The five spot: 5 notable presidential visits to Tacoma

Five noteworthy Tacoma visits by U.S. commanders in chief, in honor of Presidents Day.

1 Sept. 13, 1919: Woodrow Wilson speaks to large crowds at Stadium Bowl and the Armory. His security detail disarms a threatening package, which turns out to contain strawberries.

2 Sept. 27, 1963: John F. Kennedy rides a helicopter into Cheney Stadium, delivers a hopeful speech in the sun and leaves hundreds of local school girls in a swoon befitting the Beatles era.

3 April 19, 1984: Ronald Reagan chats with Port of Tacoma dockworkers and regales them with a story of his first trip to Tacoma 44 years earlier, for the premiere of his movie "Tugboat Annie Sails Again."

4 Aug. 17, 2010: Barack Obama, in what would be his only (ahem) “appearance” in Tacoma, causes a commotion as he flies overhead with fighter jets protecting his air space. Thus was born the term “Obooma.”

5 Jan. 20, 2018: Mike Pence swings by Frisko Freeze for a burger during a national reconciliation tour after being sworn in as the 46th U.S. president.

This story was originally published February 19, 2017 at 5:06 PM with the headline "The five spot: 5 notable presidential visits to Tacoma."