2001

Corvallis-born Carl Edwin Wieman wins the Nobel Prize in Physics. His other awards include the Lorentz Medal (1998) and the Oersted Medal (2007).

2002

The Whiteside Theatre closes.

2002

In November, Oregon State alumnus Don Pettit (chemical engineering, 1978) begins a sojourn of four months aboard the International Space Station, Alpha.

2003

Oregon State University senior Casey McCoy receives five degrees at June's commencement ceremonies, the first OSU student ever to earn that many degrees at one time.

2003

Economist Edward Ray becomes Oregon State University's 14th president. He had previously served as a faculty member and administrator at Ohio State University.

2004

An $80-million expansion to OSU's Reser Stadium is launched.

2004

Oregon State University becomes one of America's first Sun Grant universities.

2004

In early January, a major winter storm hits Oregon, dumping snow and ice on Corvallis and OSU. The university closes for three days and heavy ice damages many trees around both the city and the county.

2005

New Alsea Community Library opens.

2005

Corvallis establishes a sister city relationship with Gondor, Ethiopia.

2005

The Corvallis High School building that has served the city since 1935 is demolished.

2006

A new Corvallis High School building, the third in the city's history, opens in the fall.

2007

Corvallis High School alumnus Brad Bird wins an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for Ratatouille, a Disney computer-animated film about a rat who dreams of becoming a chef in a fashionable French restaurant. Bird directed the film. His credits also include The Incredibles and The Iron Giant.

Feb. 14, 2009

Oregon celebrates the 150th anniversary of its statehood.