1. In 1859, Oregon was admitted as the 33rd state in the Union on February 14th. However, five days earlier on February 9th, the Oregon State Constitution was adopted by a vote of the people. This constitution served as the framework for the state's laws and governance.
2. In 1926, the Oregon State Highway Commission approved funding to begin construction on the Pacific Highway Bridge. This bridge, now known as the Sellwood Bridge, spans the Willamette River in Portland and was completed in 1929.
3. On February 9, 1942, the federal government issued Executive Order 9066, which authorized the forced relocation and internment of Japanese Americans living on the West Coast. Oregon was one of the states where many Japanese Americans were sent to internment camps.
4. The Oregon Zoo, located in Portland, opened its doors to the public on February 9, 1959. Originally known as the Washington Park Zoo, it is now home to over 2,600 animals from around the world.
5. In 2019, Oregon became the first US state to enact statewide rent control. On February 28th of that year, Governor Kate Brown signed into law House Bill 608, which limits rent increases to 7% plus inflation per year and prohibits landlords from evicting tenants without cause after the first year of occupancy. The law went into effect on March 1, 2019.