1. In 1857, the Washington Territorial Legislature passed a bill granting women the right to own property in their own name, making Washington one of the first places in the United States to do so.
2. On May 31, 1930, construction began on the Grand Coulee Dam in central Washington. The dam, which was completed in 1941, is one of the largest concrete structures in the world and provides hydroelectric power and irrigation to the region.
3. In 1980, Mount St. Helens, a volcano located in southwestern Washington, erupted, causing widespread devastation and killing 57 people. The eruption was one of the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic events in United States history.
4. May 31, 1942 marked the beginning of the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. More than 120,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their homes on the West Coast and placed in internment camps, many of which were located in Washington state.
5. On May 31, 1889, the Great Seattle Fire destroyed much of the city's business district, causing an estimated $20 million (equivalent to more than $600 million today) in damage. The fire ultimately led to the construction of taller and more fire-resistant buildings in the city.