June 1989
The United States Olympic Committee selects Salt Lake City over Denver, Lake Placid, Anchorage and Reno as its host for the 1998 Olympic Winter Games.
The city enters competition with Aosta, Italy: Jaca, Spain; Nagano, Japan; Ostersund, Sweden; Queensland, New Zealand; and Sochi, USSR Queensland soon drops out.
August 1989
Bid committee structure and organization is announced. Tom Welch is appointed head of the board of trustees. Welch resigns from his position as a corporate attorney for Smith's Food and Drug, pledging to volunteer full time to lead the Olympic effort.
November 1989
Following an aggressive campaign, Utah voters approve a ballot referendum authorizing $56 million in sales tax revenue to build winter sports facilities. The referendum also approves the creation of the Utah Sports Authority to oversee construction and maintenance of facilities. Gov. Norm Bangerter appoints businessman Ian Cumming to head the authority.
February 1990
The USOC Executive Board officially submits Salt Lake City as its candidate to host the 1998 Winter Games.
May 1990
Ground is broken for the new downtown Jazz arena, proposed site for the Olympic figure skating and hockey events.
July 1990
The Utah Sports Authority completes its final selection process for site for the Olympic Winter venues.
September 1990
A Salt Lake delegation comes back to Utah rethinking its strategy after the IOC picks another American city, Atlanta, for the 1996 Summer Olympics.
October 1990
Salt Lake City's bid book is introduced, complete with oak slip covers and pine-scented pages.
January 1991
The IOC Site Evaluation Commission tours Salt Lake to inspect proposed venues.
February 1991
Gov. Norm Bangerter signs a new, tough abortion law. Soon after, pro-choice activists call for a boycott of Utah, including a call to stop the state from getting the Winter Games.
April 1991
IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch visits Salt Lake City.
May 1991
The official site inspection report of bidding cities is released and is highly complimentary of Salt Lake City's bid for the 1998 Winter Olypic GAmes. After the release of the report, which found several major flaws with Sochi, the city withdraws its bid..
Constructin begins on the Winter Sports Park at Bear Hollow in Summit County.
Pro-choice activists take out a full-page ad in USA Today saying that Utah's abortion law disqualifies the state for the Winter Olympics. pro-choice protesters picket meetings of the U.S. Olympic Committee in Seattle. The committee sticks with its decision to back Salt Lake City for the Winter Games bid.
June 1991
Salt Lake City loses the bid for the Olympics before the IOC in Birmingham, England.