Historical eventMay 301948

Levee

A dike holding the Columbia River broke, causing a flood that destroyed Vanport, Oregon, U.S., only five years after the city was built.

In context

When
Sunday, May 30 194878 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1940s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1948.

What happened

A dike holding the Columbia River broke, causing a flood that destroyed Vanport, Oregon, U.S., only five years after the city was built.

May 30 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1948Levee
  2. 1999Nyamiha stampede
  3. 2003Depayin massacre
  4. 2005Disappearance of Natalee Holloway
  5. 2008Convention on Cluster Munitions
  6. 2008TACA Flight 390
  7. 2012President of Liberia
  8. 2012Liberia
  9. 2013Nigeria
  10. 2020Crew Dragon Demo-2
  11. 2024Donald Trump

Also in 1948

  • September 12People's Liberation ArmyThe People's Liberation Army launched the Liaoshen campaign, the first of the three major military campaigns during the late stage of the…
  • September 18Australia national cricket teamThe Australian cricket team's Invincibles tour of England concluded; they had played 34 matches, including five Tests, without defeat.
  • June 17United Air Lines Flight 624United Air Lines Flight 624, a Douglas DC-6, crashes near Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, killing all 43 people on board.
  • July 8United States Air ForceThe United States Air Force accepts its first female recruits into a program called the Women's Air Force (WAF).
  • December 14Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr.American physicists Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. and Estle Ray Mann were awarded a patent for their cathode-ray tube amusement device, the fir…
  • December 22Sjafruddin PrawiranegaraChaired by Sjafruddin Prawiranegara, the Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia was established to counter Dutch attempts to r…
  • December 9United Nations General AssemblyThe United Nations General Assembly adopted the Genocide Convention, which defines genocide in legal terms and obligates its signatories…
  • July 17Olympia, GreeceIn Olympia, Greece, the Summer Olympics torch relay, nicknamed the "relay of peace", began.

Everything we record for 1948 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Levee”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/levee-1948-may-30, accessed October 24, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Levee happen?

May 30 1948 — 78 years ago, on a Sunday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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