1. The first known permanent settlement by Europeans in Oregon was established on April 2, 1811, when the Pacific Fur Company founded Fort Astoria (present-day Astoria) at the mouth of the Columbia River.
2. On April 2, 1859, Oregon was admitted as the 33rd state in the Union after a long campaign for statehood. It was the only state admitted with a constitution that forbade slavery and excluded African Americans from settling within its borders.
3. In 1902, the first hydroelectric power plant in Oregon was built at Willamette Falls in West Linn. The plant began generating electricity on April 2 of that year, marking the beginning of the state's era of modern power production.
4. The Oregon State Penitentiary, one of the oldest and largest prisons in the state, opened its doors to inmates on April 2, 1866. The facility is still in operation and houses over 2,000 inmates.
5. On April 2, 1917, the City of Portland adopted a new form of government known as the "commission" system, which replaced the traditional mayor-council model with a group of elected officials who collectively governed the city. The commission system remained in place until 1952, when it was replaced by a modern mayor-council system.