On January 20, 2020, the first confirmed case of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in the United States is diagnosed in Snohomish County, north of Seattle. The patient is a 35-year-old man who has recently ret...
Washington Governor Jay Inslee declares a State of Emergency following the first two reported U.S. deaths from Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), in Kirkland, on February 29, 2020. The deaths actual...
On March 9, 2020, with two weeks left in the winter quarter, the University of Washington moves to hold all classes online to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. More than 52,000 students, along with fac...
Washington Governor Jay Inslee (b. 1951) orders a statewide school closure to slow the spread of COVID-19, on March 13, 2020. Several schools in the Puget Sound region have already been shuttered for ...
On March 18, 2020, near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ornate, custom-designed bronze gates created by internationally renowned sculptor George Tsutakawa are stolen from the Washington Park A...
Washington residents begin a period of COVID-19 isolation when Governor Jay Inslee (b. 1951) issues a statewide "Stay Home-Stay Healthy" order on March 23, 2020. The order changes life fundamentally f...
On March 23, 2020, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) closes the West Seattle Bridge after rapidly expanding cracks are found in its support structure. Further investigation reveals that ...
On April 8, 2020, a severe COVID-19 outbreak at the Spokane Veterans Home results in the first of many deaths. The deceased was a resident who had been on end-of-life care before contracting the coron...
The Tyson Fresh Meats plant in Wallula shuts down on April 23, 2020 because of a deadly COVID-19 outbreak among its workers. The company takes this step when more than 100 cases of the virus and one d...
On April 29, 2020, volunteers hand out free potatoes in a drive-through giveaway that causes a rare traffic jam in the small Eastern Washington city of Ritzville in Adams County. The distribution of n...
On June 12, 2020, Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County calls for a statewide day of action that includes a March of Silence and a general strike. The protest is one of scores held across the nation ...
On September 2, 2020, The Creative Advantage arts program, a citywide initiative dedicated to eliminating gaps in access to arts education, expands to include 81 schools in the Seattle Public School D...
On October 6, 2020, the Seattle Storm completes a three-game sweep of the Las Vegas Aces to win its fourth WNBA championship. The victory caps a season like no other in league history. Because of the ...
On October 7, 2020, Bartell Drugs announces that it has been purchased by Rite Aid. The sale of the 130-year old company brings an end to the oldest family owned drugstore chain in the country.
In the election of November 3, 2020, Washington voters re-elect Governor Jay Inslee (b. 1951), and nine of the state's 10 members of Congress who are seeking re-election. Former Tacoma Mayor Marilyn S...
On November 26, 2020, about a dozen family members and friends of Black theater pioneer Douglas Q. Barnett gather to celebrate the naming of Douglas Q. Barnett Street, a one-block honorary designation...
On December 14, 2020, during its regular weekly meeting, the Spokane City Council unanimously votes to change the name of Fort George Wright Drive in west Spokane to Whistalks Way. Colonel George Wrig...
On December 15, 2020, a group of 13 healthcare workers in Seattle become the first people in Washington to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The group of doctors, nurses, paramedics, medical assistants, and...
On December 29, 2020, at 5:50 p.m., the Washington State Ferry Suquamish arrives at Mukilteo from Clinton, marking the official opening of Mukilteo's new, $187 million ferry terminal. The pr...
On June 28, 2021, the third day of a withering heat wave in the Pacific Northwest, the temperature in Seattle soars to 108 degrees, an all-time record. The reading is recorded at nearby Seattle-T...
On October 19, 2021, Seattle music fans get a sneak peek at the new Climate Pledge Arena with a benefit concert featuring two bands with strong Seattle ties, Foo Fighters and Death Cab for Cutie. The ...
On October 23, 2021, the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League play their first home game. The result, a 4-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks, fails to dim the celebratory mood as Seattle welcomes...
On March 28, 2022, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signs legislation establishing pickleball as the official state sport of Washington. Invented on Bainbridge Island in 1965 by three men – Joel Pritc...
On April 7, 2022, at 3:43 a.m., a passing tow-truck driver spots flames coming from the windows of one of the oldest buildings in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Through the night and following day,...