Washington (WA).

• Region: Northwest Pacific coast
• Population: 7,785,786 (ranked 13th; 2022 estimate)
• Capital: Olympia (pop. 55,669) (2022 estimate)
• Largest city: Seattle (pop. 749,256) (2022 estimate)
• Number of counties: 39
• State nickname: Evergreen State
• State motto: Al-ki (An American Indian word meaning "by and by," it is the territorial motto for Washington. There is no officially recognized state motto.)
• State flag: Dark green background with state seal

Washington State, the "Evergreen State," is named for the nation's first president. Part of the Pacific Northwest, it entered the Union on November 11, 1889, as the forty-second state. Two of the state's major borders are water bodies: the western boundary is the Pacific Ocean, while the southern boundary with Oregon is formed mostly by the Columbia River. The other boundaries are Idaho to the east and the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north. Washington is both agricultural and industrial; the state is a leading producer of apples and pears, while cities such as Seattle and Tacoma are major ports. The state is also a haven for high technology, home to companies such as software giant Microsoft Corp. Washington's many popular tourist attractions include human-made monuments such as Seattle's Space Needle and natural wonders such as the Cascade Mountains.

State Name: Washington State is named for the first US president, George Washington, the only state to be named for a chief executive. The state is nicknamed the "Evergreen State" because of its forests.

Capital:Olympia, the state capital, is located on the Puget Sound. Founded in 1850, the city has served as the capital since Washington's territorial days, becoming the provisional territorial capital in 1853 and the permanent territorial capital two years later. The city became the state capital in 1889, when Washington entered the Union.

Flag: The state flag, adopted in 1923, has a dark green background with the state seal in the center. The seal includes a portrait of George Washington with the words "The Seal of the State of Washington 1889" running around the border.

Official Symbols

• Flower: Coast Rhododendron
• Bird: Willow goldfinch
• Tree: Western hemlock
• Fish: Steelhead trout
• Song: "Washington, My Home" by Helen Davis

State and National Historic Sites

• Browns Point Lighthouse and Keeper's Cottage (near Tacoma)
• Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve (Coupeville)
• Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (Vancouver)
• German Club/Assay Office (Seattle)
• Hiram M. Chittenden Locks and Lake Washington Ship Canal (Seattle)
• Klondike Gold Rush–Seattle Unit National Historical Park (Seattle)
• Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
• San Juan Island National Historic Park
• Washington State Capitol Historic District (Olympia)
• Whitman Mission National Historic Site (near Walla Walla)

DEMOGRAPHICS

• Population: 7,785,786 (ranked 13th; 2022 estimate)
• Population density: 115.9/sq mi (2020 estimate)
• Urban population: 83.4% (2020 estimate)
• Rural population: 16.6% (2020 estimate)
• Population under 18: 21.1% (2022 estimate)
• Population over 65: 16.8% (2022 estimate)
• White alone: 76.8% (2022 estimate)
• Black or African American alone: 4.6% (2022 estimate)
• Hispanic or Latino: 14.0% (2022 estimate)
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: 2.0% (2022 estimate)
• Asian alone: 10.5% (2022 estimate)
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: 0.8% (2022 estimate)
• Two or More Races: 5.3% (2022 estimate)
• Per capita income: $43,817 (ranked 6th; 2021 estimate)
• Unemployment: 4.2% (2022 estimate)

American Indians: Washington has been home to numerous American Indian tribes throughout the centuries. Some of the most prominent have been the Coeur d'Alene (Schitsu'umsh) of eastern Washington and the Nez Perce of southeastern Washington. Other interior tribes include the Cayuse, Okanagan, Spokan (Spokane), and Walla Walla. The Suquamish and Duwamish tribes, living in the Puget Sound region, were led in the mid-nineteenth century by Chief Seattle. The city of Seattle took its name from the chief. Other coastal tribes include the Chinook, Makah, Quinault, and Puyallup.

Relations between the tribes and White settlers were marked by conflict throughout the nineteenth century, as the tribes sought to preserve their lands and traditional way of life. One focus of friction was the Whitman Mission, established in 1836 by Marcus and Narcissa Whitman near the site of present-day Walla Walla. The Cayuse resented the presence of the mission, seeing it as a potential threat to their culture. In 1847 the tribe attacked the mission and killed its founders. The Yakima War of the 1850s marked another outbreak of violence. By the end of the nineteenth century, the tribes had been decimated through war and disease, and largely confined to reservation lands.

Relations improved somewhat in the twentieth century, and the US government now recognizes many tribes as sovereign entities. Washington State has twenty-nine federally recognized tribes, which include the Makah Indian Tribe of the Makah Indian Reservation, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, the Puyallup Tribe of the Puyallup Reservation, the Quinault Indian Nation, the Spokane Tribe, and the Suquamish Indian Tribe of the Port Madison Reservation.

ENVIRONMENT AND GEOGRAPHY

• Total area: 71,298 sq mi (ranked 18th)
• Land area: 66,456 sq mi (93.2% of total area)
• Water area: 4,842 sq mi (6.8% of total area)
• Shoreline: 3,026 miles
• National parks: 15
• Highest point: Mount Rainier (14,411 feet)
• Lowest point: Pacific Ocean (sea level)
• Highest temperature: 120° F (Hanford, June 29, 2021)
• Lowest temperature: -48° F (Mazama; Winthrop, December 30, 1968)

Topography: Washington State has several main topographical regions, dominated by water and mountain ranges. Major water bodies include Puget Sound to the northwest, and the Columbia River along the southern border with Oregon. Mountains include the Coastal Range, running north-south along the western part of the state. The Cascade Range lies in the eastern part of the state, including active volcanoes such as Mt. St. Helens (which last majorly erupted in 1980; a small eruption occurred in 2004 and an extent of volcanic activity was recorded through 2008). Between the two ranges lies the Puget Trough, a largely flat region. The eastern part of the state, along with parts of Idaho and sometimes Montana, is known as the "Inland Empire," because of the rich agriculture and other natural resources there.

Major Rivers

• Columbia River
• Lewis River
• Nooksack River
• Pend Oreille River
• Puyallup River
• Satsop River
• Snake River
• Snoqualmie River
• Spokane River
• Wenatchee River
• Yakima River

State and National Parks: Washington has over 150 state parks, including marine parks. These include natural areas as well as historic sites. The Centennial Trail, dedicated in 1989 to commemorate the state's 100th anniversary, includes over 40 historic sites relating to the state's American Indian and pioneer history. The fifteen national parks in the state include scenic areas such as Mount Rainier National Park and historic sites such as Fort Vancouver and Whitman Mission.

Natural Resources: Washington's land, timber, and rapid rivers are among the state's most important resources. The huge forests of evergreens, pine, and other trees have made Washington's lumber industry one of the largest in the nation. The state's rapidly flowing rivers are an important natural resource, providing immense quantities of hydroelectric power. Agriculture is highly important, both in crop production and raising livestock. Washington farmers lead the nation in production of many fruits, including apples and pears. The state's rivers and coastline provide commercial fishing operations with rich catches—particularly of species such as salmon, trout, and halibut. Washington possesses a variety of minerals, but mining is not a major economic activity. Industrial minerals such as sand and gravel are found in various parts of the state. The minerals gold, lead, magnesium, and zinc are found in the Rocky Mountains.

Plants and Animals: Washington is covered with immense forests, home to many species of plants and animals. This has often caused tension between environmentalists and the lumber industry, over protection of these species' natural habitats. In the Puget Sound region, along the Pacific coast, one finds deciduous and softwood species, such as spruce and cedar. Further inland, one finds evergreen species such as fir and pine.

The state's wildlife includes many species that are rare in other parts of the country. These include forest and mountain species such as elk, mule deer, bear, and mountain lions. There are also small mammals such as beaver. Species unique to Washington State include the Roosevelt elk, many of which live in Olympic National Park. Both the coastal and inland regions are rich with bird life. Coastal species include cormorants and gulls, while inland species include the grouse and prairie falcon. Washington is also known for its wealth of fish. The Columbia River is the spawning grounds of salmon. Other common species are trout and sturgeon. One can find other forms of maritime life in Puget Sound and off the Pacific coast. In the sound there are harbor seals and sea lions, while off the seacoast, one can often find whales.

Climate: Washington has two major climatic regions, divided by the Cascade Mountains. The coastal mountains, which prevent rain clouds from going inland, make the western part of the state very wet. Some parts of the state, such as the Olympic National Forest, receive over 100 inches of rain annually. Winters along the coast are generally mild, with little snowfall. The eastern part of the state is much drier, at times almost desert-like, with less than 10 inches of rain per year. (Thanks to the Grand Coulee Dam, however, this region is not as dry as it once was.) Because of climate change, Washington is getting hotter, and extreme heat events are predicted to occur more often. In 2021, a significant heatwave resulted in one hundred deaths in Washington and the surrounding region.

EDUCATION AND CULTURE

Major Colleges and Universities

• Central Washington University (Ellensburg)
• Eastern Washington University (Cheney)
• Evergreen State College (Olympia)
• Gonzaga University (Spokane)
• Northwest College (Kirkland)
• Seattle Pacific University (Seattle)
• Seattle University (Seattle)
• St. Martin's College (Lacey)
• University of Puget Sound (Tacoma)
• University of Washington (Seattle)
• Walla Walla University (College Place)
• Washington State University (Pullman)
• Western Washington University (Bellingham)
• Whitman College (Walla Walla)
• Whitworth University (Spokane)

Major Museums

• Bellevue Arts Museum (Bellevue).
• Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington (Seattle)
• Frye Art Museum (Seattle)
• Henry Art Gallery (Seattle)
• Maryhill Museum of Art (Goldendale)
• Moses Lake Museum & Art Center (Moses Lake)
• Museum of Flight (Seattle)
• Museum of History and Industry (Seattle)
• Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture (Spokane)
• Pacific Science Center (Seattle)
• Seattle Art Museum (Seattle)
• Tacoma Art Museum (Tacoma)
• Thomas Burke Memorial Washington State Museum (Seattle)
• Washington State Historical Society Museum (Tacoma)
• Whatcom Museum (Bellingham)

Major Libraries

• Henry Suzzallo Library, University of Washington (Seattle)
• John F. Kennedy Library, Eastern Washington University (Cheney)
• Seattle Public Library (Seattle)
• Washington State Library (Olympia)

Media

Seattle is Washington State's major media market, with other sizeable markets in cities such as Spokane and Tacoma. There are numerous daily and weekly newspapers. Major dailies in Seattle include the Seattle Times, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. Spokane is home to the daily Spokesman-Review. Major Tacoma dailies include the Tacoma Daily Index and the Tacoma News Tribune. The state's large Asian population is represented through newspapers such as the weekly Seattle Chinese Post (in Chinese). The state is home to many television and radio stations. Washington State University, in Pullman, operates Northwest Public Radio and Northwest Public Television.

ECONOMY AND INFRASTRUCTURE

• Gross domestic product (in millions $USD): 725,513.5 (ranked 11th; 2022 estimate)
• GDP percent change: 1.2%

Major Industries: Washington's economy has historically been heavily based on agriculture, lumber, manufacturing, and trade. Washington generally leads the nation in production of many fruits and vegetables, including apples, pears, cherries, and hops. Commercial fishing, livestock, and dairy farming are other important sectors. However, the state has also shifted toward a service economy. The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that in 2022, the information sector and the finance, insurance, real estate, rental, and leasing sector tied for the largest sectors, both accounting for 16.2 percent each of the state's total GDP.

Several giant businesses call Washington home, including aircraft maker Boeing, software giant Microsoft, online retailer Amazon, and coffee-shop chain Starbucks.

Tourism: Washington State is a major tourist destination for people seeking natural beauty as well as art, music and other cultural attractions. There are numerous state and national parks, which receive millions of visitors each year. Tourism is particularly strong in Seattle, the state's largest city, which offers professional sports, the Seattle Art Museum, and a thriving arts scene. Seattle has been home to a healthy rock-music scene since the 1960s, when Seattle native Jimi Hendrix began performing there. In the early 1990s, the city became known as the home of "grunge" music, due to the popularity of Seattle-based rock-bands such as Nirvana. The Space Needle, built for the 1962 World's Fair, is one of Seattle's most recognizable landmarks.

Energy Production: Washington's main source of energy is hydroelectric power, obtained from the state's many dams, such as Grand Coulee. Situated on the Columbia River, the Grand Coulee Dam is the largest hydroelectric power plant in the United States by generation capacity.

Washington leads the US in hydroelectric power production. In 2022, according to the US Energy Information Administration, Washington accounted for 31 percent of the United States' annual utility-scale hydroelectricity generation. The state also produces electricity from non-hydroelectric renewable resources such as wind and biomass (wood and wood waste), as well as natural gas–fired power plants.

Washington does not produce crude oil, but the state has five refineries and had the fifth largest refining capacity in the nation as of 2023.

Agriculture: Agriculture is an important part of Washington's economy. The state typically leads the nation in production of many products, such as hops, spearmint oil, and lentils. Washington is also a national leader in producing many kinds of fruit, including apples, pears, cherries, blueberries, red raspberries, and several varieties of grapes (Concord and Niagara). The livestock sector is also important to the state’s farmers.

Airports: Washington has hundreds of airports, as well as many helicopter and seaplane bases. The two most important facilities are the Seattle-Tacoma and Spokane International Airports.

Seaports: Washington has numerous ports along the Columbia and Snake Rivers and on Puget Sound; these provide access to the Pacific Ocean and to the interior of the continent. These ports include Seattle, Everett, Bellingham, Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Vancouver, and Tacoma. The state department of transportation also operates the nation's largest fleet of ferry boats.

GOVERNMENT

• Governor: Jay Inslee (Democrat)
• Present constitution date: 1889
• Electoral votes: 12
• Number of counties: 39
• Violent crime rate: 293.7 (per 100,000 residents) (2020 estimate)
• Death penalty: Ruled as unconstitutional as written and applied by the Washington Supreme Court in 2018

Constitution: Washington adopted its current constitution in 1889, upon entering the Union.

Branches of Government

Executive: All nine of the state's constitutional officers are elected to four-year terms, and run independently. This means, for example, the governor and lieutenant governor do not run as a joint ticket. The governor is the state's chief executive officer, with duties including proposal, vetoing, and passage of legislation; oversight of state agencies and departments; making judicial appointments; and serving as commander-in-chief of the state military forces. The lieutenant governor presides over the senate and acts as governor in case of the incumbent's death, disability, or removal from office.

The other constitutional officers are the secretary of state, state treasurer, attorney general, state auditor, superintendent of public instruction, the insurance commissioner, and the commissioner of public lands. The superintendent of public instruction is the only elected executive who may not declare a political affiliation when running for office.

Legislative: The Washington State Legislature has two houses: a forty-nine-member Senate and ninety-eight-member House of Representatives. Senators are elected for four-year terms, while representatives serve two-year terms.

Judicial: All of Washington's judges and justices are elected by popular vote, without partisan affiliation. The nine-member state supreme court is Washington's highest court, serving as the court of final appeal and also hearing cases of state constitutional law. The court has a chief justice, an associate chief justice, and seven associate justices. The court of appeals, which has twenty-two members, is the main appellate court. The superior courts are the state's main trial courts.

HISTORY

1741–43 Russian explorers make their first expeditions down the Alaska coast. They begin trading sea otter pelts with the local tribes. The Russian Empire lays claim to the region, extending down toward Puget Sound.

1774–75 Spain sends two expeditions along the Pacific Northwest coast. Captain Juan Perez leads the first expedition, in 1774. The following year, Bruno de Heceta lands on the coast of what is now Washington State, claiming the land for Spain. On his return voyage southward, he sees but does not enter the mouth of the Columbia River.

1778 Captain James Cook of Britain's Royal Navy explores and charts the Northwest Coast, landing at Nootka Sound in present-day British Columbia. He is the first European to set foot in the region.

1788 Captain John Meares, a British seagoing explorer, exploring the Washington coastline, gives the name "Olympic Mountains" to the range near present-day Budd Inlet.

1792 American sea captain Robert Gray explores the Columbia River, naming it after his ship. During this same period, Captain George Vancouver of the Royal Navy explores Puget Sound, naming it for his subordinate Lieutenant Peter Puget. To stake its claim to the region, Spain establishes a settlement at Neah Bay, in present-day Washington. This is the first White settlement in the region.

1805–06 The Lewis and Clark Expedition enters present-day Washington State in 1805, exploring the Columbia River. The party establishes Fort Clatsop on the Pacific Coast, on the south side of the river, in present-day Oregon. After wintering there, the expedition returns to St. Louis, Missouri in 1806.

1807 David Thompson, a Canadian trader, explores and charts the Columbia River.

1811 The Pacific Fur Company, one of several expeditions arranged by American entrepreneur John Jacob Astor, establishes Fort Astoria on the Columbia River as a trading post. The site, now located in northwestern Oregon, is the first permanent American settlement on the Pacific Coast.

1813 Fort Astoria is sold to the British, but returns to American control in 1818.

1821 The Hudson's Bay Company buys out the North West Company and dominates the Pacific Northwest until the 1840s.

1825 Fort Vancouver and Fort Colville are established along the Columbia River, by the Hudson's Bay Company.

1836 Presbyterian missionary Dr. Marcus Whitman and his wife, Narcissa, establish a mission at Waiilatpu, near the site of present-day Walla Walla. There he ministers to the local American Indian tribes as well as to westward traveling pioneers on the Oregon Trail. The mission sparks resentment, however, among the local Cayuse Indians, who see it as a threat to their way of life.

1838–42 US Navy Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, commanding the sloop of war USS Vincennes, leads a scientific expedition to the Pacific islands, Antarctica and the Pacific Northwest. In 1841 he explores the coast of what is now Washington State. Budd Inlet, site of present-day Olympia, is named for Thomas A. Budd, commander of one of the expedition's vessels. This expedition helps the United States establish a territorial claim to the region.

1843 The Oregon Country (which includes present-day Washington State) receives its first major wave of American immigration. The settlers establish their own temporary government and begin seeking entry into the Union.

1844 The phrase "Fifty-four forty or fight!" serves as a campaign slogan during the 1844 presidential race. Democratic candidate James K. Polk uses the slogan to call for US control of the Oregon Country as far north as 54 degrees 40 inches north latitude.

1846 The United States and Britain sign a treaty establishing their northern boundary at the 49th parallel. Most of the Oregon Country thus becomes part of the United States.

1847 After years of tensions with the Whitman Mission, the Cayuse Indians attack the settlement. Dr. and Mrs. Whitman are killed in the attack, and dozens of others are taken hostage. In addition to their general resentment against the mission, the Cayuse had blamed Dr. Whitman for deaths in a measles epidemic.

1848 Congress creates the Oregon Territory, partly as a response to the attack on the Whitmans. The new territory includes present-day Idaho and Washington State.

1850 The city of Olympia is laid out by Edmund Sylvester. The name derives from the Olympic Mountains to the north.

1851 White settlement begins on the site of present-day Seattle.

1852 Gold is discovered at Fort Colville, by an employee of the Hudson's Bay Company.

1853 On March 2, Congress creates the Washington Territory, with the provisional territorial capital at Olympia. Also included in the new territory are parts of present-day Idaho and Montana. The Territorial Legislature passes a measure to prevent Chinese immigrants from voting.

1855 Territorial Governor Isaac I. Stevens leads efforts to establish treaties between the US government and the local American Indians. By the Treaty of Point Elliott, for example, fifteen tribes cede Puget Sound to the United States. (One of the eighty-one American Indian signers of this treaty is Chief Seattle of the Suquamish and Duwamish tribes; his name is later given to the city which rises on the Sound.) That year, Olympia becomes the permanent territorial capital.

1855–58 The Yakima War rages between the Yakima Indians and White settlers. The Yakima are allied with the Coeur d'Alene, Nez Perce, Spokane, and Palouse tribes. Federal and militia troops defeat the American Indians and force them onto reservations. This victory opens up much of Washington to White settlement.

1861–65 The Civil War. The Washington Territory is far removed from the fighting back East. Union Army units serve generally to keep peace between American Indians and White settlers.

1861 The "Territorial University of Washington" opens in Seattle. The first such school in the Pacific Northwest, it later becomes the University of Washington.

1863 The Idaho Territory is formed out of the Washington Territory.

1882 Congress passes the Chinese Exclusion Act, in response to nativist sentiment against Chinese labor. The act places a 10-year ban on immigration of Chinese workers, also prohibiting Chinese women from immigrating. Because of these restrictions, the Chinese-American communities in Washington State enter into years of decline.

1880s–90s Growth of the railroads in Washington State. In 1883, the Northern Pacific Railroad reaches Tacoma, connecting the state with the East Coast. Five years later, the Northern Pacific completes construction of the Stampede Tunnel across the Cascade Mountains. In 1893, Seattle is connected to the Great Northern line.

1889 Washington enters the Union on November 11 as the 42nd state.

1890 The Legislature establishes the Washington Agricultural College and School of Science (later known as Washington State University) as the state's land-grant school. The school opens to students in 1892.

1897–99 The Klondike Gold Rush provides a massive boost to Seattle's growth. The city becomes a major departure point for people heading northward to seek gold.

1899 The US government establishes Mount Rainier National Park.

1905 The state land-grant school changes its name to State College of Washington.

1907 United Parcel Service (UPS) is founded in Seattle as the American Messenger Company, by nineteen-year-old entrepreneur James E. "Jim" Casey. Initially just a messenger service, the firm soon expands into package delivery and adopts its present name in 1919.

1909 The Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition takes place in Seattle, on the campus of the University of Washington. That same year, the US government establishes Mount Olympus National Monument.

1910 Washington State gives women the right to vote, ten years before the passage of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution.

1914–18 World War I. The war years are marked by a wave of labor disputes in the Pacific Northwest. The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), or "Wobblies," fan labor discontent among Washington's shipyard and dock workers, as well as among loggers. The War Department intervenes in a lumber industry dispute, in order to maintain military production. On November 5, 1916, violence breaks out in Everett between IWW activists and law enforcement, leading to the "Everett Massacre" in which several dozen people are wounded and several killed. Following the incident, 74 Wobblies are arrested and charged with murdering a sheriff's deputy.

1915 The Legislature passes a law prohibiting Asian immigrants from working in commercial fishing.

1919 Seattle suffers a general strike. During the same period, labor violence breaks out in Centralia.

1923 A state flag is officially adopted by the legislature. This is the first official flag, though other designs have been used unofficially by cities and towns since the 1890s.

1927 The state capitol is completed in Olympia.

1937 Work is completed on the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River.

1941 The Grand Coulee Dam, begun in 1933 as a New Deal project, is completed.

1941–45 World War II. During the war, the state's large Japanese American population is moved inland to relocation camps. As part of the atomic bomb project, the US government constructs the Hanford Engineer Works to manufacture plutonium; the facility produces plutonium for the bomb Little Boy, which is dropped on Japan.

1948 The state's first television, Seattle-based KING-TV, begins broadcasting.

1949 An earthquake destroys many historic buildings in Olympia.

1954 The State Supreme Court rules that state government offices must be located in Olympia, the state capital.

1962 Seattle hosts the World's Fair.

1968 Archeologists discover ancient human remains, approximately 12,000 years old, at Marmes near Washtucna in Adams County. The remains of "Marmes Man" are the oldest known human remains in the Western Hemisphere at the time.

1974 Spokane hosts the World's Fair.

1975 Seattle natives Bill Gates and Paul Allen found software company Microsoft Corp. The firm soon becomes one of the world's largest and most profitable companies.

1976 Dixy Lee Ray becomes the first woman elected governor of the state.

1980Mount St. Helens volcano erupts.

1981 The first Starbucks coffee shop opens, in Seattle.

1989 Washington celebrates the 100th anniversary of statehood.

1990 The University of Washington opens campuses in Bothell and Tacoma.

1999 A protest riot, involving thousands of people, breaks out during the Seattle conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The demonstrators are opposed to economic globalization, as represented by the WTO.

2001 The city of Seattle is hit by the largest earthquake in the region in over a half a century. The quake results in one death and some 160 injuries. Although many windows are shattered throughout the city, major structural damage does not occur.

2004 Governor Christine Gregoire is elected, making Washington the first state to have a woman governor and two women senators (Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray) at the same time.

2008Assisted suicide is made legal through the Washington Death with Dignity Act.

2012Same-sex marriage is approved in Washington State through a popular vote.

2014 Washington's first legal sales of recreational marijuana are held, following legalization in 2012.

2018 Washingtonians gain the ability to change their birth certificates to choose a non-binary gender identification. (In 2019, they are given a non-binary option on their driver's licenses as well.)

2020 Like other states, Washington is disrupted by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which forces many schools and businesses to close.

2021 A prolonged heat wave hits Washington and the Pacific Northwest region in June and July, causing one hundred heat-related deaths.

FAMOUS PEOPLE

Sherman Alexie, 1966– (Spokane) , Author.

Paul Allen, 1954–2018 (Seattle) , Businessman; cofounder of Microsoft Corp.

Bob Barker, 1923–2023 (Darrington) , TV game-show host.

Drew Bledsoe, 1972– (Ellensburg) , Football player.

Linda B. Buck, 1947– (Seattle) , Nobel Prize–winning biologist.

Alisyn Camerota, 1966– (Bellingham) , Journalist.

Dyan Cannon, 1937– (Tacoma) , Actor.

Brandi Carlile, 1981– (Ravensdale) , Musician.

Carol Channing, 1921–2019 (Seattle) , Actor.

Kurt Cobain, 1967–94 (Hoquaim) , Rock musician.

Judy Collins, 1939– (Seattle) , Singer.

Bing Crosby, 1903–77 (Tacoma) , Singer; actor.

Bob Crosby, 1913–93 (Spokane) , Band leader.

Howard Duff, 1913–90 (Bremerton) , Actor.

Thomas S. Foley, 1929–2013 (Spokane) , Speaker of the US House of Representatives.

Bill Gates, 1955– (Seattle) , Software-company executive; cofounder of Microsoft Corp.

Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson, 1912–83 (Everett) , US senator.

Hank Ketcham, 1920–2001 (Seattle) , Cartoonist.

Robert Joffrey, 1930–88 (Seattle) , Choreographer.

Chuck Jones, 1912–2002 (Spokane) , Cartoonist; film animator.

Jimi Hendrix, 1942–70 (Seattle) , Rock musician.

Frank Herbert, 1920–86 (Tacoma) , Author.

Gary Larson, 1950– (Tacoma) , Cartoonist.

Mary McCarthy, 1912–89 (Seattle) , Author.

Patty Murray, 1950– (Seattle) , US senator.

Seattle, 1786–1886 (Puget Sound region) , Suquamish Indian leader.

Sir Mix-a-Lot (Anthony L. Ray), 1963– (Auburn) , Rapper.

Smohalla, c. 1815–1907 (Columbia River Valley) , Wanapun Indian chief and prophet

Hope Solo, 1981– (Richland) , Soccer player.

Isaiah Thomas, 1989– (Tacoma) , Basketball player.

Minoru Yamasaki, 1912–86 (Seattle) , Architect.

TRIVIA

The portrait of George Washington on the original state seal (adopted in 1889), was based on a postage-stamp portrait of the first president. In 1967, the state legislature adopted a new design based on a portrait by eighteenth-century artist Gilbert Stuart.

In 1854, during treaty negotiations with the US government, Chief Seattle of the Suquamish tribe made a famous speech about relations between American Indians and White people. The speech focused on American Indians' connection to the land, and the need for White people to remember their commitments and obligations to the American Indians.

The Columbia River, which runs between Washington and Oregon, is the spawning ground for Pacific salmon.

Washington State was originally part of Oregon.

Seattle become known in the early 1990s as the birthplace of grunge music, because of the success of homegrown rock band Nirvana. Kurt Cobain, the band's leader, was born in Hoquaim.

The TV comedy Frasier, a spinoff of the 1980s hit show Cheers, is set in Seattle. The title character is a psychiatrist who hosts a self-help radio show.

In 2019, the state of Washington became the first in the country to legalize the recomposition of human remains as an alternative to burial or cremation; the process involves using natural materials to break the body down faster into reusable soil.

Bibliography

"Economic Profile for Washington." Bureau of Economic Analysis, US Department of Commerce, 31 Mar. 2023, apps.bea.gov/regional/bearfacts/. Accessed 8 Sept. 2023.

"Heat Wave 2021." Washington State Department of Health, doh.wa.gov/emergencies/be-prepared-be-safe/severe-weather-and-natural-disasters/hot-weather-safety/heat-wave-2021. Accessed 8 Sept. 2023

"Washington." Quick Facts, US Census Bureau, 1 July 2022, www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/WA,US/PST045222. Accessed 14 Oct. 2022.

"Washington: State Profile and Energy Estimates." US Energy Information Administration, 16 Mar. 2023, www.eia.gov/state/?sid=WA. Accessed 8 Sept. 2023.

"Washington: The Evergreen State." Choose Washington, Washington State Department of Commerce, choosewashingtonstate.com/research-resources/about-washington/. Accessed 3 Aug. 2020.

"Washington: 2020 Census." United States Census Bureau, 25 Aug. 2021, www.census.gov/library/stories/state-by-state/washington-population-change-between-census-decade.html. Accessed 21 Oct. 2021.