History of Tennessee in Timeline

Tennessee is a landlocked state in the Southeastern United States, bordered by eight other states. It is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states, with an estimated population of 7.22 million as of 2024.

1907: Tennessee Bans Alcohol Sales

In 1907, Tennessee became the first state in the nation to effectively ban the sale, transportation, and production of alcohol through a series of laws, as part of the Temperance movement.

1909: Blues on Beale Street

In 1909, musicians such as W. C. Handy performed in Beale Street clubs, establishing Memphis as an epicenter of the blues.

1915: Start of the Great Migration

In 1915, the Great Migration began as many black Tennesseans fled to industrial cities in the Northeast and Midwest due to increasing racial segregation and poor standards of living.

December 30, 1917: Lowest Recorded Temperature

On December 30, 1917, the lowest recorded temperature in Tennessee was −32 °F (−36 °C) at Mountain City.

1917: Tennessee Completes Alcohol Ban

By 1917, Tennessee completed its ban on the sale, transportation, and production of alcohol through a series of laws passed between 1907 and 1917, making it the first state to do so effectively.

July 9, 1918: Nashville Rail Accident

On July 9, 1918, Tennessee suffered the worst rail accident in U.S. history when two passenger trains collided head on in Nashville, resulting in 101 deaths and 171 injuries.

August 18, 1920: Tennessee Ratifies the 19th Amendment

On August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th and final state necessary to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, granting women the right to vote.

1920: Tennessee Supports Warren G. Harding

In 1920, Tennesseans narrowly supported Warren G. Harding over Ohio Governor James Cox in the presidential election.

1925: Scopes Trial

In 1925, John T. Scopes was tried and convicted in Dayton, Tennessee, for teaching evolution in violation of the Butler Act, highlighting the creationism-evolution controversy.

1925: Grand Ole Opry Broadcasting

Since 1925, the Grand Ole Opry, based in Nashville, has broadcast continuously, making it the longest-running radio show in the country.

1926: National Park Authorized

In 1926, Congress authorized the establishment of a national park in the Great Smoky Mountains.

1927: Victor Recording Sessions

In 1927, the Victor recording sessions in Bristol marked the beginning of the country music genre and the rise of the Grand Ole Opry.

1928: Tennessee Votes for Herbert Hoover

In 1928, Tennessee decisively voted for Herbert Hoover over New York Governor Al Smith in the presidential election.

1929: The Great Depression Begins

In 1929, the Great Depression began, severely impoverishing much of Tennessee.

August 9, 1930: Highest Recorded Temperature

On August 9, 1930, the highest recorded temperature in Tennessee was 113 °F (45 °C) at Perryville.

1930: End of the first wave of the Great Migration

By 1930, the first wave of the Great Migration concluded, with many black Tennesseans having moved to industrial cities in the Northeast and Midwest due to racial segregation and poor living standards.

1933: Tennessee Valley Authority Created

In 1933, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was created as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal to provide electricity, jobs, flood control, and economic modernization to the Tennessee River Valley.

1934: Great Smoky Mountains National Park Established

In 1934, the national park in the Great Smoky Mountains was officially established.

1940: Great Smoky Mountains National Park Dedicated

In 1940, the national park in the Great Smoky Mountains was dedicated.

1954: Brown v. Board of Education Ruling

In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional in Brown v. Board of Education.

1955: Oak Ridge High School Integration

In 1955, Oak Ridge High School became the first school in Tennessee to be integrated after the U.S. Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education ruling.

1958: WGC Invitational in Memphis

Since 1958, the WGC Invitational, a PGA Tour golf tournament, has been held in Memphis.

May 1960: Nashville Lunch Counter Desegregation

Between February and May 1960, sit-ins organized by the Nashville Student Movement led to the desegregation of lunch counters in Nashville.

1962: Baker v. Carr U.S. Supreme Court Case

In 1962, the U.S. Supreme Court case Baker v. Carr, arising from a challenge to the apportionment of seats in the Tennessee legislature, established the principle of "one man, one vote".

1965: Voting Rights Act Restores Voting Rights

Following the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, African Americans were able to regain their full voting rights in Tennessee.

1966: First Republican U.S. Senator Since Reconstruction

In 1966, Howard Baker was first elected as the first Republican U.S. Senator from Tennessee since Reconstruction.

April 4, 1968: Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

On April 4, 1968, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, where he had traveled to support striking African American sanitation workers.

1970: GOP Gains Competitiveness

In 1970, the elections of Winfield Dunn as governor and Bill Brock to the U.S. Senate helped make the GOP competitive among Whites in statewide elections.

1970: Tennessee Growth Since 1970

Since 1970, with the exception of a slump in the 1980s, Tennessee has been one of the fastest-growing states in the nation, benefiting from the Sun Belt phenomenon.

1971: Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v. Volpe

In 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with a local activist group contesting the construction of Interstate 40 through Memphis's Overton Park, establishing the framework for judicial review of government agencies in the case of Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v. Volpe.

1972: Peak Coal Production

In 1972, coal production in Tennessee reached its peak. Today, less than 0.1% of the coal in the U.S. comes from Tennessee.

1972: Knoxville Smokies play continuously

In 1972, the Knoxville Smokies began their continuous run. They are members of the Double-A classification Southern League.

1976: Chattanooga Lookouts play continuously

In 1976, the Chattanooga Lookouts began their continuous run. They are members of the Double-A classification Southern League.

1978: Nashville Sounds Begin Play

In 1978, the Nashville Sounds Minor League Baseball club began playing. They compete in the International League at the Triple-A level.

1978: Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hill U.S. Supreme Court Case

In 1978, the U.S. Supreme Court case Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hill was decided, leading to amendments of the Endangered Species Act after the Tellico Dam project threatened the endangered snail darter fish.

1982: 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville

In 1982, the World's Fair, also known as the Knoxville International Energy Exposition, was held in Knoxville with the theme "Energy Turns the World".

1986: Homecoming '86 Celebration

In 1986, Tennessee held a yearlong celebration of the state's heritage and culture called "Homecoming '86".

1993: Winter Storm in Tennessee

In 1993, Tennessee experienced a significant winter storm.

1996: Tennessee Bicentennial

In 1996, Tennessee celebrated its bicentennial with a yearlong celebration called "Tennessee 200", including the opening of Bicentennial Mall in Nashville and the whitewater slalom events at the Atlanta Summer Olympic Games held on the Ocoee River.

1997: Tennessee Titans Arrival

In 1997, the Tennessee Titans began playing in the National Football League (NFL).

1998: Memphis Redbirds Begin Play

In 1998, the Memphis Redbirds Minor League Baseball club began playing. They compete in the International League at the Triple-A level.

1998: Nashville Predators NHL Debut

In 1998, the Nashville Predators started playing in the National Hockey League (NHL).

2000: Growth of Hispanic Population

Between 2000 and 2010, Tennessee's Hispanic population experienced significant growth, increasing by 134.2%.

2000: Bush Increased Victory Margin

In 2000, Republican President George W. Bush won by 4% margin in Tennessee

2000: Al Gore Fails to Carry Home State

In the 2000 presidential election, Vice President Al Gore, a former Democratic U.S. Senator from Tennessee, failed to carry his home state.

2001: Memphis Grizzlies NBA Entry

In 2001, the Memphis Grizzlies joined the National Basketball Association (NBA).

2002: Tennessee Establishes a Lottery

In 2002, Tennessee amended its constitution to establish a lottery.

2002: Knoxville Ice Bears Begin Play

In 2002, the Knoxville Ice Bears began playing and became members of the Southern Professional Hockey League.

2004: Bush Increases Victory Margin

In 2004, Republican President George W. Bush increased his margin of victory in Tennessee from 4% to a 14% margin in 2000.

2006: Tennessee Bans Same-Sex Marriage

In 2006, the state constitution was amended to outlaw same-sex marriage in Tennessee. This amendment was later invalidated by the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges.

2007: Republican Speaker of the State Senate

In 2007, Ron Ramsey became the first Republican Speaker of the State Senate since Reconstruction.

December 23, 2008: Kingston Fossil Plant Industrial Waste Spill

On December 23, 2008, the largest industrial waste spill in United States history occurred at TVA's Kingston Fossil Plant, releasing over 1.1 billion gallons of coal ash slurry into the Emory and Clinch Rivers.

2009: Chattanooga FC Founded

In 2009, Chattanooga FC was founded.

2010: Growth of Hispanic Population

Between 2000 and 2010, Tennessee's Hispanic population grew by 134.2%, the third-highest rate of any state.

2010: 2010 United States Census

Since the 2010 census, Tennessee's population has grown by 564,735 people, according to the 2020 United States census.

2011: Nashville Superspeedway Shut Down

In 2011, the Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, which previously held Nationwide and IndyCar races, was shut down.

2012: Land in Federal Trust

In 2012, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians placed 79 acres (32 ha) in Henning into federal trust, which is governed directly by the tribe.

2014: Tennessee Promise Creation

In 2014, the Tennessee General Assembly created the Tennessee Promise, which allows in-state high school graduates to enroll in two-year post-secondary education programs such as associate degrees and certificates at community colleges and trade schools in Tennessee tuition-free.

2015: Cleanup of Kingston Fossil Plant Spill Completed

In 2015, the cleanup of the industrial waste spill at TVA's Kingston Fossil Plant that occurred on December 23, 2008, was completed at a cost of more than $1 billion.

2016: Nashville Surpasses Memphis in Population

In 2016, Nashville surpassed Memphis to become Tennessee's largest city.

2016: No Inheritance Tax

In 2016, Tennessee eliminated the inheritance tax, marking a change in the state's tax policy.

2016: Solid Republican Voting

Since 2016, Tennessee has been the most populous state to vote Republican by more than 60% in presidential elections.

2017: Changes to Tennessee Board of Regents

Until 2017, the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) operated six public universities in the state; now it only gives them administrative support.

2018: Top Countries of Origin for Immigrants

In 2018, the top countries of origin for Tennessee's immigrants were Mexico, India, Honduras, China, and Egypt.

2019: Population Increase Between 2010-2019

Between 2010 and 2019, Tennessee experienced a natural population increase of 143,253 and a net migration increase of 338,428 people.

2019: Chattanooga Red Wolves SC Join USL League One

In 2019, Chattanooga Red Wolves SC became a member of the third-tier USL League One.

2019: Total Employment

In 2019, Tennessee reported a total employment of 2,724,545 and a total number of 139,760 employer establishments.

2019: Record Tourism

In 2019, Tennessee welcomed a record 126 million tourists, making it the 11th-most visited state in the nation.

2019: Foreign-Born Population

In 2019, about 5.5% of Tennessee's population was foreign-born, with approximately 42.7% being naturalized citizens and 57.3% non-citizens.

2020: Tennessee Population Demographics

According to the 2020 census, 5.7% of Tennessee's population was under age 5, 22.1% were under 18, and 17.1% were 65 or older.

2020: Hispanic/Latino Population in Tennessee

In 2020, 6.9% of the total population in Tennessee was of Hispanic or Latino origin, up from 4.6% in 2010.

2020: Chattanooga FC in NISA

In 2020, Chattanooga FC began playing in the third-tier National Independent Soccer Association.

2020: Nashville SC Joins MLS

In 2020, Nashville SC began playing in Major League Soccer (MLS).

2020: Largest Republican Margin

In 2020, Tennessee voted Republican by the largest margin of any state in terms of number of votes.

2020: Per Capita Personal Income

In 2020, the state's per capita personal income was $30,869, and the median household income was $54,833.

2020: 2020 United States Census

The 2020 United States census reported Tennessee's population at 6,910,840, an increase of 564,735 since the 2010 census.

2021: Gross State Product

As of 2021, Tennessee had a gross state product of $418.3 billion.

2021: Hall Income Tax Phased Out

By 2021, the Hall income tax, which was imposed on most dividends and interest, was completely phased out in Tennessee.

2021: Winter Storm in Tennessee

In 2021, Tennessee experienced a significant winter storm.

2021: Electricity Generation Sources

In 2021, nuclear power was Tennessee's largest source of electricity generation, producing about 43.4% of its power, followed by coal (22.4%), natural gas (17.8%), hydroelectricity (15.8%), and other renewables (1.3%). About 59.7% of the electricity generated in Tennessee produced no greenhouse gas emissions that year.

2021: Nashville Superspeedway Reopens

In 2021, the Nashville Superspeedway reopened to host the NASCAR Cup Series.

2021: High School Graduation Rate Decreases

In 2021, the four-year high school graduation rate in Tennessee was 88.7%, a decrease of 1.2% from the previous year.

2021: OVC members

Through the 2021–22 school year, the OVC also includes the Austin Peay Governors from Clarksville, the UT Martin Skyhawks from Martin, and the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles from Cookeville.

July 2022: Belmont Bruins Move to MVC

In July 2022, the Belmont Bruins are set to move from the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) to the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC).

2022: Homeless Population Estimate

According to HUD's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 10,567 homeless people in Tennessee.

2024: Tennessee Population Estimate

In 2024, the United States Census Bureau estimated Tennessee's population to be 7.22 million.

2025: Ford Assembly Plant Expected to be Operational

In 2025, Ford is projected to have its new assembly plant in Stanton, Tennessee, fully operational, further expanding the state's automotive manufacturing sector.