Historical Events
- 1860-06-15 1st White settlement in Idaho (Franklin)
- 1863-01-29 Bear River Massacre: American soldiers slaughter hundreds of Native Americans at the confluence of the Bear River and Beaver Creek in present day Idaho
- 1863-03-03 Idaho Territory incorporated from parts of area split from Dakota, Nebraska, and Washington territories; now consists of states of Idaho. Montana, and most of Wyoming
- 1863-03-04 Territory of Idaho established
- 1863-07-04 Boise, Idaho, founded (now capital of Idaho)
- 1863-07-30 Indian Wars: Chief Pocatello of the Shoshone tribe signs the Treaty of Box Elder, promising to stop harassing the emigrant trails in southern Idaho and northern Utah
- 1868-07-25 US Congress forms Wyoming Territory (Dakota, Utah & Idaho)
- 1869-02-19 US Assay Office in Boise, Idaho authorized
- 1877-06-17 Indian Wars: Battle of White Bird Canyon - the Nez Perce defeat the US Cavalry at White Bird Canyon in the Idaho Territory
- 1890-07-03 Idaho admitted as 43rd US state
- 1905-12-30 Former Governor Frank Steunenberg is assassinated near his home in Caldwell, Idaho
- 1909-11-23 7.17" (18.2 cm) of rainfall, Rattlesnake Creek, Idaho (state record)
- 1910-09-10 Great Idaho Fire destroys 3 million acres of timber
No Babies Please!
1914-02-19 Four-year old Charlotte May Pierstorff mailed by train from Grangeville, Idaho to her grandparents’ house 73 miles away in most famous 'child in the post' instance
- 1915-01-04 1st elected Jewish governor, Moses Alexander, takes office in Idaho
Lindbergh Visits Idaho
1927-09-04 Charles Lindbergh visits Boise, Idaho, on his cross-country tour
- 1929-02-16 KID-AM in Idaho Falls ID begins radio transmissions
- 1934-07-28 118°F (48°C), Orofino, Idaho (state record)
- 1943-01-16 -60°F (-51°C), Island Park Dam, Idaho (state record)
- 1948-05-01 Glenn Taylor, Idaho Senator, arrested in Birmingham, Alabama, for trying to enter a meeting through a door marked "for Negroes"
- 1953-12-20 KID (now KIDK) TV channel 3 in Idaho Falls, ID (CBS) 1st broadcasting
- 1955-07-17 Arco, Idaho, becomes 1st US city lit by nuclear power
- 1961-01-03 An explosion at the Nuclear Reactor Testing Station in Idaho Falls kills three operators
- 1961-01-21 KIFI TV channel 8 in Idaho Falls, Idaho (NBC) begins broadcasting
- 1972-05-02 126 killed in an electrical fire in Sunshine Silver mine, Kellogg, Idaho
Event of Interest
1974-09-08 American motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel attempts to jump the Snake River Canyon in Idaho but fails, escaping with minor injuries
- 1975-05-06 Bundy victim Lynette Culver disappears from Pocatello, Idaho
- 1976-06-05 Teton Dam in Idaho burst causing $1 billion damage (14 die)
- 1989-07-25 Brandi Sherwood of Idaho crowned 7th Miss Teen USA
My Own Private Idaho
1991-09-29 Gus Van Sant's film "My Own Private Idaho" starring Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix premieres
My Own Private Idaho
1991-10-18 "My Own Private Idaho" directed and written by Gus van Sant starring River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves is released
- 1992-08-21 US Marshals move in on Randy Weaver's cabin in Ruby Ridge, Idaho to apprehend him on firearms charges; an 11 day stand-off ensues
- 1992-08-22 FBI HRT sniper Lon Horiuchi shoots and kills Vicki Weaver during an 11-day siege at her home at Ruby Ridge, Idaho.
- 1997-05-16 Brandi Sherwood (Miss Idaho) replaces Brook Lee as Miss USA when Brook is crowned Miss Universe
Famous Birthdays
- 1865-06-29 William E. Borah, American lawyer and politician (Republican U.S. Senator from Idaho), born in Fairfield, Illinois (d. 1940)
- 1867-03-25 John Gutzon Borglum, American sculptor (Mt Rushmore), born in St. Charles, Idaho Territory (d. 1941)
Ezra Pound (1885-1972)
1885-10-30 American poet (The Cantos), critic and fascist collaborator in Italy during World War II, born in Hailey, Idaho
- 1892-08-31 Claire DuBrey, American actress (Lightnin' in the Forest), born in Bonner's Ferry, Idaho (d. 1993)
- 1895-03-31 Vardis Fisher, American author (Darkness & Deep), born in Annis, Idaho (d. 1968)
- 1898-07-08 Melville Ruick, American actor (Sun Valley Serenade, City Hospital), born in Boise, Idaho (d. 1972)
- 1899-02-15 Lillian Disney, wife of animator Walt Disney, born in Spalding, Idaho (d. 1997)
- 1899-03-28 Harold B. Lee, American religious leader, Head of Latter-day Saints, born in Clifton, Idaho (d. 1973)
- 1899-08-04 Ezra Taft Benson, 13th President of Latter-day Saints and US Secretary of Agriculture, born in Whitney, Idaho (d. 1994)
- 1906-07-23 Clancy Cooper, American actor (Enchanted Forest, Girls in Chains), born in Boise, Idaho (d. 1975)
- 1908-02-28 Billie Bird, American actress (Jury Duty), born in Pocatello, Idaho (d. 2002)
Pappy Boyington (1912-1988)
1912-12-04 American combat pilot and US Marine Corps fighter ace during World War II, born in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
- 1913-11-30 John K. M. McCaffery, American TV host (One Minute Please), born in Moscow, Idaho (d. 1983)
- 1915-12-27 Mary Kornman, American actress (Desert Trail, Queen of the Jungle, Swing it Professor), born in Idaho Falls, Idaho (d. 1973)
- 1917-03-22 Virginia Grey, American actress (Another Thin Man, Idiot's Delight, Idaho), born in Edendale, California (d. 2004)
- 1917-08-12 Marjorie Reynolds [Goodspeed], American actress and dancer (Holiday Inn, Life of Riley), born in Buhl, Idaho (d. 1997)
Lana Turner (1921-1995)
1921-02-08 American pin-up model and actress (Peyton Place; The Postman Always Rings Twice; Imitation of Life), born in Wallace, Idaho
- 1922-04-24 John Donovan "J D" Cannon, American actor (McCloud, Ike, Call to Glory), born in Salmon, Idaho (d. 2005)
- 1924-07-25 Frank Church, American lawyer and politician (United States Senator from Idaho), born in Boise, Idaho (d. 1984)
- 1924-12-27 James A McClure, (Sen-R-Idaho)
- 1927-03-04 Philip Batt, American politician, 29th Governor of Idaho, born in Wilder, Idaho
- 1928-11-07 Richard G. Scott, American scientist and LDS apostle, born in Pocatello, Idaho (d. 2015)
- 1935-10-14 La Monte Young, American minimalist avant-garde composer (Compositions 1960), born in Bern, Idaho
Harmon Killebrew (1936-2011)
1936-06-29 American Baseball HOF utility (13 × MLB All-Star; AL MVP 1969; 6 × AL HR leader; Washington Senators, Minnesota Twins), born in Payette, Idaho
- 1937-12-10 Don Bies, American golfer (The Tradition 1989), born in Cottonwood, Idaho
- 1938-04-23 Steve Symms, American politician, (Senator-R-Idaho 1981-93, Rep-R-Idaho 1973-81), born in Nampa, Idaho
- 1940-12-12 Shirley Englehorn, American golfer (Women's PGA C'ship 1970), born in Caldwell, Idaho (d. 2022)
- 1942-05-03 Butch Otter, American politician, 32nd governor of Idaho, born in Caldwell, Idaho
- 1944-07-19 Commander Cody [George Frayne], American singer and pianist (Commander Cody & Lost Planet Airmen - "Hot Rod Lincoln"), born in Boise, Idaho (d. 2021)
- 1944-11-19 Charlie Coe, American rock guitarist and bassist (Paul Revere & The Raiders, 1963-68), born in Boise, Idaho
- 1945-07-20 Larry Craig, American politician (Senator-R-Idaho 1991-2009, Rep-R-Idaho, 1981-91), born in Council, Idaho
- 1946-08-25 Larry LaRocco, American politician (Rep-D-Idaho), born in Los Angeles, California
- 1950-09-08 Mike Simpson, American politician (Rep-(R)-Idaho 1999-), born in Burley, Idaho
- 1951-05-20 Mike Crapo, American politician (Senator-R-Idaho 1999-, Rep-R-Idaho 1993-99), born in Idaho Falls, Idaho
- 1951-10-29 Dirk Kempthorne, American politician, Secretary of the Interior (Senator-R Idaho 1993-99), born in San Diego, California
- 1953-04-23 James Russo, American actor (My Own Private Idaho;China Girl), born in NYC, New York
- 1954-03-18 James F Reilly II, Mt Home AFB Idaho, PhD/astronaut (STS 89, sk:100)
- 1962-06-13 Davey Hamilton, American auto racer and broadcaster, (Indycar Series runner-up 1996-97, 98), born in Nampa, Idaho
- 1964-09-11 Victor Wooten, American Grammy Award-winning jazz-fusion, funk, and bluegrass bass guitarist and producer (Béla Fleck and the Flecktones), born in Mountain Home, Idaho
- 1965-11-11 Ruthie Matthes, American bicycle racer (World Cross-Country Mountain Bike C'ship gold 1991), born in Sun Valley Idaho
- 1970-09-26 Rachel Jacobs, American actress (It's Not Easy), born in Ririe, Idaho
- 1971-04-03 Picabo Street, American skier (Olympic gold 1994), born in Triumph, Idaho
- 1973-02-22 Ntala Skinner, American biathlete (Olympics 1994), born in Sun Valley, Idaho
- 1974-01-14 Nancy Napolski, American sports shooter (Olympics 1996), born in Hinsdale, Idaho
Aaron Paul (44 years old)
1979-08-27 American actor (Breaking Bad, Need for Speed), born in Emmett, Idaho
- 1981-02-13 Luke Ridnour, US basketball player, born in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
- 1981-12-12 Jeret Peterson, American aerial skier (Olympic silver 2010), born in Boise, Idaho
- 1985-08-21 Jacob (Jake) Pitts, American heavy metal rock guitarist (Black Veil Brides), born in Pocatello, Idaho
- 1986-03-28 Robert Bowdrie "Bowe" Bergdahl, American soldier held captive in Afghanistan, born in Sun Valley, Idaho
Famous Weddings
Walt Disney
1925-07-13 Film producer and co-founder of Walt Disney Productions Walt Disney (23) weds Lillian Bounds (26) at Lewiston's Episcopal Church of the Nativity in Lewiston, Idaho
- 2010-02-27 American "Supernatural" actress Genevieve Cortese (29) weds co-star American actor Jared Padalecki (27) in Sun Valley, Idaho
- 2013-06-24 American "Scandal" actress Kerry Washington (36) weds American NFL star Nnamdi Asomugha (32) in Blaine County, Idaho
Famous Deaths
- 1940-01-19 William E. Borah, American lawyer and politician (Republican U.S. Senator from Idaho), dies at 74
- 1984-04-07 Frank Church, American lawyer and politician (United States Senator from Idaho), dies at 59
- 2010-03-06 Endurance Idahor, Nigerian footballer (b. 1984)