Des Moines, Iowa

1843Fort Des Moines Established: A military garrison was built at the junction of the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers. The fort was abandoned in 1846 and civilian settlement rapidly took its place.

1857Becomes State Capital: The Iowa state legislature moved the capital from Iowa City to Des Moines, reflecting the state's westward population growth. The current Capitol building was completed in 1886.

1907Insurance Industry Takes Root: Major insurance companies began establishing headquarters in Des Moines, eventually making it home to over 80 insurance company headquarters — more than any other city in the world.

1942Fort Des Moines WAAC Training: Fort Des Moines became the first training center for the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), training the first women to serve in the U.S. Army.

1969Tinker v. Des Moines: The Supreme Court ruled in Tinker v. Des Moines that students do not shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate, establishing a landmark precedent for student free speech.

1972First-in-the-Nation Caucuses: Iowa's presidential caucuses became the first nominating contest, making Des Moines the center of American presidential politics every four years.

1993Great Flood of 1993: Floodwaters inundated the city's water treatment plant, leaving 250,000 people without drinking water for 12 days. The flood caused billions in damage across the Midwest.

2005Principal Financial Campus: Principal Financial Group expanded its downtown headquarters campus, reinforcing Des Moines' identity as a financial services hub alongside other major employers.

2009Iowa Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage: The Iowa Supreme Court unanimously ruled in Varnum v. Brien that limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples violated the state constitution, making Iowa the third state to legalize same-sex marriage.

2020Iowa Caucus App Failure: The 2020 Iowa Democratic caucuses were thrown into chaos when the smartphone app designed to report results failed, delaying results for days and damaging the caucuses' credibility.