| 24 Jul 1847 |
Mormon pioneers enter the Salt Lake Valley, led by Brigham Young. |
| 31 Jul 1847 |
The First Bowery, predecessor to the Tabernacle, completed in Salt Lake City. |
| | The pioneers depend upon the root of the Sego Lily to avoid starvation. |
| May-Jun 1848 |
The pioneers' crops are devoured by crickets. The crops are saved by seagulls. |
| Jul 1849 |
State of Deseret formed. |
| 1849 |
California Gold Rush begins. |
| 1849 |
Indian War: "Incident at Battle Creek".
|
| 28 Feb 1850 |
University of Deseret formed (became the University of Utah on 17 Feb 1892.) |
| 15 Jun 1850 |
Deseret News begins publication. |
| 1850 |
Davis county formed from Great Salt Lake county. |
| 21 Feb 1851 |
Upper floor of Council House began use as an Endowment House. |
| 28 Mar 1851 |
State of Deseret dissolved. Utah Territory formed, Fillmore is made the Territorial Capitol. |
| 1851 |
Millard county formed from Juab county. |
| Apr 1852 |
Old Tabernacle completed in Salt Lake City, replacing the First Bowery. |
| 08 Apr 1852 |
The Deseret Alphabet is introduced, and used until 1877. |
| Aug 1852 |
Practice of Plural Marriage made public. |
| 1852 |
Great Salt Lake, Juab, Sanpete, Tooele, Utah, and Weber counties created as original counties. |
| 1852 |
Iron and Washington counties formed from unorganized territory. |
| 14 Feb 1853 |
Construction begins on the Salt Lake Temple. |
| 1853-54 |
Indian War: "Walker War".
|
| 1854 |
Summit county formed from Great Salt Lake county. |
| 05 May 1855 |
Endowment House completed. |
| Winter 1856 |
Willie and Martin handcart companies rescued from early snow storm. |
| 1856 |
Beaver county formed from Iron and Millard counties. |
| 1856 |
Box Elder and Cache counties formed from unorganized territory. |
| 05 Aug 1857 |
Martial Law declared in Utah Territory on approach of Johnston's Army. (Beginning of the "Utah War".) |
| Sep 1857 |
Mountain Meadows Massacre occurs. |
| 23 Mar 1858 |
Northern Utah communities ordered to move south on approach of Johnston's Army. The foundations of the Salt Lake Temple were completely covered with earth. (Known as the "Move South".) |
| 26 Jun 1858 |
Johnston's Army moves through a deserted Salt Lake City, and begins building Camp Floyd. (End of the "Utah War".) |
| 03 Apr 1860 |
Pony Express begins. (thru 1862) |
| 12 Apr 1861 |
The Civil War begins. |
| Oct 1861 |
The Transcontinental Telegraph is completed. |
| 1862 |
Fort Douglas established. |
| 1862 |
Wasatch county formed from Summit county. |
| 1862 |
Morgan county formed from Davis and Summit counties. |
| 1863 |
Indian War: "Gosiute War" and "Battle of Bear River" (involved US Troops from Fort Douglas).
|
| 1864 |
Garfield county formed from Iron, Kane and Sevier counties. |
| 1864 |
Kane county formed from Washington county and unorganized territory. |
| 1864 |
Richland county formed. |
| Aft 1864 |
Richland county renamed to Rich county. |
| 1864 |
Sevier county formed from Sanpete county. |
| 09 Apr 1865 |
The Civil War ends. |
| 1865-67 |
Indian War: "Black Hawk War".
|
| 1866 |
Piute county formed from Sevier county. |
| 08 Dec 1867 |
Relief Society organized. |
| Oct 1868 |
Zion's Cooperative Mercantile Institution (ZCMI), a department store, is formed. |
| 1868 |
Great Salt Lake county renamed to Salt Lake county. |
| 10 May 1869 |
The Transcontinental Railroad is completed at Promontory Point, Utah. |
| 1870 |
Utah women given the freedom to vote. |
| Oct 1875 |
Grand Tabernacle (the current building) dedicated in Salt Lake City, replacing the Old Tabernacle. |
| 16 Oct 1875 |
Brigham Young Academy formed (became Brigham Young University on 23 Oct 1903.) |
| 06 Apr 1877 |
Dedication of the St. George Temple. |
| 29 Aug 1877 |
Death of Brigham Young. |
| 1879 |
Supreme Court decision on "Reynolds v. United States" begins enforcement of anti-polygamy laws. |
| 1880 |
Emery county formed from Sanpete and Sevier counties. |
| 1880 |
San Juan county formed from Kane county. |
| 1880 |
Uintah county formed from Wasatch county. |
| 17 May 1884 |
Dedication of the Logan Temple. |
| 1887 |
"Edmunds-Tucker Act" passed -- allowing for seizure of polygamists' property, including Church properties. |
| 17 May 1888 |
Dedication of the Manti Temple. |
| Nov 1889 |
Endowment House demolished. |
| 06 Oct 1890 |
The "Manifesto" presented to the public -- ending the practice of polygamy by the LDS Church. |
| 1890 |
Grand county formed from Emery and Uintah counties. |
| 17 Feb 1892 |
University of Deseret renamed the University of Utah. |
| 1892 |
Wayne county formed from Piute county. |
| 06 Apr 1893 |
Dedication of the Salt Lake Temple. |
| 1894 |
Carbon county formed from Emery county. |
| 04 Jan 1896 |
Utah gains statehood, with Salt Lake City as its Capitol. It is the forty-fifth state to enter the Union. |
| 23 Oct 1903 |
Brigham Young Academy renamed Brigham Young University. |
| 1913 |
Duchesne county formed from Wasatch county. |
| 1917 |
Daggett county formed from Uintah county. |
| 28 Jun 1914 |
World War I begins. |
| 11 Nov 1918 |
World War I ends. |
| 07 Dec 1941 |
U.S. involvement in World War II begins. |
| Sep 1942 |
Topaz, a Japanese internment camp, established in Utah. |
| 14 Aug 1945 |
World War II ends. |
| Oct/Nov 1945 |
Topaz abandoned. |
| 25 Jun 1950 |
Korean War begins. |
| 27 Jul 1953 |
Korean War armistice signed. |
| 1961 |
U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War begins. |
| 1973 |
U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War ends. |
| 18 Jan 1972 |
Dedication of the Ogden Temple. |
| 09 Feb 1972 |
Dedication of the Provo Temple. |
| 08 Jun 1978 |
Official Declaration 2 announced -- giving the priesthood to all worthy male members of the LDS Church. |
| 16 Nov 1981 |
Dedication of the Jordan River Temple. |
| 08 Jan 1995 |
Dedication of the Bountiful Temple. |
| 16 Jun 1995 |
Salt Lake City chosen as host of the 2002 Winter Olympics. |
| 13 Oct 1996 |
Dedication of the Mount Timpanogos Temple. |
| 02 Nov 1997 |
Dedication of the Vernal Temple. |
| 26 Jul 1998 |
Dedication of the Monticello Temple. |
| 08 thru 22 Feb 2002 |
Salt Lake City to host the 2002 Winter Olympics. |
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