Full History Of North Carolina In Timeline From 1903

December 17, 1903: First Flight

On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright achieved the world's first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft at Kitty Hawk.

1914: R. J. Reynolds Sells 425 Million Packs of Camels

By 1914, R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company was selling 425 million packs of Camels a year.

1926: Mount Olive Pickle Company Founded

In 1926, the Mount Olive Pickle Company was founded in Mount Olive.

1954: Hurricane Hazel

In 1954, Hurricane Hazel hit North Carolina as a Category 4 storm, becoming the strongest storm ever to make landfall in the state.

1959: Establishment of Research Triangle Park

In 1959, Research Triangle Park was established, becoming the largest research park in the United States.

1960: Greensboro Sit-ins

In 1960, the Greensboro sit-ins played a crucial role in the Civil Rights Movement.

January 24, 1961: B-52G Crash Near Goldsboro

On January 24, 1961, a B-52G broke up in midair and crashed near Goldsboro, dropping two nuclear bombs without detonation.

1964: Civil Rights Act of 1964

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed to enforce the constitutional rights of Black citizens.

1965: Voting Rights Act

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is relevant due to lawsuits arguing that the North Carolina Senate district map violates Section 2.

1968: "Carolina in My Mind" Released

In 1968, James Taylor released the song "Carolina in My Mind", which has been called an unofficial anthem for the state.

1973: Golden Corral Founded

In 1973, the Golden Corral restaurant chain was founded in Fayetteville.

1974: NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four in Greensboro

In 1974, the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four was held in Greensboro, North Carolina.

1976: Last Democratic Presidential Victory Before Obama

In 1976 North Carolina last voted for a democratic presidential candidate before Barack Obama's victory in 2008.

1976: Jimmy Carter Victory

In 1976, Southern Democrat Jimmy Carter had a comfortable victory in the state.

1980: Life Expectancy increase in North Carolina

Between 1980 and 2014, male life expectancy in North Carolina increased by an average of 6.9 years and 3.2 years for females.

1986: Archaeological Findings at Joara

Since 1986, archaeological findings at Joara have confirmed the 16th-century settlement.

1988: Charlotte Hornets franchise

In 1988, North Carolina gained its first professional sports franchise, the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

1989: Cook Out Founded

In 1989, the Cook Out fast-food chain was founded in Greensboro.

1990: Hispanic population growth

The Hispanic population in North Carolina began a period of rapid growth after 1990.

1992: Clinton Comes Close to Winning

In 1992, Democrat Bill Clinton came within a point of winning the state.

1992: African American Elected as U.S. Representative

In 1992, another African American was elected as a U.S. Representative from North Carolina.

1994: NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four in Charlotte

In 1994, the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four was held in Charlotte, North Carolina.

1995: Carolina Panthers Inaugural Season

In 1995, the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL) became based in Charlotte, marking their first season.

1996: North Carolina SAT scores

In 1996 North Carolina was 48th nationally in SAT scores.

1996: Clinton Narrowly Loses State

In 1996, Bill Clinton narrowly lost the state.

1996: Discovery of Queen Anne's Revenge remains

In 1996, Intersal, Inc. discovered the remains of a vessel likely to be the Queen Anne's Revenge, Blackbeard's flagship.

1997: Carolina Hurricanes Move to Raleigh

In 1997, the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL) moved to Raleigh.

2000: Hispanic population growth

By 2000, the Hispanic population in North Carolina had more than doubled since 1990.

2000: Bush Wins State Easily

In 2000, Republican George W. Bush easily won the state by more than 13 points.

2000: 12th congressional district ruled illegal

In 2000, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina ruled that the 12th congressional district was an illegal racial gerrymander.

2000: Economic Division Between Urban and Rural Areas

Since 2000, there has been a clear division in economic growth between North Carolina's urban and rural areas.

2001: Supreme Court reverses ruling on 12th district

In 2001, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the Eastern District of North Carolina's ruling, stating that the 12th district was a partisan gerrymander, not a racial one.

2001: STEM Industries

Since 2001, Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) industries in the area surrounding North Carolina's capital have grown 17.9 percent.

2002: Agricultural Rankings

North Carolina is the leading U.S. state in production of flue-cured tobacco and sweet potatoes in the 2002 USDA survey.

2004: SAT Testing Rate in NC High Schools

In 2004, 76% of North Carolina high school students took the SAT.

2006: Charlotte Observer Acquired

In 2006, The Charlotte Observer was acquired by the company, it is the second largest circulating news paper in the state.

2006: Hurricanes Win Stanley Cup

In 2006, the Carolina Hurricanes captured the Stanley Cup.

2007: Agricultural Rankings

North Carolina is the leading U.S. state in production of flue-cured tobacco and sweet potatoes in the 2007 USDA survey.

May 3, 2008: USS North Carolina Commissioned

On May 3, 2008, a nuclear attack submarine, USS North Carolina, was commissioned in Wilmington.

2008: Obama Wins North Carolina

In 2008, Barack Obama won North Carolina, the first Democrat to win the state since 1976.

2009: NC Board of Education Chairman Becomes CEO

In 2009, the North Carolina Board of Education's chairman also became the "chief executive officer" for the state's school system.

January 15, 2010: International Hub for Truffles

On January 15, 2010, North Carolina became an international hub for truffles.

2010: Racial Composition

At the 2010 census, the racial composition of North Carolina was: White: 68.5%, Black or African American: 21.5%, Latin and Hispanic American of any race: 8.4%, some other race: 4.3%, Multiracial American: 2.2%, Asian American: 2.2%, and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 1%.

2010: Household Income

Based on American Community Survey 2010–2014 data, North Carolina's median household income was $46,693.

2010: Language Spoken at Home

In 2010, 89.66% of North Carolina residents age five and older spoke English at home as a primary language, while 6.93% spoke Spanish.

2010: North Carolina Third-Best State for Business

In 2010, Forbes Magazine chose North Carolina as the third-best state for business.

2010: Gross State Product

In 2010, North Carolina's total gross state product was $424.9 billion.

2010: Largest Christian Denomination

In 2010, the Southern Baptist Convention was the single largest Christian denomination, with 4,241 churches and 1,513,000 members.

2010: Republican Majority in Legislature

The 2010 midterms saw Tarheel voters elect a bicameral Republican majority legislature for the first time in more than a century.

April 2011: Tornado Outbreak

In April 2011, the worst tornado outbreak in North Carolina's history occurred, with thirty confirmed tornadoes.

2011: Civilian Labor Force

In 2011, the civilian labor force was at around 4.5 million with employment near 4.1 million.

November 2012: State Debt

In November 2012, the state debt was said to total $2.4 billion.

2012: Birthplace of Residents

Based on numbers in 2012 of the people residing in North Carolina 58.5% were born there; 33.1% were born in another state; 1.0% were born in Puerto Rico, U.S. island areas, or born abroad to American parent(s); and 7.4% were foreign-born.

2012: Romney Wins North Carolina

In 2012, Mitt Romney eked out a two-point win in North Carolina, the only swing state Obama lost.

2012: Republican Governor and Lieutenant Governor Elected

In 2012, North Carolina elected a Republican governor (Pat McCrory) and lieutenant governor (Dan Forest) for the first time in more than two decades.

2012: ACT Required in 11th Grade

In 2012, state law changed requiring 11th grade students to take the ACT.

2012: Agricultural Rankings

North Carolina is the leading U.S. state in production of flue-cured tobacco and sweet potatoes in the 2012 USDA survey.

2013: Employment Growth

According to a Forbes article written in 2013, employment in North Carolina has gained many different industry sectors.

2013: Durham-Chapel Hill Named "Tastiest City"

In 2013, Southern Living named Durham–Chapel Hill the South's "Tastiest City".

2013: Near Detonation Revealed

In 2013, it was revealed that one of the dropped bombs in the January 24, 1961 crash near Goldsboro nearly detonated.

2013: Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park visitation

In 2013, the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park were the two most visited national park and unit in the United States with more than 25 million visitors.

2014: Religious Groups in North Carolina

According to Pew Research Center's 2014 study, prominent Protestant groups in North Carolina were non/interdenominational Protestants and Pentecostalism.

2014: Household Income

Based on American Community Survey 2010–2014 data, North Carolina's median household income was $46,693.

2014: Life Expectancy in North Carolina

In 2014, the average life expectancy for males in North Carolina was 75.4 years and 80.2 years for females.

2014: Republican Congressional Delegation Increase

In the 2014 midterm elections, Republican David Rouzer won the state's 7th congressional district seat, increasing the congressional delegation party split to 10–3 in favor of the GOP.

2015: Federal courts ordered redistricting

In 2015, federal courts again ordered redistricting in North Carolina, prompting lawsuits challenging the state's congressional district map.

2016: Cooper Elected Governor

In 2016, Democrat Roy Cooper was elected as governor.

2016: Trump Carries North Carolina

In 2016, Donald Trump carried North Carolina.

2017: Life expectancy for Swain County

Using 2017 data, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation calculated that life expectancy for Swain County was 71.4 years.

2018: Immigrant Origins

As of 2018, the top countries of origin for North Carolina's immigrants were Mexico, India, Honduras, China and El Salvador.

2018: Charlotte Most Visited City

In 2018, Charlotte became the most-visited city in North Carolina attracting 28.3 million visitors.

2018: Gross State Product

North Carolina's 2018 total gross state product was $496 billion.

March 2019: Gerrymandering case reached Supreme Court

In March 2019, a partisan gerrymandering case from North Carolina reached the U.S. Supreme Court.

September 2019: Hurricane Dorian

In September 2019, Hurricane Dorian hit North Carolina.

2019: Language Spoken at Home

In 2019, 87.7% of the population aged 5 and older spoke English and 12.3% spoke another language.

2019: SAT Testing Rate Falls

In 2019, the SAT testing rate in North Carolina high schools fell to 46%.

2019: Life expectancy for Orange County

Using 2019 data, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation calculated that life expectancy for Orange County was 82.3 years.

January 1, 2020: Number of Newspapers in North Carolina

As of January 1, 2020, there were approximately 240 newspapers in publication in North Carolina.

2020: Wake County Population

After the 2020 census, Wake County became the most populous county in North Carolina with a population of 1,129,410.

2020: North Carolina Gains Congressional Seat

As a result of the 2020 census, North Carolina gained another seat in the 118th United States Congress, for a total of 14.

2020: Cooper Re-elected as Governor

In 2020, Democrat Roy Cooper won re-election as governor, despite Donald Trump narrowly winning the state again against Joe Biden.

2020: Trump Carries North Carolina

In 2020, Donald Trump carried North Carolina.

2020: Racial Composition

In 2020, North Carolina like much of the U.S. experienced a decline in its non-Hispanic white population; at the 2020 census, non-Hispanic whites were 62.2%, Blacks or African Americans 20.5%, American Indian and Alaska Natives 1.2%, Asians 3.3%, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders 0.1%, people from other race 5.9%, and multiracial Americans 6.8%.

2020: Largest Christian Denomination

In 2020, the Southern Baptists remained the largest with 1,324,747 adherents, though Methodists and others were collectively overtaken by non/interdenominational Protestants numbering 1,053,564.

2020: 2020 census

In 2020, the state of North Carolina had a population of 10,439,388 according to the census.

2020: Voting Accessibility Ranking

In a 2020 study, North Carolina was ranked as the 23rd easiest state for citizens to vote in.

2020: Raleigh Technology Ranking

Raleigh ranked the third best city for technology in 2020 due to the state's growing technology sector.

2021: Life Expectancy Estimate for the United States

In 2021, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation estimated that life expectancy for the United States as a whole was 79.2 years.

February 4, 2022: NC Supreme Court Struck Down District Maps

On February 4, 2022, the North Carolina Supreme Court struck down the congressional and state legislative district maps due to partisan gerrymandering.

July 2022: Charlotte Douglas International Airport Ranked 11th Busiest

In July 2022, Charlotte Douglas International Airport ranked as the 11th busiest airport in the United States.

2022: Homeless Population Estimate

According to HUD's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 9,382 homeless people in North Carolina.

2022: Judicial Elections Impact Redistricting

In 2022, judicial elections influenced redistricting decisions in North Carolina.

April 28, 2023: NC Supreme Court Overturned Ruling on Gerrymandering

On April 28, 2023, the North Carolina Supreme Court overturned its previous ruling, clearing the way for gerrymandering.

October 25, 2023: New Maps Approved by General Assembly

On October 25, 2023, the General Assembly approved new maps that heavily favor the GOP, leading to allegations of racial bias.

November 2023: Lawsuit Filed Against NC Senate District Map

In November 2023, a lawsuit was filed against the North Carolina Senate district map, alleging violations of the Voting Rights Act.

December 2023: Lawsuits Filed Challenging Congressional Districts

In December 2023, two lawsuits were filed challenging multiple congressional districts as racial gerrymanders.

2023: Combined Statistical Areas

As of 2023, North Carolina has four major combined statistical areas (CSA) with a population over 1 million.

2023: Population Estimates

In 2023, the Charlotte metropolitan area had an estimated population of 2,805,115, while the Research Triangle had an estimated population of 2,368,947.