Events in Montana History
- 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
- 1864-05-26 Territory of Montana formed
- 1864-07-14 Gold is discovered in Helena, Montana
- 1864-10-30 Helena, Montana's capital, founded
- 1865-01-02 Welterweight Con Orem & heavyweight Hugh O'Neill brawl for 185 rounds before darkness ends legendary bare knuckle boxing match in Virginia City, Montana
- 1867-06-15 Atlantic Cable Quartz Lode gold mine located in Montana
- 1870-01-23 Marias Massacre: Approximately 200 Piegan Blackfeet Indians (mostly women, children, and elderly men) killed by US Army, in Montana Territory, spawning outrage and preventing the military from regaining control of the Bureau of Indian Affairs [1] [2]
Custer and Sioux Clash
1873-08-04 Indian Wars: whilst protecting a railroad survey party in Montana, US 7th Cavalry, under Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer, clashes for the 1st time with the Sioux near the Tongue River. 1 man killed on each side.
- 1874-05-12 US Assay Office in Helena, Montana, authorized
Battle of Wolf Mountain
1877-01-08 Crazy Horse and his Sioux warriors fight their last battle with the United States Cavalry at Wolf Mountain (Montana Territory).
- 1877-01-15 US Assay Office in Helena, Montana opens
Battle of the Big Hole
1877-08-10 Battle of the Big Hole: US Army led by Colonel John Gibbon fights the Nez Perce led by Chief Joseph and Looking Glass in Montana, both sides suffer heavy casualties causing the Nez Perce to continue their long fighting retreat
- 1879-01-29 Custer Battlefield National Monument established in Montana
- 1883-09-08 Northern Pacific RR's last spike driven at Independence Creek, Montana
- 1887-01-28 In a snowstorm at Fort Keogh, Montana, the world's largest snowflakes are reported, being 15 inches (38 cm) wide and 8 inches (20 cm) thick
- 1889-02-22 US President Cleveland signs bill to admit Dakotas, Montana & Washington state to the union
- 1889-11-08 Montana admitted as 41st state of the Union
Butch and Sundance Rob Train
1901-07-02 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid rob train of $40,000 at Wagner, Montana
- 1910-05-11 Montana's Glacier National Park forms
- 1916-01-23 Temperature falls from 44°F (7°C) to -56°F (49°C) night of 23-24, Browning, Montana
First Woman to Congress
1916-11-07 Jeannette Rankin (Rep-R-Montana) is elected to Congress as its first woman Representative
- 1917-04-02 Jeannette Rankin (Rep-R-Montana) begins her term as 1st woman member of US House of Reps
- 1917-08-01 Frank Little, IWW organizer, lynched in Butte, Montana
- 1921-06-20 11.5" (29.2 cm) of rainfall, Circle, Montana (state record)
- 1923-03-05 Montana & Nevada become 1st states to enact old age pension laws
Dempsey vs Gibbons
1923-07-04 Jack Dempsey beats Tommy Gibbons on points over 15 hard fought rounds in Shelby, Montana to retain world heavyweight boxing title
- 1937-07-05 117°F (47°C), Medicine Lake, Montana (state record)
- 1938-06-19 "Olympian Flyer" express train crashes in Montana, killing 47
- 1943-02-27 The Smith Mine #3 in Bearcreek, Montana, explodes, killing 74 men
- 1954-01-20 -70°F (-57°C), Rogers Pass, Montana (US 48 state record)
- 1954-01-20 -70°F measured at Rogers Pass, Montana (record low temperature in the contiguous US)
- 1957-11-01 KXGN TV channel 5 in Glendive, Montana (CBS/NBC/ABC) begins broadcasting
- 1958-10-05 KRTV TV channel 3 in Great Falls, MontanaT (CBS) begins broadcasting
- 1959-07-17 River Canyon extending man-made Lake Hebgen by 5 miles. (Montana)
- 1970-06-05 KPAX TV channel 8 in Missoula, Montana (CBS) begins broadcasting
Music History
1975-08-08 Hank Williams Jr. falls off the side of Ajax Peak in Montana
- 1984-04-27 Over 70 inches of snow falls on Red Lake Montana
- 1989-12-22 Cold wave: -6°F in Tulsa, Oklahoma; -12°F in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; -18°F in Denver, Colorado; -23°F in Kansas City, Missouri; -42°F in Scottsbluff, Nebraska; -47°F in Hardin, Montana; and -60°F in Black Hills, South Dakota
- 1992-12-01 2 C-141B Starlifters collide in Montana & crash, 13 die
- 1996-06-13 Montana Freemen surrender after an 81-day standoff with FBI agents
Boulder Glacier Melting
2017-05-10 USGS releases a report saying that some glaciers in Montana have receded by 85% in the last 50 years
- 2019-05-14 Steve Bullock, US Governor of Montana announces his run for Presidential office
- 2019-12-20 Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana granted US federal recognition, providing the right to certain legal and government benefits
- 2023-05-17 Montana is the first US state to ban TikTok, with Governor Greg Gianforte signing legislation to ban the Chinese-owned social media network to protect against alleged intelligence gathering [1]
- 2023-08-15 Young activists win landmark case, Held v. Montana, judge ruling state of Montana must consider climate change when deciding to approve or renew fossil fuel projects [1]
- 2024-01-13 Artic blast affects large parts of the US, with 44 million people under winter weather advisory, with Montanan registering 60 degrees below zero i [1]
Famous People from Montana
Thomas J. Walsh (1859-1933)
1859-06-12 United States Senator (Montana), born in Two Rivers, Wisconsin
Jeannette Rankin (1880-1973)
1880-06-11 American politician, 1st woman elected to US Congress (R-Montana), women's rights advocate and pacifist, born in Missoula, Montana
- 1887-08-13 Julius Freed [Fried], American namesake and co-founder of Orange Julius fast food chain, born in Montana (d. 1952)
- 1892-04-04 Esther Howard, American actress, born in Helena, Montana (d. 1965)
- 1898-04-05 Herb Flemming [Nicolaiih El-Michelle], American jazz trombonist and vocalist, born in Butte, Montana (d. 1976)
- 1898-09-16 (Charles) "Chick" Bullock, American jazz and dance band vocalist (Chick Bullock and His Levee Loungers), born in Butte, Montana (d. 1981)
- 1899-12-09 Howard Freeman, American actor (Studio One, Double Dynamite), born in Helena, Montana (d. 1967)
Gary Cooper (1901-1961)
1901-05-07 American actor (Sgt York, High Noon), born in Helena, Montana
- 1903-03-16 Mike Mansfield, American politician (Sen-D-Montana 1953-77) majority whip, born in New York City (d. 2001)
- 1904-11-25 Herbert Reynolds Inch, American composer and teacher, born in Missoula, Montana (d. 1988)
- 1904-12-01 "Tony" W. A. Boyle, American United Mine Workers president convicted of murder, born in Bald Butte, Montana (d. 1985)
Myrna Loy (1905-1993)
1905-08-02 American actress (The Great Ziegfeld, Thin Man, Vanity Fair), born in Helena, Montana
- 1907-03-22 Hugh Mitchell, American politician (Senator-D-Washington 1944-46, Rep-D-Washington 1949-63), born in Great Falls, Montana (d. 1996)
- 1907-10-14 Pert Kelton, American actress (Cavalcade of Stars), born in Great Falls, Montana (d. 1968)
- 1908-06-21 William Frankena, American philosopher, born in Manhattan, Montana (d. 1994)
- 1911-11-24 Kirby Grant, American actor (Rustlers Round-Up, Yukon Gold, Sky King), born in Butte, Montana (d. 1985)
- 1911-12-10 Chet Huntley, American newscaster (NBC Huntley-Brinkley Report), born in Cardwell, Montana (d. 1974)
- 1913-10-27 Joseph Medicine Crow, Native American chief and historian, born near Lodge Grass, Montana (d. 2013)
- 1915-04-12 Emil Petaja, American sci-fi author (Star Mill, Tramontane), born in Milltown, Missoula County, Montana (d. 2000)
- 1915-08-11 Jean Parker [Luise-Stephanie Zelinska], American actress (Beyond Tomorrow, Little Women), born in Butte, Montana (d. 2005)
- 1916-08-27 Martha Raye [Margaret Reed], American actress (Waikiki Wedding, Martha Raye Show), born in Butte, Montana (d. 1994)
- 1916-08-29 George Montgomery, American actor (Battle of Bulge, Hallucination), born in Brady, Montana (d. 2000)
- 1916-10-19 Toby Rowland, American theatrical manager (London), b0rn in Libby, Montana (d. 1994)
- 1917-10-23 Robert Bray, American actor (Corey-Lassie, Stagecoach West), born in Kalispell, Montana (d. 1983)
- 1919-08-30 Maurice R. Hilleman, American microbiologist who developed over 36 vaccines including measles, mumps, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, chickenpox, meningitis, pneumonia, born in Miles City, Montana (d. 2005)
- 1921-07-22 William Roth, American politician (Sen-R-Delaware, 1971-2001), born in Great Falls, Montana (d. 2003)
- 1924-09-06 John Melcher, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Montana), born in Sioux City, Iowa (d. 2018)
- 1926-01-21 Stephen "Steve" Reeves, American professional bodybuilder, actor (Hercules, Goliath, Sandokan), and philanthropist, born in Glasgow, Montana (d. 2000)
- 1928-03-21 Ruth Anderson, American flutist, classical and electronic music composer (I Come Out of Your Sleep), born in Kalispell, Montana (d. 2019)
- 1929-10-24 Yordan Radichkov, Bulgarian writer and playwright (The Tied Up Balloon), born in Kalimanitza, Montana region, Bulgaria (d. 2004)
- 1933-05-20 Constance Towers, American stage and screen actress (Capitol; Shock Corridor; Naked Kiss; General Hospital), born in Whitefish, Montana
- 1935-01-25 Conrad Burns, American politician (Senate-R-Montana 1989-2007), born in Gallatin, Missouri (d. 2016)
- 1935-08-08 Ron Marlenee, American politician (Rep-R-MT, 1977-93), born in Scobey, Montana (d. 2020)
- 1935-08-25 Lones Wigger, American competitive rifle shooter (Olympic gold/silver-1964, 72), born in Great Falls, Montana (d. 2017)
- 1936-01-23 Jerry Kramer, American Pro Football HOF guard (Super Bowl I, II; 5 × First-team All-Pro; GB Packers) and author (Instant Replay), born in Jordan, Montana
- 1937-01-21 George Flynn, American pianist, composer (Trinity), and teacher (Columbia; DePaul), born in Miles City, Montana
- 1937-10-30 Pat Williams, American politician (Rep-D-Montana, 1979-93), born in Helena, Montana
- 1938-03-22 Sonny Holland, American college football coach (Montana State University 1971-77; Big Sky C'ship 1972, 76), born in Butte, Montana (d. 2022)
- 1938-06-17 Wayne Hawkins, American football guard (5 × AFL All-Star 1963–1967; Oakland Raiders), born in Fort Peck, Montana (d. 2022)
Evel Knievel (1938-2007)
1938-10-17 American motorcycle daredevil (Snake River Canyon), born in Butte, Montana
- 1941-05-17 Malcolm Hale, American pop musician (Spanky and Our Gang), born in Butte, Montana (d. 1968)
- 1941-12-11 Max Baucus, American politician (11th United States Ambassador to China), born in Helena, Montana
- 1942-10-31 Dave McNally, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1969-70, 72; World Series 1966, 70; Baltimore Orioles), born in Billings, Montana (d. 2002)
- 1944-07-19 Tim McIntire, American actor (Brubaker; Stand By Your Man), singer-songwriter, and musician (Funzone), born in Yaak, Montana (d. 1986)
- 1945-03-01 Dirk Benedict, American actor (A-Team, Battlestar Galactica), born in Helena, Montana
Phil Jackson (78 years old)
1945-09-17 American basketball player and coach (Knicks/Bulls/Lakers), born in Deer Lodge, Montana
David Lynch (78 years old)
1946-01-20 American actor and director (Dune; Eraserhead), born in Missoula, Montana
- 1948-01-05 Rob Quist, American country and bluegrass singer-songwriter, guitarist and banjo player (Mission Mountain Wood Band), born in Cut Bank, Montana
- 1949-03-17 Patrick Duffy, American actor (Dallas - "Bobby Ewing"; Man from Atlantis), born in Townsend, Montana
- 1952-07-17 Nicolette Larson, American rock vocalist ("Lotta Love"; "I Only Want To Be With You"), born in Helena, Montana (d. 1997)
- 1952-08-21 Keith Hart, Canadian professional wrestler, born in Great Falls, Montana
- 1953-07-01 Pat Donovan, American football offensive lineman (Super Bowl XII; 4 x Pro Bowl; Dallas Cowboys), born in Helena, Montana
- 1955-06-02 Dana Carvey, American comedian and actor (SNL - "George Bush"; Wayne's World - "Garth"), born in Missoula, Montana
- 1955-09-04 Brian Schweitzer, American politician (Governor of Montana, 2005–13), born in Havre, Montana
- 1956-08-21 Jon Tester, American politician (Senator-D-Montana 2007-), born in Havre, Montana
- 1957-09-24 Brad Bird, American director (The Iron Giant, The Incredibles), born in Kalispell, Montana
- 1958-07-31 Wallace Kurth, American actor (Days of Our Lives, General Hospital), born in Billings, Montana
- 1959-08-22 Denise Curry, American basketball forward (Olympic gold 1984; World C'ship gold 1979, 83), born in Fort Benton, Montana
- 1960-10-16 Val Skinner, American golfer (6 LPGA Tour wins), born in Hamilton, Montana
- 1962-05-07 Robbie Knievel, American motorcycle daredevil, son of Evel, born in Butte, Montana (d. 2023)
- 1962-08-20 Steve Daines, American politician (Senator-R-Montana 2015-), born in Los Angeles, California
- 1963-03-10 Jeff Ament, American rock bassist, and songwriter (Pearl Jam - "Jeremy"), born in Havre, Montana
- 1964-08-14 Brannon Braga, American scriptwriter, born in Bozeman, Montana
- 1965-01-06 Lindsay Burns, American rower (Olympic silver 1996), born in Big Timber, Montana
- 1965-03-04 Stacy Edwards, American actress (Santa Barbara), born in Glasgow, Montana
- 1965-08-10 Patricia Spurgin, American rifle shooter (Olympic gold 1984), and school administrator (University of Alaska President, 2020-present), born in Billings, Montana
- 1966-04-11 Steve Bullock, American politician (Governor of Montana 2013-), born in Missoula, Montana
- 1966-12-20 Tim Hauck, NFL safety and coach (Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks), born in Butte, Montana
- 1967-03-15 Kirk Scrafford, American NFL tackle, 1990-98 (Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers), born in Billings, Montana
- 1970-07-14 Missy Gold, American actress (Katie-Benson), born in Great Falls, Montana
- 1972-09-07 Willy Tate, American NFL tight end (KC Chiefs), born in Montana, California
- 1973-01-11 Dave Dickenson, Canadian football coach and quarterback (Calgary Stampeders), born in Great Falls, Montana
- 1973-10-23 Blaine McElmurry, American NFL defensive back (Green Bay Packers-Super Bowl 31), born in Helena, Montana
- 1973-10-24 Levi Leipheimer, American road racing cyclist, born in Butte, Montana
- 1974-10-05 Colin Meloy, American singer (The Decemberists), born in Helena, Montana
- 1977-07-09 Isaac Brock, American musician and songwriter (Modest Mouse), born in Helena, Montana
Michelle Williams (43 years old)
1980-09-09 American actress (Dawson's Creek), born in Kalispell, Montana
- 1986-08-02 Lily Gladstone, American actress (Killers of the Flower Moon), born on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Browning, Montana
- 1988-08-29 Zooey Zephyr, American transgender politician in Montana House of Representatives, born in Billings, Montana
- 1994-10-23 Margaret Qualley, American actress (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), born in Kalispell, Montana
Famous Americans
'Philadelphia' Jack O'Brien
50 Cent
A Boogie wit da Hoodie
A. E. Douglass
A. J. Foyt
Aaron Burr