The Mormons under Brigham Young settle the Great Salt Lake region and start building Salt Lake City.
1848
The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo siganls the end of the Mexican War; the US gets the land north of the Gila River, known as the Mexican Cession, which includes all of Utah plus Nevada, California, northern Arizona, and western Colorado and New Mexico.
1869
The first transcontinental railroad in the world completed at Promontory Summit, near Promontory, Utah, joining the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads.
1896
Becomes 45th state.
Present Day
Salt Lake City is the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, whose followers are known as Mormons.
Utah - Facts
The Great Salt Lake is 7.5 times saltier than ocean water, is North America’s lagest salt-water lake, and also the largest lake west of the Mississippi river in the United States.
The Green River is the longest tributary of the Colorado.
Many speed records have been set at the Bonneville Salt Flats, a large playa (dry lakebed), and the remnant of ancient Lake Bonneville.
Salt Lake City hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics.
The metropolitan region of Utah extending from Brigham City in the north to Santaquin in the south is known as the Wasatch Front, and includes the metropolitan areas of Salt Lake City, West Valley City, Provo, Ogden, and Orem.
Lake Powell is formed by the Glen Canyon Dam, located in Arizona, and completed in 1966.
Capitol Reef National Park contains ancient cliff dwellings, glyphs, and other prehistoric artifacts.
Salt Lake City was one of the major stops for the Pony Express, which ran from Saint Joseph, MO to Sacramento, CA.
The Jordan River, although only 38 miles long, is Utah’s agricultural heartland and center for manufacturing and transportation due to its location on the Wasatch Front. Salt Lake City and West Valley City are major ports on this river, which connects Utah Lake with the larger Great Salt Lake. Provo and Orem are ports on Utah Lake, the state’s largest freshwater lake.
Mormons wanted their kingdom to enter the Union by the name of "Deseret", but this was rejected by Congress because it sounded a lot like "desert". The state was finally named Utah, after the native Ute people of the area.