document_title: List of cities in the Americas by year of foundation

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text: This is a list of cities in the Americas (South, Central and North) by founding year and present-day country.

text:
Year

City

State, province, dept., etc.

Country

Notes

7500 BC

Tlapacoya

Ixtapaluca

Mexico

4000 BC

Puerto Hormiga Culture

Cartagena

Colombia

3710 BC

Aspero

Norte Chico

Peru

2627 BC

Caral

Norte Chico

Peru

1500 BC

Kaminaljuyu

Guatemala city

Guatemala

800 BC

Cuicuilco

Mexico City

Mexico

700 BC

Ticul

Yucatán

Mexico

500 BC

Cholula

Puebla

Mexico

300 BC

Teotihuacan

México

Mexico

In the Valley of Mexico

200

Mitla

Oaxaca

Mexico

200

Acanceh

Yucatan

Mexico

500

Cuenca

Azuay

Ecuador

524

Ejutla

Oaxaca

Mexico

[1]

550

Izamal

Yucatan

Mexico

600

Cahokia

Illinois

United States

713

Tula

Hidalgo

Mexico

1001

L'Anse aux Meadows

Newfoundland and Labrador

Canada

Oldest known European (Norse) settlement in the Americas. Possibly founded by Leif Erikson, as part of Vinland, in 1001 AD.

1000

Acoma Pueblo and Taos Pueblo

New Mexico

United States

1050

Motul

Yucatán

Mexico

1050

Pachuca

Hidalgo

Mexico

1100

Cusco

Cusco Province

Peru

1100

Oraibi

Arizona

United States (Hopi Reservation)

[2]

1168

Ecatepec

Estado de Mexico

Mexico

1259

Chimaulhuacan

Mexico State

Mexico

1313

Xalapa

Veracruz

Mexico

1325

Tenochtitlan

Mexico City

Mexico

Largest pre-Columbian city in the Americas, later called Mexico City.

1450

Zuni Pueblo

New Mexico

United States

[3]

1470
Iximche
Chimaltenango
Guatemala

1492
La Navidad
Nord-Est
Haiti

First European settlement in the New World during the Age of Discovery.

1493
La Isabela
Puerto Plata
Dominican Republic

1498
Santo Domingo
Distrito Nacional
Dominican Republic

Capital of the Dominican Republic. Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in the Americas. Founded in 1498, by Bartholomew Columbus.

1502

Santa Cruz del Seibo

El Seibo

Dominican Republic

1504

Azua de Compostela

Azua

Dominican Republic

1504

Santiago de los Caballeros

Santiago

Dominican Republic

1505

Cotuí

Sánchez Ramírez

Dominican Republic

1506

Salvaleón de Higüey

La Altagracia

Dominican Republic

1508

Bonao

Monseñor Nouel

Dominican Republic

1508

Caparra

Puerto Rico

United States

First city founded by Europeans, although not continuously inhabited, in the United States.  Abandoned in 1521 with the removal of the capital to San Juan.

1510

Santa Maria la Antigua del Darien

Urabá

Colombia

First city founded by Europeans on the continent of South America.

1510

Nombre de Dios

Colon

Panama

Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Panama.

1511

Baracoa

Guantánamo

Cuba

Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Cuba, former capital of Cuba.

1513

Bayamo

Granma

Cuba

1514

Sancti Spiritus

Santi Spiritus

Cuba

1514

Trinidad

Santi Spiritus

Cuba

1515

Santiago

Santiago

After Baracoa and before Havana, Santiago was the second capital of Cuba.

Cuba

1519

Havana

Havana

Cuba

1519

La Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz, (Veracruz)

Veracruz

Mexico

Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Mexico.

1519

Panama City

Panamá

Panama

First European established city on the Pacific Coast of the Americas. Founded in 1519, at the present day ruins of Panama Viejo, it was sacked by the Welsh pirate Henry Morgan in 1671, and resettled to nearby Casco Viejo, in 1673.

1520

Hato Mayor del Rey

Hato Mayor

Dominican Republic

1515

Cumaná

Sucre

Venezuela

Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Venezuela.

1521

San Juan

Puerto Rico

United States

Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Puerto Rico, and in the United States.  Oldest continuously inhabited state or territorial capital in the United States.

1524

Granada

Granada

Nicaragua

Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Nicaragua.

1524

Tecpán Guatemala

Chimaltenango

Guatemala

First capital of Guatemala and oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Guatemala.

1524
Trujillo
Colón
Honduras
Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Honduras.

1525

Santa Marta

Magdalena

Colombia

Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Colombia.

1525
Acapulco
Guerrero
Mexico

[4]

1525
San Salvador
San Salvador
El Salvador

Founded in 1525, rebuilt and changed locations twice afterwards (1528 and 1545) and oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in El Salvador.

1526
Acámbaro
Guanajuato
Mexico

1526

Chimaltenango
Chimaltenango
Guatemala

1527
Coro
Falcón State
Venezuela

1528
Nueva Cádiz
Cubagua
Venezuela

1528
San Cristóbal de las Casas
Chiapas
Mexico
Originally called Villa Real de Chiapa.

1528

Camagüey

Camagüey Province

Cuba

Founded in 1515 the northern coast of Camagüey as "Puerto del Príncipe", but moved in 1528 to present location.

1529
Maracaibo
Zulia
Venezuela

1530
San Blas
Nayarit
Mexico

By Nuño Beltrán [5]

1531
Puebla
Puebla
Mexico
by Fr. Toribio de Benavente ("Motolinía") on 16 April [6]

1532

Oaxaca

Oaxaca

Mexico

1532

Piura

Piura

Peru

1532

São Vicente

São Paulo

Brazil

Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Brazil, oldest Portuguese established settlement in the New World.

1532

Tepic
Nayarit
Mexico

As capital of Nueva Galicia [7]

1533
Cananéia
São Paulo
Brazil
Second Oldest City in Brazil

1533

Cartagena de Indias

Bolívar

Colombia

1534

Otavalo

Imbabura

Ecuador

1534

Quito

Pichincha

Ecuador

Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Ecuador.

1534
Spanish Town
Saint Catherine
Jamaica
Founded by the Spanish as Santiago de la Vega or St. Jago de la Vega.  Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Jamaica.

1534

Trujillo

La Libertad

Peru

Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Peru.

1535

Lima

Lima

Peru

1535

Igarassu

Pernambuco

Brazil

Site of first European settlement in Brazil, the feitoria of Igarassu, in 1516.[1]

1535

Olinda

Pernambuco

Brazil

One of the best-preserved colonial cities in Brazil.[2]

1535
Vila Velha
Espírito Santo
Brazil

1535
Paria
Oruro
Bolivia
First Spanish settlement in Bolivia

1536

Santiago de Cali

Valle del Cauca

Colombia

1536

Popayán

Cauca

Colombia

1536
San Pedro Sula
Cortés
Honduras

1536
Tupiza
Potosí
Bolivia

1537

Asunción

Paraguay

Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Paraguay.

1537

Recife

Pernambuco

Brazil

Capital of the state of Pernambuco.  It is the oldest city among Brazil's current state capitals.[3]

1538
Bogotá
Cundinamarca
Colombia

1538
Guayaquil
Guayas
Ecuador

1538

Iguape
São Paulo
Brazil

1538
Sucre
Chuquisaca
Bolivia
Originally called Ciudad de la Plata de la Nueva Toledo and the oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Bolivia.

1539

Tunja

Boyacá

Colombia

1539

Vélez

Santander

Colombia

1539

Pasto

Nariño

Colombia

1540
Arequipa
Arequipa
Peru

1540
Ayacucho
Ayacucho
Peru

1540
Campeche
Campeche
Mexico

1540
Yuriria
Guanajuato
Mexico

1540

Mompox

Bolivar

Colombia

1540

Supía

Caldas

Colombia

1540
Campeche
Campeche
Mexico
Founded on the site of Mayan village Kimpech.

1541
Huánuco
Huánuco
Peru

1541
Moquegua
Moquegua
Peru

1541
Santiago
Santiago
Chile
Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Chile.

1541

Santafé de Antioquia

Antioquia

Colombia

1542
Guadalajara
Jalisco
Mexico

1542
Genaro Codina
Zacatecas
Mexico

[4]

1542
San Miguel de Allende
Guanajuato
Mexico

1542
Mérida
Yucatan
Mexico
Built on the site of Mayan city T'ho.

1542
San Luis de la Paz
Guanajuato
Mexico

1543
Antigua Guatemala
Sacatepéquez
Guatemala

1543
Cobán
Alta Verapaz
Guatemala

1543
Santa Cruz Verapaz
Alta Verapaz
Guatemala

1545
Potosí
Potosí
Bolivia

1545

San Juan de los Remedios

Villa Clara Province

Cuba

Remedios has the most uncertain foundation date in Cuba, 1545 has been accepted because it is when the village erected its town hall, but its origin has been studied and documented back to 1513.

1545

Riohacha

La Guajira

Colombia

1546
Santos
São Paulo
Brazil

1546
Neyba
Bahoruco
Dominican Republic

1546
Tepezalá
Aguascalientes
Mexico

[5]

1548
Asientos
Aguascalientes
Mexico

[6]

1548
La Paz
La Paz
Bolivia

1548
Pánuco
Zacatecas
Mexico

[7]

1548
Zacatecas
Zacatecas
Mexico
[8]

1549
Salvador
Bahia
Brazil

1550
Concepción
Concepción
Chile

1550

Valledupar

Cesar

Colombia

1550

Ibagué

Tolima

Colombia

1551
Vitória
Espírito Santo
Brazil

1551

Mocoa

Putumayo

1552
Sonsonate
Sonsonate
El Salvador

1553
Santiago del Estero
Santiago del Estero
Argentina
Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Argentina.

1553
São Bernardo do Campo
São Paulo
Brazil

1554
Embu
São Paulo
Brazil

1554
São Paulo
São Paulo
Brazil

1555
Saín Alto
Zacatecas
Mexico

[9]

1556
Chalchihuites
Zacatecas
Mexico

[10]

1557
Cuenca (Santa Ana de los Cuatro Rios de Cuenca)

Azuay

Ecuador

1557
Santo Amaro
Bahia
Brazil

1558

Mérida

Mérida

Venezuela

1558

Londres

Catamarca

Argentina

Second oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Argentina, though refunded and relocated several times.

1560

Mogi das Cruzes

São Paulo

Brazil

1560

Ipojuca

Pernambuco

Brazil

1561
Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Santa Cruz
Bolivia

1561
Mendoza
Mendoza
Argentina

[11]

1561
San Cristobal
Táchira
Venezuela

1561
Itanhaém
São Paulo
Brasil

1562
San Juan
San Juan
Argentina

1562
Río Grande
Zacatecas
Mexico

[12]

1562
Susticacán
Zacatecas
Mexico

[13]

1563
Cartago
Cartago
Costa Rica
Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Costa Rica.

Mexico

1564

São Mateus

Espírito Santo

Brazil

1565

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

Brazil

1565

Saint Augustine

Florida

United States

Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in the continental United States. Preceded by Puerto Rican colonies, Pensacola, Florida, which was destroyed in 1559, and Fort Caroline, destroyed in 1565.

1565

Tucumán

Tucumán

Argentina

1567

Caracas

Capital District

Venezuela

1568
Mazapil
Zacatecas
Mexico

[14]

1568

Goiana

Pernambuco

Brazil

Declared vila in 1685; cidade in 1840.[15]

1568
Valaparaíso
Zacatecas
Mexico

[16]

1569
Santa Ana
Santa Ana
El Salvador
Built over Mayan city of Sihuatehuacán.

1570
Jerez
Zacatecas
Mexico

[17]

1570
Sombrerete
Zacatecas
Mexico

[18]

1571

Cochabamba

Cochabamba

Bolivia

1572

Huancavelica

Huancavelica

Peru

1573

San German

Puerto Rico

United States

Second oldest European settlement in Puerto Rico[19]

1573
Córdoba
Córdoba
Argentina

1573
Santa Fé
Santa Fé
Argentina

1573

Buga

Valle del Cauca

Colombia

1574
Huaraz
Ancash
Peru

1574
Tarija
Tarija Department
Bolivia

1575
Aguascalientes
Aguascalientes
Mexico

[20]

1576
León
Guanajuato
Mexico

1577

Juayúa

Sonsonate

El Salvador

1578
Fort-Liberté
Nord-Est
Haiti
Originally called Bayaha by the Spanish.  Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Haiti.

1578
Tegucigalpa
Francisco Morazán
Honduras

1579

Coamo

Puerto Rico

United States

Third oldest European settlement in Puerto Rico.  In the same area where the Taínos had had their village of Guayama. Coamo became officially a town in 1616, and given the title of villa by Spanish Royal Decree in 1778.[21]

1580

Buenos Aires

Argentina

1580

Santana de Parnaíba

São Paulo

Brasil

1580

Santo Domingo Xenacoj

Sacatepéquez

Guatemala

1582

Salta

Salta

Argentina

1583

St John's
Newfoundland and Labrador
Canada
Oldest continuously inhabited British settlement in the Americas.

1584

Roanoke

North Carolina

United States

1585

João Pessoa

Paraíba

Brazil

1587
Concepción del Oro
Zacatecas
Mexico

[22]

1588

Corrientes

Corrientes

Argentina

1590

São Cristóvão

Sergipe

Brazil

First capital of Sergipe. Formerly known as Sergipe d'El Rei

1591
Jiménez del Teul
Zacatecas
Mexico

[23]

1591
Juan Aldama
Zacatecas
Mexico

[24]

1591

Paudalho

Pernambuco

Brazil

1591

La Rioja

La Rioja

Argentina

[25]

1593

San Salvador de Jujuy

Jujuy

Argentina

1594
Pinos
Zacatecas
Mexico

[26]

1594

San Luis

San Luis

Argentina

1596

Monterrey

Nuevo León

Mexico

1596
Villahermosa
Tabasco
Mexico
Originally called Villa Felipe II.

1597

Portobelo

Colón

Panama

1598

Parras

Coahuila

Mexico

1599

Natal

Rio Grande do Norte

Brazil

1599

Tadoussac

Quebec

Canada

Oldest continuously inhabited French established settlement in the Americas, oldest European established settlement in Quebec.

1600

Facatativá

Cundinamarca

Colombia

1600

Zipaquirá

Cundinamarca

Colombia

1602
David
Chiriquí Province
Panama

1603
Salamanca
Guanajuato
Mexico

1604

Port Royal

Nova Scotia

Canada

Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Nova Scotia.

1606

Bayaguana

Monte Plata

Dominican Republic

1606

Ibarra

Imbabura

Ecuador

1606

Oruro

Oruro

Bolivia

1607

Jamestown

Virginia

United States

First permanent English established settlement in the Americas.

1608
Quebec City
Quebec
Canada

1609
Fortaleza
Ceará
Brazil

1610
Kecoughtan
Virginia
United States

1524
León
León
Nicaragua
Original location (now known as the ruins of Leon Viejo) on the south-western shore of Lago Managua founded in 1524, but destroyed by earthquakes, and resettled 20 miles west, in 1610, to its present-day location at Leon.

1610
Santa Fe
New Mexico
United States
Oldest continuously inhabited state or territorial capital in the continental United States. [8]

1610
Harbour Grace
Newfoundland and Labrador
Canada

1611

Marechal Deodoro, Alagoas

Alagoas

Brazil

1612

São Luís

Maranhão

Brazil

Capital of Maranhão.

1612
St. George's

Bermuda
Oldest continuously inhabited English established settlement in the Americas.

1612

Neiva

Huila

Colombia

1613

Penedo

Alagoas

Brazil

1613

Hopewell

Virginia

United States

Oldest continuously inhabited English settlement in North America.  Founded in 1613 as Bermuda City by Thomas Dale.

1614
Albany, New York
New York
United States
Oldest US settlement north of Virginia and second oldest state or territorial capital in the continental United States, incorporated 1686

1614

Sirinhaém

Pernambuco

Brazil

Declared vila in 1627; cidade in 1892.[27]

1615
Cabo Frio
Rio de Janeiro
Brazil

1615
Taos
New Mexico
United States

1615

Ipiales

Nariño

Colombia

1616

Belém

Pará

Brazil

Capital of Pará.

1616

Medellín

Antioquia

Colombia

Founded by Francisco de Herrera y Campuzano

1616

Arecibo

Puerto Rico

United States

1617
Jersey City, New Jersey
New Jersey
United States
Pavonia, New Netherland

1618
Cabo de Santo Agostinho
Pernambuco
Brazil
Declared vila in 1811; cidade in 1877.

1620
Ojocaliente
Zacatecas
Mexico

[28]

1620
Plymouth
Massachusetts
United States

1622

Bucaramanga

Santander

Colombia

1623
Dover
New Hampshire
United States

1623
Gloucester
Massachusetts
United States

1624
Old Road
Saint Christopher
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Oldest continuously inhabited British established settlement in the Caribbean, First successful 'non-Spanish' established settlement in the Caribbean.

1624
Villa Soriano
Soriano
Uruguay
Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Uruguay.

1625
New Amsterdam
New York
United States
Now New York City.

1625
Quincy
Massachusetts
United States

1626
Salem
Massachusetts
United States

1626

Vitória de Santo Antão

Pernambuco

Brazil

Declared vila in 1811; cidade in 1843.[29]

1627
Basseterre
Saint Christopher
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Oldest continuously inhabited French established settlement in the Caribbean.

1628
Bridgetown
Saint Michael
Barbados
Second oldest continuously inhabited English established settlement in the Caribbean.

1630
Boston
Massachusetts
United States

1630
Paramaribo
Paramaribo
Suriname
Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Suriname.

1630
Speightstown
Saint Peter
Barbados

1631
Biddeford
Maine
United States

1631
Hidalgo del Parral
Chihuahua
Mexico

1631
Saint John
New Brunswick
Canada

1632

Batopilas

Chihuahua

Mexico

1632
Williamsburg
Virginia
United States

1632
St. John's
Antigua
Antigua and Barbuda

1634
Green Bay
Wisconsin
United States
Oldest continuously inhabited French established settlement in the United States.

1634
St. Mary's City
Maryland
United States

1634
Trois-Rivières
Quebec
Canada

1634
Willemstad
Curaçao
Netherlands
Oldest continuously inhabited Dutch established settlement in the Caribbean.

1635
Concord
Massachusetts
United States

1635
Old Saybrook
Connecticut
United States
Original Dutch settlement called Kievits Hoek.

1636
Springfield
Massachusetts
United States

1636
Providence
Rhode Island
United States

1637
Hartford
Connecticut
United States

[9]

1638
Belize City
Belize
Belize
Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Belize.  Original Mayan city called Holzuz.

1638
Fort-de-France

Martinique
Originally called Fort Saint Louis.

1638
New Haven
Connecticut
United States

[10]

1638
Wilmington
Delaware
United States
Grew from Fort Christina, part of the New Sweden colony.  Oldest continuously inhabited Swedish established settlement in the Americas.

1638
Cambridge
Massachusetts
United States

1639
Rincón de Romos
Aguascalientes
Mexico

[30]

1639 (prior to)
St. Marks
Florida
United States
[11]

1639
Barnstable
Massachusetts
United States
Second-oldest municipality and only city on Cape Cod

1639
Bridgeport
Connecticut
United States

1639
Guilford
Connecticut
United States
Location of the Henry Whitfield House, the oldest house in Connecticut and the oldest stone house in New England

1639
Milford
Connecticut
United States

1639
Newport
Rhode Island
United States

1640

Tumaco

Nariño

Colombia

1642
Montreal
Quebec
Canada

1642
Lexington
Massachusetts
United States
[12]

1642
Warwick
Rhode Island
United States

1643
Basse-Terre
Guadeloupe
France
Territorial capital.

1643
Dolores Hidalgo
Guanajuato
Mexico

1644
Salvatierra
Guanajuato
Mexico

1646
New London
Connecticut
United States

1648
Alcântara
Maranhão
Brazil

[31]

1648
Paranaguá
Paraná
Brazil

1649
Annapolis
Maryland
United States

1650
Castries
Castries
Saint Lucia

1650
Saint George's
Saint George
Grenada

1651
Norwalk
Connecticut
United States

1654
Vieux Fort
Vieux Fort
Saint Lucia

1659
Ciudad Juárez
Chihuahua
Mexico

1659
El Paso
Texas
United States

1660
Charlestown
Nevis
St Kitts & Nevis

1660
Placentia
Newfoundland and Labrador
Canada
French Capital until 1713, originally called Plaisance

1660
Rye
New York
United States

1664
Cayenne
French Guiana
France
Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in French Guiana.

1664

Quibdó

Chocó

Colombia

1665
Port-de-Paix
Nord-Ouest
Haiti

1666
Codrington
Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda

1666
Newark
New Jersey
United States

1667
Paraty
Rio de Janeiro
Brazil

1668
Sault Ste. Marie
Michigan
United States
[13], oldest city in Michigan.

1670
Boqueirão
Paraíba
Brazil
[32]

1670
Cap-Haïtien
Nord
Haiti
Originally called "Cap-Français"

1670
Charleston
South Carolina
United States

1672

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

U.S. Virgin Islands

United States

Oldest permanent European settlement in Saint Thomas island.[33]  Oldest continuously inhabited Danish established settlement in the Americas.

1673
Kingston
Ontario
Canada
Grew from Fort Frontenac. Continuously inhabited since 1784.

1673
San José de Gracia
Aguascalientes
Mexico

[34]

1673
Worcester
Massachusetts
United States

1674
Cachoeira
Bahia
Brazil

1674
Waterbury
Connecticut
United States

1677
Crosswicks
New Jersey
United States
Quaker settlement. Continuously inhabited since founding.

1680
South Orange
New Jersey
United States
Grew from Newark (later Orange).

1680
Colonia del Sacramento
Colonia
Uruguay

1681
Cockburn Town

Turks and Caicos Islands

1681
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
United States

1682
Norfolk
Virginia
United States

1682
São Borja
Rio Grande do Sul
Brazil

1683
Dover
Delaware
United States

1685
Escada
Pernambuco
Brazil

1686
Trinidad
Beni Department
Bolivia

1687
New Britain
Connecticut
United States

1687
São Luiz Gonzaga
Rio Grande do Sul
Brazil

1687
São Miguel das Missões
Rio Grande do Sul
Brazil

1687
São Nicolau
Rio Grande do Sul
Brazil

1689
Marigot

Saint Martin

1689

San Gil

Santander

Colombia

1690
Port of Spain
Trinidad
Trinidad and Tobago

1690
São Lourenço das Missões
Rio Grande do Sul
Brazil

1690

Santa Rosa de Viterbo

Boyacá

Colombia

1692
Villanueva
Zacatecas
Mexico

[35]

1693
Bom Jesus da Lapa
Bahia
Brazil

1693
Burlington
New Jersey
United States

1693
Curitiba
Paraná
Brazil

1693
Kingston
St Andrew
Jamaica

1695
Nassau
New Providence
Bahamas

1695
Saint-Marc
Artibonite
Haiti

1696
Assú
Rio Grande do Norte
Brazil

Declared vila in 1766; cidade in 1845.[36]

1696
Rimouski
Quebec
Canada

1698

Ambato

Tungurahua

Ecuador

1698
Pensacola
Florida
United States
Known for being the first European settlement in North America.

1699
Biloxi
Mississippi
United States

1699
Baton Rouge
Louisiana
United States

1700
Barreiras
Bahia
Brazil

1701
Detroit
Michigan
United States

1701
São João del Rei
Minas Gerais
Brazil

1702
Jesús María
Aguascalientes
Mexico

[37]

1702
Mobile
Alabama
United States

1703
Kaskaskia
Illinois
United States

1705
Bath
North Carolina
United States

1706
Albuquerque
New Mexico
United States

1706
Santo Ângelo
Rio Grande do Sul
Brazil

1709
Chihuahua
Chihuahua
Mexico

1710
Chatham
New Jersey
United States
On land purchased in 1680.

1710
New Bern
North Carolina
United States
Birthplace of Pepsi [38]

1711
Beaufort
South Carolina
United States

1711
Ouro Preto
Minas Gerais
Brazil

1714
Natchitoches
Louisiana
United States
Oldest settlement in the Louisiana Purchase

1714
Antonina
Paraná
Brazil

1714
Laguna
Santa Catarina
Brazil

1714
Serro
Minas Gerais
Brazil

1715 (prior to)
Kekionga
Indiana
United States
Capital of the Miami tribe.

1716
Natchez
Mississippi
United States
Dates to the founding of Fort Rosalie by the French.[14]

1717
Brejo do Cruz
Paraíba
Brazil
[39]

1717
Zacatecas
Zacatecas
Mexico

[40]

1717
Westborough
Massachusetts
United States
One Hundredth Town in Massachusetts

1718
New Orleans
Louisiana
United States

1718
Rio de Contas
Bahia
Brazil

1718
San Antonio
Texas
United States

1718
Tiradentes
Minas Gerais
Brazil

1719
Trenton
New Jersey
United States

1721
Cortazar
Guanajuato
Mexico

1722
Edenton
North Carolina
United States

1723

Guaynabo

Puerto Rico

United States

Declared pueblo in 1723; municipio in 1768.[41]

1724
Brattleboro
Vermont
United States
Grew out of Fort Dummer.

1725
Concord
New Hampshire
United States

1726
Florianópolis
Santa Catarina
Brazil

1726
Montevideo
Montevideo
Uruguay

1727
Cuiabá
Mato Grosso
Brazil

1727
Goiás
Goiás
Brazil

1727
Pirenópolis
Goiás
Brazil

[42]

1728
Fredericksburg
Virginia
United States

1728
Inhambupe
Bahia
Brazil

1728
Nuuk

Greenland
Norse colony was originally called Godthab.  Oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in Greenland.

1729
Baltimore
Maryland
United States

1730
Roseau
Saint George
Dominica

1732
Fredericton
New Brunswick
Canada
Originally called Ste. Anne's Point.

1732
Vincennes
Indiana
United States

1733
Morretes
Paraná
Brazil

1733
Pau dos Ferros
Rio Grande do Norte
Brazil

[43]

1733
Richmond
Virginia
United States
[15]

1733
Savannah
Georgia
United States

1733

Cúcuta

Norte de Santander

Colombia

1736
Augusta
Georgia
United States

1737
Rio Grande
Rio Grande do Sul
Brazil

1738
Fort Rouge
Manitoba
Canada
Now Winnipeg, Manitoba.

1738
San José
San José
Costa Rica

1740
Santa Rosalía de Camargo
Chihuahua
Mexico

1740
Portalegre
Rio Grande do Norte
Brazil

1740
San Felipe de Puerto Plata
Puerto Plata
Dominican Republic

1741
Viamão
Rio Grande do Sul
Brazil

1743
Canguaretama
Rio Grande do Norte
Brazil

Declared vila in 1858; cidade in 1885.

1748
Caicó
Rio Grande do Norte
Brazil

Declared vila in 1788; cidade in 1868.

1749
Alexandria
Virginia
United States

1749
San Ignacio de Velasco
Santa Cruz Department
Bolivia

1749
Port-au-Prince
Ouest
Haiti

1749
Halifax
Nova Scotia
Canada

1749
Windsor
Ontario
Canada
Oldest continually-inhabited settlement in Canada west of Montreal

1751
Manchester
New Hampshire
United States
Former American textile capital - Named after Manchester, England

1752
Buíque
Pernambuco
Brazil

1752
Patos
Paraíba
Brazil

Declared vila in 1832; cidade in 1903.

1752
Tubac
Arizona
United States

1754
Augusta
Maine
United States

1755
Charlotte
North Carolina
United States

1756
Salto
Salto
Uruguay

1756
Santa Bárbara de Samaná
Samaná
Dominican Republic

1756

Yauco

Puerto Rico

United States

[44]

1757
Estância
Sergipe
Brazil

1758
Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania
United States

1758
Macapá
Amapá
Brazil

1760
Arês
Rio Grande do Norte
Brazil

1760
Sabana de la Mar
Hato Mayor
Dominican Republic

1761
Sacaba
Cochabamba Department
Bolivia

1762
Kingstown
St Vincent
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

1762
Parnaíba
Piauí
Brazil

[45]

1762
Shepherdstown
West Virginia
United States
Originally known as Mecklenburg.

1762
Allentown
Pennsylvania
United States
Incorporated as Northamptontown.

1762
Baía da Traição
Paraíba
Brazil
[46]

1763
Burlington
Vermont
United States

1763
Pánfilo Natera
Zacatecas
Mexico

[47]

1763
Ellsworth
Maine
United States

1763
Philipsburg
Sint Maarten
Netherlands

1763
St. Louis
Missouri
United States

1764
Charlottetown
Prince Edward Island
Canada

1764
Pointe-à-Pitre
Grand Terre
Guadeloupe

1765
Port Elizabeth
Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

1765
Portsmouth
Saint John
Dominica

1767
Ceará-Mirim
Rio Grande do Norte
Brazil

1767
Araioses
Maranhão
Brazil

[48]

1769
Elizabethton
Tennessee
United States

1769
Falmouth
Trelawny
Jamaica

1769
San Diego
California
United States
Grew from Presidio of San Diego

1769
Lapa
Paraná
Brazil

1770
Monterey
California
United States
Grew from Presidio of Monterey. Original capital of California [16]

1770
Araxá
Minas Gerais
Brazil

1771
Calvillo
Aguascalientes
Mexico

[49]

1772
Porto Alegre
Rio Grande do Sul
Brazil

1775
Tucson
Arizona
United States

1774
Castro
Paraná
Brazil

1775
Lexington
Kentucky
United States

1775
Boonesborough
Kentucky
United States
Grew from Fort Boonesborough, built by pioneer Daniel Boone.
-

1775
São Lourenço da Mata
Pernambuco
Brazil
District status in 1775; village status in 1884; municipality status in 1890

1776
San Francisco
California
United States

1776

Sincelejo

Sucre

Colombia

1777
San Jose
California
United States
Originally known as El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe, the first town in the Spanish colony of Nueva California, which later became Alta California.

1777

Montería

Cordoba

Colombia

1778
Corumbá
Mato Grosso do Sul
Brazil

1778
Louisville
Kentucky
United States
Grew from Fort Nelson, established by explorer George Rogers Clark.

1778
San Francisco de Macorís
Duarte
Dominican Republic

1779
Jonesborough
Tennessee
United States
Later organized as the lost State of Franklin with Jonesborough as capital 1784.[50]

1779
Nashville
Tennessee
United States
Grew from Fort Nashborough

1780
Codó
Maranhão
Brazil

Declared vila in 1833; cidade in 1896.[51]

1780

Las Matas de Farfán

San Juan

Dominican Republic

1780

Arauca

Arauca

Colombia

1781
Montpelier
Vermont
United States

1781
Los Angeles
California
United States

1782
Catu
Bahia
Brazil

1782
Georgetown
Demerara-Mahaica
Guyana
Originally called La Nouvelle Ville.

1783
Vitória da Conquista
Bahia
Brazil

1784
San Fernando
Trinidad
Trinidad and Tobago

1785
Harrisburg
Pennsylvania
United States

1785
North Battleford
Saskatchewan
Canada
1785 fur trading post. 1877  Battleford is capital of the North West Territories.  North Battleford incorporated as a city (population 5000+) 1913.[52]

1785
Asheville
North Carolina
United States

1785
Gustavia

Saint Barthélemy

1785
Huntington
West Virginia
United States

1785
Sydney
Nova Scotia
Canada

1786
Columbia
South Carolina
United States

1786

Escada

Pernambuco

Brazil

Declared vila in 1854; cidade in 1873.[53]

1786
Florissant
Missouri
United States
Originally known as St. Ferdinand.

1786
Frankfort
Kentucky
United States

1786
Portland
Maine
United States

1787
Boa Ventura
Paraíba
Brazil
[54]

1788
Marietta
Ohio
United States

1788
Cincinnati
Ohio
United States

1788
Charleston
West Virginia
United States
Grew from Fort Lee. [17]

1788
Mercedes
Soriano
Uruguay

1789
Buffalo
New York
United States

1789

Itambé

Pernambuco

Brazil

Declared vila in 1867; cidade in 1879.[55]

1790
Hamilton

Bermuda

1790
Washington
District of Columbia
United States

1791
Jacksonville
Florida
United States
Known as "Cowford".

1791
Knoxville
Tennessee
United States

1791
Bangor
Maine
United States

1792
Raleigh
North Carolina
United States

1793
Sherbrooke
Quebec
Canada

1793
Toronto
Ontario
Canada

1794
Fort Wayne
Indiana
United States

1795
Edmonton
Alberta
Canada
Grew from Fort Edmonton.

1795
Erie
Pennsylvania
United States
Grew from the French Fort Presque Isle.

1795
Maryville
Tennessee
United States
Grew from the American Fort Craig.

1796
Cleveland
Ohio
United States

1796
Oranjestad
Aruba
Netherlands

1797
Chaguanas
Trinidad
Trinidad and Tobago

1797
Franklinton
Ohio
United States
Eventually absorbed by Columbus, Ohio.

1799
Araruama
Rio de Janeiro
Brazil

1800
Hull
Quebec
Canada
Formerly known as Wrightville.

1800

Sonsón

Antioquia

Colombia

1802
Chapadinha
Maranhão
Brazil

[56]

1802
Santa Cruz de Barahona
Barahona
Dominican Republic

1803
Chicago
Illinois
United States
Grew from Fort Dearborn.

1805
Huntsville
Alabama
United States

1807
Hot Springs
Arkansas
United States

1809

Água Preta

Pernambuco

Brazil

Declared vila in 1846; cidade in 1895.[57]

1810
Guarapuava
Paraná
Brazil

1810
Manchester
New Hampshire
United States

1810
Pilão Arcado
Bahia
Brazil

1810
San Bernardino
California
United States

1811
Garanhuns
Pernambuco
Brazil

1811
Astoria
Oregon
United States

1812
Columbus
Ohio
United States

1812
Pelotas
Rio Grande do Sul
Brazil

Declared vila in 1832; cidade in 1835.[58]

1813
Capela
Sergipe
Brazil

1813
Chisec
Alta Verapaz
Guatemala

1813

Barranquilla

Atlántico

Colombia

1815
Areia
Paraíba
Brazil
[59]

1815
Hamilton
Ontario
Canada

1816
Alagoinhas
Bahia
Brazil

1816
Chattanooga
Tennessee
United States
Originally named Ross's Landing.

1816
Saginaw
Michigan
United States

1816
Savaneta
Aruba
Netherlands

1817
Fort Smith
Arkansas
United States

1818
Itaguaí
Rio de Janeiro
Brazil

1819
Montgomery
Alabama
United States
Near the site of the earlier French Fort Toulouse.

1819
Springfield
Illinois
United States

1819
Managua
Managua
Nicaragua

1819
Memphis
Tennessee
United States
Near the site of the earlier French Fort Prudhomme.

1819
Palmeira
Paraná
Brazil

1819
Tuscaloosa
Alabama
United States
Former state capital, grew from former Native American settlements beginning in 1580. [18]

1820
Cotegipe
Bahia
Brazil

1821
Little Rock
Arkansas
United States

1821
Indianapolis
Indiana
United States

1821
Jefferson City
Missouri
United States

1821
Decatur
Alabama
United States

1822
Ponta Grossa
Paraná
Brazil

1822
Jackson
Mississippi
United States

1823
Tampa
Florida
United States
Grew from earlier military post Fort Brooke.

1824
Vancouver
Washington
United States

1824
Tallahassee
Florida
United States

1825
Vicksburg
Mississippi
United States

1825
Grand Rapids
Michigan
United States

1825
Syracuse
New York
United States
incorporated as village; received city charter in 1847

1826
Ipiranga
Paraná
Brazil

1826
London
Ontario
Canada

1826
Bytown
Ontario
Canada
Now Ottawa, Ontario.

1827
Fort Leavenworth
Kansas
United States

1827
St. Andrews
Florida
United States
Now part of Panama City

1831
Greenville
South Carolina
United States

1831

Piracanjuba

Goiás

Brazil

[60]

1832
Goianinha
Rio Grande do Norte
Brazil

1828
Key West
Florida
United States

1832
Touros
Rio Grande do Norte
Brazil

1833
Bananeiras
Paraíba
Brazil
[61]

1833
Juazeiro
Bahia
Brazil

1833
Kitchener
Ontario
Canada
Originally called Berlin.

1833
Milwaukee
Wisconsin
United States

1833

Nazaré da Mata

Pernambuco

Brazil

Declared vila in 1833; cidade in 1850.[62]

1833

Rio Formoso

Pernambuco

Brazil

Declared vila in 1833; cidade in 1850.[63]

1833
Vassouras
Rio de Janeiro
Brazil

1835
Austin
Texas
United States

1835
Barra do Corda
Maranhão
Brazil

[64]

1835
Curupuru
Maranhão
Brazil

Declared vila in 1841; cidade in 1920.[65]

1836
Davenport
Iowa
United States

1836
Oshawa
Ontario
Canada

1836
Shreveport
Louisiana
United States

1836
Madison
Wisconsin
United States

1836
Tulsa
Oklahoma
United States
The Lochapoka named their new settlement "Tulasi," meaning "old town"

1837

Glória do Goitá

Pernambuco

Brazil

Declared vila in 1877; cidade in 1884.[66]

1837
Lansing
Michigan
United States

1837
Houston
Texas
United States

1838
Divina Pastora
Sergipe
Brazil

1838
Kansas City
Missouri
United States

1838
St Paul
Minnesota
United States

1839
Santa Rita
Paraíba
Brazil

Declared vila in 1890; cidade in 1924.

1840
Summerside
Prince Edward Island
Canada

1840

Villavicencio

Meta

Colombia

1841
Cedar Rapids
Iowa
United States

1841
Dallas
Texas
United States

1842
Piatã
Bahia
Brazil

1842
Salem
Oregon
United States

1843
Atlanta
Georgia
United States
Originally known as Terminus, later renamed Marthasville. Acquired the name Atlanta in 1847.

1843
Des Moines
Iowa
United States

1843
Stanley
East Falkland
Falkland Islands

1843
Uruguaiana
Rio Grande do Sul
Brazil

Declared vila in 1846; cidade in 1874.[67]

1843
Victoria
British Columbia
Canada

1844
Lençóis
Bahia
Brazil

1845
Araruna
Paraíba
Brazil
[68]

1845
Portland
Oregon
United States

1847
Alagoa Grande
Paraíba
Brazil
Declared vila in 1865; cidade in 1908.

1847
Salt Lake City
Utah
United States
Originally known as Great Salt Lake City.

1848

Caruaru

Pernambuco

Brazil

First municipality in the [Agreste] region of Pernambuco state, Brazil.[69]

1848

Rio Verde

Goiás

Brazil

[70]

1848
Sacramento
California
United States

1849
Provo
Utah
United States

1849

Manizales

Caldas

Colombia

1851
San Luis
Colorado
United States

1851
Seattle
Washington
United States

1851

Jericó

Antioquia

Colombia

1852
Mossoró
Rio Grande do Norte
Brazil

1852
São José dos Pinhais
Paraná
Brazil

1852
Colón
Colón
Panama

1853
Olympia
Washington
United States

1854
Omaha
Nebraska
United States

1854
Anajatuba
Maranhão
Brazil

[71]

1854
Topeka
Kansas
United States

1855
Aracaju
Sergipe
Brazil

1856
Lincoln
Nebraska
United States
Originally called Lancaster.

1856
O'Fallon
Missouri
United States

1856
Sioux Falls
South Dakota
United States

1857
Boquim
Sergipe
Brazil

1858
Carson City
Nevada
United States

1858
Denver
Colorado
United States

1859
Yankton
South Dakota
United States

1860
Chico
California
United States

1863
Boise
Idaho
United States

1863
Wichita
Kansas
United States

1864
Casper
Wyoming
United States
Originally called Platte Bridge Station.

1864
Helena
Montana
United States

1864
Salinas
California
United States
[19]

1866
Prince Albert
Saskatchewan
Canada
Settled by Rev. James Nisbet.  Incorporated as city (population 5000+)  October 8, 1904[72]

1867
Cheyenne
Wyoming
United States

1867
Gameleira
Pernambuco
Brazil

1867
Minneapolis
Minnesota
United States

1868
Colinas
Maranhão
Brazil

Declared vila in 1870; cidade in 1891.[73]

1868
Phoenix
Arizona
United States

1870
Afogados da Ingazeira
Pernambuco
Brazil

1870
Campo Largo
Paraná
Brazil

1870
Puerto Limon
Limon
Costa Rica

1871
Águas Belas
Pernambuco
Brazil

1871
Alto Parnaíba
Maranhão
Brazil

[74]

1871
Birmingham
Alabama
United States

1871
Colorado Springs
Colorado
United States

1871
Fargo
North Dakota
United States

1871
Imbituva
Paraná
Brazil

1871
São João do Triunfo
Paraná
Brazil

1872
Anniston
Alabama
United States

1872
Bismarck
North Dakota
United States

1872
Tibagi
Paraná
Brazil

1873
Jaboatão dos Guararapes
Pernambuco
Brazil
First settlement in 1593; village status in 1873; city status in 1884

1873
Timbaúba
Pernambuco
Brazil
Declared vila in 1879; cidade in 1884.[75]

1875
Orlando
Florida
United States

1875
Calgary
Alberta
Canada
Grew from Fort Calgary

1875
Humboldt
Saskatchewan
Canada
Incorporated as a city (population 5000+) November 7, 2000[76]

1876
Boa Vista
Paraíba
Brazil
[77]

1876
Cajapió
Maranhão
Brazil

[78]

1876
Rapid City
South Dakota
United States

1877
Billings
Montana
United States

1877
Jaquimeyes
Barahona
Dominican Republic

1878
Coeur d'Alene
Idaho
United States

1878
Colombo
Paraná
Brazil

1879
Vicência
Pernambuco
Brazil
Declared vila in 1891; cidade in 1928.[79]

1880
Pierre
South Dakota
United States

1881
Juneau
Alaska
United States

1881
Moose Jaw
Saskatchewan
Canada
Incorporated as a city (population 5000+)  November 1903.[80]

1882
Brandon
Manitoba
Canada

1882
Mao
Valverde
Dominican Republic

1882
Restauración
Dajabón
Dominican Republic

1882
Yorkton
Saskatchewan
Canada
The York Farmers’ Colonization Company Limited settlement May 12, 1882.  City (population 5000+) incorporated February 1, 1928.[81]

1882
Swift Current
Saskatchewan
Canada
Canadian Pacific Railway arrival December 10, 1882.  City (population 5000+)  incorporated January 15, 1914.[82]

1882
Regina
Saskatchewan
Canada
Settlement first named Pile O' Bones, and renamed Regina. Capital city of SK. Incorporated as a city (population 5000+)  June 19, 1903[83]

1882
Rio Branco
Acre
Brazil

1883
Saskatoon
Saskatchewan
Canada
Temperance Colony founded at Nutana. Riversdale, Nutana, and Saskatoon incorporated as a city (population 5000+)  in 1906.[84]

1884
Melfort
Saskatchewan
Canada
Stoney Creek Settlement began in 1884. Incorporated as a city (population 5000+)  on July 1, 1907.[85]

1886
Vancouver
British Columbia
Canada

1887
Gulfport
Mississippi
United States
[20]

1888
Virginia Beach
Virginia
United States
Grew from Seatack community.

1889
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma
United States

1889
Whiting
Indiana
United States

1890
Ijuí
Rio Grande do Sul
Brazil

1892

Aliança

Pernambuco

Brazil

Declared vila in 1909; cidade in 1928.[86]

1892
Catende
Pernambuco
Brazil
Created in 1892 as a district of Palmares.  Autonomous municipality in 1909.

1892
Estevan
Saskatchewan
Canada
CPR arrives 1893.  Incorporated as city (population 5000+)  March 1, 1957[87]

1892
Guayaramerín
Beni
Bolivia

1892
Restauración
Dajabón
Dominican Republic

1892
Vernon
British Columbia
Canada

1893
Araripina
Pernambuco
Brazil
Created in 1893 as a district of Ouricuri.  Autonomous municipality in 1928.

1893
Catuípe
Rio Grande do Sul
Brazil

1894
Riberalta
Beni
Bolivia

1895
Traverse City
Michigan
United States

1896

Condado

Pernambuco

Brazil

Declared cidade in 1958.[88]

1896

Inhumas

Goiás

Brazil

[89]

1896
Miami
Florida
United States

1896
Santa Catalina la Tinta
Alta Verapaz
Guatemala

1897
Jequié
Bahia
Brazil

1897
Nelson
British Columbia
Canada

1898
Weyburn
Saskatchewan
Canada
Signal Hill settlement.  Weyburn  incorporated as a city (population 5000+)  1913.[90]

1898
Chetumal
Quintana Roo
Mexico
Originally called Payo Obispo.

1899
Porto Acre
Acre
Brazil

1900
Afrânio
Pernambuco
Brazil
Created in 1900 as a district of Petrolina.  Autonomous municipality in 1963.

1901
Fairbanks
Alaska
United States

1902

Florencia

Caquetá

Colombia

1903
Lloydminster
Saskatchewan
Canada
Brittania colony settled by Rev. Exton Lloyd and Rev. Isaac Barr. Incorporated as a city (population 5000+)  in 1958.[91]

1904
Cruzeiro do Sul
Acre
Brazil

1904
Grytviken

South Georgia

1904
Sena Madureira
Acre
Brazil

1904
Xapuri
Acre
Brazil

1906
Cobija
Pando
Bolivia

1906
Feijó
Acre
Brazil

1907
Melville
Saskatchewan
Canada
Incorporated as a city (population 5000+) August 1, 1960[92]

1907
Tarauacá
Acre
Brazil

1908
São Mateus do Sul
Paraná
Brazil

1909
Estreito
Maranhão
Brazil

[93]

1910
Brasiléia
Acre
Brazil

1910
Kindersley
Saskatchewan
Canada

1910
Porto Walter
Acre
Brazil

1910
Villazón
Potosí
Bolivia

1911
Las Vegas
Nevada
United States

1914
Anchorage
Alaska
United States

1915

Yopal

Casanare

Colombia

1928

Leticia

Amazonas

Colombia

1929
Pabellón de Arteaga
Aguascalientes
Mexico

[94]

1930

Puerto Carreño

Vichada

Colombia

1931
Loreto
Zacatecas
Mexico

[95]

1935
Yellowknife
Northwest Territories
Canada

1935

Mitú

Vaupés

Colombia

1938

San José del Guaviare

Guaviare

Colombia

1942
Iqaluit
Nunavut
Canada
Originally called Frobisher Bay.

1955
Freeport
Grand Bahama
Bahamas

1957
Ciudad del Este
Alto Paraná
Paraguay
Originally called Puerto Flor de Lis.

1957
Rankin Inlet
Nunavut
Canada

1960
Brasília
Distrito Federal
Brazil
Created in 1960 as the national capital.

1970
Belmopan
Cayo
Belize

1970
Linden
Upper Demerara-Berbice
Guyana
City formed by combining the towns of Christianburg, MacKenzie, and Wismar.

1970
Cancún
Quintana Roo
Mexico

1974

Inírida

Guainía

Colombia

1989
Palmas
Tocantins
Brazil
Was founded 1 year after the creation of the State of Tocantins. It's the newest and smallest Brazilian capital city.


document_title: Color depth

question_text: what is the color depth of a deep color photo

root

text: Color depth

text: Comparison[edit]

text:
Comparison: same image on five different color depths (bits). Different looks (color/greyscale/black-and-white ... dithering), but also different file sizes.

32 bit.png
4,294,967,296 colors98 KB

8 bit.png
256 colors37 KB (-62%)

4 bit.png
16 colors13 KB (-87%)

2 bit.png
4 colors6 KB (-94%)

1 bit.png
2 colors4 KB (-96%)

tag: ul

text: Indexed color[edit]

text: With the relatively low color depth, the stored value is typically a number representing the index into a color map or palette (a form of vector quantization). The colors available in the palette itself may be fixed by the hardware or modifiable by software. Modifiable palettes are sometimes referred to as pseudocolor palettes.

tag: p

text:
1-bit color (21 = 2 colors): monochrome, often black and white, compact Macintoshes, Atari ST.
2-bit color (22 = 4 colors): CGA, gray-scale early NeXTstation, color Macintoshes, Atari ST.
3-bit color (23 = 8 colors): many early home computers with TV displays, including the ZX Spectrum and BBC Micro
4-bit color (24 = 16 colors): as used by EGA and by the least common denominator VGA standard at higher resolution, color Macintoshes, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC.
5-bit color (25 = 32 colors): Original Amiga chipset
6-bit color (26 = 64 colors): Original Amiga chipset
8-bit color (28 = 256 colors): most early color Unix workstations, VGA at low resolution, Super VGA, color Macintoshes, Atari TT, Amiga AGA chipset, Falcon030, Acorn Archimedes.
12-bit color (212 = 4096 colors): some Silicon Graphics systems, Color NeXTstation systems, and Amiga systems in HAM mode.

text: Old graphics chips, particularly those used in home computers and video game consoles, often have the ability to use a different palette per sprites and tiles in order to increase the maximum number of simultaneously displayed colors, while minimizing use of then-expensive memory (& bandwidth). For example, in the ZX Spectrum, the picture is stored in a two-color format, but these two colors can be separately defined for each rectangular block of 8x8 pixels.

text: The palette itself has a color depth (number of bits per entry). While the best VGA systems only offered an 18-bit (262,144 color) palette from which colors could be chosen, all color Macintosh video hardware offered a 24-bit (16 million color) palette. 24-bit palettes are pretty much universal on any recent hardware or file format using them.

text: Direct color[edit]

text: If pixels contain more than 12 bits, an indexed palette takes more memory than the pixels (for typical screen sizes and palette depths), so such systems tend to directly specify the color directly in the pixel.

text: 8-bit color[edit]

text: A very limited but true direct color system, there are 3 bits (8 possible levels) for each of the R and G components, and the two remaining bits in the byte pixel to the B component (four levels), enabling 256 (8 × 8 × 4) different colors. The normal human eye is less sensitive to the blue component than to the red or green (two thirds of the eye's receptors process the longer wavelengths[6]), so it is assigned one bit less than the others. Used, amongst others, in the MSX2 system series of computers in the early to mid 1990s.

text: Do not confuse with an indexed color depth of 8bpp (although it can be simulated in such systems by selecting the adequate table).

text: High color (15/16-bit)[edit]

text: High color supports 15/16-bit for three RGB colors. In 16-bit direct color, there can be 4 bits (16 possible levels) for each of the R, G, and B components, plus optionally 4 bits for alpha (transparency), enabling 4,096 (16 × 16 × 16) different colors with 16 levels of transparency.  Or in some systems there can be 5 bits per color component and 1 bit of alpha (32,768 colors, just fully transparent or not); or there can be 5 bits for red, 6 bits for green, and 5 bits for blue, for 65,536 colors with no transparency.[7]  These color depths are sometimes used in small devices with a color display, such as mobile telephones, and is sometimes considered sufficient to display photographic images.[8]

text: The term "high color" has recently been used to mean color depths greater than 24 bits.

text: Almost all of the least expensive LCDs (such as typical twisted nematic types) provide 18-bit color (64 × 64 × 64 = 262,144 combinations) to achieve faster color transition times, and use either dithering or frame rate control to approximate 24-bit-per-pixel true color,[9] or throw away 6 bits of color information entirely. More expensive LCDs (typically IPS) can display 24-bit or greater color depth.

text: True color (24-bit)[edit]

text: 24 bits almost always uses 8 bits of each of R, G, B. As of 2018 24-bit color depth is used by virtually every computer and phone display and the vast majority of image storage formats. Almost all cases where there are 32 bits per pixel mean that 24 are used for the color, and the remaining 8 are the alpha channel or unused.

text: 224 gives 16,777,216 color variations. The human eye can discriminate up to ten million colors[10] and since the gamut of a display is smaller than the range of human vision, this means this should cover that range with more detail than can be perceived. However displays do not evenly distribute the colors in human perception space so humans can see the changes between some adjacent colors as color banding. Monochromatic images set all three channels to the same value, resulting in only 256 different colors and thus more visible banding. Some software attempts to dither the gray level into the color channels to increase this, although in modern software this is much more used for subpixel rendering to increase the space resolution on LCD screens where the colors have slightly different positions.

text: The DVD-Video and Blu-ray Disc standards support a bit depth of 8-bits per color in YCbCr with 4:2:0 chroma subsampling.[11][12] YCbCr can be losslessly converted to RGB.

text: Macintosh systems refer to 24-bit color as "millions of colors". The term "True color" is sometime used to mean what this article is calling "Direct color".[13] It is also often used to refer to all color depths greater or equal to 24.

text: Deep color (30/36/48-bit)[edit]

text: Deep color consists of a billion or more colors,[14] 230 is 1.073 billion. Color depths of 30, 36, and 48 bits per pixel are in use, also referred to as 10, 12, or 16 bits per RGB channel/sample/component. Often an alpha channel of the same size is added, resulting in 40, 48, or 64 bits used for each pixel.

text: Some earlier systems placed three 10-bit channels in a 32-bit word, with 2 bits unused (or used as a 4-level alpha channel). The Cineon file format that was popular for motion pictures used this. Some SGI systems had 10 (or more) bit D/A converters for the video signal and could be set up to interpret data stored this way for display. BMP files define this as one of its formats, and it is called "HiColor" by Microsoft.

text: Image editing software such as Photoshop started using 16 bits per channel fairly early. The primary reason this was done was to reduce the quantization on intermediate results (if an operation divided by 4 and then multiplied by 4, it would lose the bottom 2 bits of 8-bit data, but if 16 bits were used it would lose none of the 8-bit data). Digital cameras were able to produce 10 or 12 bits per channel in their raw data, and 16 bits is the smallest addressable unit that was larger than this and would allow raw data to be worked with. Unfortunately these systems did not take advantage of 16 bits for high dynamic range, and some assign almost mystical capabilities to 16 bits that are not actually true.

text: Video cards with 10 bits per component started coming to market in the late 1990s. An early example was the Radius ThunderPower card for the Macintosh, which included extensions for QuickDraw and Adobe Photoshop plugins to support editing 30-bit images.[15]

text:
The HDMI 1.3 specification defines bit depths of 30 bits (1.073 billion colors), 36 bits (68.71 billion colors), and 48 bits (281.5 trillion colors).[16]
In that regard, the Nvidia Quadro graphics cards manufactured after 2006 support 30-bit deep color[17] as do some models of the Radeon HD 5900 series such as the HD 5970.[18][19] The ATI FireGL V7350 graphics card supports 40-bit and 48-bit color.[20]

text: The DisplayPort specification also supports color depths greater than 24 bpp in version 1.3 through "VESA Display Stream Compression, which uses a visually lossless low-latency algorithm based on predictive DPCM and YCoCg-R color space and allows increased resolutions and color depths and reduced power consumption."[21]

text: At WinHEC 2008, Microsoft announced that color depths of 30 bits and 48 bits would be supported in Windows 7, along with the wide color gamut scRGB.[22][23]

text: High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC or H.265) defines the Main 10 profile, which allows for 8- or 10-bits per sample with 4:2:0 chroma subsampling.[2][3][4][24][25] The Main 10 profile was added at the October 2012 HEVC meeting based on proposal JCTVC-K0109 which proposed that a 10-bit profile be added to HEVC for consumer applications.[4] The proposal stated that this was to allow for improved video quality and to support the Rec. 2020 color space that will be used by UHDTV.[4] The second version of HEVC has five profiles that allow for a bit depth of 8-bits to 16-bits per sample.[26]

text: High Dynamic Range and Wide Gamut[edit]

text: Some systems started using those bits for numbers outside the 0-1 range rather than for increasing the resolution. Numbers greater than 1 were for colors brighter than the display could show, as in high dynamic range imaging (HDRI). Negative numbers can increase the gamut to cover all possible colors, and for storing the results of filtering operations with negative filter coefficients. The Pixar Image Computer used 12 bits to store numbers in the range [-1.5,2.5), with 2 bits for the integer portion and 10 for the fraction. The Cineon imaging system used 10-bit professional video displays with the video hardware adjusted so that a value of 95 was black and 685 was white,[27] the amplified signal tended to reduce the lifetime of the CRT.

text: Linear Color Space and Floating Point[edit]

text: More bits also encouraged the storage of light as linear values, where the number directly corresponds to the amount of light emitted. Linear levels makes calculation of light (in the context of computer graphics) much easier. However, linear color results in disproportionately more samples near white and fewer near black, so the quality of 16-bit linear is about equal to 12-bit sRGB.

text: Floating point numbers can represent linear light levels spacing the samples semi-logarithmically. Floating point representations  also allow for drastically larger dynamic ranges as well as negative values. Around 1993, computer hardware had progressed to the point where the speed of floating point math began exceeding integer math in most practical situations. Most systems first supported 32-bit per channel single-precision, which far exceeded the accuracy required for most applications. In 1999, Industrial Light & Magic released the open standard OpenEXR image file format which supports 16-bit-per-channel half-precision floating-point numbers. At values near 1.0, half precision floating point values have only the precision of an 11-bit integer value, leading some graphics professionals to reject half-precision in situations where the extended dynamic range is not needed.

text: More than 3 primaries[edit]

text: Virtually all television displays and computer displays form images by varying the strength of just three primary colors: red, green, and blue. For example, bright yellow is formed by roughly equal red and green contributions, with no blue contribution.

text: Additional color primaries can widen the color gamut of a display, as you are not limited to the shape of a triangle in the CIE 1931 color space.  Recent technologies such as Texas Instruments's BrilliantColor augment the typical red, green, and blue channels with up to three other primaries: cyan, magenta and yellow.[28] Mitsubishi and Samsung, among others, use this technology in some TV sets to extend the range of displayable colors.[citation needed] The Sharp Aquos line of televisions has introduced Quattron technology, which augments the usual RGB pixel components with a yellow subpixel. However, formats and media supporting these extended color primaries are extremely uncommon.

text: For storing and working on images, it is possible to use "imaginary" primary colors that are not physically possible so that the triangle does enclose a much larger gamut, so whether more than three primaries results in a difference to the human eye is not yet proven, since humans are primarily trichromats, though tetrachromats exist.[citation needed]


document_title: History of the National Hockey League (1967–92)

question_text: when did the nhl expand from 6 teams

question_tokens: when did the nhl expand from 6 teams

text: Background[edit]

text: Expansion had been a major topic of discussion among NHL owners since 1963, when William M. Jennings of the New York Rangers proposed adding two new teams on the West Coast to counter fears that the Western Hockey League intended to compete as a major league.[1] After several years of discussion, the NHL announced in February 1966 that it would expand by six teams, doubling the league's size. The Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota North Stars, California Seals, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues began play in the 1967–68 season.[2] They formed the newly created West Division, and the existing teams were grouped into the East Division. The playoff format was constructed so that an established team would face an expansion team in the Stanley Cup Finals.[3] The Clarence S. Campbell Bowl was created in honour of league president Clarence Campbell, and was awarded to the West Division champion.[4]

text: The new teams were stocked by the NHL's first expansion draft, as each team selected 20 players from the existing franchises. There was much debate over how many players each existing team could protect: the strongest clubs wished to protect more players, while the weaker clubs hoped that protecting fewer players would help improve the balance of competition. Montreal Canadiens manager Sam Pollock's suggestion to allow each team to protect eleven players to start, then add an additional player to their protected list for each player selected in the draft, was ultimately agreed to as a compromise solution.[1] In addition, an "intra-league draft" was held following the 1968 and 1969 seasons to help accelerate the improvement of the expansion teams. Each team protected two goaltenders and fourteen skaters, leaving their remaining players open to be selected by any other team.[5]

text: Some teams created instant farm systems by buying existing minor league franchises. The Kings bought the Springfield Indians of the American Hockey League the night before the expansion draft, leading the Flyers to purchase the Quebec Aces.[6] Expansion also changed how the amateur draft was handled. The old system, in which franchises sponsored junior teams and players, was abandoned by 1969 when all junior-aged players were made eligible for the entry draft.[3]

text: Expansion years[edit]

text: In their inaugural season, the Flyers finished atop the West Division, recording 73 points in 74 games.[7] The California Seals, a pre-season favourite to win the division, changed their name to the Oakland Seals a month into the season. The team disappointed both on the ice and at the gate, finishing last in the NHL with 14 wins.[8] The Blues defeated the Flyers and North Stars to become the first expansion team to play for the Stanley Cup, where they were defeated in four consecutive games by the Canadiens.[7] The Blues reached the finals again in both 1969 and 1970, but were similarly swept in both years, losing to the Canadiens and Boston Bruins, respectively.[9]

text: On January 13, 1968, North Stars' rookie Bill Masterton became the first and, to date, only player to die as a result of injuries suffered during an NHL game.[10] Early in a game against the Seals, Masterton was checked hard by two players, Ron Harris and Larry Cahan, causing him to flip over backwards and land on his head.[11] He was rushed to hospital with massive head injuries, and died there two days later.[12] The National Hockey League Writers Association presented the league with the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy later in the season; the trophy is awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.[7] Following Masterton's death, players slowly began wearing helmets; starting in the 1979–80 season, the league mandated that all players entering the league wear them.[10]

text: Bobby Orr[edit]

text: In the 1968–69 season, second-year defenceman Bobby Orr scored 21 goals, an NHL record for a defenceman, en route to winning his first of eight consecutive Norris Trophies as the league's top defenceman.[13] At the same time, Orr's teammate, Phil Esposito, became the first player in league history to score 100 points in a season, finishing with 126 points. He was one of three players to break the century mark that year, including Bobby Hull and 41-year-old Gordie Howe.[14]

text: A gifted scorer, Orr revolutionized defencemen's impact on the offensive side of the game, as blue-liners began to be judged on how well they created goals in addition to how well they prevented them.[15] Orr scored the Stanley-Cup-winning goal in overtime of the fourth game against the Blues in 1970, which gave the Bruins their first championship in 29 years. The goal was highlighted by his famous flight through the air after being tripped up following his shot.[16] Orr twice won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer, still the only defenceman in NHL history to do so. His plus/minus of +124 in 1970–71 is a league record.[17] Orr signed a five-year contract that paid him $200,000 per season in 1971, the first $1 million contract in league history.[16]

text: Chronic knee problems plagued Orr throughout his career. In 1972, he tore ligaments in his left knee after a hard hit, leading to the first of six knee operations.[13] He played 12 seasons in the NHL before injuries forced his retirement in 1978. Orr finished with 270 goals and 915 points in 657 games and won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's Most Valuable Player three times.[13] The customary three-year post-retirement waiting period for entry into the Hockey Hall of Fame was waived as he was enshrined in 1979.[16]

text: Buffalo and Vancouver[edit]

text: In Canada, there was widespread outrage over the denial of an expansion team to Vancouver in 1967.[18] Three years later, the NHL added a third Canadian team when the Vancouver Canucks, formerly of the Western Hockey League, were admitted as an expansion team for the 1970–71 season, along with the Buffalo Sabres, another team whose owners had bid unsuccessfully for an expansion team in 1967.[19] The Canucks were placed in the East Division, despite being on the west coast, while the Chicago Black Hawks were shifted to the West in an attempt to equalize the divisions' strength.[20] The league also gave the Sabres and Canucks the first two picks in each round of the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft, offering them a better opportunity to build their rosters than the 1967 expansion teams had.[20] Buffalo's first round pick was Gilbert Perreault, a future Hall of Famer who would play seventeen seasons in Buffalo.

text: Before the 1971–72 season, Gordie Howe and Jean Beliveau announced their retirements. Beliveau finished his 18-year career with 10 Stanley Cups, 2 Hart Trophies and 1,219 career points; his points total was the second-highest in NHL history. After playing 25 seasons in the NHL, Howe retired as the league's all-time leader in games played, goals, assists and points.[21] Howe was a six-time league scoring champion, and also won six Hart Trophies.[22] Both players had the customary three-year waiting period waived for entry into the Hockey Hall of Fame in acknowledgement of their achievements.[23]

text: World Hockey Association[edit]

text: In 1972, the NHL faced competition from the newly formed World Hockey Association (WHA). The WHA lured many players away from the NHL, including Derek Sanderson, J. C. Tremblay and Ted Green.[24] The WHA's biggest coup was to lure Bobby Hull from the Black Hawks to play for the Winnipeg Jets. Hull signed a 10-year deal: five years as a player for $250,000 per season, and five more for $100,000 per season in a front-office position. It also included a $1 million signing bonus. The deal totaled $2.7 million, and lent instant credibility to the new league.[25] After Hull signed, several other players quickly followed suit. Bernie Parent, Gerry Cheevers, Johnny McKenzie and Rick Ley jumped to the WHA as the NHL suddenly found itself in a war for talent.[26] By the time the 1972–73 WHA season began, 67 players had switched from the NHL to the WHA.[27] Defections continued following the season, and the WHA scored another major coup when it signed Gordie Howe's sons Mark and Marty. The league then convinced Gordie to come out of retirement to play with them on the Houston Aeros.[24]

text: The NHL tried to block several of the defections. The Bruins attempted to restrain Cheevers and Sanderson from joining the WHA, though a United States federal court refused to prohibit the signings. The Black Hawks were successful in having a restraining order filed against Hull and the Jets pending the outcome of legal action the Black Hawks were taking against the WHA. The WHA was eager for the court action, intending to challenge the legality of the reserve clause, which bound a player to their NHL team until that team released him.[28] In November 1972, a Philadelphia district court placed an injunction against the NHL, preventing it from enforcing the reserve clause and freeing all players who had restraining orders against them, including Hull, to play with their WHA clubs. The decision effectively ended the NHL's monopoly on major league professional hockey talent.[29]

text: The NHL also found itself competing with the WHA for markets. Initially, the league had no intention to expand past 14 teams, but the threat the WHA posed changed this. Hoping to keep the WHA out of the newly completed Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York and the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta, Georgia, the league hastily announced the creation of the New York Islanders and Atlanta Flames as 1972 expansion teams.[30] Following the 1972–73 season, the NHL announced it was further expanding to 18 teams for the 1974–75 season, adding the Kansas City Scouts and Washington Capitals.[31] In just eight years, the NHL had tripled in size to 18 teams.

text: Summit Series[edit]

text: Internationally, Canada had long been protesting the Soviet Union's use of "professional amateurs" at the World Championships and the Olympic Games, which were amateur events. Canada withdrew from international competition in 1969[34] and boycotted the 1972 Olympic hockey tournament.[35] As an alternative, NHL Players' Association executive director Alan Eagleson negotiated a deal with Soviet authorities to hold an eight-game series between the Soviet national team and Canada's top professionals.[36]

text: The tournament was the NHL's response to the defection of players to the WHA. Bobby Hull was barred from playing, as was any other player who signed a contract with the rival league, which was a heavily criticized move. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau sent a telegram to NHL president Clarence Campbell, expressing his "intense interest which I share with millions of Canadians ... that Canada should be represented by its best hockey players, including Bobby Hull".[37] Echoing the feelings of the public, Hull called the decision "crazy", and stated that "I'm a Canadian and I want to play for my country. I don't know why the NHL has to be so petty over this. I want to do this for Canada."[37] The NHL did not relent.

text:
"Here's a shot. Henderson made a wild stab for it and fell. Here's another shot. Right in front. They score! Henderson scores for Canada!"

—Foster Hewitt's account of the "goal heard around the world" as Paul Henderson scored the decisive marker in game eight.[38]

tag: div

text: The series was tied at three wins apiece and a tie entering the eighth and deciding game, with millions of Canadians watching "the game of the century".[39] With the game tied at five late in the third, the Soviets were met with a concerted Canadian attack in the final seven minutes.[40] With 34 seconds remaining in the game, Esposito took a shot at Vladislav Tretiak from 12 feet out. Paul Henderson scooped up the rebound and put it past the fallen Soviet goalie to score the goal that won the game, 6–5, and the series.[41] Later, Alexander Yakolev, the former Soviet ambassador to Canada, argued that the Summit Series planted the seeds of glasnost and perestroika in the Soviet Union, as it was one of the first times that the Soviet people had seen so many foreigners who had not come to do harm, but to share in the game.[42]

text: Legacy[edit]

text: The series forced the NHL and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association to reassess all aspects of how the game was played in North America. Journalist Herb Pinder described the NHL to that point in this way: "The Europeans took our game and evolved it, while we stood still or even went backwards. The Russians had a style, and the Czechs' style was different from that ... There was this hockey world evolving through international competition, and we're back here, stuck, just playing ourselves. It was a business monopoly. And like any monopoly, the NHL got stagnant."[43] Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Canadian hockey encouraged the adoption of new coaching and training methods used in Europe, and emphasized conditioning and skills development.[44]

text: The NHL took a greater interest in international play. The Canada Cup, a tournament that featured the top professional players in the world, was held first in 1976, and then four more times until 1991. It was succeeded by the World Cup of Hockey in 1996. Beginning in 1975, Soviet club teams began touring North America, playing NHL clubs in exhibition games that were known as the Super Series. The Calgary Flames and Washington Capitals similarly toured the Soviet Union in 1989 in the first "Friendship Series". The Soviet national team defeated an NHL all-star team in a 1979 challenge series, two games to one, and split Rendez-vous '87, a two-game series held in Quebec City.[45]

text: Broad Street Bullies[edit]

text: The 1970s were associated with aggressive, and often violent, play. Known as the "Broad Street Bullies", the Philadelphia Flyers are the most famous example of this style.[46] The Flyers established league records for penalty minutes—Dave "the Hammer" Schultz's total of 472 in 1974–75 remains a league record[47]—and ended up in courtrooms multiple times when players went into the stands to challenge fans who got involved. One such incident occurred in Vancouver in December 1972, when a fan reached over the glass to pull the hair of Don Saleski, who had a chokehold on Vancouver's Barry Wilkins. Bobby Taylor and several Flyers teammates followed the fan into the stands. The next time Philadelphia went to Vancouver, several players were brought before the courts on charges that ranged from use of obscene language to common assault. Six players were fined, and Taylor received a 30-day suspended sentence.[48] Despite these incidents, the Flyers won: they captured the 1974 Stanley Cup, becoming the first expansion team to win the league championship, and repeated as champions in 1975.[46]

text: In 1975, Soviet club teams began to tour North America in the first Super Series. The Canadiens played Central Red Army to a 3–3 draw on New Year's Eve 1975, in a game that is considered one of the finest ever played.[49] Red Army lost only one of four games against the NHL in the first tour, a 4–1 defeat to Philadelphia, who intimidated them as the Flyers did to their NHL opponents. At one point, Red Army threatened to forfeit the game after Ed Van Impe decked Valeri Kharlamov. Red Army was persuaded to complete the game after Alan Eagleson threatened to withhold their appearance fee if the team did not return to the ice.[49] Super Series games continued until 1991, when Soviet players were allowed to enter the NHL after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

text: End of the two-league era[edit]

text: On February 7, 1976, Maple Leafs star Darryl Sittler set an NHL record, scoring 10 points in one game in an 11–4 victory over the Bruins. His six-goal, four-assist effort broke Maurice Richard's record of eight points in a game.[50] The game came shortly after the Bruins lured Gerry Cheevers back from the WHA, though Cheevers was given an extra night to rest, and rookie Dave Reece was the victim of all 11 Toronto goals. It was his 14th, and final, NHL game.[51]

text: By 1976, both leagues were dealing with serious financial problems. Talks of a merger between the NHL and the WHA were growing. Bobby Hull declared that a merger was "inevitable", though WHA president Bill MacFarland stated that his league had no interest in joining with the NHL.[52] In 1976, for the first time in four decades, the NHL approved franchise relocations; the Scouts moved after just two years in Kansas City to Denver to become the Colorado Rockies, while the California Golden Seals became the Cleveland Barons.[52] In its wake, the league quietly shelved provisional expansion franchises granted to Seattle and Denver to take place in the 1977 season. Two years later, after failed overtures towards merging the Barons with Washington and Vancouver, they merged with the Minnesota North Stars, reducing the NHL to 17 teams for 1978–79.[53]

text: The WHA's last triumph was to lure junior prodigy Wayne Gretzky to their league in 1978–79. Nelson Skalbania, owner of the Indianapolis Racers and part owner of the Edmonton Oilers, was convinced to sign Gretzky to play for the Racers.[54] The 17-year-old Gretzky scored 110 points in his first professional season, split between the Racers and the Oilers.[55]

text: The move towards a merger picked up in 1977 when John Ziegler succeeded Campbell as NHL president.[56] After several years of negotiations, WHA owners thought they had an agreement in March 1979. The motion to merge failed when supporters in the NHL lost by one vote.[57] Word got out that the Montreal Canadiens, owned by Molson Brewery, and the Vancouver Canucks, who served Molson products at their games, had voted against the merger. Fans across Canada quickly organized a boycott of Molson products, while the House of Commons unanimously passed a motion urging the NHL to reconsider. Another vote was held, and both Montreal and Vancouver switched their votes, allowing the motion to pass.[58] The WHA folded following the 1978–79 season, and the Edmonton Oilers, New England Whalers, Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets joined the NHL as expansion teams.[56]

text: Twenty-one teams[edit]

text: The merger brought Gordie Howe back to the NHL for one final season in 1979–80. At age 51, Howe played all 80 games for the Whalers, scoring 15 goals to bring his NHL career total to 801. He entered his second retirement as the league's all-time scoring leader with 1,850 points.[22] Howe's final season was also the last for the Atlanta Flames. The team averaged an attendance of only 9,800 fans per game and lost over $2 million in 1979–80.[59] They were sold for a record $16 million, and relocated north to become the Calgary Flames in 1980–81.[60] Two years later, the Rockies were sold for $30 million, and left Denver to become the New Jersey Devils for the 1982–83 season.[61]

text: The St. Louis Blues nearly relocated to Saskatoon in 1983, as Bill Hunter, an original investor in the WHA, announced an intention to purchase and relocate the team. Hunter quickly convinced 18,000 people to commit to season tickets in a proposed arena for the city.[62] The other team owners rejected the sale and relocation by a 15–3 vote, prompting the Blues' owner, Ralston Purina, to file a $60 million anti-trust lawsuit against the league.[63] Both the league as a whole and the individual teams filed $78 million counter suits against Purina.[64] As part of the conflict, Purina turned the team over to the NHL at the beginning of June 1983 to "operate, sell or dispose of in whatever manner the league desires",[65] while the Blues refused to participate in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft, forfeiting all of their draft picks.[66] By the end of July, the league had sold the team to Harry Ornest, who vowed the team would remain in St. Louis.[67] Ralston Purina and the NHL settled their legal issues in 1985, though terms of the settlements were not released.[68]

text: In 1980, the New York Islanders won their first of four consecutive Stanley Cups.[69] With the likes of Billy Smith, Mike Bossy, Denis Potvin, and Bryan Trottier, the Islanders dominated both the regular season and the playoffs.[70] In 1981, Bossy became the first player to score 50 goals in 50 games since Maurice Richard in 1945.[69] In 1982–83, the Edmonton Oilers won the regular season championship. The Islanders and Oilers met in the Finals and New York swept Edmonton for their last Stanley Cup.[71] They were the second franchise to win four straight championships, after the Canadiens.[69] The 1984 playoffs would be the site of the infamous Good Friday Massacre between the Quebec Nordiques and the Montreal Canadiens.

text: The following season, the Oilers and Islanders met again in the playoffs. The Oilers won the rematch in five games, marking the start of another dynasty.[72] Led by Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, the Oilers won five Stanley Cup championships between 1984 and 1990. The Oilers won two consecutive Cups in the 1983–84 and 1984–85 seasons, and in the 1986–87 and 1987–88 seasons. They also won a Cup in the 1989–90 season.[73] The Oilers' Cup streaks were interrupted in the 1985–86 and 1988–89 seasons by two other Canadian teams. Edmonton's hopes for a third consecutive title in 1986 were dashed by their provincial rival, the Calgary Flames, after Oilers' rookie Steve Smith accidentally bounced the series-winning goal off goaltender Grant Fuhr and into his own net.[74] Smith's error remains one of the most legendary blunders in hockey history.[75][76][77] The Flames were defeated by the Canadiens in the finals, as rookie goaltender Patrick Roy led Montreal to their 23rd Stanley Cup.[78] The 1989 final was a rematch between the Flames and the Canadiens and was won by Calgary, which captured its only championship in franchise history.[79] The Flames also became the only team to defeat the Montreal Canadiens for the Stanley Cup at the Montreal Forum.

text: The 21-team era ended in 1990, when the league revealed ambitious plans to double league revenues from $400 million within a decade and bring the NHL to 28 franchises during that period.[80] The NHL quickly announced three new teams: The San Jose Sharks, who began play in the 1991–92 season, and the Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning, who followed a year later.[81]

text: The Sharks' creation forestalled a unilateral franchise move by North Stars owners George and Gordon Gund to the San Francisco Bay Area. A settlement with the league granted them the expansion franchise, while they sold the North Stars to Howard Baldwin's group in 1990. Prior to the 1991-92 season, the Sharks and North Stars participated in a unique expansion draft, which saw San Jose select unprotected players from Minnesota (including future All-Star goalie Arturs Irbe) before both teams picked players from the remainder of the league. The Sharks would struggle in their inaugural season, finishing with a league-low 17 wins and 39 points while playing out of the Cow Palace, while the North Stars (who were sold again, to Norman Green, during the 1990-91 season) would make the playoffs for what proved to be the final time before their eventual relocation to Dallas in 1993.

text: Wayne Gretzky[edit]

text: In the latter part of the 1980s, the Oilers won five Stanley Cup titles in seven years, becoming the only team to score 400 or more goals in a season, which they did four times. With future Hall of Famers Grant Fuhr, Paul Coffey, Jari Kurri, Mark Messier, and Glenn Anderson, they established numerous new scoring records.

text: The Oilers were led by Wayne Gretzky, who remained with the Oilers when they joined the NHL in 1979. At 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) and 170 pounds (77 kg), some observers doubted that Gretzky could match his offensive performance from his lone WHA season. "I heard a lot of talk then that I'd never get 110 points like I did in the WHA," said Gretzky.[82] He proved his critics wrong, scoring 137 points in 1979–80 and winning the first of nine Hart Trophies (including 8 consecutive awards from 1980–1988) as the NHL's most valuable player.[82] Over the next several seasons, Gretzky established new highs in goals scored in a season, with 92 in the 1981–82 season; in assists, with 163 in the 1985–86; and in total points, with 215 in 1985–86.[83] He also scored 50 goals in 39 games, the fastest any player had reached the total in a single season.[55] Gretzky scored his 1,000th NHL point in his 424th game, breaking Guy Lafleur's old record of 720 games.[84]

text: Gretzky's teammates set records of their own. Fuhr's 14 assists in the 1983–84 season set a record for most points by a goaltender in a season. In 1985–86, Coffey set a record for the most goals in a season by a defenceman, with 48. Adding 90 assists, Coffey wound up a point short of tying Bobby Orr's record for most points in a season by a blue-liner.[83]

text: On August 9, 1988, Oilers owner Peter Pocklington, in financial trouble, traded Gretzky, along with Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski, to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, US$15 million and three first-round draft picks.[85] Gretzky left Edmonton with a tear-filled news conference, and later said that Edmonton was the only place he ever dreaded playing.[86] Gretzky's trade to the Kings popularized ice hockey in the United States, making hockey "cool" in Hollywood, and shocked fans across Canada.[87] The Kings were the most popular Los Angeles sports team, and Gretzky's fame rivaled that of his peers with baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers and basketball's Los Angeles Lakers.[86]

text: With the Kings, Gretzky broke Gordie Howe's record for career points. On October 15, 1989, against his former Oilers' teammates, and with Howe in attendance, Gretzky tied the record with a first period assist before notching his 1,851st career point with a third period goal. "An award such as this takes a lot of teamwork and help and both teams here today definitely have a part of the 1,851 [points]." said Gretzky.[88]

text: Fall of the Iron Curtain[edit]

text: While European-born players were a part of the NHL since its founding, it was still rare to see them in the league until 1980.[89] The WHA turned to the previously overlooked European market in search for talent, signing players from Finland and Sweden. Anders Hedberg, Lars-Erik Sjoberg and Ulf Nilsson signed with the Jets in 1974 and thrived in North America, both in the WHA and later the NHL.[90] The Jets won three of the six remaining WHA championships after signing European players, and their success sparked similar signings league-wide.

text: Borje Salming was the first European star in the NHL. He signed with the Maple Leafs in 1973, and played 16 seasons in the NHL, retiring in 1990. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996.[89] His fellow Swede, Pelle Lindbergh, was one of the top goaltenders in the world in the early 1980s. He led the Flyers to the 1985 Stanley Cup Finals before dying in a car accident during the 1985–86 season.[91] Finns Jari Kurri and Esa Tikkanen helped lead the Oilers dynasty of the 1980s.[84]

text: While the WHA opened the door, and players slowly joined the NHL, those behind the Iron Curtain were restricted from following suit. In 1980, Peter Stastny, his wife, and his brother Anton secretly fled Czechoslovakia with the aid of Nordiques owner Marcel Aubut. The Stastnys' defection made international headlines, and contributed to the first wave of Eastern Europeans' entrance into the NHL.[89] Hoping that they would one day be permitted to play in the NHL, teams drafted Soviet players in the 1980s, 27 in all by the 1988 draft.[92] However, defection was the only way such players could join the teams that drafted them. Michal Pivonka defected from Czechoslovakia in 1986, while Russian Alexander Mogilny defected following the 1989 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Anchorage, Alaska.[91] Czech teenager Petr Nedved walked into a Calgary police station in January 1989 after playing in the Mac's AAA midget hockey tournament.[93]

text: Shortly before the end of the 1988–89 regular season, Flames general manager Cliff Fletcher announced that he had reached an agreement with Soviet authorities that allowed Sergei Pryakhin to play in North America. It was the first time a member of the Soviet national team was permitted to play for a non-Soviet team.[94] Shortly after, Soviet players began to flood into the NHL. Teams anticipated that there would be an influx of Soviet players in the 1990s, as 18 Soviets were selected in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft.[92] The entire "KLM" line, the Soviet team's top line, joined the NHL in 1989 as Vladimir Krutov and Igor Larionov played for the Canucks, while Sergei Makarov went to Calgary.[95] Makarov won the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year in 1990, a selection that caused controversy; he was 32 years old and had played 11 pro seasons in the Soviet League. In the wake of the controversy, the NHL amended its rules: players over the age of 26 were no longer considered for the award.[96] The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the demise of the Iron Curtain paved the way for more Eastern European players to play in North America. Only six European players were selected at the 1979 NHL Entry Draft. That number increased to 32 in 1989, while a record 123 Europeans were drafted in 2000.[97] Europeans made up 22.5% of the NHL in 2013-14, totalling 232 players.[98]

text: Rules and innovations[edit]

text: The early 1980s saw many tie games. The 1982–83 North Stars and Capitals both finished with 16 ties in 80 games, while 17 of 21 teams tied 10 or more games. The season before, the North Stars recorded 20 ties. As a result of the frequent ties, the NHL reintroduced overtime for the 1983–84 season. The effect was immediate, as only seven teams had ten or more ties. Before its discontinuation during World War II, the NHL played a full 10-minute overtime period. The modern overtime format was set as a five-minute, sudden death period; the game ended when either team scored.[88]

text: The NHL changed its divisional alignment and playoff formats numerous times as it grew. The league's doubling in 1967 also led to the expansion of the playoffs to eight teams from four the previous year.[99] Expansion to 18 teams in 1974 caused the league to realign into two conferences and four divisions, each named after important figures in league history. The teams were split into the Campbell Conference, consisting of the Patrick and Smythe divisions, and the Prince of Wales Conference, consisting of the Adams and Norris divisions. The playoffs were expanded to 12 teams, and each division winner was granted a bye in the first round of the playoffs.[100] The addition of the four WHA teams in 1979 saw the playoffs expanded to 16 teams.[101]

text: In 1981, the league realigned all teams by geography. Eastern teams played in the Adams and Patrick divisions of the Wales Conference, and Western teams played in the Norris and Smythe divisions of the Campbell Conference. In addition, the playoff format was changed to have the top four teams in each division qualify rather than the top 16 teams overall. The first two playoff rounds were played entirely within each division. This format lasted until 1993.[102]

text: Entry Draft[edit]

text: During the late 1960s, the concept of sponsoring junior players and teams had been dismantled, meaning that for the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft, every player aged 20 or above was eligible to be selected. The Montreal Canadiens, however, exercised a special "cultural option" that allowed them to select two players of French-Canadian heritage, before any other players were selected. These players counted as Montreal's first two choices. After the Canadiens took Rejean Houle and Marc Tardif, the rest of the league voted to end the rule in 1970, just before future star Gilbert Perreault was selected first in the 1970 expansion draft by the Buffalo Sabres.[103]

text: In 1974, Sabres general manager Punch Imlach decided to play a joke on the league during the draft. He selected Taro Tsujimoto of the "Tokyo Katanas" with his 11th round pick. Other teams were shocked that the Sabres had scouted for players in Japan, and the league made the pick official. Weeks later, Imlach admitted that he made the player up, choosing the name out of a phone book.[103]

text: The league reformatted the Amateur Draft into the NHL Entry Draft in 1979 and simultaneously lowered the draft age to 19.[104] It was first opened to the public in 1980, when 2,500 fans attended the draft in the Montreal Forum. The public draft has grown such that it is now held annually in NHL arenas and televised internationally.[103]

text: Timeline[edit]

text: Notes

text:
The year given refers to the year in which that season began and not the year in which the Stanley Cup Playoffs took place
The California Golden Seals were known as the California Seals in 1967 and as the Oakland Seals from 1967–1970.
The Cleveland Barons merged with the Minnesota North Stars in 1978.
"SC" denotes teams that won the Stanley Cup.