In 1943, the site of the future Sea-Tac International Airport was mostly vacant land with scattered ruins before construction began later in the decade.

Sea-Tac was the first airport in the world to feature a system for playing pre-recorded flight arrival and departure announcements, as shown in this 1949 publicity photo from United Air Lines. Each announcement was listed in a small remote control box and coded with a letter and a number. When airline agents met incoming or outgoing flights, they punched the appropriate buttons to play a pre-recorded announcement.

Previous expansions at the airport also displaced surrounding neighborhoods. This 1977 photo shows garbage piled up near a boarded-up house later torn down to make way for expansion.

The airport underwent an identity crisis in 1983-84. Port of Seattle commissioners renamed it in honor of the late Sen. Henry M. Jackson, sparking confusion and controversy. The name change lasted less than six months. This February 1984 photo shows workmen removing the "Jackson International" sign after port commissioners voted to restore the airport's traditional monicker.