History of Oklahoma in Timeline

Oklahoma is a South Central US state bordering six others. It ranks 20th in area and 28th in population, with residents called Oklahomans. Oklahoma City is its capital and largest city.

1900: White Land Ownership in 1900

By 1900, as a result of the Dawes Act and the Curtis Act, about one-half of land previously owned by Indian tribes was owned by whites.

1901: Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge Founded

The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge was founded in 1901.

1905: Jurisdiction of 57 Acres given to Arkansas

After Petitioning congress to hand over jurisdiction, the 57 acres was given to Arkansas in 1905.

1905: Sequoyah Statehood Convention

In 1905, the Sequoyah Statehood Convention laid the groundwork for the Oklahoma Statehood Convention.

June 16, 1906: Congress Authorizes Oklahoma Statehood

On June 16, 1906, Congress enacted a statute authorizing the people of the Oklahoma and Indian Territories to form a constitution and state government in order to be admitted as a state.

November 16, 1907: Oklahoma Becomes the 46th State

On November 16, 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt issued Presidential Proclamation no. 780, establishing Oklahoma as the 46th state in the Union.

1907: Oklahoma Gains Panhandle

In 1907 Oklahoma acquired the territory upon gaining statehood.

November 11, 1911: Extreme Temperature Fluctuation in Oklahoma City

On November 11, 1911, the temperature in Oklahoma City reached 83 °F (28 °C), then dropped to 17 °F (−8 °C) by midnight.

1912: Oklahoma Tornado Outbreak

In 1912, Oklahoma experienced a tornado outbreak due to a warm front traveling along a stalled cold front.

1915: Revival of the Ku Klux Klan after 1915

Social tensions were exacerbated by the revival of the Ku Klux Klan after 1915.

September 1918: Spanish Flu Appears in Oklahoma

In late September 1918, the first cases of the Spanish flu appeared in Oklahoma.

1919: Spanish Flu Pandemic Ebbed in Oklahoma

In 1919, the Spanish Flu pandemic ebbed in Oklahoma, after approximately 100,000 people fell ill with the disease.

1920: Oklahoma Population in 1920

Oklahoma's population was 2,028,283 according to the 1920 U.S. census.

1921: Tulsa Race Massacre

In 1921, the Tulsa race massacre broke out, with White mobs attacking Black people and carrying out a pogrom in Greenwood.

1927: Campaign to create U.S. Route 66 began

In 1927, Oklahoman businessman Cyrus Avery, known as the "Father of Route 66", began the campaign to create U.S. Route 66.

1934: Severe Drought Conditions

1934 featured weeks on end of virtual rainlessness and highs well over 100 °F (38 °C) leading to drought conditions.

1939: Publication of "The Grapes of Wrath"

In 1939, John Steinbeck's novel "The Grapes of Wrath" was published, popularizing the negative stereotype of "Okies" as uneducated, poverty-stricken Dust Bowl-era farmers.

1940: Demographics of Oklahoma Population in 1940

In 1940, 90.1% of Oklahoma's population was non-Hispanic White.

1949: Broadcast Television Begins

In 1949, broadcast television in Oklahoma began when KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City and KOTV-TV in Tulsa started broadcasting.

1950: Population Decline Due to Dust Bowl Ends

Over a twenty-year period ending in 1950, Oklahoma saw its only historical decline in population, dropping 6.9 percent as impoverished families migrated out of the state after the Dust Bowl.

1953: CBS Omnibus Broadcast of Oklahoma!

In 1953, Ridge Bond and the cast of "Oklahoma!" were featured on a CBS Omnibus television broadcast.

1954: Severe Drought Conditions

1954 featured weeks on end of virtual rainlessness and highs well over 100 °F (38 °C) leading to drought conditions.

1962: OU Dance Program Founded

In 1962, Yvonne Chouteau and Miguel Terekhov founded the University of Oklahoma's dance program, the first fully accredited program of its kind in the United States.

1976: First Medieval Fair of Norman

In 1976, the Medieval Fair of Norman was first held on the south oval of the University of Oklahoma campus, marking the beginning of Oklahoma's first medieval fair.

1980: Severe Drought Conditions

1980 featured weeks on end of virtual rainlessness and highs well over 100 °F (38 °C) leading to drought conditions.

1980: Life Expectancy Increases

Between 1980 and 2014, male life expectancy in Oklahoma increased by 4.0 years, while female life expectancy increased by 1.0 years.

1985: US Supreme Court Case Oklahoma v. Arkansas

The 1985 US Supreme Court Case Oklahoma v. Arkansas decided the land would remain Arkansas, even though the Choctaw had not been notified or asked about the territory being handed over.

1987: First Oklahoma City Pride Parade

In 1987, the first Oklahoma City Pride Parade was held in the gay district on 39th and Penn, and it has been an annual event in late June since.

1990: Demographics of Oklahoma Population in 1990

In 1990, 81% of Oklahoma's population was White.

April 19, 1995: Oklahoma City Bombing

On April 19, 1995, the Oklahoma City bombing occurred, resulting in 168 deaths.

2000: Population growth between 2000 and 2010

Between 2000 and 2010, the leading cities in population growth were Blanchard (172.4%), Elgin (78.2%), Jenks (77.0%), Piedmont (56.7%), Bixby (56.6%), and Owasso (56.3%).

2000: Oklahoma Physician Ranking

In 2000, Oklahoma ranked 45th in physicians per capita.

June 11, 2001: Execution of Timothy McVeigh

On June 11, 2001, Timothy McVeigh was executed by the federal government for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing.

2001: U.S. Open at Southern Hills

In 2001, Southern Hills Country Club hosted a U.S. Open.

2003: Medieval Fair of Norman Moved

In 2003, the Medieval Fair of Norman moved to Reaves Park due to its increasing size.

2004: Oklahomans Generosity Data Collection

In 2004, data was collected that would later be used in the 2006 Catalogue for Philanthropy which ranked Oklahomans 7th in the nation for overall generosity.

2005: Oklahoma's Federal Medical Funding

In 2005, Oklahoma was the 21st-largest recipient of federal medical funding, totaling $75,801,364, with immunizations, bioterrorism preparedness, and health education as the top three funded items.

2005: Uninsured Oklahomans

In 2005, nearly 25 percent of Oklahomans between the ages of 18 and 64 did not have health insurance, the fifth-highest rate in the nation.

2005: Cherokee Nation Ten-Year Language Plan

In 2005, the Cherokee Nation launched a ten-year plan to increase the number of Cherokee language speakers by growing new speakers from childhood and encouraging exclusive use of the language at home. The plan aimed for 80% fluency within fifty years.

2005: Foreign-Born Residents of Oklahoma

In 2011, approximately 5% of Oklahoma's residents were born outside the United States, according to U.S. Census Bureau data from 2005 to 2009.

2006: Tulsa's Oktoberfest Ranked

In 2006, Tulsa's Oktoberfest was named one of the top 10 in the world by USA Today.

2006: Oklahomans Ranked 7th in Generosity

In 2006, the Catalogue for Philanthropy (using 2004 data) ranked Oklahomans 7th in the nation for overall generosity, associating residents with Southern hospitality.

2006: Number of Newspapers in Oklahoma

In 2006, there were more than 220 newspapers in Oklahoma, including 177 with weekly publications and 48 with daily publications.

November 16, 2007: 100th Anniversary of Statehood

On November 16, 2007, Oklahoma celebrated the 100th anniversary of its statehood as part of a larger centennial celebration, which was named the top event in the United States by the American Bus Association.

2007: Oklahoma Health Care Performance Ranking

In 2007, Oklahoma ranked last among the 50 states in a study by the Commonwealth Fund on health care performance.

2007: Mayfest Attendance

In 2007, Tulsa's Mayfest festival entertained more than 375,000 people in four days.

2009: Foreign-Born Residents of Oklahoma

In 2011, approximately 5% of Oklahoma's residents were born outside the United States, according to U.S. Census Bureau data from 2005 to 2009.

2010: Demographics of Oklahoma Population in 2010

According to the 2010 census, 72.2% of Oklahoma's population was White, 8.6% were American Indian and Alaska Native, 7.4% Black or African American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 4.1% from some other race and 5.9% of two or more races; 8.9% of Oklahoma's population were of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin.

2010: Oklahoma Population in 2010

At the 2010 census, Oklahoma's population was 3,751,675.

2010: Oklahomans living with Undocumented Family

Between 2010 and 2014 125,989 Oklahomans were documented to have lived with at least one undocumented family member.

2010: Oklahoma Incorporated Places in 2010

In 2010, Oklahoma had 598 incorporated places, including four cities over 100,000 in population and 43 over 10,000.

2010: OU Football Attendance Ranking

In 2010, Oklahoma's football program ranked 12th in attendance among American colleges, averaging 84,738 people at home games.

2010: Oklahoma's Largest Cities in 2010

In 2010, Oklahoma's largest cities in descending order of population were: Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Norman, Broken Arrow, Lawton, Edmond, Moore, Midwest City, Enid, and Stillwater.

2010: Tulsa Shock Arrive

In 2010, the Tulsa Shock of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) began playing in Oklahoma.

2010: Center of Population

In 2010, the center of population of Oklahoma was in Lincoln County near the town of Sparks.

2011: Severe Drought Conditions

2011 featured weeks on end of virtual rainlessness and highs well over 100 °F (38 °C) leading to drought conditions.

2011: Foreign-Born Residents of Oklahoma

In 2011, approximately 5% of Oklahoma's residents were born outside the United States, according to U.S. Census Bureau data from 2005 to 2009.

2012: Tulsa Talons Relocation

In 2012, the Tulsa Talons of the Arena Football League were moved to San Antonio, Texas.

2014: Oklahomans living with Undocumented Family

Between 2010 and 2014 125,989 Oklahomans were documented to have lived with at least one undocumented family member.

2014: Life Expectancy in Oklahoma

In 2014, males in Oklahoma had an average life expectancy of 73.7 years, and females had an average life expectancy of 78.5 years, both below the national averages.

2014: Oklahoma City Blue Relocation

In 2014, the Oklahoma City Blue, of the NBA G League, relocated to Oklahoma City from Tulsa, where they were formerly known as the Tulsa 66ers.

2015: Tulsa Shock Relocation

In 2015, the Tulsa Shock relocated to Dallas–Fort Worth and became the Dallas Wings.

May 31, 2016: Record Setting Flooding

On May 31, 2016, several cities experienced record setting flooding.

2016: Life Expectancy Data

Using 2016-2018 data, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation calculated that life expectancy (all sexes) for Oklahoma counties ranged from 71.2 years for Okfuskee County.

June 26, 2018: Oklahoma Legalizes Medical Marijuana

On June 26, 2018, Oklahoma legalized marijuana for medical purposes, becoming one of the most conservative states to approve it.

2018: Immigrant Population in 2018

In 2018, approximately 236,882 immigrants resided in Oklahoma, making up 6% of the state's population.

2018: Life Expectancy Data

Using 2016-2018 data, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation calculated that life expectancy (all sexes) for Oklahoma counties ranged to 79.7 years for Cimarron and Logan counties.

July 9, 2020: McGirt v. Oklahoma Supreme Court Decision

On July 9, 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States determined in McGirt v. Oklahoma that the reservations of the Five Tribes, comprising much of Eastern Oklahoma, were never disestablished by Congress.

2020: Start of the Covid Pandemic

From 2020-2023 the Covid pandemic affected the state of Oklahoma.

2020: Demographics of Oklahoma Population in 2020

In 2020, 75.5% of Oklahoma's population was White, 11.9% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 16% American Indian and Alaska Native, 9.7% Black or African American, 3.1% Asian, 0.4% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, and 9% some other race.

2020: Oklahoma City: "Center of the Softball Universe"

In 2020, ESPN called Oklahoma City "the center of the softball universe".

2020: Oklahoma Indigenous Population in 2020

In 2020, according to the U.S. census, 14.2 percent of Oklahomans identified as American Indians, which is the highest indigenous population by percentage in any state.

2020: Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area

Oklahoma City, the state's capital and largest city, had the largest metropolitan area in the state in 2020, with 1,425,695 people.

December 22, 2022: Oklahoma COVID-19 Statistics

As of December 22, 2022, Oklahoma has been impacted more by the Covid pandemic (2020–2023) than the average U.S. state with 405 deaths per 100,000 population and 59% of the population fully vaccinated.