1952 | NATO’s Allied Command Atlantic (ACLANT) established in Norfolk. |
1952 | Norfolk organizes “Norfolk Hospitality Committee" for International Guests. |
1954 | Festival’s first year. First time Azalea Festival Air Show culminates week of events. 20,000 attend first Azalea Festival Air Show. 250,000 attended the 48th in 2001. |
1954 | April 7 — Pat Priest arrives in Norfolk to be first Queen Azalea (later becomes “Marilyn” on The Munsters). |
1955 | April 23 — Olivia B. Twining crowned Queen Azalea II. |
1955 | Azalea Festival garners much national media attention. |
1962 | Queen Azalea Peggy Goldwater, wore shoes made of feathers, which irked protestors. Also, foul weather caused the coronation to be moved to Sunday, the first and only time in Azalea Festival history the coronation was held on Sunday. |
1965 | Luci Johnson, youngest daughter of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, named Queen Azalea XII. |
1967 | Queen Azalea Monique van den Boeynants coronation cut short due to tornado warning. 6,000 are in attendance. |
1971 | George H. W. Bush, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations (and later 41st president), speaks to Women’s Division of the Chamber of Commerce during festival week. |
1971 | Winston Churchill’s granddaughter has to bow out after being named queen, is replaced by Sarah Rippon. |
1972 | Portugal is Most Honored Nation. Queen Teresa Sanches and Azalea Festival Parade is boycotted due to the country’s alleged racist activities in Africa. Queen was forced from her float in the parade. |
1975 | Paul Anka performs at Azalea Festival Ball. Anka one of many stars to attend as Grand Marshall and/or performers during the Azalea Festival, including Sarah Vaughn, Diana Ross, Gordon Lightfoot, etc. |
1976 | Festival budget hits $45,000. |
1979 | Norfolk’s Tim Reid, of WKRP in Cincinnati fame, is grand marshal. |
1982 | First Norfolkian is Queen Azalea XXIX – Melanie Pappas was named after Greece refuses to participate. |
1983 | America is Most Honored Nation and Lorene Allison Stokes is first African- American Queen Azalea. |
1984 | Might have been last Azalea Festival as the event is now competing against other such festivals like the popular Harborfest, Neptune Fest and such. |
1990 | ACLANT moves into new headquarters. |
1997 | Virginia Waterfront Arts Festival premiers. |
1998 | Azalea Festival joins forces with Arts Festival to hold joint military tattoo. |
2000 | Azalea Festival and NATOFest features Strong Man competition for first time. |
2002 | Azalea Festival Air Show ends run of 49 straight years as part of the festival due to increased operational tempo of forces, decreased funding and security concerns in a post 9-11 Navy. |
| 2007 | Azalea Festival designated tas a tax exempt corporation under federal IRS code 501(c)(3). Queen Azalea's Court reorganized to include Student Diplomat Corps thereby strengthening the educational component of the Festival. 26 Students represented the 26 NATO member nations at the first Model NATO Day at HQ Allied Command Transformation. For the first time the Festival awarded student scholarships and educational grants to the Hampton Roads Navy League and Children's Hospital of the Kings Daughter's. |
