Tucson, Arizona

2011Gabby Giffords Shooting: A gunman opened fire at a constituent meeting outside a Tucson supermarket, shooting U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords in the head and killing six others. Giffords survived and became a leading gun control advocate.

1775Spanish Presidio Established: The Spanish founded the Presidio San Agustín del Tucsón to protect the frontier from Apache raids. The site had been continuously inhabited by the Hohokam and their descendants for over 4,000 years.

1880Tucson as Arizona Territorial Capital: As territorial capital, Tucson was the political and commercial center of Arizona — a rough frontier town of saloons, soldiers, and silver miners at the edge of American civilization.

1885University of Arizona Founded: The territorial legislature established the University of Arizona in Tucson. It grew into a major research institution known for astronomy, with some of the world's most important telescopes on nearby peaks.

1854Gadsden Purchase: The United States purchased southern Arizona and New Mexico from Mexico for $10 million, making Tucson officially American territory after centuries under Spanish and Mexican rule.

2015UNESCO City of Gastronomy: Tucson became the first American city to receive UNESCO's City of Gastronomy designation, recognizing 4,000 years of continuous agricultural heritage and multicultural food traditions.

1941Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Expands: Davis-Monthan AFB expanded dramatically during WWII. Its dry climate made it the ideal location for the military's aircraft boneyard — the largest in the world, with over 4,000 retired planes.

1871Camp Grant Massacre: A mob of Tucson residents killed over 100 Apache women, children, and elderly at Camp Grant. The massacre was one of the worst atrocities against Native Americans in Arizona history.

1950Missile and Space Industry: Hughes Aircraft and Raytheon established major missile manufacturing facilities in Tucson, making the city a center of defense technology and aerospace engineering.

1930Dude Ranch Tourism: Tucson became a premier destination for Eastern tourists seeking the 'cowboy experience' at dude ranches, launching the city's tourism industry.