11 Moments Everyone Born In Oklahoma Will Always Remember
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Ashley
Author
Since statehood in 1907, the Sooner State has had it’s fair share of historical events. From tragedies to natural disasters to historical milestones, here’s a look back at 11 big moments over the last 50 years everyone born and raised in Oklahoma will always remember.
The sale of liquor became legal for the first time since statehood in 1959.
Picher was once the site of a massive lead and zinc mine. Huge mountains of "chat" – a mining byproduct – dotted the landscape of the town. It was declared a Superfund site in 1981 but many residents stayed around until the early 2000s. It was once the most toxic town in America.
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Just over a year ago, Oklahomans commemorated the 30th anniversary of the horrific Edmond post office shooting that occurred on August 20, 1986. It was, at that time, the state's largest and the nation's third-largest mass murder committed by a single individual in a single incident.
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Oklahomans sparked a national movement when they approved the Term Limits Amendment on September 18, 1990, which limited the length of service of Oklahoma legislators to twelve years.
This horrific act of terrorism changed Oklahoma forever. On April 19, 1995, The Alfred P. Murrah building in downtown OKC was bombed by Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols. The bombing killed 168 people and injured over 680 others. Over 324 buildings in the area were also damaged in the blast.
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A total of 74 tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma and Kansas in less than 21 hours. 46 people were killed and over 800 injured due to this tornado outbreak on May 3, 1999.
On January 27, 2001, a Beechcraft Super King Air 200 crashed in a field 40 miles east of Denver, Colorado. The plane was carrying 2 crew members and 8 passengers involved with Oklahoma State basketball. All ten individuals died.
On May 26, 2002, Captain Joe Dedmon experienced a blackout which in turn caused him to lose control of his tow, causing the barges he was controlling to collide with the I-40 bridge piers. A 580 ft. section of the bridge plunged into the Arkansas River near Webbers Fall. Several automobiles and tractors fell into the river, killing 14 people and injuring eleven others.
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A severe ice storm crippled the state for days, taking out electricity for hundreds of thousands of residents. A state of emergency was declared for the whole state and was later deemed a federal disaster area by President George W. Bush. Damage in the state totaled about $38 million dollars.
In 2008 the Seattle SuperSonics announced their relocation to Oklahoma City. They renamed the team and Oklahomans were thrilled to welcome their first NBA basketball team.
May 2015 is now the wettest single month on record in Oklahoma. Many areas of the Sooner state suffered their worst floods ever. The record amount of rainfall for the state capital, Oklahoma City, was 19.48 inches in the month of May. Several drownings occurred as a result of the flooding
What are some big historical events you remember growing up in Oklahoma? Tell us in the comments!
Check out this list of 10 insane things that happened in Oklahoma that you won’t find In history books.
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