | December 9 | TheDenver Broncos defeat theSan Diego Chargers 42 to 28 to assure their first winning season in their 14th year of play. |
| September 8 | Rebecca Ann King of Denver is crownedMiss America. | |
| July 16 | Lieutenant GovernorJohn Vanderhoof assumes office as the thirty-seventhGovernor of the State of Colorado upon the resignation ofGovernorJohn Love to serve as Director of the United States Office of Energy Policy. | |
| June 21 | TheUnited States Supreme Court orders the complete desegregation of theDenver Public Schools inKeyes v. School District No. 1. | |
| May 17 | TheUnited States Atomic Energy Commission detonates three undergroundnuclear explosions in Colorado.Project Rio Blanco used the three nearly simultaneous blasts, each equivalent to 33,000 tonnes ofTNT, to determine if nuclear explosions could be used to extractnatural gas from sandstone deposits. | |
| March 8 | GovernorJohn Love dedicates the first bore of theEisenhower Tunnel takingInterstate 70 under theContinental Divide of the Americas, the highest point on theInterstate Highway System. | |
| January 3 | Pat Schroeder of Denver takes her seat in theUnited States House of Representatives as Colorado's first woman delegate to theU.S. Congress. Congresswoman Schroeder will representColorado's 1st congressional district for 24 years. | |
| 1972 | November 15 | Denver withdraws its offer to host the1976 Winter Olympics, the first and only host city to reject an awarded Olympic Games. |
| November 7 | Colorado voters reject a $5 million bond issue to fund the1976 Winter Olympics. | |
| September 10 | Frank Shorter ofBoulder wins theMen's Marathon at theGames of the XX Olympiad inMunich. | |
| 1971 | October 3 | TheUnited States Department of Transportation opens theHigh Speed Ground Test Center east ofPueblo. |
| May 19 | TheDenver Art Museum opens itsGio Ponti designed North Tower. | |
| 1970 | October 23 | The final segment ofI-270 is opened, completing the 5.2-mile (8.4 km)Interstate Highway I-270. |
| September 20 | TheDenver Broncos defeat theBuffalo Bills 25 to 10 in their first game as aNational Football League franchise. | |
| April 13 | An oxygen tank exploded on theApollo 13 space flight to the Moon. The three-man crew, includingCommand Module PilotJack Swigert of Denver, managed to fly safely back to Earth four days later. | |
| April 1 | The1970 United States census enumerates the population of the State of Colorado, later determined to be 2,207,259, an increase of 25.85% since the1960 United States census. Colorado becomes the30th most populous of the 50 U.S. states and will gain a5th Congressional District. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | December 14 | TheDenver Broncos defeat theCincinnati Bengals 27 to 16 in their last game as anAmerican Football League franchise. The Broncos finish the ten AFL seasons with a record of 39 wins, 97 losses, and 4 ties. |
| October | TheJohn Denver debut albumRhymes & Reasons is released. | |
| September 21 | The final 21-mile (34 km) segment ofInterstate HighwayI-25 south ofWalsenburg opens to traffic, completing the entire 305.040-mile (490.914 km) length of I-25 in Colorado. | |
| September 10 | TheUnited States Atomic Energy Commission detonates the firstnuclear explosion in Colorado.Project Rulison used the underground blast, equivalent to 40,000 tonnes ofTNT, to determine if nuclear explosions could be used to extractnatural gas fromshale gas deposits. | |
| August 20 | U.S. PresidentRichard Nixon signsAn Act to provide for the establishment of the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in the State of Colorado.[81][82] | |
| TheCity of Wheat Ridge in easternJefferson County incorporates.[83] | ||
| July 1 | TheColorado General Assembly creates theRegional Transportation District to promote public transportation in the Denver metropolitan area. | |
| June 24 | TheCity of Lakewood in easternJefferson County incorporates.[83] | |
| May 27 | TheUnited States Department of Agriculture createsComanche National Grassland andPawnee National Grassland.[86] | |
| May 12 | TheInternational Olympic Committee selects Denver to host theXII Olympic Winter Games in 1976. | |
| May 11 | Aplutonium fire in Building 776/777 of theAtomic Energy CommissionRocky Flats Plant contaminates the plant nearArvada in the most expensive U.S. industrial accident to date. | |
| March 15 | HistrorianThomas Riha (Tomáš Ondřej Karel Říha) mysteriously disappears inBoulder. No trace will be found. | |
| 1968 | December 31 | Deputy MajorWilliam H. McNichols, Jr. assumes office as the40th Mayor of the City and County of Denver replacingTom Currigan. |
| December 13 | United States Secretary of TransportationAlan Boyd announces the selection of 1,472.5 miles (2369.8 km) of additional highway routes for theInterstate Highway System, including the 5.6-mile (9.0 km) extension ofInterstate HighwayI-80S fromI-25 toI-70. | |
| December 2 | U.S. PresidentLyndon B. Johnson signsAn Act to establish a national trails system, and for other purposes, creating theNational Trails System. | |
| March 15 | Construction begins on the first bore of theStraight Creek Tunnel designed to route Interstate HighwayI-70 under theContinental Divide. | |
| February 10 | Peggy Fleming wins the Olympic gold medal inWomen's Figure Skating at theX Olympic Winter Games inGrenoble. | |
| 1967 | October 15 | TheDenver Rockets defeat theAnaheim Amigos 110 to 105 in their first game in the newAmerican Basketball Association. |
| September 17 | TheDenver-Boulder Turnpike becomes the first publictoll road in the United States to pay for itself and becomes afreeway. The turnpike becomes a portion of the westward extension offederal highway routeUS-36 from Denver toEstes Park. | |
| September 5 | TheUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service establishes theArapaho National Wildlife Refuge. | |
| August 5 | TheDenver Broncos defeat theDetroit Lions 13 to 7 to become the firstAmerican Football League team to defeat aNational Football League team. | |
| 1966 | October 19 | Blue Mesa Dam on theGunnison River inGunnison County is completed. |
| January 1 | Air Force Systems Command turned theCheyenne Mountain Combat Operations Center over to NORAD.[87] | |
| 1965 | December 12 | Interstate HighwayI-270 construction begins in Denver. |
| July 25 | TheUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service establishes theBrowns Park National Wildlife Refuge. | |
| June 16 | Aflash flood on theSouth Platte River kills 28 people and inflicts over $500 million in damage. | |
| March 26 | The lastTitan IICBM of the formerLowry Bombing and Gunnery Range was taken off alert status (all Titan 1s were in storage by April 18).[88] | |
| February 6 | TheNational Park Service creates theCurecanti National Recreation Area.[82] | |
| 1964 | August 26 | TheBritish bandThe Beatles perform atRed Rocks Amphitheatre nearMorrison. |
| July 3 | TheRobert WardoperaThe Lady from Colorado premieres at theCentral City Opera. | |
| June 11 | The musical filmThe Unsinkable Molly Brown premieres in Denver. | |
| May | Construction ofInterstate HighwayI-225 begins inAurora. | |
| Stapleton Airfield in Denver is renamedStapleton International Airport. | ||
| 1963 | December | Dillon Dam on theBlue River inSummit County is completed. |
| September | Eminent nuclear physicistEdward Condon joins the faculty of theUniversity of Colorado. | |
| July 25 | TheUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service establishes theAlamosa National Wildlife Refuge. | |
| March 1 | Dr.Thomas Starzl performs the world's firstliver transplant at theUniversity of Colorado Hospital in Denver. | |
| January 8 | John Love assumes office as the thirty-sixthGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 1962 | November 15 | ThreeAtlas missile sites ofWarren Air Force Base begin operation in Colorado (eventually 8 sites at Keoto, 5 at Padroni, 8 at Peetz, 8 at Stoneham, etc.) |
| May 24 | AstronautScott Carpenter fromBoulder becomes the fourth person to orbit the Earth. | |
| April 24 | The first of a series of minor earthquakes emanating from a region below theUnited States ArmyRocky Mountain Arsenal near Denver is recorded. The earthquakes are later tied to the injection of toxic fluids into a hazardous waste disposal well at the chemical weapons plant. | |
| April 16 | United States Deputy Attorney GeneralByron White is appointed the 83rdAssociate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. White will serve on the court for 31 years. | |
| 1961 | July 20 | Tunneling begins for theNORAD bunker (the plan for aDenver Sector bunker had been cancelled in 1959, andthe SAC bunker near Cripple Creek planned for 1965 was cancelled in 1963.) |
| June | TheTown of Broomfield incorporates.[83] | |
| 1960 | November 3 | TheMeredith WillsonmusicalThe Unsinkable Molly Brown opens at theWinter Garden Theatre. |
| September 9 | TheDenver Broncos defeat theBoston Patriots 13 to 10 in the very firstAmerican Football League game. | |
| August 3 | Dave Rearick andBob Kamps become the first climbers to surmountThe Diamond on the east face ofLongs Peak. | |
| June 3 | U.S. PresidentDwight D. Eisenhower signsAn Act Authorizing the establishment of a national historic site at Bent's Old Fort, near La Junta, Colorado, creatingBent's Old Fort National Historic Site.[82] | |
| spring | Interstate 70 in Colorado construction begins nearIdaho Springs. | |
| April 1 | The1960 United States census enumerates the population of the State of Colorado, later determined to be 1,753,947, an increase of 32.36% since the1950 United States census. Colorado becomes the33rd most populous of the 50 U.S. states. | |
| February 9 | BrewerAdolph Coors III is murdered in a foiled kidnap attempt near his home in Bear Creek Canyon west of Denver. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1959 | July 2 | TheTown of Columbine Valley incorporates.[83] |
| June 3 | The first class of theUnited States Air Force Academy graduates. | |
| September 1 | Lowry Missile Site Number 1 construction begins southeast of Denver for aTitan Ilaunch complex--Martin Missile Test Site 1 construction atWaterton Canyon had begun in April (alert status ended on March 26, 1965). | |
| January 22 | TheAdolf Coors Company ofGolden introduces the aluminum beer can. | |
| 1958 | December 10 | Edward Lawrie Tatum is the 1st Colorado native to win theNobel Prize for his 1937metabolism work atStanford University withGeorge Wells Beadle. |
| August | TheTown of Bow Mar incorporates.[83] | |
| Construction ofInterstate HighwayI-80S begins in northeastern Colorado (designated I-76 on August 1, 1974.) | ||
| May 12 | Canada and the United States establish theNorth American Air Defense Command (NORAD) to be headquartered atEnt Air Force Base. | |
| 1957 | October 18 | United States Secretary of CommerceSinclair Weeks announces a 547-mile (880 km) western extension ofInterstate 70 fromInterstate 25 in Denver toInterstate 15 inUtah. The highway extension will require burrowing under theContinental Divide of the Americas. |
| September 11 | Aplutonium fire in Building 71 of theAtomic Energy CommissionRocky Flats Plant contaminates the plant and releases radioactive plutonium into the air near Denver. | |
| January 8 | Steve McNichols assumes office as the thirty-fifthGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 1956 | November 10 | ProfessorGeorge Gamow (Георгий Антонович Гамов) of theUniversity of Colorado is awarded the 1956UNESCOKalinga Prize. |
| October 15 | TheDenver Public Library dedicates the new central library at theDenver Civic Center | |
| September 22 | TheTown of Boone incorporates.[83] | |
| July 7 | TheDouglas MooreoperaThe Ballad of Baby Doe premieres at theCentral City Opera. | |
| 1955 | November | Monument Valley Freeway construction begins inColorado Springs (later incorporated as part of I-25). |
| November 1 | United Air Lines Flight 629 explodes overWeld County killing all 44 passengers and crew members. ADenver man will be convicted on May 5, 1956, of planting adynamite bomb in his mother's luggage in an effort to collect her life insurance. | |
| September 24 | U.S. PresidentDwight Eisenhower suffers anacute myocardial infarction inDenver. The President is treated atFitzsimons Army Hospital inAurora for several weeks. | |
| September 11 | Sharon Kay Ritchie is the 1stMiss Colorado crownedMiss America (cf.Marilyn Van Derbur in 1957,Rebecca Ann King in 1973). | |
| July 11 | The first class of 306 cadets of theUnited States Air Force Academy are sworn in atLowry Air Force Base inDenver. | |
| January 11 | Ed Johnson assumes office again as the thirty-fourthGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| January 3 | Gordon L. Allott takes his seat in theUnited States Senate. He will serve as a U.S. Senator from Colorado for 18 years. | |
| 1954 | June 24 | TheUnited States Air Force selects an area north ofColorado Springs as the site for theUnited States Air Force Academy. |
| 1953 | June 15 | TheTown of Fraser incorporates.[83] |
| spring | TheSummer White House forU.S. PresidentDwight Eisenhower is established atLowry Air Force Base through 1955. | |
| 1952 | December 18 | TheTown of Commerce incorporates.[83] |
| September 3 | TheUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service establishes theMonte Vista National Wildlife Refuge. | |
| July 18 | Denver television stationKFEL-TV (analog channel 2) begins the first television broadcasts in Colorado. | |
| May 19 | TheTown of Glendale incorporates.[83] | |
| January 19 | TheDenver-Boulder Turnpike opens to traffic. | |
| 1951 | August 1 | TheUnited States Post Office issues theColorado 75th anniversary of statehood 3-cent postage stamp at theMinturn Post Office to commemorateColorado statehood of August 1, 1776. |
| July 10 | Construction of theUnited States Atomic Energy CommissionRocky Flats Plant begins 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Denver. | |
| January 9 | Dan Thornton assumes office as the thirty-thirdGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| January 3 | Byron G. Rogers of Denver takes his seat in theUnited States House of Representatives. Congressman Rogers will representColorado's 1st congressional district for 20 years. | |
| 1950 | August 28 | U.S. PresidentHarry S. Truman issues a Public Land Order creatingManti-La Sal National Forest.[86] |
| August 3 | U.S. PresidentHarry S. Truman signsAn Act to abolish the Wheeler National Monument, in the State of Colorado, and to provide for the administration of the lands contained therein as a part of the national forest within which such national monument is situated, and for other purposes. The monument becomes theWheeler Geologic Area ofRio Grande National Forest, and will become a part of theLa Garita Wilderness.[81] | |
| U.S. PresidentHarry S. Truman signsAn Act to abolish the Holy Cross National Monument, in the State of Colorado, and to provide for the administration of the lands contained therein as a part of the national forest within which such national monument is situated, and for other purposes. The monument reverts toWhite River National Forest, and will become a part of theHoly Cross Wilderness.[81] | ||
| April 15 | Lieutenant GovernorWalter Johnson assumes office as the thirty-secondGovernor of Colorado upon the resignation of GovernorBill Knous to serve as a federal judge. | |
| April 1 | The1950 United States census enumerates the population of the State of Colorado, later determined to be 1,325,089, an increase of 17.96% since the1940 United States census. Colorado becomes the34th most populous of the 48 U.S. states. | |
| March 6 | TheTown of Campo incorporates.[83] | |
| February 13 | Aspen hosts theFIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1950 atAjax Mountain Ski Resort, the firstWorld Ski Championships held outside Europe. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Construction begins on thePueblo Freeway inPueblo. The Pueblo Freeway will be incorporated intoInterstate HighwayI-25. | |
| January 3 | Wayne N. Aspinall ofPalisade takes his seat in theUnited States House of Representatives. Congressman Aspinall will representColorado's 4th congressional district for 24 years. | |
| 1948 | August | Construction begins on theValley Highway in Denver. The Valley Highway will be incorporated intoInterstate HighwayI-25. |
| March 15 | TheTown of Cokedale incorporates.[83] | |
| 1947 | DenverFM radio stationKLZ-FM begins commercial broadcasting at 106.7 MHz in the new U.S.FM broadcast band. | |
| November | Lloyd J. King opens first location of the grocery chainKing Soopers inArvada, Colorado.[89] | |
| December 9 | TheTown of Artesia incorporates.[83] | |
| January 14 | William Lee Knous assumes office as the thirty-firstGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 1946 | December 14 | TheAjax Mountain Ski Area opens atAspen with the world's longest chairlift. |
| 1945 | September 10 | Mike the Headless Chicken survives an assassination attempt but loses his head nearFruita. |
| September 2 | World War II ends as theEmpire of Japan formally surrenders. | |
| July 19 | ThebattleshipUSSColorado (BB-45) steams intoTokyo Bay for the invasion ofHonshu. | |
| TheTown of Cherry Hills Village incorporates.[83] | ||
| May 8 | Thewar in Europe ends as theGreater German Empire formally surrenders. | |
| spring | TheColorado Springs Tent Camp was established between the east edge of Colorado Springs and Peterson Field. ("Ent Air Force Base" in 1949, "Ent Annex" in 1975). | |
| January 12 | John Charles Vivian assumes office as the thirtiethGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 1944 | December 31 | TheCity and County of Denver annexes theTown of MountainView Park.[90] |
| 1942 | August 27 | TheGranada War Relocation Center (Camp Amache) opens forJapanese-American internees. |
| June 30 | Rocky Mountain Arsenal construction begins near Denver for World War IIchemical weapons. | |
| April 28 | TheUnited States Army opens theArmy Air Base at theColorado Springs Municipal Airport (the shared airfield is later designatedPeterson Field). | |
| April | TheUnited States Army begins construction ofCamp Hale nearTennessee Pass. | |
| April | Lowry Field Number 2 construction begins east ofAurora—cantonment construction begins May 5, 1942 (later designatedBuckley Field,Buckley Air National Guard Base in 1960, Buckley AFB in 2000). | |
| February 29 | Governor Ralph Carr publicly opposes thePresidentRoosevelt'sExecutive Order 9066 and offers to provide temporary refuge forJapanese Americans in Colorado. | |
| February 19 | U.S. PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt issuesExecutive Order 9066 to relocatealien enemies (Japanese Americans) toWar Relocation (Internment) Camps. | |
| January 6 | TheUnited States Army announces the selection of Colorado Springs as the site of a major Army base (designatedCamp Carson a few weeks later,Fort Carson on August 27, 1954). | |
| 1941 | December 11 | The United States declares war on theGerman Reich and theItalian Empire |
| December 8 | The United States declares war on theEmpire of Japan and entersWorld War II. | |
| June 15 | Rotary International celebrates the Grand Opening ofRed Rocks Amphitheatre with 10,000 in attendance during their annual convention. An "informal dedication" was held the week before. | |
| April 14 | TheTown of East Cañon incorporates.[83] | |
| March | Denver Ordnance Plant construction begins after a 1940 land purchase and January 1941 contract withRemington Arms Company (cf. February 1942 construction of thePueblo Ordnance Depot). | |
| January 3 | Colorado's 2nd congressional district representative (William S. Hill) andColorado's 3rd congressional district representative (John Chenoweth) are seated in theUnited States House of Representatives. | |
| 1940 | May 19 | TheTown of Federal Heights incorporates.[83] |
| April 1 | The1940 United States census enumerates the population of the State of Colorado, later determined to be 1,123,296, an increase of 8.45% since the1930 United States census. Colorado remains the33rd most populous of the 48 U.S. states. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1939 | June 15 | TheTown of Dove Creek incorporates.[83] |
| January 10 | Ralph Carr assumes office as the twenty-ninthGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 1938 | December 2 | U.S. PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt signs an executive order creatingColorado State Forest. |
| July 14 | U.S. PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt signs an executive order greatly enlargingDinosaur National Monument.[81][82] | |
| 1937 | October 4 | Lowry Field construction begins withWorks Progress Administration conversion of the Agnes Stipps Memorial Sanitorium for anAir Corps training base east of Denver (renamed Lowry AFB June 24, 1948.) |
| September 6 | TheWill Rogers Shrine of the Sun is dedicated along the 1925Cheyenne Mountain Highway. | |
| July 22 | U.S. PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt signsAn Act to create the Farmers' Home Corporation, to promote more secure occupancy of farms and farm homes, to correct the economic instability resulting from some present forms of farm tenancy, and for other purposes, also known as theBankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act. | |
| February 7 | A donatedrope tow begins operation atBerthoud Pass, creating Colorado's first public tow-assistedalpine skiing. Unfortunately, two skiers are killed in anavalanche the same day. | |
| January 12 | Teller Ammons assumes office as the twenty-eighthGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| January 3 | Ed Johnson takes his seat in theUnited States Senate. He will serve as a U.S. Senator from Colorado for 18 years. | |
| January 1 | Lieutenant GovernorRay Herbert Talbot assumes office as the twenty-seventhGovernor of Colorado upon the resignation of GovernorEd Johnson to serve in theUnited States Senate. | |
| 1936 | September 14 | TheTown of Garden City incorporates.[83] |
| May 9 | Members ofCivilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Company 1848 atMorrison Camp SP-13-C inRed Rocks Park cease work on all other projects in preparation for the construction ofRed Rocks Amphitheatre. | |
| 1935 | March 7 | The body ofElizabeth "Baby Doe" Tabor is found frozen to death in her cabin near theMatchless Mine inLake County. |
| 1934 | May 17 | TheDotsero Cutoff of 38.1 miles (61.3 km) in Colorado reduces the Denver-Salt Lake City railroad route by 173 miles (278 km). |
| 1933 | March 2 | U.S. PresidentHerbert Hoover issues a proclamation creatingBlack Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument.[81][82] |
| January 10 | Ed Johnson assumes office as the twenty-sixthGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 1932 | March 28 | U.S. PresidentHerbert Hoover issues an executive order creatingRoosevelt National Forest.[86] |
| March 17 | U.S. PresidentHerbert Hoover issues a proclamation creatingGreat Sand Dunes National Monument.[81][82] | |
| 1930 | April 1 | The1930 United States census enumerates the population of the State of Colorado, later determined to be 1,035,791, an increase of 10.23% since the1920 United States census. Colorado remains the33rd most populous of the 48 U.S. states. |
| January 22 | TheTown of Bennett incorporates.[83] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1929 | November | TheCity of Cañon City completes theRoyal Gorge Bridge over theArkansas River. |
| October 17 | Denver Municipal Airport opens (renamedStapleton Airfield in 1944,Stapleton International Airport in 1964). | |
| May 11 | U.S. PresidentHerbert Hoover issues a proclamation creatingHoly Cross National Monument.[81] (Abolished August 3, 1950.) | |
| 1928 | July 10 | TheTown of Bethune incorporates.[83] |
| February 26 | The 6.2 mile (10.0 km) longMoffat Tunnel under theContinental Divide of the Americas opens as the world's longest railway tunnel. | |
| 1927 | January 11 | Billy Adams assumes office as the twenty-fifthGovernor of the State of Colorado. |
| 1926 | Spencer Penrose establishes hisCheyenne Mountain Zoo near theBROADMOOR. | |
| 1925 | June | Adams State Normal School opens inAlamosa (namedAdams State University in 2012). |
| January 13 | Clarence Morley assumes office as the twenty-fourthGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 1924 | June 2 | U.S. PresidentCalvin Coolidge signsAn Act To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to issue certificates of citizenship to Indians, also known as theIndian Citizenship Act of 1924, finally granting fullUnited States Citizenship to allNative Americans born in the United States.[91] |
| March 11 | U.S. PresidentCalvin Coolidge issues an executive order creatingGrand Mesa National Forest.[86] | |
| 1923 | August 30 | ThebattleshipUSSColorado (BB-45) is commissioned inNew York Harbor. |
| March 2 | U.S. PresidentWarren G. Harding issues a proclamation creatingHovenweep National Monument.[81][82] | |
| January 9 | William Ellery Sweet assumes office as the twenty-thirdGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 1922 | March 10 | Denver radio station9ZAF receives a commercial license asKLZ (AM 560 kHz), the first commercial radio station in Colorado. |
| 1921 | October 10 | TheTown of Crowley incorporates.[83] |
| July 25 | U.S. PresidentWarren G. Harding signs House Joint Resolution 32 - To change the name of theGrand River in Colorado and Utah to theColorado River,[92] despite the objections of the congressional delegations of the states ofWyoming andUtah. Theheadwaters of the Colorado River are now officially inRocky Mountain National Park. Grand River namesakes (e.g.,Grand County,Grand Hogback,City of Grand Junction,Grand Lake,Town of Grand Lake,Grand Mesa, andGrand Valley) remain unchanged. | |
| June 3 | Flash floods on theArkansas River andFountain Creek kill 1500 people and inflict over $20 million of damage aroundPueblo. | |
| March 26 | TheTown of Branson incorporates.[83] | |
| 1920 | December 5 | Douglas Fairbanks becomes the first Coloradan to star in a major motion picture: silent filmThe Mark of Zorro. |
| July | TheUnited States Army renamesArmy Hospital 21 inAurora asFitzsimons Army Hospital. | |
| June 15 | TheTown of Eckley incorporates.[83] | |
| April 1 | The1920 United States census enumerates the population of the State of Colorado, later determined to be 939,629, an increase of 17.60% since the1910 United States census. Colorado becomes the33rd most populous of the 48 U.S. states. | |
| February 3 | TheTown of Deer Trail incorporates.[83] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1919 | December 19 | U.S. PresidentWoodrow Wilson (guided byFirst LadyEllen Axson Wilson) issues a proclamation creatingYucca House National Monument.[81][82] |
| October 2 | U.S. PresidentWoodrow Wilson suffers a severestroke after giving a speech inPueblo. The stroke will leave the President incapacitated for the rest of his life. | |
| July 4 | Jack Dempsey ofManassadefeatsJess Willard in a bout atToledo, Ohio for theWorld Heavyweight Boxing Championship. | |
| June 10 | TheTown of Calhan incorporates.[83] | |
| 1918 | November 11 | Anarmistice halts theGreat War. |
| Autumn | TheDenver Art Association becomes theDenver Art Museum. | |
| September 23 | TheTown of Crook incorporates.[83] | |
| August 29 | TheTown of Arriba incorporates.[83] | |
| June 29 | The Broadmoor resort opens nearColorado Springs at the site of the Broadmoor Casino and adjacent to thec. 1900 Broadmoor Shooting Grounds.[93] | |
| May 14 | Denver MayorRobert W. Speer dies at home in Denver at age 62. | |
| Spring | Construction ofArmy Hospital 21 begins inAurora (namedFitzsimons Army Hospital in 1920,Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in 1974, closed 1999.) | |
| 1917 | May 5 | TheTown of Fleming incorporates.[83] |
| April 17 | TheTown of Estes Park incorporates.[83] | |
| TheTown of Cheraw incorporates.[83] | ||
| April 6 | The United States declares war on theGerman Empire and enters theGreat War. | |
| January 10 | William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody dies in Denver at age 70. | |
| January 9 | Julius Caldeen Gunter assumes office as the twenty-firstGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 1916 | November 2 | TheTown of Flagler incorporates.[83] |
| August 25 | U.S. PresidentWoodrow Wilson signsAn Act To establish a National Park Service, and for other purposes.[94] | |
| July 1 | LieutenantDwight D. Eisenhower marriesMamie Doud in Denver. | |
| January 29 | TheTown of Eads incorporates.[83] | |
| January 1 | State prohibition law comes into effect.[95] | |
| 1915 | October 4 | U.S. PresidentWoodrow Wilson issues a proclamation creatingDinosaur National Monument.[81][82] |
| March 4 | Colorado creates its3rd Congressional District and its4th Congressional District to replace its twoAt-large Congressional seats. These two congressional districts remain to the present. | |
| January 26 | U.S. PresidentWoodrow Wilson signsAn Act to establish the Rocky Mountain National Park in the State of Colorado, and for other purposes.[82] | |
| January 12 | George Alfred Carlson assumes office as the twentiethGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 1914 | April 28-29 | TheBattle of Walsenburg is fought between strikers and theColorado National Guard as part of the violence stemming from the Ludlow Massacre andColorado Coalfield War. |
| April 20 | TheLudlow Massacre by theColorado National Guard kills strikingcoal miners, 2 women, and 11 children. | |
| 1913 | December 1 | Denver's greatest snowfall ever begins. Denver receives a five-day accumulation of 45.7 inches (1161 mm), whileGeorgetown gets 86 inches (2184 mm). |
| March 8 | The State of Colorado createsAlamosa County from portions ofCostilla andConejos counties.[84] | |
| January 14 | Elias M. Ammons assumes office as the nineteenthGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 1912 | April 26 | TheColorado Mountain Club is founded in Denver. |
| April 15 | TheRMSTitanic strikes an iceberg and sinks.Margaret Brown of Denver is hailed as a heroine by survivors. | |
| March 18 | TheTown of Gilcrest incorporates.[83] | |
| 1911 | November | TheDaniels & Fisher Tower opens in Denver. |
| July 17 | TheMountain States Telephone and Telegraph Company is formed in Denver. | |
| June 29 | U.S. PresidentWilliam Howard Taft issues a proclamation creatingDurango National Forest.[86] | |
| May 29 | The State of Colorado createsCrowley County from a portion ofOtero County.[84] | |
| May 24 | U.S. PresidentWilliam Howard Taft issues a proclamation creatingColorado National Monument.[81] | |
| May 10 | Scottish operatic sopranoMary Garden sings in concert at thePark of the Red Rocks nearMorrison. | |
| February 27 | The State of Colorado createsMoffat County from a portion ofRoutt County.[84] | |
| 1910 | December 19 | TheTown of Crawford incorporates.[83] |
| July 1 | U.S. PresidentWilliam Howard Taft signs an executive order creatingColorado National Forest (renamedRoosevelt National Forest on March 28, 1932.) | |
| May 18 | TheTown of Blanca incorporates.[83] | |
| April 1 | The1910 United States census enumerates the population of the State of Colorado, later determined to be 799,024, an increase of 48.05% since the1900 United States census. Colorado becomes the32nd most populous of the 46 U.S. states and will gain a4th Congressional seat. | |
| February 15 | TheDenver Public Library dedicates its new library building. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1899 | June 1 | Nikola Tesla (Никола Тесла) begins research on the wireless transmission of power at his new laboratory inColorado Springs. |
| March 23 | The State of Colorado createsTeller County from portions ofEl Paso andFremont counties.[84] | |
| January 10 | Charles Spalding Thomas assumes office as the eleventhGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 1898 | December 10 | TheUnited States of America and theKingdom of Spain sign theTreaty of Paris of 1898 to end theSpanish–American War. |
| August 12 | TheUnited States of America and theKingdom of Spain sign aProtocol of Peace. | |
| April 23 | TheKingdom of Spain declareswar on theUnited States of America. The United States declares war on Spain two days later. | |
| April 19 | U.S. SenatorHenry M. Teller of Colorado offers theTeller Amendment to aJoint Resolution of Congress to ensure that the United States will not establish permanent control over Cuba after any conflict withSpain. | |
| 1897 | June 23 | TheCity of Denver annexes theTown of Colfax.[90] |
| January 12 | Alva Adams assumes office again as the tenthGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 1896 | November 7 | TheDenver Zoo opens. |
| September 6 | TheCity of Denver annexes theTown of Barnum.[90] | |
| July 24 | TheCity of Denver annexes theTown of Highlands.[90] | |
| 1895 | November 15 | TheTown of Del Norte incorporates.[83] |
| October 28 | Harry Heye Tammen andFrederick Gilmer Bonfils purchase theEvening Post of Denver for $12,500 (renamedDenver Evening Post November 3,The Denver Post January 1, 1901). | |
| February 20 | TheCity of Denver annexes theTown of Harman.[90] | |
| January 8 | Albert McIntire assumes office as the ninthGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 1894 | July 1 | TheFlorence and Cripple Creek Railroad reachesCripple Creek. |
| April 18 | TheTown of Fruita incorporates.[83] | |
| March 18 | Denver Union Station is extensively damaged by fire. | |
| March 14 | TheDenver City Police andArapahoe County Deputy Sheriffs barricade Denver City Hall to prevent theColorado State Infantry from seizing the building in theCity Hall War of 1894. | |
| February 7 | TheCity of Denver annexes theTown of South Denver.[90] | |
| January 10 | TheTown of Aguilar incorporates.[83] | |
| 1893 | November 7 | Colorado becomes the secondU.S. state to grantwomen suffrage and the first state where the men voted to give women the right to vote. |
| November 1 | U.S. PresidentGrover Cleveland signs theRepeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act (enacted July 14, 1890), but the repeal fails to halt thePanic of 1893 and plunges Colorado into a massive economic depression. | |
| July 22 | Katharine Lee Bates visits the summit ofPikes Peak and writes the poemAmerica the Beautiful. | |
| March 27 | The State of Colorado createsMineral County from portions ofHinsdale,Rio Grande, andSaguache counties.[84] | |
| January 10 | Davis Hanson Waite assumes office as the eighthGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 1892 | December 24 | U.S. PresidentBenjamin Harrison issues a proclamation creating theBattlement Mesa Forest Reserve.[86] |
| December 5 | TheTown of Eaton incorporates.[83] | |
| December 9 | U.S. PresidentBenjamin Harrison issues a proclamation creating theSouth Platte Forest Reserve.[86] | |
| August | Political supporters ofGrover Cleveland found theEvening Post in Denver with $50,000. | |
| Henry Perky of Denver develops a machine for making "little whole wheat mattresses", later calledshredded wheat. | ||
| June 23 | U.S. PresidentBenjamin Harrison issues a proclamation creating thePlum Creek Timber Land Reserve.[86] | |
| June 9 | TheTown of Cripple Creek incorporates.[83] | |
| May 19 | TheTown of Creede incorporates.[83] | |
| February 11 | U.S. PresidentBenjamin Harrison issues a proclamation creating thePikes Peak Timber Land Reserve.[86] | |
| 1891 | October 16 | TheDenver and Rio Grande Railroad reachesCreede. |
| U.S. PresidentBenjamin Harrison issues a proclamation creating theWhite River Plateau Timber Land Reserve, the secondUnited States National Forest.[86] | ||
| July 1 | TheBroadmoor Casino opens nearColorado Springs. | |
| March 3 | U.S. PresidentBenjamin Harrison signsAn act to repeal timber-culture laws, and for other purposes, also known as theForest Reserve Act of 1891, giving the President of the United States the authority to create protectednational forests onfederal lands.[98] | |
| January 13 | John Long Routt assumes office as the seventhGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 1890 | October 22 | TheManitou and Pike's Peak Railway completes the rack and pinion line to the 14,115-foot (4,302 m) summit ofPikes Peak. |
| October 20 | Rancher Robert Miller Womack discovers a rich gold lode alongCripple Creek nearPikes Peak. TheCripple Creek Mining District will produce more than 730 tonnes of gold, the most of any Rocky Mountain district. | |
| October 9 | TheTown of Elizabeth incorporates.[83] | |
| July 4 | TheColorado State Capitolcornerstone is placed for the new building onBrown's Bluff in Denver. | |
| May 14 | TheTown of Cheyenne Wells incorporates.[83] | |
| April 1 | The1890 United States census enumerates the population of the State of Colorado, later determined to be 413,249, an increase of 112.66% since the1880 United States census. Colorado becomes the31st most populous of the 44 U.S. states and will gain a2nd Congressional District. | |
| January 18 | TheTown of De Beque incorporates.[83] | |
| January 15 | TheTown of Fort Lupton incorporates.[83] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1889 | December 29 | TheTown of Antonito incorporates.[83] |
| June 24 | TheDenver and Rio Grande Railroad reachesLake City. | |
| June | TheCity of Denver establishes theDenver Public Library. | |
| April 16 | The State of Colorado createsBaca County from a portion ofLas Animas County, andMontezuma County from a portion ofLa Plata County.[84] | |
| April 11 | The State of Colorado createsKiowa,Kit Carson,Lincoln, andProwers counties from portions ofBent andElbert counties.[84] | |
| April 9 | The State of Colorado createsSedgwick County from a portion ofLogan County.[84] | |
| March 27 | The State of Colorado createsPhillips County from a portion ofLogan County.[84] | |
| March 25 | The State of Colorado createsCheyenne County from portions ofElbert andBent counties,Otero County from a portion ofBent County, andRio Blanco County from a portion ofGarfield County.[84] | |
| March 15 | The State of Colorado createsYuma County from a portion ofWashington County.[84] | |
| February 19 | The State of Colorado createsMorgan County from a portion ofWeld County.[84] | |
| January 8 | Job Adams Cooper assumes office as the sixthGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 1888 | December 18 | Richard Wetherill and Charlie Mason find theCliff Palace onMesa Verde. |
| August 28 | TheTown of Berthoud incorporates.[83] | |
| April 26 | TheTown of Carbondale incorporates.[83] | |
| April 9 | TheDenver, Texas and Fort Worth Railroad begins service between Denver andFort Worth. | |
| January 12 | TheTown of Burlington incorporates.[83] | |
| January 1 | TheMissouri Pacific Railroad begins service betweenPueblo,Kansas City, andSaint Louis. | |
| 1887 | November 8 | John Henry "Doc" Holliday,dentist,gambler, andgunfighter, dies oftuberculosis inGlenwood Springs at age 36. |
| November 5 | TheAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad reaches Denver. | |
| October 31 | TheUnited States Army establishesFort Logan southwest of Denver (transferred from theArmy Air Service Command to theVeterans Administration in May 1946.)[99][100][101] | |
| October 28 | TheDenver and Rio Grande Railroad reachesAspen. | |
| October 6 | TheDenver and Rio Grande Railroad reachesGlenwood Springs viaGlenwood Canyon. | |
| September 22 | TheTown of Akron incorporates.[83] | |
| September 13 | TheTown of Florence incorporates.[83] | |
| September 3 | TheColorado Midland Railroad begins service betweenColorado City andLeadville viaBuena Vista andHagerman Tunnel under theContinental Divide of the Americas. | |
| September 1 | TheTown of Brighton incorporates.[83] | |
| June 15 | TheTown of Fort Morgan incorporates.[83] | |
| February 25 | The State of Colorado createsLogan County from a portion ofWeld County.[84] | |
| February 9 | The State of Colorado createsWashington County from a portion ofWeld County.[84] | |
| January 11 | Alva Adams assumes office as the fifthGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 1886 | July 12 | TheCity of Blackhawk incorporates.[83] |
| June 19 | TheTown of Colorado Springs incorporates.[83] Colorado Springs is the seat ofEl Paso County. | |
| June 12 | TheCity of Central incorporates.[83] Central City is the seat ofGilpin County. | |
| 1885 | November 15 | TheTown of Silverton incorporates.[83] Silverton is the seat ofSan Juan County. |
| TheTown of Pueblo incorporates.[83] Pueblo is the seat ofPueblo County. | ||
| TheTown of Greeley incorporates.[83] Greeley is the seat ofWeld County. | ||
| TheTown of Evans incorporates.[83] | ||
| TheTown of Erie incorporates.[83] | ||
| April 14 | The State of Colorado createsArchuleta County from a portion ofConejos County.[84] | |
| January 13 | Benjamin Harrison Eaton assumes office as the fourthGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 1884 | November 24 | TheTown of Brush incorporates.[83] |
| April | TheGeorgetown, Breckenridge and Leadville Railway reachesSilverPlume via theGeorgetown Loop. | |
| 1883 | March 2 | The State of Colorado createsSan Miguel County from a portion ofSan Juan County, and reverts the name ofUncompahgre County back toOuray County.[84] |
| March 1 | U.S. SenatorHorace Tabor of Colorado marriesElizabeth "Baby Doe" McCourt inWashington, D.C. | |
| February 27 | TheColorado General Assembly renamesOuray County asUncompahgre County.[84] | |
| February 14 | The State of Colorado createsMesa County from a portion ofGunnison County.[84] | |
| February 12 | TheTown of Fort Collins incorporates.[83] Fort Collins is the seat ofLarimer County. | |
| February 11 | The State of Colorado createsEagle County from a portion ofSummit County, andDelta andMontrose counties from portions ofGunnison County.[84] | |
| February 10 | The State of Colorado createsGarfield County from a portion ofSummit County.[84] | |
| January 26 | TheTown of Dillon incorporates.[83] | |
| January 9 | James Benton Grant assumes office as the thirdGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 1882 | December 19 | TheDenver and Rio Grande Railroad reaches the Colorado-Utah Territory border west ofGrand Junction. |
| November 21 | TheDenver and Rio Grande Railroad reachesGrand Junction. | |
| November 7 | Anearthquake estimated at 6.2Mfa affects the Denver area with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII (Very strong). The quake causes minor damage in Colorado and southern Wyoming and is the most intense in Colorado recorded history.[102] | |
| October 24 | TheTown of Delta incorporates.[83] | |
| September 8 | TheDenver and Rio Grande Railroad reachesMontrose. | |
| September 6 | TheDenver, South Park and Pacific Railroad reachesGunnison via theAlpine Tunnel under theContinental Divide of the Americas. | |
| July 8 | TheDenver and Rio Grande Railroad reachesSilverton. | |
| June 26 | TheChicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad reaches Denver. | |
| May 7 | TheDenver and New Orleans Railroad begins service between Denver andPueblo. | |
| May 6 | U.S. PresidentChester A. Arthur signs theChinese Exclusion Act banningChinese immigration to the United States and denying citizenship to all persons of Chinese ancestry. Many Chinese miners leave Colorado mines. | |
| April 18 | U.S. PresidentChester A. Arthur appointsHenry Moore Teller asU.S. Secretary of the Interior. Teller is the first Coloradan to serve in theCabinet of the United States.. | |
| April 13 | Oscar Wilde visitsLeadville and later writes, "They afterwards took me to a dancing saloon where I saw the only rational method of art criticism I have ever come across. Over the piano was printed a notice : — PLEASE DO NOT SHOOT THE PIANIST. HE IS DOING HIS BEST." | |
| April 12 | TheTown of Empire incorporates.[83] | |
| February 11 | TheTown of Coal Creek incorporates.[83] | |
| 1881 | November 24 | TheDenver and Rio Grande Railroad reachesCrested Butte. |
| November 8 | TheCity of Denver is made the permanent capital of the State of Colorado by a state referendum. | |
| August 8 | TheDenver and Rio Grande Railroad reachesGunnison. | |
| July 27 | TheDenver and Rio Grande Railroad reachesDurango. | |
| June 1 | Denver Union Station opens. | |
| May 17 | TheTown of Castle Rock incorporates.[83] | |
| April 27 | TheTown of Durango incorporates.[83] | |
| April 1 | TheTown of Aspen incorporates.[83] | |
| March 4 | The State of Colorado createsDolores County from a portion ofOuray County.[84] | |
| February 23 | The State of Colorado createsPitkin County from a portion ofGunnison County.[84] | |
| February 21 | TheColorado Electric Company incorporates in Denver. | |
| January 13 | TheTown of Bonanza City incorporates.[83] | |
| 1880 | December 3 | TheTown of Frisco incorporates.[83] |
| July 22 | TheDenver and Rio Grande Railroad reachesLeadville. The first passenger train to Leadville carries former PresidentUlysses Grant, the man who brought Colorado statehood. | |
| July 15 | TheTown of Crested Butte incorporates.[83] | |
| June 1 | TheDenver and Rio Grande Railroad reaches the Colorado-New Mexico Territory border south ofAntonito. | |
| April 1 | The1880 United States census enumerates the population of the State of Colorado, later determined to be 194,327, an increase of 387% since the1870 United States census. Colorado becomes the35th most populous of the 38 U.S. states. | |
| March 27 | TheDenver and Rio Grande Railway reaches a legal accommodation with theAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad known as theTreaty of Boston. | |
| March 3 | TheDenver, South Park and Pacific Railroad reachesBuena Vista. | |
| TheTown of Breckenridge incorporates.[83] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1879 | November 8 | TheTown of Buena Vista incorporates.[83] |
| September 1 | Colorado Agricultural College opens to students. The land-grant college is renamedColorado State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1935, and renamedColorado State University in 1957. | |
| July | TheColorado Historical Society is founded in Denver. | |
| May 7 | The first passenger train passes through theRoyal Gorge. | |
| April 21 | TheUnited States Supreme Court rules in theRoyal Gorge War between theDenver and Rio Grande Railway and theAtchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad.[103] | |
| February 24 | TheDenver Telephone Dispatch Company opens for business. | |
| February 10 | TheColorado General Assembly abolishesCarbonate County after two days and splits its territory between a newChaffee County and a renamedLake County.[84] | |
| February 8 | TheColorado General Assembly renamesLake County asCarbonate County.[84] | |
| January 14 | Frederick Walker Pitkin assumes office as the secondGovernor of the State of Colorado. | |
| 1878 | December 7 | TheAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad reachesRaton Pass on theSanta Fe Trail, blocking theDenver and Rio Grande Railway's route toSanta Fe. |
| August 12 | TheTown of Alamosa incorporates.[83] | |
| June 26 | TheDenver and Rio Grande Railway reachesAlamosa. | |
| April 19 | TheRoyal Gorge War begins as a construction crew of theAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad blocks a crew of theDenver and Rio Grande Railway from building into theRoyal Gorge. | |
| May 22 | TheColorado Central Railroad reachesCentral City. | |
| January 1 | David May opens The Great Western Auction House and Clothing Store inLeadville. | |
| 1877 | September 16 | TheSolid Muldoon is uncovered on Muldoon Hill nearBeulah. |
| September | David May, Jacob Holcombe, and Thomas Dean open a dry goods store inLeadville. The store will become the first component ofThe May Department Stores Company. | |
| August 13 | TheColorado Central Railroad reachesGeorgetown. | |
| March 9 | The State of Colorado createsCuster County from a portion ofFremont County, andGunnison County from a portion ofLake County.[84] | |
| January 29 | The State of Colorado createsRoutt County from a portion ofGrand County.[84] | |
| January 18 | The State of Colorado createsOuray County from portions ofHinsdale andLake counties.[84] | |
| 1876 | November 1 | TheColorado General Assembly convenes for the first time. |
| October 3 | Voters of the new State of Colorado electTerritorial GovernorJohn Long Routt as their firstState Governor,Henry Moore Teller andJerome Bunty Chaffee as their firstU.S. Senators, andJames Burns Belford as their firstU.S. Representative. | |
| August 1 | U.S. PresidentUlysses S. Grant certifies that the conditions of theColorado Enabling Act have been fulfilled and issuesProclamation 230 — Admission of Colorado into the Union.[104] TheTerritory of Colorado becomes theState of Colorado, the38th U.S. state. | |
| July 4 | The Territory of Colorado celebrates theCentennial of theUnited States of America while still reeling from the defeat ofLieutenant ColonelGeorge Armstrong Custer and the7th Cavalry Regiment at theBattle of the Little Bighorn on June 26. | |
| July 1 | Voters of the Territory of Colorado approve the proposedConstitution of the State of Colorado by a vote of 15,443 to 4,039. | |
| March 14 | TheColorado Constitutional Convention[105] adopts the proposedConstitution of the State of Colorado[106] | |
| The Territory of Colorado establishes theUniversity of Colorado atBoulder. | ||
| February 29 | TheAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad reachesPueblo. | |
| January 31 | The Territory of Colorado createsSan Juan County from a portion ofLake County.[84] | |
| 1875 | October 25 | TheColorado Constitutional Convention convenes in Denver to write a state constitution. |
| October 5 | Ulysses S. Grant becomes the firstPresident of the United States to visit theColorado Territory. | |
| March 29 | U.S. PresidentUlysses S. Grant appointsJohn Long Routt to be the eighth (and last)Governor of the Territory of Colorado. | |
| March 3 | U.S. PresidentUlysses S. Grant signsAn Act to enable the people of Colorado to form a constitution and State government, and for the admission of the said State into the Union on an equal footing with the original States.[107] | |
| U.S. PresidentUlysses S. Grant signs thePage Act limiting the immigration ofAsians into the United States. | ||
| 1874 | August 14 | Members of theWheeler Survey make the first recorded ascent ofBlanca Peak in theSan Luis Valley. |
| July 6 | TheDenver and Rio Grande Railway reachesCañon City. | |
| June 19 | U.S. PresidentUlysses S. Grant appointsEdward M. McCook a second time to be the seventhGovernor of the Territory of Colorado. | |
| February 10 | The Territory of Colorado createsHinsdale,La Plata, andRio Grande counties from portions ofConejos,Costilla, andLake counties.[84] | |
| February 9 | The Territory of Colorado purchases theTerritorial School of Mines inGolden from theEpiscopal Church for $5,000. | |
| The Territory of Colorado abolishesPlatte County after organizers fail to secure voter approval. The territory of the county is returned toWeld County.[84] | ||
| February 6 | The Territory of Colorado abolishesGreenwood County and divides its territory betweenElbert County andBent County.[84] | |
| February 3 | The Territory of Colorado createsElbert County from a portion ofDouglas County, andGrand County from a portion ofSummit County.[84] | |
| 1873 | December 2 | TheTown of Alma incorporates.[83] |
| September 17 | TheDenver and Boulder Valley Railroad reachesBoulder. | |
| June 16 | TheTown of Walsenburg incorporates.[83] Walsenburg is the seat ofHuerfano County. | |
| April 4 | U.S. PresidentUlysses S. Grant appointsSamuel Hitt Elbert to be the sixthGovernor of the Territory of Colorado. | |
| 1872 | December 15 | TheColorado Central Railroad reachesBlack Hawk. |
| November 15 | TheTown of Fairplay incorporates.[83] Fairplay is the seat ofPark County. | |
| October 9 | The firstSouthern Colorado Agricultural and Industrial Exposition is held inPueblo. The exposition will become theColorado State Fair. | |
| October 2 | TheDenver, South Park and Pacific Railroad incorporates in Denver to build anarrow gauge railway throughSouth Park to theGunnison River and theUtah Territory. | |
| June 15 | TheDenver and Rio Grande Railway reachesPueblo. | |
| April 3 | TheTown of Cañon City incorporates.[83] Cañon City (also spelled Canyon City and Canon City) is the seat ofFremont County. | |
| February 11 | The Territory of Colorado createsPlatte County from the eastern portion ofWeld County.[84] | |
| 1871 | November 4 | TheCity of Boulder incorporates.[83] Boulder City is the seat ofBoulder County. |
| October 27 | TheDenver and Rio Grande Railway is completed from Denver to the new town ofColorado Springs, bypassingColorado City 5 mi (8.0 km) to the west. | |
| January 2 | TheCity of Golden incorporates.[83] Golden City is the former territorial capital and the seat ofJefferson County. | |
| 1870 | October 27 | TheDenver and Rio Grande Railway incorporates in Denver. The company plans to build anarrow gauge railway from Denver south toSanta Fe, New Mexico Territory;El Paso, Texas; and on toMexico City. |
| September 22 | TheColorado Central Railroad reachesGolden from Denver. | |
| August 15 | TheKansas Pacific Railroad reaches Denver fromKansas City, Missouri, creating the first all-rail transcontinental route. | |
| June 21 | TheDenver Pacific Railroad reaches Denver from theUnion Pacific mainline atCheyenne, Wyoming Territory. | |
| May 2 | Episcopal BishopGeorge Maxwell Randall begins construction of theTerritorial School of Mines atGolden City. | |
| April 1 | The1870 United States census enumerates the population of the Territory of Colorado, later determined to be 39,864, an increase of 16% since the1860 United States census. Colorado becomes the3rd most populous of the nine U.S. territories. | |
| February 11 | The Territory of Colorado createsBent andGreenwood counties from expropriatedCheyenne andArapaho tribal land and portions ofHuerfano County.[84] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1869 | December 14 | Nathan Meeker, agricultural editor of theNew York Tribune, appeals to readers of high moral character to help him build a utopian farming community between theCache La Poudre River and theSouth Platte River in theTerritory of Colorado. Meeker will name the communityGreeley in honor of his publisher,Horace Greeley. |
| November 13 | TheDenver Gas Company incorporates in Denver. | |
| August 19 | S.F. Sharpless and William M. Davis make the first recorded ascent ofMount Harvard, highest of theCollegiate Peaks. | |
| July 11 | TheBattle of Summit Springs, an armed conflict between the United States Army and a group ofCheyenneDog Soldiers, takes place inWashington County. | |
| July 4 | Deer Trail hosts the world's first organizedrodeo. | |
| Surveyor O.N. Chaffee determines the eastern boundary of the Colorado Territory beginning fromJulesburg.[108][109] | ||
| June 14 | U.S. PresidentUlysses S. Grant appointsEdward M. McCook to be the fifthGovernor of the Territory of Colorado. | |
| March 4 | Commanding General of the United States ArmyUlysses S. Grant assumes office as the 18thPresident of the United States. | |
| 1868 | August 23 | A party led byJohn Wesley Powell makes the first recorded (White) ascent ofLongs Peak. |
| July 9 | TheFourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified. | |
| May 23 | Brigadier GeneralKit Carson dies at newFort Lyon at age 58. | |
| January 10 | TheTerritory of Colorado incorporates theTown of Georgetown. The Town of Georgetown is the only Colorado municipality still operating under its original charter from the Territory of Colorado. | |
| 1867 | December 9 | TheColorado General Assembly votes to move the territorial capital fromGolden City toDenver, the seat ofArapahoe County. |
| November 18 | TheUnion Pacific Railroad reachesJulesburg and eventually will have 9 miles (14 km) of mainline in the Colorado Territory. | |
| April 24 | U.S. PresidentAndrew Johnson appointsAlexander Cameron Hunt to be the fourthGovernor of the Territory of Colorado. | |
| 1866 | December 29 | TheColorado General Assembly createsSaguache County from portions ofLake andCostilla counties.[84] |
| March 6 | Brigadier GeneralKit Carson takes command ofFort Garland in theSan Luis Valley in an effort to make peace with theUte Nation. | |
| February 13 | TheCity of Denver City shortens its name to theCity of Denver. | |
| February 9 | TheColorado General Assembly createsLas Animas County from a portion ofHuerfano County.[84] | |
| 1865 | October 17 | U.S. PresidentAndrew Johnson appointsAlexander Cummings ofPennsylvania to be the thirdGovernor of the Territory of Colorado. |
| September | The (White male) voters of theTerritory defeat a referendum for universal malesuffrage by a vote of 476 to 4,192, denying the vote toIndians,Negros,Asians, as well as women. | |
| August 1 | John Evans resigns asGovernor of the Territory of Colorado. There will be no territorial governor until October 17, 1865. | |
| July 18 | U.S. PresidentAndrew Johnson demands thatJohn Evans resign as theGovernor of the Territory of Colorado following an investigation of theSand Creek Massacre. | |
| May 9 | U.S. PresidentAndrew Johnson proclaims the end of theAmerican Civil War. | |
| April 15 | U.S. Vice PresidentAndrew Johnson assumes office as the 17thPresident of the United States upon theassassination of Abraham Lincoln. | |
| January 7 | TheBattle of Julesburg, a skirmish between one thousand Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Lakota Indians and about sixty U.S. army soldiers along with forty to fifty civilians, takes place atJulesburg.. | |
| 1864 | November 29 | Colonel (and the Reverend)John Chivington orders the murder of hundreds ofCheyenne andArapaho people in theSand Creek Massacre. |
| October 22 | TheUnion Army movesCamp Collins downstream to the present site ofFort Collins. | |
| June 11 | In theHungate massacre, Nathan Hungate, his wife, and his two daughters are murdered nearElizabeth inElbert County, presumably by Native Americans. Public outrage following the killings leads to theSand Creek Massacre in November. | |
| May 19 | Aflash flood onCherry Creek sweeps away many low-lying structures ofDenver City and separates many residents from their local saloons and brothels. | |
| March 3 | GovernorJohn Evans and the ReverendJohn Chivington foundColorado Seminary inDenver City. The seminary will close in 1868, but reopen in 1880 as theUniversity of Denver. | |
| 1863 | January 2 | TheBoonville post office opens. |
| 1862 | December 6 | TheBlack Hawk Point post office opens. |
| August 14 | TheColorado General Assembly votes to move the territorial capital fromColorado City toGolden City, the seat ofJefferson County. | |
| July 22 | TheUnion Army establishesCamp Collins nearColona. | |
| July 11 | Unable to find adequate accommodations inColorado City, theColorado General Assembly votes to adjourn and reconvene inDenver City on July 16. | |
| July 7 | The second session of theColorado General Assembly convenes inColorado City. | |
| May 20 | U.S. PresidentAbraham Lincoln signs theHomestead Act of 1862. | |
| April 6 | Alferd Packer arrives at the Los Pinos Indian Agency in theCochetopa Hills with no trace of his five companions. Upon questioning, Packer admits that he ate his companions. | |
| March 28 | Colorado volunteers under the command of ColonelJohn P. Slough repulseTexas cavalry under the command of Lieutenant ColonelWilliam Read Scurry at theBattle of Glorieta Pass. The battle effectively ends theConfederate New Mexico Campaign. | |
| March 26 | U.S. PresidentAbraham Lincoln appointsJohn Evans ofIllinois to be the secondGovernor of the Territory of Colorado. | |
| March 10 | Texas cavalry under the command of Brigadier GeneralHenry Hopkins Sibley occupySanta Fe in theConfederate New Mexico Campaign. | |
| February 9 | Alferd Packer and five companions leave the camp ofOuray on theUncompahgre River bound for theCochetopa Hills. | |
| 1861 | November 7 | TheColorado General Assembly reincorporates theCity of Denver, Auraria, and Highland as theCity of Denver (still commonly known asDenver City), the seat ofArapahoe County.[83] |
| TheColorado General Assembly renamesGuadaloupe County asConejos County after only six days.[84] | ||
| November 5 | TheColorado General Assembly votes to move the territorial capital fromDenver City toColorado City, the seat ofEl Paso County. | |
| November 1 | TheColorado General Assembly creates 17 original counties:Arapahoe,Boulder,Clear Creek,Costilla,Douglas,El Paso,Fremont,Gilpin,Guadaloupe,Huerfano,Jefferson,Lake,Larimer,Park,Pueblo,Summit, andWeld County.[84] | |
| September 9 | The first session ofColorado General Assembly convenes inDenver City. The legislature reenacts many of the laws of theProvisional Government of the Territory of Jefferson. | |
| June 6 | Jefferson Territorial GovernorRobert Williamson Steele proclaims theTerritory of Jefferson officially disbanded after meeting withColorado Territorial GovernorWilliam Gilpin.[110] | |
| May 27 | GovernorWilliam Gilpin arrives inDenver City.[111] | |
| April 12 | TheAmerican Civil War begins with theBattle of Fort Sumter. | |
| March 25 | U.S. PresidentAbraham Lincoln appointsWilliam Gilpin ofMissouri to be the firstGovernor of the Territory of Colorado. | |
| March 4 | Abraham Lincoln assumes office as the 16thPresident of the United States. | |
| February 28 | U.S. PresidentJames Buchanan signsAn Act to provide a temporary Government for the Territory of Colorado,[112] creating thefreeTerritory of Colorado. The new territory is created from theunorganized territory previously part of theTerritory of Kansas, the northern portion of theTerritory of New Mexico, the eastern portion of theTerritory of Utah, and the southwestern portion of theTerritory of Nebraska. The new name is chosen because theColorado River is thought to originate somewhere in the Territory. The new territory is 41% smaller than the provisionalTerritory of Jefferson. The boundaries of the Colorado Territory are essentially the same as the presentState of Colorado. | |
| February 8 | Sevensecessionistslave states create theConfederate States of America. | |
| January 29 | U.S. PresidentJames Buchanan signsAn Act for the Admission of Kansas into the Union,[113] creating thefreeState of Kansas from the eastern portion of theTerritory of Kansas. The western portion of the Kansas Territory becomesunorganized territory, although theProvisional Government of the Territory of Jefferson continues to act as thede facto government. | |
| 1860 | November 13 | TheJefferson General Assembly moves fromDenver City toGolden City, the new seat ofJefferson County. |
| November 6 | Abraham Lincoln is electedPresident of the United States. Sevenslave states willsecede from theUnited States of America before February 8, 1861. | |
| August 7 | A proclamation byTerritorial Governor Steele proposes a merger of theJefferson Territory with theKansas Territory.Bleeding Kansas rejects the proposal outright. | |
| April 1 | The1860 United States census enumerates the population of thePike's Peak Country, later determined to be 34,277. Most of the miners in the backcountry prospecting for gold could not be counted, so there may have been a substantial undercount. | |
| February 1 | TheTerritory of New Mexico createsMora County from parts ofTaos County andSan Miguel County. The new county extends into the southern portion of theJefferson Territory and the future State of Colorado.[84] | |
| January 23 | The second session of theJefferson General Assembly convenes inDenver City, the seat ofArrappahoe County. | |
| January 1 | At the behest of theJefferson General Assembly,Samuel Beall requests that the U.S. Congress approve the newTerritory of Jefferson. Congress does not respond. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1859 | December | Frederick Salomon opens the Rocky Mountain Brewery inDenver City, the first brewery in theJefferson Territory.[114] |
| December 3 | TheJefferson General Assembly grants a charter to the consolidatedCity of Denver, Auraria, and Highland, more commonly known asDenver City, as the territorial capital and seat ofArrappahoe County.[115] | |
| November 28 | TheJefferson General Assembly creates12 counties:Arrappahoe,Cheyenne,El Paso,Fountain,Heele,Jackson,Jefferson,Mountain,North,Park,St. Vrain, andSaratoga County.[115][84] | |
| November 7 | The first session of theJefferson General Assembly convenes inDenver City.[115] | |
| October 24 | Voters of thePike's Peak Country approve the establishment of theProvisional Government of the Territory of Jefferson by a vote of 1,852 to 280 and electRobert Williamson Steele the first (and only)Governor of the Territory of Jefferson.[116][115] The Jefferson Territory extended from the102nd meridian west to the110th meridian west and from the37th parallel north to the43rd parallel north, and encompassed all of the presentU.S. state ofColorado and portions ofUtah,Wyoming,Nebraska, andKansas.[a] The Jefferson Territory served as thede facto government of the region until Governor Steele proclaimed the government disbanded on June 6, 1861. | |
| September 24 | Voters of thePike's Peak Country reject the proposal to create aProvisional State of Jefferson. | |
| June 16 | Golden City is established 13 miles (21 km) west ofDenver City in northwesternKansas Territory. | |
| May 7 | The firststagecoach arrives inDenver City fromLeavenworth, Kansas Territory. | |
| May 6 | John H. Gregory discovers the first hard rock gold in theRocky Mountains, a rich gold-bearing vein at Gregory Gulch, 28 miles (45 km) west ofDenver City. | |
| April 23 | William Byers publishes the first edition of theRocky Mountain News, the Rocky Mountain region's first newspaper, atAuraria. | |
| April 22 | TheBoulder, Nebraska Territory post office opens.[117][118] | |
| April 15 | Ten delegates from six communities in thePike's Peak Country meet in convention atDick Wooton's store inAuraria to pass resolutions to organize a proposedProvisional State of Jefferson. | |
| February 7 | TheTerritory of Kansas splitsArapahoe County into the six counties of Arapahoe,Broderick,El Paso,Fremont,Montana, andOro, and creates the newPeketon County farther east and south. The counties are never organized.[84] | |
| January 18 | TheAuraria, Kansas Territory post office opens.[118] | |
| TheSaint Vrain, Nebraska Territory post office opens.[117] | ||
| 1858 | November 22 | A group ofKansas Territoryspeculators led byWilliam Larimer organize the rival townsite ofDenver City acrossCherry Creek fromAuraria on the property of theSt. Charles Town Company. |
| October 29 | Charles H. Blake and A.J. Williams open a mercantile business out of wagons inAuraria. | |
| October 3 | A group ofGeorgiaprospectors led byGreen Russell establish the townsite ofAuraria south ofCherry Creek near the Cherry Creek Diggings. | |
| September 24 | Prospectors fromMontana City organize theSt. Charles Town Company east of theCherry Creek Diggings inArapahoe County, Kansas Territory.[84] | |
| August 26 | Gold dust from theLittle Dry Creek Diggings arrives inKansas City, precipitating thePike's Peak Gold Rush. | |
| August | Prospectors fromLawrence, Kansas Territory establish the townsite ofMontana City one mile (1.6 km) north of theLittle Dry Creek Diggings inArapahoe County, Kansas Territory. | |
| July | GeorgiaprospectorsGreen Russell and Sam Bates discover aplacer deposit yielding about 20 troy ounces (622 grams) ofgold near the mouth ofLittle Dry Creek inArapahoe County, Kansas Territory. | |
| spring | Antoine Janis establishes the town ofColona on theCache la Poudre River in westernNebraska Territory. | |
| spring | TheU.S. Army buildsFort Garland in theSan Luis Valley to replaceFort Massachusetts six miles to the north. | |
| 1857 | summer | A party ofMexican-American prospectors fromTaos County, New Mexico Territory dig for gold along theSouth Platte River below the mouth ofLittle Dry Creek inArapahoe County, Kansas Territory. |
| 1856 | January 5 | TheTerritory of Utah createsBeaver County from a part ofIron County which extends into the future State of Colorado.[84] |
| 1855 | August 25 | TheTerritory of Kansas createsArapahoe County in the extreme western portion of the territory in what is now Colorado. Despite several attempts, the county is never organized.[84] |
| 1854 | May 30 | U.S. PresidentFranklin Pierce signsAn Act to Organize the Territories of Nebraska and Kansas.[119] This act supersedes theMissouri Compromise and provides for the voters of the territories to decide for themselves whether to permitslavery. TheTerritory of Kansas includes all of the future State of Colorado east of theContinental Divide and south of the40th parallel north (theBaseline). TheTerritory of Nebraska includes all of the future State of Colorado east of the Continental Divide and north of the 40th parallel north. TheKansas–Nebraska Act will unwittingly lead to theAmerican Civil War. |
| 1852 | June 22 | TheU.S. Army establishesFort Massachusetts in theSan Luis Valley of northernNew Mexico Territory, the first U.S. Army fort in the future State of Colorado. |
| March 3 | The newTerritory of Utah creates ten counties, includingGreat Salt Lake,Green River,Iron,Sanpete,Utah, andWashington counties which extend into the future State of Colorado.[84] | |
| January 9 | The newTerritory of New Mexico creates nine original counties, includingTaos County which extends into the future State of Colorado.[84] | |
| 1851 | April 9 | The first permanentEuropean-Americansettlement in the future State of Colorado is established atSan Luis de la Culebra in the northernNew Mexico Territory by settlers from theTaos area. |
| April 4 | TheGeneral Assembly of the State of Deseret dissolves the provisional government and yields to theTerritory of Utah. | |
| 1850 | September 9 | TheTerritory of New Mexico and theTerritory of Utah are established as part of theCompromise of 1850.U.S. PresidentMillard Fillmore signsAn Act proposing to the State of Texas the Establishment of her Northern and Western Boundaries, the Relinquishment by the said State of all Territory claimed by her exterior to said Boundaries, and of all her Claims upon the United States, and to establish a territorial Government for New Mexico.[120] The Territory of New Mexico includes the southeastern portion of the future State of Colorado lying south of the38th parallel north and east of theContinental Divide. President Fillmore also signsAn Act to establish a Territorial Government for Utah.[121] The Territory of Utah includes all of the future State of Colorado lying west of the Continental Divide. |
| June 22 | Georgia prospectorLewis Ralston pans about a quarter of a troy ounce (8 grams) of gold near the mouth of a creek (later namedRalston Creek) in northwestern Kansas Territory, the first recorded discovery of gold in theRocky Mountain region. Unimpressed, his party hurries on to theCalifornia goldfields. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1849 | August 21 | ProprietorWilliam Bent destroysBent's Fort. |
| March 10 | TheMormon settlers of theGreat Salt Lake Valley form theProvisional Government of the State of Deseret.[122]Brigham Young is electedGovernor. Deseret encompasses almost all of the presentU.S. states ofUtah andNevada, and portions ofOregon,Idaho,Wyoming,Colorado,New Mexico,Arizona, andCalifornia, although only theWasatch Front was occupied.[b] Deseret served as thede facto government of the Wasatch Front until the Provisional State was dissolved on April 4, 1851. | |
| March 14 | Ute warriors killmountain manBill Williams in theSan Luis Valley following theFrémont expedition. | |
| 1848 | December 22 | Ignoring a warning from guideBill Williams,John C. Frémont's private expedition for a proposedSt. Louis toSan Francisco railroad along the38th parallel north becomes mired in snow of theLa Garita Mountains. Ten men and 160 mules will die in the debacle. |
| February 2 | The United States andUnited Mexican States sign theTreaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo to end theMexican–American War.[123] Mexico relinquishes all of itsnorthern territories. All land in the future State of Colorado becomesunorganized United States territory. | |
| 1847 | January 19 | U.S. civilian governorCharles Bent is killed by a band of insurgents at his home inTaos. First SecretaryDonaciano Vigil assumes office as the secondU.S. civilian governor of New Mexico. |
| 1846 | September 25 | General Stephen Kearny and troops depart forCalifornia. ColonelSterling Price assumes command as the secondU.S. military governor of New Mexico. |
| September 22 | General Stephen Kearny appointsCharles Bent as the firstU.S. civilian governor of New Mexico.[124] | |
| August 18 | The 1,700 manArmy of the West under the command ofBrigadier General Stephen Kearny seizes theNuevo México capital ofSanta Fe with little resistance.[124] General Kearny assumes command as the firstU.S. military governor of New Mexico. | |
| July 31 | General Stephen Kearny stages troops of theArmy of the West atBent's Fort for an invasion ofSanta Fe de Nuevo México.[124] | |
| May 13 | U.S. PresidentJames K. Polk signsAn act providing for the prosecution of the existing war between the United States and the Republic of Mexico.[125] | |
| April 25 | TheThornton Affair becomes the first skirmish of theMexican–American War. | |
| February 14 | TheState of Texas cedes the territorial claims of theRepublic of Texas to the United States.[c] The boundaries of the State of Texas within that territory remain undefined. The United States now claims theRio Grande as its border withMexico. | |
| 1845 | December 29 | U.S. PresidentJames K. Polk signs theJoint resolution for the admission of the State of Texas into the Union.[126] TheMexican Republic asserts that the annexation is a violation of theTreaty of Limits. This dispute will lead to theMexican–American War. |
| 1842 | June 10 | U.S. Army LieutenantJohn C. Frémont, guideKit Carson, andcartographerCharles Preuss begin a two-year survey of theHigh Plains. Maps created by the survey will become guides for theSouth Platte Trail. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1838 | October 6 | TheAmerican Fur Company closesFort Jackson. The fort is destroyed to prevent its use by competitors. |
| 1837 | spring | Frontier traderCeran de Hault de Lassus de Saint Vrain establishesFort Saint Vrain at the confluence of theSouth Platte River withSaint Vrain Creek. |
| spring | Frontier tradersPeter A. Sarpy andHenry Fraeb establishFort Jackson on theSouth Platte River for theAmerican Fur Company. | |
| March 6 | U.S. Secretary of StateJohn Forsyth accepts the credentials ofWilliam H. Wharton asRepublic of Texas Minister to the United States of America.Mexico protests the United States recognition of the Republic of Texas as a violation of theTreaty of Limits of 1828. | |
| 1836 | May 14 | Texians force captured GeneralSanta Anna to sign the coercedTreaties of Velasco recognizing the independence of theRepublic of Texas.Mexico neither acknowledges nor ratifies these treaties. Based upon these treaties, the Republic of Texas claims as its eastern and northern border theAdams–Onís border[d] with theUnited States and as its western and southern border theRio Grande to itsheadwaters, thence north along meridian 107°32′35″ west to the Adams–Onís border with the United States.[c] The disputed region will later become portions of the futureU.S. states ofWyoming, Colorado,Kansas,Oklahoma,Texas, andNew Mexico. |
| March 2 | Texians,Anglo-American immigrants in the Mexican state ofCoahuila y Tejas, declare their independence as theRepublic of Texas.[127] | |
| spring | Frontier traderLancaster Lupton establishesFort Lancaster on theSouth Platte River 12 miles (19 km) upstream fromSaint Vrain Creek. | |
| 1835 | October 2 | TheTexian Revolt begins with theBattle of Gonzales. |
| spring | Frontier tradersLouis Vasquez andAndrew Sublette establishFort Vasquez on theSouth Platte River. | |
| 1833 | spring | Frontier traderWilliam Bent establishesBent's Fort on the north bank of theArkansas River, the United States-Mexico border. The fort servesfur traders and travelers on theSanta Fe Trail. The fort is the firstAmerican establishment in the future State of Colorado. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1828 | January 12 | The United States and theUnited Mexican States sign theTreaty of Limits, affirming the border established between the United States and theSpanish Empire by theAdams–Onís Treaty.[128][d] |
| 1821 | December 26 | Spanish GovernorFacundo Melgares receives orders thatSanta Fe de Nuevo México is now an intendance of theMexican Empire. Melgares swearsfealty to the empire and becomes the firstMexican Governor of Santa Fe de Nuevo México. |
| September 1 | William Becknell and a party of frontier traders leaveNew Franklin, Missouri bound forSanta Fe by way of the upperArkansas andPurgatoire rivers. The Becknell route will become the Mountain Branch of theSanta Fe Trail. | |
| August 24 | TheSpanish Empire signs theTreaty of Córdoba recognizing the independence of theMexican Empire.[129] The Spanish portion of the future state becomes part of theMexican territory ofSanta Fe de Nuevo México, although there is no permanent Mexican presence north of the37th parallel north. | |
| August 10 | U.S. PresidentJames Monroe certified that the conditions forstatehood had been fulfilled and issuedProclamation 28 — Admitting Missouri into the Union.[130] The remaining northwestern portion of theTerritory of Missouri becomesunorganized territory. | |
| March 2 | U.S. PresidentJames Monroe signsAn Act to authorize the people of the Missouri territory to form a constitution and state government, and for the admission of such state into the Union on an equal footing with the original states, and to prohibit slavery in certain territories. | |
| February 22 | TheAdams–Onís Treaty of 1819 takes effect.[131][d] The United States relinquishes all land in the future State of Colorado southwest of theArkansas River or west of themeridian 106°20'35" west. The rest of the future state remains part of theTerritory of Missouri. | |
| 1820 | July 14 | Edwin James and two other members of a U.S. Army expedition led by MajorStephen Long make the first recorded (White) ascent ofPikes Peak. Major Long names the mountain James Peak. |
| March 6 | U.S. PresidentJames Monroe signs theMissouri Compromise.[132] The bill allows Missouri to become aslave state, but prohibits slavery in thewestern territories north of theparallel 36°30′ north. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1807 | February 26 | Spanish cavalrymen arrest theU.S. Army reconnaissance expedition led by CaptainZebulon Pike in theSan Luis Valley. The reconnaissance party will be taken toSanta Fe, thenChihuahua, before being expelled fromNueva España on July 1, 1807. |
| 1806 | November 27 | Zebulon Pike abandons his attempt to climb the summit of theMexican Mountains (Southern Rocky Mountains) now known asPikes Peak. Pike will later write that the mountain "may be the highest on Earth". (Twenty-nine peaks are higher in Colorado alone.) |
| November 15 | AU.S. Army reconnaissance expedition led by CaptainZebulon Pike first sights the "great summit" of the "Mexican Mountains" that will later bear his name. | |
| 1805 | March 3 | U.S. PresidentThomas Jefferson signsAn Act further providing for the government of the district of Louisiana. TheDistrict of Louisiana is reorganized as the self-governingTerritory of Louisiana. The Territory of Louisiana includes all land in the future State of Colorado in theMississippi River watershed including the disputed area southwest of theArkansas River. |
| 1804 | October 1 | TheDistrict of Louisiana is reorganized under the jurisdiction of theTerritory of Indiana.[133] |
| March 26 | U.S. PresidentThomas Jefferson signsAn Act erecting Louisiana into two territories, and providing for the temporary government thereof.[133] The portion of theLouisiana Purchase north of the33rd parallel north is designated the militaryDistrict of Louisiana. | |
| 1803 | December 20 | French Governor Pierre Clement de Laussat transfers control ofLa Louisiane toU.S. Governor William Claiborne in a ceremony atLa Nouvelle-Orléans (New Orleans) only 20 days after the transfer of Spanish control.[134] The United States andSpain disagree over the western boundary of the territory. The United States maintains that Louisiana includes theMississippi River and its entire westerndrainage basin. Spain maintains that its territory includes (1) all land west of theContinental Divide of the Americas includingAlta California, and (2) all land south of theArkansas River and west of theMedina River includingSanta Fe de Nuevo México, and (3) all land south of theRed River and west of theCalcasieu River includingTejas. The area in dispute includes land in the future State of Colorado southwest of theArkansas River but east of both theContinental Divide and theSangre de Cristo Divide. |
| November 30 | Spanish Governor Juan Manuel de Salcedo transfers control of La Luisiana toFrench Governor Pierre Clement de Laussat in a ceremony atNueva Orleans (New Orleans).[134] This formal transfer of power was made solely to accommodate theLouisiana Purchase. | |
| April 30 | The United States and theFrench Republic sign theLouisiana Purchase Treaty.[135] Wishing to guarantee American navigation rights on theMississippi River,U.S. PresidentThomas Jefferson had offered to purchase the Mississippi River port ofNew Orleans from theFrench Republic. Concerned with the potential cost of future campaigns,French First Consul Napoléon Bonaparte countered with an offer to sell the entire territory ofLa Louisiane to the United States for 80 millionFrench francs or $15 millionU.S. dollars. | |
| 1801 | March 21 | TheFrench Republic and theSpanish Empire sign theTreaty of Aranjuez setting the terms for the "restoration ofLa Louisiane to France."[136] |
| 1800 | October 1 | Seeking to restore French presence in theAmericas,French First Consul Napoléon Bonaparte pressuresKing Carlos IV of Spain to agree to the secretThird Treaty of San Ildefonso to transferLa Luisiana to theFrench Republic in exchange for French claims inTuscany.[137] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1792 | October 3 | FrenchfrontiersmanPierre "Pedro" Vial arrives inSaint-Louis from the Spanish settlement ofSanta Fe. The route he followed will become the Cimarron Branch of theSanta Fe Trail. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1789 | March 4 | The newConstitution of the United States takes effect as the1st United States Congress convenes. |
| 1783 | September 3 | TheTreaty of Paris is signed inParis by representatives of KingGeorge III ofGreat Britain and representatives of theUnited States of America. The treaty affirms the independence of the United States and sets theMississippi River as its western boundary. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1778 | Bernardo de Miera y Pacheco,cartographer for theDominguez–Escalante Expedition, publishes hismap of the expedition across theColorado Plateau. His map becomes the foundation of a future trade route later known as theOld Spanish Trail. | |
| 1776 | July 29 | ASpanish-Franciscan expedition led byFranciscan priestsFrancisco Atanasio Domínguez andSilvestre Vélez de Escalante sets out fromLa Villa Real de la Santa Fé de San Francisco de Asís (Santa Fe) in search of an overland route to thePresidio Reál de San Carlos de Monterey (Monterey). The expedition follows the 1765 route ofJuan Rivera northwest across theColorado Plateau. The expedition fails to reachLas Californias, but reaches the lowerParia River in the future State of Arizona before returning to Santa Fe. |
| July 4 | Representatives of the thirteenUnited States of America sign theDeclaration of Independence from theKingdom of Great Britain. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1765 | July | GovernorTomás Vélez Cachupin ofSanta Fe de Nuevo México dispatches an expedition led byJuan Maria Antonio Rivera to explore theSan Juan Mountains and theColorado Plateau. |
| 1764 | September 30 | The secretTreaty of Fontainebleau is proclaimed. This ends the competition between France and Spain on theGreat Plains.[138] |
| 1763 | September 30 | TheTreaty of Paris is signed ending theSeven Years' War and theFrench and Indian War. TheKingdom of Great Britain acquires the land east of theMississippi River. |
| 1762 | November 23 | Fearing the loss of all hisNorth American territories as a result of theSeven Years' War (theFrench and Indian War in North America),King Louis XV of France makes the secretTreaty of Fontainebleau transferringLa Louisiane to his cousinKing Carlos III of Spain.[138] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1739 | July 5 | On a voyage up theArkansas River to the confluence of thePurgatoire River (in the future State of Colorado),Pierre Antoine and Paul Mallet encounter anArikara man who agrees to guide them toSanta Fe. This is the first contact betweenFrance andSpain in the Rocky Mountain region. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1720 | August 6 | A Spanish expedition led by Don Pedro de Villasur seeking information about the French in the area reaches theSouth Platte River, called by the Spanish the Río Jesús María. They continued northeast into Nebraska where the expedition was largely destroyed in an attack by a group ofPawnee people on 14 August.[139] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1707 | May 1 | TheTreaty of Union takes effect uniting theKingdom of England and theKingdom of Scotland as theKingdom of Great Britain. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1692 | September 14 | Diego de Vargas Zapata y Luján Ponce de León y Contreras completes the reconquest of theSpanish colony ofSanta Fe de Nuevo Méjico to end thePueblo Revolt. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1682 | April 9 | René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, claims theMississippi River and itswatershed for theKingdom of France and names the regionLa Louisiane in honor ofKing Louis XIV.[140] The Mississippi Basin is later determined to be the fourth most extensive on Earth and includes lands inhabited by hundreds of thousands ofnative peoples and lands previously claimed bySpain,France, andEngland. The Louisiane claim includes all land in the future State of Colorado east of theContinental Divide of the Americas and theSangre de Cristo Mountains. This will set up a rivalry among native peoples, France, Spain, and eventually the United States in the area. |
| 1680 | August 13 | TewashamanPopé ofOhkay Owingeh leads thePueblo Revolt against theSpanish rulers ofSanta Fe de Nuevo Méjico. The Spanish settlers flee down theRio Grande toEl Paso del Norte. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1598 | July 12 | Don Juan de Oñate Salazar establishes theNew Spain (Nueva España) colony ofSanta Fe de Nuevo Méjico at the village ofSan Juan de los Caballeros adjacent to theOhkay Owingeh Pueblo at the confluence of theRio Grande (río Bravo) and therío Chama.[141] At its greatest extent, the colony encompassed all of the presentU.S. state ofNew Mexico and portions ofArizona,Utah,Colorado,Wyoming,Nebraska,Kansas,Oklahoma,Texas, and theMexican state ofChihuahua.[e] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1541 | June 28 | ASpanish military expedition led byHernando de Soto,Governor of Cuba, become the firstEuropeans to cross theMississippi River. |
| spring | TheSpanish military expedition led byFrancisco Vásquez de Coronado leaves theTiwapueblos and searches theGreat Plains forQuivira. The expedition may, or may not, have crossed the southeast corner of the presentU.S.State of Colorado.[142] | |
| winter | TheTiwa resist the occupation by theCoronado expedition, but hundreds are killed in theTiguex War.[142] | |
| 1540 | autumn | The military expedition led byFrancisco Vásquez de Coronado, reaches theTiwa pueblos along theRío Bravo (Rio Grande). The expedition occupies several of the pueblos.[142] |
| July 7 | The military expedition led byFrancisco Vásquez de Coronado, reaches theZuni pueblo ofHawikuh. The Zuni resist but are driven off by the Spanish soldiers.[142] | |
| February 23 | Francisco Vásquez de Coronado,Governor of Nueva Galicia, departsCompostela, México commanding aSpanish military expedition of 400 soldiers and 1,300 to 2,000Mexican Indian allies in search of theSeven Cities of Cibola.[142] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1520 | August 13 | SpanishconquistadorHernán Cortés defeatsAztec EmperorCuauhtémoc, seizesTenochtitlán, and proclaims the establishment ofNueva España (New Spain).[143] |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1519 | autumn | ASpanish naval expedition along the northeastern coast ofMexico charts the mouths of several rivers including theRío de Nuestra Señora (Rio Grande). |
| 1513 | September 29 | SpanishconquistadorVasco Núñez de Balboa crosses theIsthmus of Panama and arrives on the shore of a sea that he namesMar del Sur (theSouth Sea, later named thePacific Ocean).[144] He claims the sea and all adjacent lands for theQueen of Castile. This includes the portion of the future State of Colorado west of theContinental Divide of the Americas. |
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1493 | May 4 | After receiving accounts of thevoyage of Columbus,Pope Alexander VI (bornRoderic de Borja inValencia) issues thepapal bullInter Caetera that splits thenon-Christian world into two halves forChristian exploration, conquest, conversion, and exploitation.[145] The eastern half goes to theKing of Portugal and the western half (including almost all of theAmericas) goes to theQueen of Castile and theKing of Aragon. Theindigenous peoples of the Americas have no idea that any of these people exist. |
| 1492 | October 12 | Genoese seamanChristopher Columbus (Cristòffa Cómbo) lands on theTaíno island ofGuanahani in theBahamas which he renames San Salvador and claims forQueen Isabel I of Castile and theKing Fernando II of Aragon.[146] This begins theSpanish conquest of theAmericas. |
| Era | Event |
|---|---|
| 1300–1525 CE | Jicarilla Apache migrate to the southern extent of theRocky Mountains fromAlaska and NorthwesternCanada. |
| 1275–1300 CE | A prolonged drought on theColorado Plateau forces manyAncestral Puebloans to migrate southeast into theRio Grande Valley.[147] |
| c. 1150 CE | TheSlumgullion Earthflow dams theLake Fork to formLake San Cristobal, presently the second largest natural lake in Colorado. |
| c. 1100 CE | Ancestral Puebloansbegin construction of cliff houses onMesa Verde.[147] |
| c. 550 CE | Ancestral Puebloans move ontoMesa Verde.[147] |
| c. 2140 BCE | TheDotsero Volcano erupts, the most recent volcanic eruption in the future State of Colorado. |
| c. 4900 BCE | Paleoamericans camp at theMagic Mountain site nearGolden.[147] |
| c. 8670 BCE | Paleoamericans of theFolsom culture camp at theLindenmeier site in present-dayLarimer County.[147] |
| c. 11,500 BCE | During theAllerød oscillation,Paleoamericans fromBeringia begin using the ice-free corridor east of theRocky Mountains tomigrate throughout North America.[147] New research indicates the Colorado region may have been visited much earlier via thePacific Ocean.[148][149] |
Additional references are included in the linked articles.
Colorado Springs, Col., November 27--The Thanksgiving matinee shoot, held on the Broadmoor Shooting Grounds by the Colorado Springs Gun Club was a most pleasant, social shoot, the only detraction being the quite disagreeable chilly weather so rarely experienced here thus early in the Fall. …luncheon at the Alamo Hotel. … In the Spalding medal…Joe H. Rohrer…winning with 94. … John W. Garrett, who had held the medal since 1902…
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