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Timeline of Tucson, Arizona facts for kids

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The following is a timeline of the history of Tucson, a city in Arizona, United States. A timeline helps us see important events in order, like a historical story!

Tucson's Early Days: 1700s

Growing Up: The 1800s

  • 1846 – December 16: Tucson was taken over by United States forces during a conflict with Mexico.
  • 1848 – About 760 people lived in Tucson.
  • 1853 – The area became part of the United States through something called the Gadsden Purchase.
  • 1856 – August 29: People met to plan for the Arizona Territory.
  • 1857 – A mail service called the San Antonio-San Diego Mail Line started running.
  • 1862
  • 1867 – Tucson became the capital city of the Arizona Territory.
  • 1869 – The St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church was built.
  • 1870
    • The Arizona Citizen newspaper began printing.
  • 1872
    • A public school system was created.
    • About 3,500 people lived in Tucson.
  • 1873
    • A telegraph line connecting San Diego and Tucson started working.
    • Fort Lowell, a military post, was built near Tucson.
  • 1875 – Estevan Ochoa was chosen as mayor.
  • 1876 – Pie Allen became mayor.
  • 1877 – Tucson officially became a town.
  • 1878 – The El Fronterizo newspaper started.
  • 1879
    • The Arizona Daily Star newspaper began.
    • A Presbyterian Church was built.
  • 1880
    • The Southern Pacific Railroad started operating, connecting Tucson to other places.
    • The Tucson Library Association was formed.
    • St. Mary's Hospital opened near town.
    • The population grew to 7,007 people.
  • 1881
    • Another railroad, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, began operating.
    • A Methodist Church was built.
  • 1882 – March 20: Wyatt Earp, a famous lawman, was involved in an event where Frank Stilwell was killed.
  • 1883 – Tucson officially became a city.
  • 1885 – Carrillo's Gardens, the first public park in Tucson, was built by Leopoldo Carrillo.
  • 1890 – Population: 5,150.
  • 1891 – The University of Arizona opened, and its first main building, Old Main, University of Arizona, was built.
  • 1893 – The Arizona State Museum was created.
  • 1897 – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson was established, and the Cathedral of Saint Augustine (Tucson) was built.
  • 1900 – Population: 7,531.

A New Century: The 1900s

  • 1903 – The Desert Laboratory, a place for scientific research, was founded.
  • 1907 – A new Southern Pacific railway station was built.
  • 1910 – Population: 13,193.
  • 1912 – Arizona became a state, and Tucson became part of the State of Arizona.
  • 1919
    • A city airfield was established for airplanes.
    • The Hotel Congress opened for business.
  • 1920 – The Rialto Theatre (Arizona) opened, a place for movies and shows.
  • 1927
    • Famous pilot Charles Lindbergh visited Tucson.
    • The Temple of Music & Art was built.
  • 1928 – The James A. Walsh United States Courthouse was built.
  • 1929
    • The Pima County Courthouse was constructed.
    • The Pioneer Hotel opened.
  • 1930
  • 1933 – Henry Jaastad became mayor.
  • 1940
    • The Tucson Army Air Field was established.
    • South Tucson became its own city.
  • 1941 – The Davis–Monthan Air Force Base was officially established.
  • 1950 – The Catalina Highway was built, leading into the mountains.
  • 1952 – The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, a unique zoo and botanical garden, was founded.
  • 1955 – Don Hummel became mayor.
  • 1956 – The Tucson Air National Guard Base became active.
  • 1960
    • The University of Arizona Poetry Center was founded.
    • Old Tucson Studios, a movie set and theme park, and El Con Mall, a shopping center, opened.
  • 1963 – Tucson International Airport began operating.
  • 1964 – The Tucson Botanical Gardens were founded.
  • 1965 – The DeGrazia Gallery, an art museum, was built.
  • 1967
    • The University of Arizona College of Medicine and the Reid Park Zoo were founded.
    • Jim Corbett (politician) became mayor.
  • 1969 – Pima Community College was established.
  • 1971
  • 1972 – The Planetary Science Institute, a research center, was founded.
  • 1975 – The Center for Creative Photography was established.
  • 1976 – The Tucson Community Food Bank and the Pima Air & Space Museum were established.
  • 1977 – The Bank of America Plaza (Tucson) was built.
  • 1978 – The Arizona State Prison Complex – Tucson began operating.
  • 1982
    • The Federal Correctional Institution, Tucson opened.
    • The Tucson Mall and Foothills Mall (Arizona) opened for shopping.
  • 1984 – Channel 12, a government access TV station, began broadcasting.
  • 1985 – The Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation was established to protect old buildings.
  • 1987 – Thomas Volgy became mayor.
  • 1990 – Population: 405,390.
  • 1991
    • Biosphere 2, a large research facility, was built.
    • George Miller (Arizona politician) became mayor.
  • 1996
  • 1998
    • The city's official website went online.
    • Park Place (Tucson, Arizona) shopping mall opened.
  • 1999 – Bob Walkup became mayor.

Tucson Today: The 2000s

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