History of Delaware in Timeline

Delaware is a state located in the Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic regions of the United States. It shares borders with Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and it is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The state gets its name from the Delaware Bay, which itself was named after Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr.

1900: Manufacturing investment growth in Wilmington

By 1900, investment in manufacturing in Wilmington had grown to $44 million.

February 12, 1901: Delaware officially ratified the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments

On February 12, 1901, Delaware officially ratified the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the Constitution, decades after they had already come into force.

1914: Delaware reclassified the Delaware Moors as non-Black

In 1914, the State of Delaware reclassified the Delaware Moors, a mixed-race group, as a separate, non-Black group, having previously classified them as African Americans.

1915: Amish settlement in Kent County

In 1915, the Amish first settled in Kent County.

1916: Delaware Votes for Charles Evans Hughes

In 1916, Delaware voted for losing Republican Charles Evans Hughes.

1921: Delaware's claim confirmed

In 1921, Delaware's claim to The Wedge of land between the northwest part of the arc and the Maryland border was confirmed.

July 21, 1930: Record high temperature recorded

On July 21, 1930, Delaware's all-time record high of 110 °F was recorded at Millsboro.

1932: Delaware Votes for Herbert Hoover

In 1932, Delaware voted for losing Republican Herbert Hoover.

1948: Delaware Votes for Thomas Dewey

In 1948, Delaware voted for losing Republican Thomas Dewey.

1948: University of Delaware admitted its first black student

In 1948, The University of Delaware admitted its first black student.

1950: Bridge Construction Era

About 30 percent of all Delaware bridges were built before 1950.

1950: Population Changes in Wilmington

In 1950, the Black population of Wilmington was 15%.

1952: End of Judicial Corporal Punishment

Delaware was the last U.S. state to use judicial corporal punishment, which occurred in 1952.

1952: Start of Bellwether Status

From 1952, Delaware voted for the winner of every presidential election.

1952: Belton v. Gebhart Case Origin

In 1952, Delaware was the origin of Belton v. Gebhart, a case later combined into Brown v. Board of Education, where the state court ruled segregation unconstitutional.

October 1954: Milford High School segregation protests

In October 1954, Milford High School became the scene of one of the country's first pro-segregation boycotts after Black students were enrolled.

1965: Sussex County began closing or integrating segregated schools

In 1965, 11 years after the Brown ruling, Sussex County started closing or integrating its segregated schools.

1965: End of North-South Passenger Trains

The last north–south passenger train service through the main part of Delaware ended in 1965 with the Pennsylvania Railroad's local Wilmington-Delmar train.

1967: Riots broke out in Wilmington

In 1967, riots broke out in Wilmington.

1968: Riots in Wilmington and National Guard occupation

In 1968, riots broke out in Wilmington in response to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr, after which the National Guard occupied the city for nine months to prevent further violence.

1970: Last segregated school closed in Delaware

In 1970, the last segregated school in Delaware closed.

1973: Joe Biden Elected to US Senate

Joe Biden represented Delaware for 36 years in the United States Senate starting in 1973.

1980: Wilmington's population changes

By 1980, the Black population of Wilmington rose to over 50%.

1986: World Championship Punkin Chunkin Founding

Since 1986, the World Championship Punkin Chunkin was formerly held at various locations throughout the state.

1987: Delaware Transportation Trust Fund Establishment

The Delaware Transportation Trust Fund was established in 1987 to stabilize transportation funding, leading to the gradual separation of DelDOT operations from other Delaware state operations.

1988: Paratransit Service Fees

As of 1988, the fees for the paratransit service were set and have remained unchanged until 2012.

1988: Last Republican Presidential Vote in New Castle County

New Castle County has not voted Republican in a presidential election since 1988.

1990: Majority of Delaware's population not native

By 1990, only 50% of Delaware's population consisted of natives to the state.

1991: Periods of No Scheduled Air Service

Since 1991, Delaware has experienced several periods during which it had no scheduled air service.

1992: Republican Presidential Candidate Loss

In 1992, the Republican presidential candidate carried both Kent and Sussex but lost by double digits each time in New Castle County.

1992: Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act

In June 2018, Delaware became the first U.S. state to legalize sports betting following the Supreme Court ruling to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA).

1993: Democratic Gubernatorial Streak

The Democratic Party has held the governorship in Delaware since 1993.

1996: End of Bellwether Status

Delaware's bellwether status came to an end in 1996.

1997: Sister State Relationship with Miyagi Prefecture

Delaware and Miyagi Prefecture in Japan have shared relations as foreign sister states since 1997.

1999: Statewide Internet Wiring Completion

Delaware became the first state to wire every K-12 classroom to the Internet after a three-year, $30 million program ending in 1999.

2000: Languages spoken in Delaware homes

In 2000, 91% of Delaware residents of age 5 and older spoke only English at home; 5% spoke Spanish.

2000: Delaware Votes for Al Gore

In 2000, Delaware voted for Al Gore by 13%.

2000: Republican Presidential Candidate Loss

In 2000, the Republican presidential candidate carried both Kent and Sussex but lost by double digits each time in New Castle County.

2003: DART First State Award

In 2003, the DART First State public transportation system was named "Most Outstanding Public Transportation System" by the American Public Transportation Association.

2003: End of Blue Laws for Liquor Sales

Until 2003, Delaware was among the states enforcing blue laws, which banned the sale of liquor on Sundays.

2004: Democratic Vote Share in New Castle County

From 2004 on, New Castle County has given Democrats over 60% of its vote in every election.

2004: Delaware Votes for John Kerry

In 2004, John Kerry carried the First State by 8%.

2008: Delaware Votes for Barack Obama

In 2008, Barack Obama carried Delaware by 25%.

2009: DelDOT Roadway Maintenance

In 2009, DelDOT maintained 13,507 lane-miles, totaling 89 percent of the state's public roadway system.

2009: Tax Justice Network's Financial Secrecy Index Ranking

In 2009, the Tax Justice Network's Financial Secrecy Index ranked "USA (Delaware)" as the world's most opaque jurisdiction.

2009: Joe Biden Becomes Vice President

Joe Biden became the 47th vice president of the United States in 2009.

2010: Racial composition of Delaware

According to the 2010 United States census, the racial composition of Delaware was 68.9% White American, 21.4% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.2% Asian American, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 3.4% some other race, and 2.7% of multiracial origin.

2010: Delaware population data

As of the 2010 census, Delaware is one of five U.S. states that do not have a single city with a population over 100,000. The center of population of Delaware is in New Castle County, in the town of Townsend.

2010: Highest Percentage of Private School Students

In 2010, Delaware had the largest percentage of students attending private schools of places within the United States.

2010: Largest Christian denominational groups in Delaware

In 2010, the Association of Religion Data Archives reported that the three largest Christian denominational groups in Delaware by number of adherents are the Catholic Church, the United Methodist Church, and non-denominational evangelical Protestants.

2010: Delaware Census

In 2010, the Delaware census was 897,934.

2010: Same-sex couple households

The number of same-sex couple households in 2010 stood at 2,646.

March 2011: Earthquake and Tsunami in Miyagi Prefecture

Delaware's exchange programs with its sister state in Japan, Miyagi Prefecture, were briefly paused in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami that ensued in the prefecture during March 2011.

2011: Charter Schools Authorization

As of 2011, the Delaware Department of Education had authorized the founding of 25 charter schools in the state, one of them being all-girls.

2011: Freedom of Information Legislation

In 2011, Delaware passed legislation placing a 15 business day time limit on addressing freedom-of-information requests.

2011: Tax Justice Network's Index Ranking

In 2011, the Tax Justice Network's Index ranked the U.S. fifth and did not specify Delaware.

January 2012: Charter Schools and Teacher's Unions

As of January 2012, none of the State's charter schools are members of a teachers union.

2012: LGBT adults in Delaware

A 2012 Gallup poll found that Delaware's proportion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender adults stood at 3.4% of the population.

2012: Religious attitudes in Delaware

A 2012 survey of religious attitudes in the United States found that 34% of Delaware residents considered themselves "moderately religious", 33% "very religious", and 33% as "non-religious".

2012: Paratransit Fees Unchanged

As of 2012, fees for the paratransit service have not changed since 1988.

2012: Delaware Votes for Barack Obama

In 2012, Barack Obama carried Delaware by 19%.

July 1, 2013: Same-sex marriage legalized in Delaware

On July 1, 2013, same-sex marriage was legalized in Delaware, and all civil unions were converted into marriages.

2014: Religion in Delaware

A 2014 estimate by the Pew Research Center found that members of Protestant churches accounted for almost half of the population, though the Roman Catholic Church was the largest single denomination in the state.

2014: Irreligious population

At the 2014 Pew Research survey, 23% of the population were irreligious.

2014: Last Republican Win in Statewide Office

Republicans last won any statewide offices in 2014, State Auditor and State Treasurer.

2015: Delaware Black Foxes Expansion Club

In 2015, Delaware is represented in rugby by the Delaware Black Foxes, a 2015 expansion club.

2015: Tourism Impact in Delaware

In 2015, tourism in Delaware generated $3.1 billion, constituting five percent of the state's GDP and attracting 8.5 million visitors.

2015: DuPont layoff announcement

In late 2015, DuPont announced that 1,700 employees, nearly a third of its footprint in Delaware, would be laid off in early 2016.

2016: Delaware Votes for Hillary Clinton

In 2016, Hillary Clinton carried Delaware by 11%.

2016: Republican Presidential Candidate Loss

In 2016, the Republican presidential candidate carried both Kent and Sussex but lost by double digits each time in New Castle County.

2016: DuPont layoff in Delaware

In early 2016, DuPont laid off 1,700 employees in Delaware, nearly a third of its footprint in the state, as announced in late 2015.

September 1, 2017: Merger of DuPont and Dow Chemical Company

On September 1, 2017, the merger of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. and Dow Chemical Company into DowDuPont took place.

2017: End of Joe Biden's Vice Presidency

Joe Biden's term as 47th vice president of the United States ended in 2017.

June 2018: Delaware Legalizes Sports Betting

In June 2018, Delaware became the first U.S. state to legalize sports betting following the Supreme Court ruling to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA).

2018: Top countries of origin for Delaware's immigrants

In 2018, the top countries of origin for Delaware's immigrants were Mexico, India, Guatemala, China, and Jamaica.

April 1, 2020: Population of Delaware

On April 1, 2020, The United States Census Bureau determined that the population of Delaware was 989,948.

2020: Millionaires per capita in Delaware

According to a 2020 study by Kiplinger, Delaware had the 17th most millionaires per capita in the United States; altogether, there were 25,937 such individuals. The median income for Delaware households as of 2020 was $64,805.

2020: Delaware Votes for Joe Biden

In 2020, Joe Biden carried his home state of Delaware by just shy of 19%.

2020: Largest municipalities in Delaware

In 2020, United States census determined the ten largest municipalities in the state.

2020: Largest Christian denominations in Delaware

In 2020, the Association of Religion Data Archives reported the largest Christian denominations were the Catholic Church, non-denominational Protestants, and United Methodists.

2020: Religion in Delaware

In 2020, the Public Religion Research Institute determined 61% of the population was Christian.

2020: Voting Difficulty Ranking

In a 2020 study, Delaware was ranked as the 18th hardest state for citizens to vote in.

2020: African American residents in Delaware

In the 2020 Census, 218,899 Delaware residents were identified as African American.

2020: Irreligious population

The 2020 Public Religion Research Institute's survey determined 31% of the population were irreligious.

2021: Delaware corporate incorporations

In 2021, over 90% of all U.S. based companies that went public incorporated themselves in Delaware.

June 2022: Frontier Airlines Departure

Frontier Airlines departed Wilmington Airport in June 2022.

2022: Homeless population in Delaware

According to HUD's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 2,369 homeless people in Delaware.

2022: Religion in Delaware

In 2022, the Public Religion Research Institute's survey revealed 60% were Christian, followed by Jews (3%), Hindus (1%), and New Agers (1%).

2022: Irreligious population

In 2022, the same study showed 33% of the population as irreligious.

2022: Racial and ethnic makeup of the state

The 2022 American Community Survey estimated the state had a racial and ethnic makeup of 60.6% non-Hispanic whites, 23.6% Black or African American, 0.7% American Indian or Alaska Native, 4.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.9% multiracial, and 10.1% Hispanic or Latin American of any race.

2023: Avelo Airlines Launch at Wilmington Airport

As of 2023, Delaware is served exclusively by Avelo Airlines out of Wilmington Airport, launching five routes to Florida on February 1.

January 21, 2025: Matt Meyer Takes Office

On January 21, 2025, Matt Meyer (Democrat) took office as the Governor of Delaware.

May 2025: Delaware's unemployment rate

As of May 2025, the state's unemployment rate was 4.0%.

2025: Small business in Delaware

In 2025, 98.7% of the businesses in the state were small businesses and employed 50.6% of the state's work force.

2025: Business Formation Ranking

In 2025, Delaware ranked 4th for most businesses formed, with 327,103.

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