Vazquez de Coronado explores Colorado searching
for the Fabled Seven Cities of Cibola.
1803: The United States purchased what is now most
of eastern Colorado from France. Napoleon Bonaparte
acquired this land from Spain in 1800 and sold it
to the United States in 1803 as a part of the Louisiana
Purchase, which was signed by President Thomas Jefferson.
1859: A large number of settlers came to Colorado,
creating areas such as Boulder and Denver, during
The Colorado Gold Rush of 1859. This is considered
the largest gold rush in American history.
1861: Congress chose the name "Colorado" for
the territory that is now the state of Colorado.
It was named after the red color of the Colorado
River. The word Colorado is of Spanish origin and
means "colored red".
1870: The Denver and Pacific Railroad was made to
connect Denver to the Union Pacific Railroad at Cheyenne,
1876: Colorado became the 38th state. It is called
the Centennial State because it was admitted to the
Union one hundred years after the signing of the
Declaration of Independence.
1893: The right to vote was granted to Colorado
women on November 7.
1894: The capital, Denver, was completed.
1905: Believe it or not, the State of Colorado had
three Governors in one day: Alva Adams, James H.
Peabody, and Jesse F. Macdonald.
1913: The Big Snow of 1913 covered Colorado in snow
up to 3-5 feet.
1943: The last Grey Wolf in Colorado died.
1958: The United States Air Force Academy was built
close to Colorado Springs.
1972: Colorado was granted and rejected the award
to host the 1976 Winter Olympics. Colorado is the
only state to ever reject the award as the site of
the olympics. The 1976 Winter Olympics were relocated
to Innsbruck, Austria.
1999: Two gunman storm Columbine High School and systematically
kill 15 people, including themselves.