, Washington, USA (state)
1941 - March 22 – Washington state's Grand Coulee Dam begins to generate electricity.

On March 22, 1941, a pivotal moment in American engineering and energy history unfolded as Washington state's Grand Coulee Dam commenced generating electricity. Located on the Columbia River, the Grand Coulee Dam stands as one of the largest concrete structures in the world, a testament to the ambitious public works projects of the New Deal era. Its construction had begun in the 1930s under President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration, aimed at harnessing the river's immense hydroelectric potential for power generation and irrigation.

The start of electricity generation at Grand Coulee marked a significant achievement, not just technologically but also economically and socially. It provided a reliable source of cheap electricity that fueled the wartime industrial efforts during World War II and later supported the rapid post-war industrial expansion in the Pacific Northwest. Beyond its immediate impact, the dam's completion represented a triumph of engineering and ingenuity, symbolizing America's capability to undertake large-scale infrastructure projects that could transform entire regions economically while addressing critical needs such as irrigation for agriculture in arid areas.

March 22, 1941

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