Seattle Timeline
| 1792 | Capt. George Vancouver of the British Royal Navy explores Puget Sound. |
| 1841 | Lt. Charles Wilkes surveys Puget Sound and names it Elliott Bay. |
| 1851 | The first white settlers arrive in what will become West Seattle's Alki Point. |
| 1852 | These same settlers move to the east side of Elliott Bay from Alki Point, which is subject to storms. |
| 1853 | Washington Territory is formed. |
| 1864 | The transcontinental telegraph reaches Seattle, connecting it with the rest of the country. |
| 1866 | Chief Seattle, for whom the city is named, dies and is buried across Puget Sound at Suquamish. |
| 1875 | Regular steamship service begins between Seattle and San Francisco. |
| 1889 | The Great Seattle Fire levels most of downtown. |
| 1893 | The railroad reaches Seattle. |
| 1897 | The steamer Portland arrives from Alaska carrying more than a ton of gold, starting the Yukon gold rush. |
| 1907 | Pike Place Market is founded. |
| 1916 | William Boeing launches his first airplane from Lake Union, beginning an industry that will become Seattle's lifeblood. 1940 The Mercer Island Floating Bridge opens. |
| 1962 | The Century 21 exposition is held in Seattle, and the Space Needle is erected. |
| 1971 | Starbucks Coffee is founded in Seattle. |
| 1999 | Safeco Field, the Seattle Mariners' retractable-roof baseball stadium, opens for business. |
| 2000 | The Kingdome is demolished to make way for a new football stadium. Experience Music Project opens at Seattle Center. |
| 2001 | An earthquake damages numerous historic buildings in the Pioneer Square area. |
| 2002 | The new Seahawks Stadium is completed on the site of the old Kingdome. |
| 2003 | Seattle Opera and Pacific Northwest Ballet move in to new Marion Oliver McCaw Hall at Seattle Center. |
| 2004 | The Seattle Central Library, another architectural oddity, opens in downtown Seattle. |
Source: Frommer's Seattle
