History of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in Timeline
Myrtle Beach is a resort city situated on the East Coast in Horry County, South Carolina. It's positioned at the heart of the 'Grand Strand,' a 60-mile stretch of coastline in the northeastern part of the state. The city had a population of approximately 35,682 residents as of the 2020 census, ranking as the 13th most populous city in South Carolina.
May 1900: Conway & Seashore Railroad Daily Service
On May 1, 1900, the Conway & Seashore Railroad began daily service with two wood-burning locomotives, one of which was named The Black Maria.
1900: Naming of Myrtle Beach
Around 1900, a contest was held to name the area, and the name "Myrtle Beach" was chosen, after the locally abundant shrub, the southern wax myrtle. The Withers post office subsequently changed its name to "Myrtle Beach".
1900: Railroad Line Opening
In 1900, the Waccamaw Coast Line Railroad opened, then known as the Conway Coast and Western Railroad.
1901: Seaside Inn Opening
In 1901, Franklin Burroughs' sons completed the railroad's expansion to the beach and opened the Seaside Inn.
1935: Myrtle Beach State Park Established
Myrtle Beach State Park, offering a mile of Grand Strand beach, was established in 1935.
1936: Separation by Intracoastal Waterway
Since 1936, Myrtle Beach has been separated from the continental United States by the Intracoastal Waterway.
1937: Myrtle Beach Municipal Airport Built
In 1937, Myrtle Beach Municipal Airport was built.
1938: Incorporation as a town
Myrtle Beach was incorporated as a town in 1938.
1940: Myrtle Beach Bike Week First Held
In 1940, Myrtle Beach Bike Week, also known as "Harley Bike Week", was first held.
1940: Airport Taken Over and Kings Highway Paved
In 1940, the U.S. Army Air Corps took over Myrtle Beach Municipal Airport and converted it into a military base. Also in 1940, Kings Highway was paved.
July 12, 1942: Record Warm Low
On July 12, 1942, Myrtle Beach experienced a record warm low of 88 °F (31 °C).
1946: Gay Dolphin Gift Cove Built
In 1946, the Gay Dolphin Gift Cove was built on the Boardwalk in Myrtle Beach, selling seashells and souvenirs and claiming to be the "nation's largest gift shop".
1951: Canadian-American Days Begin
Since March 1951, Myrtle Beach has hosted Canadian-American Days, also known as Can-Am Days, during Ontario's spring break.
June 26, 1952: Record High Temperature
On June 26, 1952, Myrtle Beach recorded a record high temperature of 104 °F (40 °C).
August 5, 1954: Record High Temperature
On August 5, 1954, Myrtle Beach recorded a record high temperature of 104 °F (40 °C).
1954: Hurricane Hazel
In 1954, Hurricane Hazel was the worst hurricane in Myrtle Beach's history.
1955: Atlantic Coast Line Railroad passenger rail service
Until 1955, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad ran passenger rail service from the Myrtle Beach Station to Chadbourn, where a connection could be made to interstate ACL train service.
1957: Incorporation as a City
In 1957, Myrtle Beach was incorporated as a city.
February 18, 1958: Record Winter Cold
On February 18, 1958, Myrtle Beach experienced a record winter cold of 9 °F (-13 °C).
1958: Ocean View Memorial Hospital Establishment
In 1958, Ocean View Memorial Hospital, the first major hospital in Myrtle Beach, was established.
January 11, 1962: Coldest Daily Maximum
On January 11, 1962, the coldest daily maximum temperature recorded in Myrtle Beach was 25 °F (−4 °C).
1974: Myrtle Beach Jetport Renamed
In 1974, Myrtle Beach International Airport was known as Myrtle Beach Jetport.
1974: Myrtle Beach government reform
In 1974, Myrtle Beach reformed into a council-manager government system under Mayor Bob Hirsch and city manager David Stradinger, moving away from a strong-mayor form of government.
1976: Commercial Flights Begin
In 1976, commercial flights began at the Myrtle Beach airport, sharing the runway with the military base.
April 1978: Grand Strand Medical Center Opening
On April 21, 1978, Grand Strand Medical Center opened, succeeding the former Ocean View Memorial Hospital.
1980: Black Bike Week Founded
In 1980, Black Bike Week was founded, taking place the weekend around Memorial Day Weekend.
November 1985: Horry County Purchases Waccamaw Coast Line Railroad
In November 1985, the Seaboard System Railroad sold the Waccamaw Coast Line Railroad to Horry County.
October 1987: Waccamaw Coast Line Railroad Takes Over Operations
In October 1987, the Waccamaw Coast Line Railroad took over operations from the Horry County Railway.
1989: Hurricane Hugo
In 1989, Hurricane Hugo caused significant damage in Myrtle Beach.
1989: Name changed to Myrtle Beach International Airport
In 1989, Myrtle Beach Jetport was renamed to Myrtle Beach International Airport.
1991: Coldest maximum average
Between 1991 and 2020, the coldest maximum average in Myrtle Beach was 37 °F (3 °C).
1993: Air Base Closed
In 1993, the air base at Myrtle Beach closed, and the airport was renamed Myrtle Beach International Airport.
September 1995: Carolina Southern Railroad Acquires Waccamaw Coast Line Railroad
In September 1995, the Carolina Southern Railroad acquired the Waccamaw Coast Line Railroad.
1997: Tiger Woods visits Myrtle Beach
In 1997, Tiger Woods declared Myrtle Beach "the mecca of golf".
1997: Metro Loop Road Plan organized
In 1997, the Metro Loop Road Plan was organized to improve the traffic flow of Myrtle Beach.
1998: Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach Marathon begins
From 1998 to 2009 and again starting in 2011 (no Saturday races were held in 2010 due to snow), the area hosted the Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach Marathon presented by Chick-Fil-A.
1999: Pelicans Ballpark Opening
In 1999, Pelicans Ballpark, the home field of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, officially opened.
2000: Lease of the Line to Carolina Southern Railroad
In 2000, Horry County leased the Waccamaw Coast Line Railroad to the Carolina Southern Railroad.
2000: Violent Crime Statistics
In 2000, the FBI reported 483 violent crimes in Myrtle Beach, including 1 murder and 39 rapes.
2000: Census Data
In 2000, the census recorded 22,759 permanent residents in Myrtle Beach.
2001: Tornadoes in Myrtle Beach
In 2001, multiple tornadoes touched down in the Myrtle Beach area.
2003: Myrtle Beach Convention Center Opened
The Myrtle Beach Convention Center opened in 2003, hosting meetings, conferences, exhibits, and special events.
2004: Royal Bank of Canada 5K begins
From 1998 to 2009 and again starting in 2011 (no Saturday races were held in 2010 due to snow), the area hosted the Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach Marathon presented by Chick-Fil-A, every February featuring (since 2004) the Friday night Royal Bank of Canada 5K and the Saturday Dasani Half Marathon and Bi-Lo Marathon
2006: NAACP Suit Against City Settled
In 2006, the NAACP suit against the City of Myrtle Beach was settled without the city paying damages, but with the agreement that police would use the same traffic control rules during both the black and the white motorcycle rallies.
2008: Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach Marathon held
From 1998 to 2009 and again starting in 2011 (no Saturday races were held in 2010 due to snow), the area hosted the Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach Marathon presented by Chick-Fil-A, every February featuring (since 2004) the Friday night Royal Bank of Canada 5K and the Saturday Dasani Half Marathon and Bi-Lo Marathon
2009: Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach Marathon held
From 1998 to 2009 and again starting in 2011 (no Saturday races were held in 2010 due to snow), the area hosted the Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach Marathon presented by Chick-Fil-A.
February 2010: Snowfall in Myrtle Beach
In February 2010, Myrtle Beach experienced a rare snowfall of 2.8 inches (71 mm).
May 2010: New Aviation Terminal Opening
In May 2010, the 11,500-square-foot general aviation terminal opened at Myrtle Beach International Airport.
June 2010: Helmet Ordinance Overturned
In June 2010, the South Carolina Supreme Court unanimously overturned one of the 15 ordinances, which had required all motorcyclists to wear helmets, on the grounds that the state law cannot be preempted by a city ordinance.
2010: No Saturday races held
From 1998 to 2009 and again starting in 2011 (no Saturday races were held in 2010 due to snow), the area hosted the Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach Marathon presented by Chick-Fil-A.
2010: New Terminal Plans Approved
In 2010, plans were approved to build a new terminal at Myrtle Beach International Airport.
2010: Census Data
In 2010, the population of Myrtle Beach was 27,109 according to the census.
2010: Myrtle Beach Boardwalk Opening
The Myrtle Beach Boardwalk opened in 2010 and has been recognized as a top boardwalk by National Geographic and Travel + Leisure magazine.
May 2011: Myrtle Beach Skywheel Opening
In May 2011, the Myrtle Beach Skywheel opened at the boardwalk, offering views of the Atlantic Ocean.
May 26, 2011: Carolina Southern Railroad Ceases Operation
On May 26, 2011, the Carolina Southern Railroad ceased operations to inspect and repair seven critical bridges.
August 8, 2011: Carolina Southern Railroad Resumes Operations
On August 8, 2011, Carolina Southern Railroad resumed operations after making necessary bridge repairs, following recommendations from a certified bridge engineer.
August 30, 2011: Carolina Southern Railroad Shutdown
On August 30, 2011, Carolina Southern Railroad voluntarily shut down due to overdue bridge maintenance, leading to employee layoffs.
2011: Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach Marathon begins again
From 1998 to 2009 and again starting in 2011 (no Saturday races were held in 2010 due to snow), the area hosted the Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach Marathon presented by Chick-Fil-A.
May 24, 2012: Federal Railroad Administration Bridge Inspection
On May 24, 2012, the Federal Railroad Administration commenced a bridge inspection on the Carolina Southern Railroad and the Waccamaw Coastline Railroad. Seven critical defects were discovered.
2012: Healthgrades Award for Cardiac Surgery
In 2012, Grand Strand Medical Center was recognized as one of the Healthgrades 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery.
2013: Healthgrades Award for Cardiac Surgery
In 2013, Grand Strand Medical Center was recognized as one of the Healthgrades 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery.
2015: Railroad operator RJ Corman acquired the CSR line
In 2015, railroad operator RJ Corman acquired the former CSR line.
2015: Carolina Country Music Fest Founded
The Carolina Country Music Fest was founded in 2015 by Full House Productions.
April 2016: CSR line re-opened for freight service
In early April 2016, the former CSR line, acquired by railroad operator RJ Corman in 2015, re-opened for freight service.
2016: Crime Statistics
In 2016, the FBI reported 583 cases of violent crime in Myrtle Beach, including 5 murders, 46 rapes, and 139 robberies.
2017: Rounds of Golf Played
In 2017, 3.2 million total rounds of golf were played in Myrtle Beach.
2018: Brenda Bethune becomes mayor
In 2018, Brenda Bethune began her service as the mayor of Myrtle Beach.
2018: Myrtle Beach Mutiny ceases operations
In 2018, the Myrtle Beach Mutiny, a professional soccer team playing in the Premier Development League, ceased operations.
2020: Census Data
As of the 2020 census, there were 35,682 people, 13,817 households, and 7,678 families residing in Myrtle Beach.
2020: Coldest maximum average
Between 1991 and 2020, the coldest maximum average in Myrtle Beach was 37 °F (3 °C).
2020: Carolina Country Music Fest Cancelled
Due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, the Carolina Country Music Fest wasn't held in 2020, but was scheduled to return in 2021.
2020: The Post and Courier establishes Myrtle Beach bureau
In 2020, The Post and Courier, based in Charleston, established an official bureau in Myrtle Beach after purchasing The Georgetown Times and merging it with the new operation.
2020: Population of Myrtle Beach
In 2020, the year-round population of Myrtle Beach was 35,682, making it the 13th-most populous city in South Carolina.
June 2021: Carolina Country Music Fest Return
The Carolina Country Music Fest (CCMF) returned in June 2021, after being canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
2023: Myrtle Beach Metro Area Population
In 2023, the Myrtle Beach Metro Area had an estimated population of 397,478, making it one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the country.
2023: Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC Combined Statistical Area Population
In 2023, the Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC Combined Statistical Area had an estimated population of 463,209.
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