Darwin was largely destroyed in 1974 when Cyclone Tracy passed through, killing 49 people and destroying over 70% of the buildings. The town was subsequently rebuilt with newer materials and techniques.
During World War II, on February 19, 1942 about 150 Japanese warplanes attacked Darwin.
On September 17, 2003, the Adelaide-Darwin Railway was completed.
Darwin is reputed to experience more ground-strikes of lightning than any other inhabited place in the world. It is also home to the territory's sole university, Northern Territory University.