Timeline of the San Francisco Bay Area
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This is a timeline of the San Francisco Bay Area in
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, events in the nine counties that border on the
San Francisco Bay San Francisco Bay is a large tidal estuary in the U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the big cities of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland. San Francisco Bay drains water f ...
, and the bay itself. An identical list of events, formatted differently, may be found
here Here is an adverb that means "in, on, or at this place". It may also refer to: Software * Here Technologies, a mapping company * Here WeGo (formerly Here Maps), a mobile app and map website by Here Television * Here TV (formerly "here!"), a ...
.


Prehistory

*The
San Andreas Fault The San Andreas Fault is a continental transform fault that extends roughly through California. It forms the tectonic boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate, and its motion is right-lateral strike-slip (horizontal) ...
''(pictured)'' begins to form in the mid
Cenozoic The Cenozoic ( ; ) is Earth's current geological era, representing the last 66million years of Earth's history. It is characterised by the dominance of mammals, birds and flowering plants, a cooling and drying climate, and the current configu ...
about 30
million years ago The abbreviation Myr, "million years", is a unit of a quantity of (i.e. ) years, or 31.556926 teraseconds. Usage Myr (million years) is in common use in fields such as Earth science and cosmology. Myr is also used with Mya (million years ago ...
*9.5 million years ago, the Moraga Volcanics produces most of the lavas that underlie the East Bay ridges from present day
Tilden Regional Park Charles Lee Tilden Regional Park, also known as Tilden Park or Tilden, [], is a regional park in the East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area in California. It is between the Berkeley Hills and San Pablo R ...
to [ oraga *During the
Quaternary glaciation The Quaternary glaciation, also known as the Pleistocene glaciation, is an alternating series of glacial and interglacial periods during the Quaternary period that began 2.58 Ma (million years ago) and is ongoing. Although geologists describ ...
beginning 2.58 million years ago, the basin that will be filled by the bay is a large linear valley with small hills, similar to most of the valleys of the
Coast Ranges The Pacific Coast Ranges (officially gazetted as the Pacific Mountain System in the United States) are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along the West Coast of North America from Alaska south to Northern and Central Mexico. Although ...
. The rivers of the Central Valley run out to sea through a canyon that will become the
Golden Gate The Golden Gate is a strait on the west coast of North America that connects San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. It is defined by the headlands of the San Francisco Peninsula and the Marin Peninsula, and, since 1937, has been spanned by t ...
. As the ice sheets melt, sea levels rise over the next 4,000 years, and the valley fills with water from the Pacific. *Evidence of human occupation of California dates from at least 17,000 BCE. *The
Ohlone people The Ohlone, formerly known as Costanoans (from Spanish meaning 'coast dweller'), are a Native American people of the Northern California coast. When Spanish explorers and missionaries arrived in the late 18th century, the Ohlone inhabited the ...
''(pictured)'' inhabit the Bay Area region as early as 6,000 years ago, with a 1770 estimated population of 10,000–20,000 *The
Coast Miwok Coast Miwok are an indigenous people that was the second-largest group of Miwok people. Coast Miwok inhabited the general area of modern Marin County and southern Sonoma County in Northern California, from the Golden Gate north to Duncans Poi ...
inhabit the Sonoma region as early as 4,000 years ago, with a 1770 estimated population of 2,000 *The
Patwin people The Patwin (also Patween, Southern Wintu) are a band of Wintun people native to the area of Northern California. The Patwin comprise the southern branch of the Wintun group, native inhabitants of California since approximately 500 AD. The Patw ...
inhabit the northern Bay region as early as 1,500 years ago, with a 1770 estimated population of 12,000 *The
Bay Miwok The Bay Miwok are a cultural and linguistic group of Miwok, a Native American people in Northern California who live in Contra Costa County. They joined the Franciscan mission system during the early nineteenth century, suffered a devastating ...
inhabit the region that is now
Contra Costa County ) of the San Francisco Bay , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1 = State , subdivision_name1 = California , subdivision_type2 ...
, with a 1770 estimated population of approximately 1,700


16th century

*In 1539,
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo ( pt, João Rodrigues Cabrilho; c. 1499 – January 3, 1543) was an Iberian maritime explorer best known for investigations of the West Coast of North America, undertaken on behalf of the Spanish Empire. He was the firs ...
lands on islands off the coast of California, and names them
Farallones The Farallon Islands, or Farallones (from the Spanish ''farallón'' meaning "pillar" or "sea cliff"), are a group of islands and sea stacks in the Gulf of the Farallones, off the coast of San Francisco, California, United States. The islands ...
, Spanish for cliffs or small pointed islets *On 13 November 1542,
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo ( pt, João Rodrigues Cabrilho; c. 1499 – January 3, 1543) was an Iberian maritime explorer best known for investigations of the West Coast of North America, undertaken on behalf of the Spanish Empire. He was the firs ...
sights a peninsula from his ship and names it " Cabo de Pinos", while missing the entrance to San Francisco Bay *
Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake ( – 28 January 1596) was an English explorer, sea captain, privateer, slave trader, naval officer, and politician. Drake is best known for his circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition, from 1577 to 1580 ...
lands at what is now known as
Drakes Bay Drakes Bay (Coast Miwok: ''Tamál-Húye'') is a wide bay named so by U.S. surveyor George Davidson in 1875 along the Point Reyes National Seashore on the coast of northern California in the United States, approximately northwest of San Fra ...
in 1579 ''(pictured)'', and claims the land for
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
, as
New Albion New Albion, also known as ''Nova Albion'' (in reference to an archaic name for Britain), was the name of the continental area north of Mexico claimed by Sir Francis Drake for England when he landed on the North American west coast in 1579. Thi ...


17th century

*Despite numerous sailing vessels traveling along the coast, no ships discover the
Golden Gate The Golden Gate is a strait on the west coast of North America that connects San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. It is defined by the headlands of the San Francisco Peninsula and the Marin Peninsula, and, since 1937, has been spanned by t ...
and the San Francisco Bay, due to factors such as fog and ships avoiding sailing close to shore


18th century

*
Las Californias The Californias (Spanish: ''Las Californias''), occasionally known as The Three Californias or Two Californias, are a region of North America spanning the United States and Mexico, consisting of the U.S. state of California and the Mexica ...
is established in 1768 by
New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( es, Virreinato de Nueva España, ), or Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain during the Spanish colonization of the A ...
, encompassing the Bay Area *
Gaspar de Portolà Gaspar is a given and/or surname of French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish origin, cognate to Casper (given name) or Casper (surname). It is a name of biblical origin, per Saint Gaspar, one of the wise men mentioned in the Bible. Notable peo ...
arrives in the Bay Area in 1769 *
Mission San Francisco de Asís Mission San Francisco de Asís ( es, Misión San Francisco de Asís), commonly known as Mission Dolores (as it was founded near the Dolores creek), is a Spanish Californian mission and the oldest surviving structure in San Francisco. Located i ...
and El Presidio Real de San Francisco are founded in 1776 in Yerba Buena *Baptisms of the
Yelamu The Yelamu are a local tribe of Ohlone people from the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California. The Yelamu speak a language called Ramaytush. The moderAssociation of Ramaytush Ohlone (ARO)are the descendants of the Ramaytush. Randall Milli ...
by Spanish missionaries begin in 1777 * La Misión Santa Clara de Thamien and el Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe are established in 1777 on the Guadalupe River *In 1786,
Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse Jean François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse (; variant spelling: ''La Pérouse''; 23 August 17411788?), often called simply Lapérouse, was a French naval officer and explorer. Having enlisted at the age of 15, he had a successful naval caree ...
sails to San Francisco and maps the Bay Area *In 1792, British explorer
George Vancouver Captain George Vancouver (22 June 1757 – 10 May 1798) was a British Royal Navy officer best known for his 1791–1795 expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of what are ...
stops in San Francisco, in part, according to his journal, to spy on the Spanish settlements in the area


19th century

*In 1804, The Bay Area is part of the newly created
New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( es, Virreinato de Nueva España, ), or Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain during the Spanish colonization of the A ...
state of
Alta California Alta California ('Upper California'), also known as ('New California') among other names, was a province of New Spain, formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but ...
*The
Russian-American Company The Russian-American Company Under the High Patronage of His Imperial Majesty (russian: Под высочайшим Его Императорского Величества покровительством Российская-Американс ...
establishes Fortress Ross (Крѣпость Россъ, tr. Krepostʹ Ross) ''(pictured)'' in 1812, in what is now
Sonoma County Sonoma County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa. It is to the north of Marin County and the south of Mendocino ...
*In 1821,
New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( es, Virreinato de Nueva España, ), or Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain during the Spanish colonization of the A ...
cedes
Alta California Alta California ('Upper California'), also known as ('New California') among other names, was a province of New Spain, formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but ...
, including the Bay Area, to the newly created
Mexican Empire Mexican Empire may refer to: * First Mexican Empire, the regime under Agustín de Iturbide (Agustín I) from 1821 to 1823 * Second Mexican Empire The Second Mexican Empire (), officially the Mexican Empire (), was a constitutional monarchy est ...
*
William A. Richardson William Anthony Richardson (August 27, 1795 – April 20, 1856) was an early California entrepreneur, influential in the development of Yerba Buena, the forerunner of the city of San Francisco. Richardson was the first to receive a land gran ...
''(pictured)'' arrives in San Francisco in 1822, and in 1838 is given
Rancho Saucelito Rancho Saucelito (also called "Rancho Sausalito") was a Ranchos of California, Mexican land grant in present-day Marin County, California, given in 1838 by Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado, Juan Alvarado to William A. Richardson. The name means "r ...
in present-day
Marin County Marin County is a county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and largest city is San Rafael. Marin County is acros ...
by Mexican Governor Juan Alvarado *In 1823, the Bay Area, as part of
Alta California Alta California ('Upper California'), also known as ('New California') among other names, was a province of New Spain, formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but ...
, becomes part of the newly founded
United Mexican States Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
*In 1837, Antonio Ortega begins operating a pulqueria (tavern) north of San Francisco, on the former site of Mission San Francisco Solano *In 1838, a 7.0 MLa earthquake strikes the
Peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on a ...
, on or near the
San Andreas Fault The San Andreas Fault is a continental transform fault that extends roughly through California. It forms the tectonic boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate, and its motion is right-lateral strike-slip (horizontal) ...
, with a maximum
Mercalli intensity The Modified Mercalli intensity scale (MM, MMI, or MCS), developed from Giuseppe Mercalli's Mercalli intensity scale of 1902, is a seismic intensity scale used for measuring the intensity of shaking produced by an earthquake. It measures the eff ...
of VIII (''Severe'') *Colonists in
Alta California Alta California ('Upper California'), also known as ('New California') among other names, was a province of New Spain, formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but ...
rebel against the
Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
department's government, raise a flag featuring a grizzly bear ''(pictured)'' at El Cuartel de Sonoma, and establish the short-lived (and unrecognized)
California Republic The California Republic ( es, La República de California), or Bear Flag Republic, was an unrecognized breakaway state from Mexico, that for 25 days in 1846 militarily controlled an area north of San Francisco, in and around what is now So ...
*US Navy Commodore John D. Sloat
claims Claim may refer to: * Claim (legal) * Claim of Right Act 1689 * Claims-based identity * Claim (philosophy) * Land claim * A ''main contention'', see conclusion of law * Patent claim * The assertion of a proposition; see Douglas N. Walton * A ri ...
California for the United States during the
Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the ...
, and US Navy Captain John Berrien Montgomery and
US Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through com ...
Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army unt ...
Henry Bulls Watson of the arrives to claim Yerba Buena two days later by raising the American flag over the town plaza *
Washington Allon Bartlett Washington Allon Bartlett (''c.'' 1816 – February 6, 1865) was the first U.S. citizen to serve as alcalde of Yerba Buena/San Francisco, appointed by the military government during the Mexican-American War and serving from August 14, 1846, to ...
is named
alcalde Alcalde (; ) is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and administrative functions. An ''alcalde'' was, in the absence of a corregidor, the presiding officer of the Castilian '' cabildo'' (the municipal council) ...
of Yerba Buena * Yerba Buena doubles in population when about 240 Mormon pioneers arrive, among them
Samuel Brannan Samuel Brannan (March 2, 1819 – May 5, 1889) was an American settler, businessman, journalist, and prominent Mormon who founded the '' California Star'', the first newspaper in San Francisco, California. He is considered the first to public ...
*
Samuel Brannan Samuel Brannan (March 2, 1819 – May 5, 1889) was an American settler, businessman, journalist, and prominent Mormon who founded the '' California Star'', the first newspaper in San Francisco, California. He is considered the first to public ...
's '' California Star'' begins publishing in Yerba Buena ''(Sam Brannan pictured)'' *'' The Californian'' moves to Yerba Buena from
Monterey Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bot ...
, shortly after the ''California Star'' debuts *
Alcalde Alcalde (; ) is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and administrative functions. An ''alcalde'' was, in the absence of a corregidor, the presiding officer of the Castilian '' cabildo'' (the municipal council) ...
Washington Allon Bartlett Washington Allon Bartlett (''c.'' 1816 – February 6, 1865) was the first U.S. citizen to serve as alcalde of Yerba Buena/San Francisco, appointed by the military government during the Mexican-American War and serving from August 14, 1846, to ...
proclaims that Yerba Buena will henceforth be known as
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...
* Nathan Coombs purchases a farm on Rancho Napa from
Salvador Vallejo Don Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo (4 July 1807 – 18 January 1890) was a Californio general, statesman, and public figure. He was born a subject of Spain, performed his military duties as an officer of the Republic of Mexico, and shaped the trans ...
, and of Rancho Entre Napa from Nicholas Higuera James W. Marshall finds several flakes of gold at a
lumber mill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...
he owned in partnership
John Sutter John Augustus Sutter (February 23, 1803 – June 18, 1880), born Johann August Sutter and known in Spanish as Don Juan Sutter, was a Swiss immigrant of Mexican and American citizenship, known for establishing Sutter's Fort in the area th ...
, at the bank of the South Fork of the
American River , name_etymology = , image = American River CA.jpg , image_size = 300 , image_caption = The American River at Folsom , map = Americanrivermap.png , map_size = 300 , map_caption ...
, news of which quickly travels around the world ''(advertisement for transportation to the Gold Rush pictured, right)''
The '' California Star'' and the '' Californian'' both cease publication in San Francisco due to losing all their staff to the
California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California f ...

The
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ( es, Tratado de Guadalupe Hidalgo), officially the Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Limits, and Settlement between the United States of America and the United Mexican States, is the peace treaty that was signed on 2 ...
''(pictured, left)'' ends the
Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the ...
, and cedes the territory of California (including the
San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area G ...
) to the United States from Mexico
San Francisco's population is 1,000 A small coffee stand ''(1983 menu pictured, left)'' opens on Clay Street in San Francisco
Boudin Bakery Boudin Bakery ( Anglicized pronunciation: ) is a bakery based in San Francisco, California, known for its sourdough bread (trademarked as "The Original San Francisco Sourdough"). The bakery is recognized as the "oldest continually operating busi ...
is established in San Francisco, producing San Francisco sourdough ''(loaves pictured, right)''
'' The Alta California'' begins publishing in San Francisco
Bayard Taylor Bayard Taylor (January 11, 1825December 19, 1878) was an American poet, literary critic, translator, travel author, and diplomat. As a poet, he was very popular, with a crowd of more than 4,000 attending a poetry reading once, which was a record ...
visits San Francisco and the Gold Country, writing about the Gold Rush
The ''
Niantic Niantic may refer to: * Niantic people, tribe of American Indians * Niantic, Inc., mobile app developer known for the mobile games ''Ingress'' and ''Pokémon Go'' Ships * ''Niantic'' (whaling vessel), relic of San Francisco Gold Rush *USS ''Ni ...
'' whaling ship is stranded by its crew on the shore of San Francisco, who desert it to join the Gold Rush
Irish immigrants
Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...
and James Donahue found
Union Iron Works Union Iron Works, located in San Francisco, California, on the southeast waterfront, was a central business within the large industrial zone of Potrero Point, for four decades at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries ...
''(pictured)'' in
South of Market, San Francisco South of Market (SoMa) is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California, situated just south of Market Street. It contains several sub-neighborhoods including South Beach, Yerba Buena, and Rincon Hill. SoMa is home to many of the city's museums ...

San Francisco's population is 25,000, an increase by 2,400% from 1848's 1,000 *The
San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area G ...
is part of the new state of
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, which is admitted into the United States of America *The
City and County of San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
is incorporated ** John W. Geary ''(pictured)'' becomes the first mayor of San Francisco *
Contra Costa County ) of the San Francisco Bay , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1 = State , subdivision_name1 = California , subdivision_type2 ...
is incorporated *
Marin County Marin County is a county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and largest city is San Rafael. Marin County is acros ...
is incorporated *
Napa County Napa County () is a county north of San Pablo Bay located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 138,019. The county seat is the City of Napa. Napa County was one of the original c ...
is incorporated *
Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring San Benito County together ...
is incorporated ** San Jose is incorporated in
Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring San Benito County together ...
''(First Street, c. 1868–1885, pictured)'' *
Solano County Solano County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 453,491. The county seat is Fairfield. Solano County comprises the Vallejo–Fairfield, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which i ...
is incorporated **
Benicia Benicia ( , ) is a waterside city in Solano County, California, located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. It served as the capital of California for nearly thirteen months from 1853 to 1854. The population was 26,997 at th ...
is incorporated in
Solano County Solano County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 453,491. The county seat is Fairfield. Solano County comprises the Vallejo–Fairfield, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which i ...
''(Benicia's State Capitol building from 1853 pictured)'' *
Sonoma County Sonoma County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa. It is to the north of Marin County and the south of Mendocino ...
is incorporated The
San Francisco Unified School District San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), established in 1851, is the only public school district within the City and County of San Francisco, and the first in the state of California. Under the management of the San Francisco Board of Edu ...
is established, as the first public
school district A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public primary and secondary schools in various nations. North America United States In the U.S, most K–12 public schools function as units of local school districts, w ...
in California ''(historic Ida B. Wells High School building pictured, right)''
The
San Francisco Committee of Vigilance The San Francisco Committee of Vigilance was a vigilante group formed in 1851. The catalyst for its formation was the criminality of the Sydney Ducks gang. It was revived in 1856 in response to rampant crime and corruption in the municipal govern ...
is formed in response to rampant crime and corruption in the municipal government ''(1851 hanging pictured, left)''
Congregation Emanu-El is chartered in San Francisco
A fire destroys large swaths of San Francisco After opening a number of businesses in Peru and California, Italian
chocolatier A chocolatier is a person or company who makes confectionery from chocolate. Chocolatiers are distinct from chocolate makers, who create chocolate from cacao beans and other ingredients. Education and training Traditionally, chocolatiers, ...
Domenico Ghirardelli Domenico "Domingo" Ghirardelli (; February 21, 1817 – January 17, 1894) was an Italian-born chocolatier who was the founder of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company in San Francisco, California. Biography Early life Domenico Ghirardelli was bo ...
imports 200 pounds of cocoa beans and establishes D. Ghirardelli & Co in San Francisco ''(1864 advertisement pictured, left)''
Henry Wells Henry Wells (December 12, 1805 – December 10, 1878) was an American businessman important in the history of both the American Express Company and Wells Fargo & Company. Wells worked as a freight agent before joining the express business. Hi ...
and William G. Fargo establish Wells, Fargo & Company in San Francisco, a
joint-stock A joint-stock company is a business entity in which shares of the company's stock can be bought and sold by shareholders. Each shareholder owns company stock in proportion, evidenced by their shares (certificates of ownership). Shareholders are ...
association with an initial capitalization of $300,000, to provide express and banking services ''(iconic stagecoach pictured, right)''
The city of Santa Clara is incorporated in
Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring San Benito County together ...
''(1910 postcard pictured, right)''
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
is incorporated in
Alameda County Alameda County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and 21st most populous nationally. The county seat is Oakland. Alam ...
''(1867 painting shown, right)''
Francis K. Shattuck Francis Kittredge Shattuck (March 6, 1824 – September 9, 1898) was the most prominent civic leader in the early history of Berkeley, California, and played an important role in the creation and government of Alameda County as well. He also ...
, George Blake, and two partners they met in the gold fields, William Hillegass and James Leonard, lay claim to four adjoining strips of land north of Oakland The
California Academy of Natural Sciences The California Academy of Sciences is a research institute and natural history museum in San Francisco, California, that is among the largest museums of natural history in the world, housing over 46 million specimens. The Academy began in 1853 ...
''(modern display pictured, left)'' is founded in San Francisco
Levi Strauss & Co. is established when
Levi Strauss Levi Strauss (; born Löb Strauß ; February 26, 1829 – September 26, 1902) was a German-born American businessman who founded the first company to manufacture blue jeans. His firm of Levi Strauss & Co. (Levi's) began in 1853 in San Francisc ...
''(pictured, right)'' arrives from
Buttenheim Buttenheim is a market town in the Upper Franconian district of Bamberg and lies in the Regnitz Valley between Bamberg and Nuremberg, Germany. Buttenheim is Levi Strauss’s birthplace: the future inventor of blue jeans emigrated from Germany ...
,
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...
, in San Francisco to open a west coast branch of his brothers' New York
dry goods Dry goods is a historic term describing the type of product line a store carries, which differs by region. The term comes from the textile trade, and the shops appear to have spread with the mercantile trade across the British Empire (and forme ...
business
Alameda County Alameda County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and 21st most populous nationally. The county seat is Oakland. Alam ...
is incorporated
Mare Island Naval Shipyard The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates t ...
''(pictured, left)'', the first
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
base established on the Pacific Ocean, is established in Vallejo,
Solano County Solano County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 453,491. The county seat is Fairfield. Solano County comprises the Vallejo–Fairfield, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which i ...

The Mechanics' Institute Library and Chess Room is founded in San Francisco
The city of
Alameda An alameda is a street or path lined with trees () and may refer to: Places Canada * Alameda, Saskatchewan, town in Saskatchewan ** Grant Devine Dam, formerly ''Alameda Dam'', a dam and reservoir in southern Saskatchewan Chile * Alameda (Santia ...
is incorporated in
Alameda County Alameda County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and 21st most populous nationally. The county seat is Oakland. Alam ...
''(
Alameda Works Shipyard The Alameda Works Shipyard, in Alameda, California, United States, was one of the largest and best equipped shipyards in the country. The only building remaining from the yard is the Union Iron Works Powerhouse, which is listed on the National R ...
pictured, right)''
The first department store in San Francisco opens: Davidson & Lane, later renamed
The White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 180 ...
. * Saint Ignatius Academy is founded in San Francisco by the Italian Jesuits Rev.
Anthony Maraschi The Reverend Anthony Maraschi, S.J. (1820 - 1897) was an Italian-born priest of the Society of Jesus. He was a founder of the University of San Francisco and Saint Ignatius College Preparatory as well as the first pastor of Saint Ignatius Chu ...
, Rev. Joseph Bixio, and Rev. Michael Accolti ''(present St. Ignatius Church, on campus, pictured)'' *With gold only profitably retrieved by medium to large groups of workers, either in partnerships or as employees, the
California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California f ...
ends *The
College of California The College of California was a private college in Oakland, California. It is a predecessor of the public University of California system. It was established in 1853 as the Contra Costa Academy. In 1868, it merged with the nascent Agricultural ...
is founded in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
* San Mateo County is incorporated ''(1878 map pictured)'' *''
Hutchings' Illustrated California Magazine ''Hutchings' Illustrated California Magazine'' was a magazine published between 1856 and 1861, in San Francisco, which played an important role in popularizing California in general, and to a large extent Yosemite National Park in particular. Pub ...
'' is founded in San Francisco *Early San Francisco developer
William A. Richardson William Anthony Richardson (August 27, 1795 – April 20, 1856) was an early California entrepreneur, influential in the development of Yerba Buena, the forerunner of the city of San Francisco. Richardson was the first to receive a land gran ...
dies *'' Daily Evening Bulletin'' editor
James King of William James King of William (January 28, 1822 – May 20, 1856) was a crusading San Francisco, California, newspaper editor whose assassination by James P. Casey, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1856 resulted in the establishment ...
is shot and killed at
Montgomery Street Montgomery Street is a north-south thoroughfare in San Francisco, California, in the United States. It runs about 16 blocks from the Telegraph Hill neighborhood south through downtown, terminating at Market Street. South of Columbus Avenue ...
in San Francisco * Église Notre Dame Des Victoires ''(pictured)'' in San Francisco is completed *The
Sisters of Mercy The Sisters of Mercy is a religious institute of Catholic women founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley. As of 2019, the institute had about 6200 sisters worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations. They a ...
open St. Mary's Hospital on Stockton Street in San Francisco, the first Catholic hospital west of the Rocky Mountains ''(hospital ruins in 1906 pictured)'' * Minns Evening Normal School is founded in San Francisco by
George W. Minns George Washington Minns (October 6, 1813 in Boston, Massachusetts – January 14, 1895 in Brookline, Massachusetts) graduated from Harvard College with the class of 1836 and received a law degree from the Howard Dane Law School of Harvard. He ...
*George Kenny starts construction of an octagonal house at
Russian Hill Russian Hill is a neighborhood of San Francisco, California. It is named after one of San Francisco's 44 hills, and one of its original "Seven Hills". Location Russian Hill is directly to the north (and slightly downhill) from Nob Hill, to th ...
in San Francisco *Landscape painter
Fortunato Arriola Fortunato Arriola (1827–1872), born in Cosalá, Sinaloa, Mexico, was a painter of portraits and luminous tropical landscapes that were very popular in San Francisco, California, where he came to live in 1857. The son of a wealthy landowner, A ...
moves to San Francisco from Cosala,
Sinaloa Sinaloa (), officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sinaloa), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 18 municipalities and ...
,
Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...
*
Lafayette Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to: People * Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette * House of La Fayette, a French noble family ** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757 ...
is incorporated in
Contra Costa County ) of the San Francisco Bay , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1 = State , subdivision_name1 = California , subdivision_type2 ...
*
Buena Vista Winery Buena Vista Winery is a winery located in Sonoma, California, United States. It is the second oldest winery in California after the D'Agostini Winery, which was founded a year prior in 1856. It was founded by Agoston Haraszthy in 1857. The wi ...
is founded by
Agoston Haraszthy Agoston Haraszthy (; hu, Haraszthy Ágoston, es, Agustín Haraszthy; August 30, 1812 – July 6, 1869) was a Hungarian-American nobleman, adventurer, traveler, writer, town-builder, and pioneer winemaker in Wisconsin and California, often refe ...
in the
Sonoma Valley Sonoma Valley is a valley located in southeastern Sonoma County, California, in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Known as the birthplace of the California wine industry, the valley is home to some of the earliest vineyards a ...
''(early champagne production pictured)'' *The first
San Francisco Chinese New Year Festival and Parade The San Francisco Chinese New Year Festival and Parade is an annual event in San Francisco. Held for approximately two weeks following the first day of the Chinese New Year, it combines elements of the Chinese Lantern Festival with a typical Amer ...
is held in
Chinatown A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Aust ...
, combining elements of the Chinese
Lantern Festival The Lantern Festival ( zh, t=元宵節, s=元宵节, first=t, hp=Yuánxiāo jié), also called Shangyuan Festival ( zh, t=上元節, s=上元节, first=t, hp=Shàngyuán jié), is a Chinese traditional festival celebrated on the fifteenth d ...
with a typical American
parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of s ...
''(contemporary parade dragon pictured)'' *The William Hood House is built in
Sonoma County Sonoma County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa. It is to the north of Marin County and the south of Mendocino ...
, using bricks made on the property *The Medical Department of the University of the Pacific, the first medical school on the West Coast, is founded in Santa Clara *
Bolinas School Bolinas-Stinson Union School District is a public school district in Marin County, California, with offices in Bolinas, California, USA. As of the 2017–18 school year, the District had 91 students at its Bolinas campus. History Bolinas Scho ...
opens in
Marin County Marin County is a county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and largest city is San Rafael. Marin County is acros ...
*
Alcatraz Citadel Fort Alcatraz was a United States Army coastal fortification on Alcatraz Island near the mouth of San Francisco Bay in California, part of the Third System of fixed fortifications, although very different from most other Third System works. Init ...
''(pictured)'' is built on
Alcatraz Island Alcatraz Island () is a small island in San Francisco Bay, offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, and a military pri ...
in the
San Francisco Bay San Francisco Bay is a large tidal estuary in the U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the big cities of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland. San Francisco Bay drains water f ...
*
Laurentine Hamilton Laurentine Hamilton (1826 – April 9, 1882) was a Presbyterian minister accused of heresy, and founder of the First Unitarian Church of Oakland. Hamilton was born in Catlin, New York, near Seneca Lake. He graduated from Hamilton College in Cl ...
comes to San Jose to preach at the First Presbyterian Church of San Jose * Joshua Norton declares himself "NORTON I, Emperor of the United States" in San Francisco *
Francis K. Shattuck Francis Kittredge Shattuck (March 6, 1824 – September 9, 1898) was the most prominent civic leader in the early history of Berkeley, California, and played an important role in the creation and government of Alameda County as well. He also ...
is elected the fifth mayor of
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
* Congregation Beth Israel-Judea forms in San Francisco from the merger of the Conservative Congregation Beth Israel and the Reform Temple Judea *The
San Francisco Olympic Club The Olympic Club is an athletic club and private social club in San Francisco, California. First named the "San Francisco Olympic Club", it is the oldest athletic club in the United States. Established on May 6, 1860, its first officers were ...
is founded ''(founder Arthur Nahl pictured working out with his brother in 1855)'' *The Woodford Hotel and Saloon in
Contra Costa County ) of the San Francisco Bay , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1 = State , subdivision_name1 = California , subdivision_type2 ...
becomes a
Pony Express The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders. It operated from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pike ...
stop ''(historical plaque pictured)'' *The
James Lick Mansion The James Lick Mansion, in Santa Clara, California, United States, is the estate of James Lick, who was the richest man in California at the time of his death in 1876. The estate is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This pro ...
in Santa Clara, the estate of
James Lick James Lick (August 25, 1796 – October 1, 1876) was an American real estate investor, carpenter, piano builder, land baron, and patron of the sciences. The wealthiest man in California at the time of his death, Lick left the majority of his es ...
, is completed *The Black Diamond coal mine is started by Noah Norton *San Francisco's population is 56,802, an increase by 63% from 1852's 34,776 * S & G Gump is established in San Francisco as a mirror and frame shop by Solomon Gump and his brother, Gustav ''(contemporary display pictured)'' *''
Hutchings' Illustrated California Magazine ''Hutchings' Illustrated California Magazine'' was a magazine published between 1856 and 1861, in San Francisco, which played an important role in popularizing California in general, and to a large extent Yosemite National Park in particular. Pub ...
'' in San Francisco ceases publishing *
Charles Krug Charles Krug (1825–1892) was among the pioneers of winemaking in the Napa Valley, California, and was the founder of the Charles Krug Winery. Biography Charles Krug visited the United States from Prussia in 1847, and became a citizen in 1852. I ...
founds the first winery in
Napa Valley Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier ...
*The Halleck, Peachy & Billings law firm in San Francisco is dissolved
Schramsberg Vineyards Schramsberg Vineyards is a winery located in Calistoga, California in the Napa Valley region. The vineyard, which was founded in 1862 by the German immigrant Jacob Schram, produces a series of sparkling wines using the same method as champagne. ...
is established in
Napa Valley Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier ...
by Jacob Schram ''(pictured, left)''
The state capitol is moved from
Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
to San Francisco, due to Flooding of the Central Valley
Minns Evening Normal School in San Francisco is taken over by the state and moved to San Jose as the
California State Normal School The California State Normal School was a teaching college system founded on May 2, 1862, eventually evolving into San Jose State University, San José State University in San Jose, California, San Jose and the University of California, Los Angel ...

William Boothby William Robinson Boothby (26 September 1829 – 12 July 1903) was Electoral Commissioner for South Australia, in charge of every parliamentary election from 1856 to 1903. Boothby was the eldest son of South Australian Supreme Court Justice Ben ...
''(pictured, right)'' is born in San Francisco *The ''
Democratic Press The ''San Francisco Examiner'' is a newspaper distributed in and around San Francisco, California, and published since 1863. Once self-dubbed the "Monarch of the Dailies" by then-owner William Randolph Hearst, and flagship of the Hearst Corporat ...
'' is founded in San Francisco *The California Educational Society is established in San Francisco * Jack's Restaurant ''(pictured)'' opens in San Francisco *The ''
Napa Valley Register The ''Napa Valley Register'' is a daily newspaper located in Napa, California. The paper began publication on August 10, 1863. By 1864, the newspaper had dropped “Valley” from its name, becoming simply the ''Napa Register'', until returning ...
'' is established * Mountain View Cemetery ''(pictured)'', designed by
Frederick Law Olmsted Frederick Law Olmsted (April 26, 1822August 28, 1903) was an American landscape architect, journalist, social critic, and public administrator. He is considered to be the father of landscape architecture in the USA. Olmsted was famous for co- ...
, is established in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
*African American resident Charlotte L. Brown files a lawsuit after being forcibly removed from a segregated horse-drawn streetcar in San Francisco *The Alameda County Infirmary is established ''(Fairmont Hospital pictured)'' *literary newspaper '' The Californian'' begins publishing in San Francisco, with
Bret Harte Bret Harte (; born Francis Brett Hart; August 25, 1836 – May 5, 1902) was an American short story writer and poet best remembered for short fiction featuring miners, gamblers, and other romantic figures of the California Gold Rush. In a caree ...
as editor, and
Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has pr ...
as a writer *The
Bank of California The Bank of California was opened in San Francisco, California, on July 4, 1864, by William Chapman Ralston and Darius Ogden Mills. It was the first commercial bank in the Western United States, the second-richest bank in the nation, and consid ...
''(pictured)'' is founded in San Francisco by
William Chapman Ralston William "Billy" Chapman Ralston (January 12, 1826 – August 27, 1875) was a San Francisco businessman and financier, and the founder of the Bank of California. Biography William Chapman Ralston was born at Wellsville, Ohio, son of Robert Ralst ...
*
The Napa Valley Railroad Company The Napa Valley Railroad Company was the company which operated the railroad in the Napa Valley Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcoh ...
is founded by
Samuel Brannan Samuel Brannan (March 2, 1819 – May 5, 1889) was an American settler, businessman, journalist, and prominent Mormon who founded the '' California Star'', the first newspaper in San Francisco, California. He is considered the first to public ...
to shuttle tourists between ferry boats docked in Vallejo to the resort town of Calistoga *The
San Francisco and San Jose Railroad The San Francisco and San Jose Railroad (SF&SJ) was a railroad which linked the communities of San Francisco and San Jose, California, running the length of the San Francisco Peninsula. The company incorporated in 1860 and was one of the first ra ...
completes its route from San Francisco to San Jose along the
San Francisco Peninsula The San Francisco Peninsula is a peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area that separates San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. On its northern tip is the City and County of San Francisco. Its southern base is Mountain View, south of Palo Alt ...
, becoming the first railroad to link the two cities *'' The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' ''(later logo pictured)'' is founded in San Francisco by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young *The California Pacific Rail Road Company is incorporated in San Francisco *The California State Mineral Collection is begun in San Francisco, driven by the mineral finds of the
California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California f ...
* Jefferson Thompson in
West Marin West Marin is the largest rural region of Marin County, California. The West Marin Chamber of Commerce includes seven unincorporated communities in its definition of West Marin: Point Reyes Station, Olema, Stinson Beach, Bolinas, Tomales, Dill ...
begins making a fresh
Brie Brie (; ) is a soft cow's-milk cheese named after Brie, the French region from which it originated (roughly corresponding to the modern ''département'' of Seine-et-Marne). It is pale in color with a slight grayish tinge under a rind of white mo ...
"breakfast cheese" that is transported by horse-drawn carriage to Petaluma, then shipped by
steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...
down the Petaluma River to San Francisco where it is sold to waterfront
dockworkers A stevedore (), also called a longshoreman, a docker or a dockworker, is a waterfront manual laborer who is involved in loading and unloading ships, trucks, trains or airplanes. After the shipping container revolution of the 1960s, the number ...
*
Pacific Rolling Mill Company The Pacific Rolling Mill Company was the West’s first iron and steel producing foundry, founded in 1866, in San Francisco, California. (The company was also known as Pacific Rolling Mills and the two names were used interchangeably throughout it ...
, the West's first iron and steel producing foundry ''(rolling mill of the period pictured)'', is established in San Francisco *
Frederick Billings Frederick H. Billings (September 27, 1823 – September 30, 1890) was an American lawyer, financier, and politician. He is best known for his legal work on land claims during the early years of California's statehood and his presidency of the ...
of the
College of California The College of California was a private college in Oakland, California. It is a predecessor of the public University of California system. It was established in 1853 as the Contra Costa Academy. In 1868, it merged with the nascent Agricultural ...
, while walking with fellow collegians through land purchased in 1860 for the new location of the college, stops at a spot ''(pictured)'' in the Contra Costa Range astride
Strawberry Creek Strawberry Creek is the principal watercourse running through the city of Berkeley, California. Two forks rise in the Berkeley Hills of the California Coast Ranges, and form a confluence at the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. ...
, with a view of the Bay Area and the Pacific Ocean through the
Golden Gate The Golden Gate is a strait on the west coast of North America that connects San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. It is defined by the headlands of the San Francisco Peninsula and the Marin Peninsula, and, since 1937, has been spanned by t ...
. While watching two ships standing out to sea, he remembers a line by Anglican Bishop
George Berkeley George Berkeley (; 12 March 168514 January 1753) – known as Bishop Berkeley ( Bishop of Cloyne of the Anglican Church of Ireland) – was an Anglo-Irish philosopher whose primary achievement was the advancement of a theory he called "immate ...
, "westward the course of empire takes its way", and suggests Berkeley's name for the college and the town to grow around it. *Ezra Decoto, an
Alameda County Alameda County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and 21st most populous nationally. The county seat is Oakland. Alam ...
landowner, sells land to the railroads, and an eponymous small settlement begins at the location *
Redwood City Redwood City is a city on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California's Bay Area, approximately south of San Francisco, and northwest of San Jose. Redwood City's history spans its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people to being a po ...
in San Mateo County is incorporated ''(historic building pictured)'' * Hill Park is established in San Francisco An earthquake estimated at 6.3–6.7 on the moment magnitude scale hits the Bay Area, with an epicenter in the
East Bay The East Bay is the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area and includes cities along the eastern shores of the San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. The region has grown to include inland communities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties ...
. It causes significant damage throughout the region, and comes to be known as the "Great San Francisco earthquake". ''(damage in the
Haywards Haywards is a small hillside suburb in the Hutt Valley near Wellington, New Zealand. It is notable for its large electrical substation, which is the main switching point for the Wellington region, and the home of the North Island converter stat ...
area pictured, right)''
The Convent of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart ''(pictured, right)'' in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
is established by members of the Sisters of the Holy Names from Canada
The
University of California The University of California (UC) is a public land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, University of Califor ...
''(logo pictured, left)'' is established in Berkeley, along with the first campus in the system, the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...

Santa Rosa Santa Rosa is the Italian, Portuguese and Spanish name for Saint Rose. Santa Rosa may also refer to: Places Argentina * Santa Rosa, Mendoza, a city * Santa Rosa, Tinogasta, Catamarca * Santa Rosa, Valle Viejo, Catamarca *Santa Rosa, La Pampa * S ...
in
Sonoma County Sonoma County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa. It is to the north of Marin County and the south of Mendocino ...
is incorporated
Vallejo in
Solano County Solano County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 453,491. The county seat is Fairfield. Solano County comprises the Vallejo–Fairfield, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which i ...
is incorporated
Bret Harte Bret Harte (; born Francis Brett Hart; August 25, 1836 – May 5, 1902) was an American short story writer and poet best remembered for short fiction featuring miners, gamblers, and other romantic figures of the California Gold Rush. In a caree ...
begins publishing the ''
Overland Monthly The ''Overland Monthly'' was a monthly literary and cultural magazine, based in California, United States. It was founded in 1868 and published between the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. History The '' ...
'' in San Francisco
The Guittard Chocolate Company is founded in San Francisco *
Meek Mansion The Meek Mansion is a historic mansion in unincorporated Cherryland, California, just north of Hayward. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Located on nearly 10 acres, the Victorian house was built in 1869 by William Meek ...
''(pictured)'' in the
East Bay The East Bay is the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area and includes cities along the eastern shores of the San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. The region has grown to include inland communities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties ...
is completed *The first Japanese immigrants arrive in San Francisco *The California Theatre in San Francisco opens * Frederick Marriott's unmanned,
lighter-than-air A lifting gas or lighter-than-air gas is a gas that has a density lower than normal atmospheric gases and rises above them as a result. It is required for aerostats to create buoyancy, particularly in lighter-than-air aircraft, which include free ...
craft the ''Hermes Avitor Jr.'' ''(replica pictured)'' takes to the air at the Shellmound Park racetrack in Emeryville, flying at about 5 miles per hour *
Laurentine Hamilton Laurentine Hamilton (1826 – April 9, 1882) was a Presbyterian minister accused of heresy, and founder of the First Unitarian Church of Oakland. Hamilton was born in Catlin, New York, near Seneca Lake. He graduated from Hamilton College in Cl ...
is charged with heresy and resigns from his ordination in the
Presbyterian church Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
, with most of his parishioners joining him in forming the First Independent Presbyterian Church in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
*
Golden Gate Park Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, United States, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. It is administered by the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department, which began in 1871 to oversee the developm ...
in San Francisco ''(contemporary aerial photo shown)'' is surveyed and mapped * The First National Gold Bank in San Francisco begins producing
National Bank Note National Bank Notes were United States currency banknotes issued by National Banks chartered by the United States Government. The notes were usually backed by United States bonds the bank deposited with the United States Treasury. In addition, ...
s redeemable in gold *San Francisco's population is 149,473, an increase by 163% from 1860's 56,802 *The
California Historical Society The California Historical Society (CHS) is the official historical society of California. It was founded in 1871, by a group of prominent Californian intellectuals at Santa Clara University. It was officially designated as the Californian state ...
is founded in San Francisco *''
The Daily Californian ''The Daily Californian'' (''Daily Cal'') is an independent, student-run newspaper that serves the University of California, Berkeley, campus and its surrounding community. It formerly published a print edition four days a week on Monday, Tuesd ...
'' student-run newspaper ''(contemporary kiosk pictured)'' is founded at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
*The
San Francisco Art Association The San Francisco Art Association (SFAA) was an organization that promoted California artists, held art exhibitions, published a periodical, and established the first art school west of Chicago. The SFAA – which, by 1961, completed a long sequence ...
is founded by a group of landscape painters led by
Virgil Williams Virgil Williams is an American television producer and writer. He began working in television as a writer for '' 24'' and wrote a single episode of the first season in 2002. He was hired as a story editor for ''24'' day 2 in fall 2002. He wrote t ...
*The
Bohemian Club The Bohemian Club is a private club with two locations: a city clubhouse in the Nob Hill district of San Francisco, California and the Bohemian Grove, a retreat north of the city in Sonoma County. Founded in 1872 from a regular meeting of journ ...
''(plaque pictured)'' is founded in San Francisco *
Alum Rock Park Alum Rock Park, in the Alum Rock district of San Jose, California, is California's oldest municipal park, established in 1872 but serving as public land since the pueblo was established in 1777. Located in a valley in the Diablo Range foothills ...
, the first municipal park in California, is established at a valley in the
Diablo Range The Diablo Range is a mountain range in the California Coast Ranges subdivision of the Pacific Coast Ranges in northern California, United States. It stretches from the eastern San Francisco Bay area at its northern end to the Salinas Valley ...
foothills on the east side of San Jose * Napa is incorporated in
Marin County Marin County is a county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and largest city is San Rafael. Marin County is acros ...
*
Julia Morgan Julia Morgan (January 20, 1872 – February 2, 1957) was an American architect and engineer. She designed more than 700 buildings in California during a long and prolific career.Erica Reder"Julia Morgan was a local in ''The New Fillmore'', 1 Febr ...
is born in San Francisco ''(
Hearst Gymnasium for Women Hearst may refer to: Places * Hearst, former name of Hacienda, California, United States * Hearst, Ontario, town in Northern Ontario, Canada * Hearst, California, an unincorporated community in Mendocino County, United States * Hearst Island, an i ...
at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
pictured)'' The
Clay Street Hill Railroad The Clay Street Hill Railroad was the first successful cable hauled street railway. It was located on Clay Street, a notably steep street in San Francisco in California, United States, and first operated in August 1873. History The promoter of ...
, the first in the
San Francisco cable car system The San Francisco cable car system is the world's last manually operated cable car system and an icon of the city of San Francisco. The system forms part of the intermodal urban transport network operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railwa ...
''(pictured, left)'', begins operations
South Hall ''(pictured, right)'' is built in Berkeley, thus becoming the new location of the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
, formerly located in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
*The second
San Francisco Mint The San Francisco Mint is a branch of the United States Mint. Opened in 1854 to serve the gold mines of the California Gold Rush, in twenty years its operations exceeded the capacity of the first building. It moved into a new one in 1874, now kno ...
building ''(pictured)'' is completed *
Markham Vineyards Markham Vineyards is a US winery founded in Napa Valley, California, in 1874. Markham has operated continuously since its founding (though under different names), making it the fourth oldest continuously operating winery in Napa County. it is ...
is founded in the
Napa Valley Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier ...
*
East Brother Island Light East Brother Island Lighthouse is a lighthouse located on East Brother Island in San Rafael Bay, near the tip of Point San Pablo in Richmond, California. It marks the entrance to San Pablo Bay from San Francisco Bay. Built in 1874 and automa ...
''(pictured)'' is built on East Brother Island near the tip of Point San Pablo in
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...
*The ''
Oakland Tribune The ''Oakland Tribune'' is a weekly newspaper published in Oakland, California, by the Bay Area News Group (BANG), a subsidiary of MediaNews Group. Founded in 1874, the ''Tribune'' rose to become an influential daily newspaper. With the declin ...
'' begins publishing * Beringer Vineyards ''(pictured)'' in the
Napa Valley Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier ...
is established * Napa State Hospital in Napa is established *
Point Montara Light The Point Montara Light is a lighthouse in Montara, California, United States, on the southern approach to the San Francisco Bay, California approximately 25 miles south of San Francisco. History Point Montara Lighthouse was established in F ...
in Montara begins operating using a kerosene lantern *
Luther Burbank Luther Burbank (March 7, 1849 – April 11, 1926) was an American botanist, horticulturist and pioneer in agricultural science. He developed more than 800 strains and varieties of plants over his 55-year career. Burbank's varied creations in ...
moves to
Santa Rosa Santa Rosa is the Italian, Portuguese and Spanish name for Saint Rose. Santa Rosa may also refer to: Places Argentina * Santa Rosa, Mendoza, a city * Santa Rosa, Tinogasta, Catamarca * Santa Rosa, Valle Viejo, Catamarca *Santa Rosa, La Pampa * S ...
from
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
, with money from selling the rights to a potato cultivar ''(
russet Burbank potato Russet Burbank is a potato cultivar with dark brown skin and few eyes that is the most widely grown potato in North America. A russet type, its flesh is white, dry, and mealy, and it is good for baking, mashing, and french fries (chips). It is a ...
es pictured)'' *The Baldwin Hotel ''(pictured)'' is built in San Francisco as an addition to the Baldwin Theatre * Hayward in
Alameda County Alameda County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and 21st most populous nationally. The county seat is Oakland. Alam ...
is incorporated * A two-day pogrom is waged against Chinese immigrants in San Francisco by the city's majority
white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...
population, resulting in four deaths and the destruction of more than $100,000 worth of property belonging to the city's Chinese immigrant population. *''
The Argonaut ''The Argonaut'' was a newspaper based in San Francisco, California from 1878 to 1956. It was founded by Frank Somers, and soon taken over by Frank M. Pixley, who built it into a highly regarded publication. Under Pixley's stewardship it was c ...
''
literary journal A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry, and essays, along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews and lett ...
is founded by Frank M. Pixley ''(pictured)'' in San Francisco *The Conservatory of Flowers ''(pictured)'' in
Golden Gate Park Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, United States, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. It is administered by the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department, which began in 1871 to oversee the developm ...
, San Francisco is completed * Mark Hopkin's mansion ''(pictured)'' in San Francisco is completed *The
California Street Cable Railroad The California Street Cable Railroad (Cal Cable) was a long-serving cable car (railway), cable car operator in San Francisco, founded by Leland Stanford. The company's first line opened on California Street in 1878 and is the oldest cable car li ...
, a cable car company, is founded in San Francisco by
Leland Stanford Amasa Leland Stanford (March 9, 1824June 21, 1893) was an American industrialist and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 8th governor of California from 1862 to 1863 and represented California in the United States Sen ...
*Austin Herbert Hills and R. W. Hills begin selling coffee and tea from a market stall in San Francisco *The Conservatory of Flowers ''(pictured)'' in
Golden Gate Park Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, United States, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. It is administered by the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department, which began in 1871 to oversee the developm ...
, San Francisco, opens to the public *Finnish fur trader
Gustave Niebaum Gustave Ferdinand Niebaum (born Gustaf Ferdinand Nybom; 31 August 1842 – 5 August 1908) was a Finnish-American sea captain and winemaker. Niebaum acquired his maritime schooling in Helsinki, Finland. By the end of 1860s, he had become one of ...
founds Inglenook Winery in the
Napa Valley Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier ...
village of Rutherford * Croll's Gardens and Hotel is built in
Alameda An alameda is a street or path lined with trees () and may refer to: Places Canada * Alameda, Saskatchewan, town in Saskatchewan ** Grant Devine Dam, formerly ''Alameda Dam'', a dam and reservoir in southern Saskatchewan Chile * Alameda (Santia ...
* Joshua Abraham Norton ''(pictured)'', self-declared "
Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( ...
of these United States" and subsequently "Protector of
Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...
", collapses and dies in front of Old St. Mary's Church while on his way to a lecture at the
California Academy of Sciences The California Academy of Sciences is a research institute and natural history museum in San Francisco, California, that is among the largest museums of natural history in the world, housing over 46 million specimens. The Academy began in 1853 ...
*Famed Scottish writer
Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as '' Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...
honeymoons for 2 months at a played out mine on Mount Saint Helena in the northern San Francisco Bay Area, and writes a memoir about his travels in
Napa Valley Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier ...
* Max J. Brandenstein begins producing coffee in San Francisco ''(early M.J. Brandenstein facility pictured)'' * A. Schilling & Company is founded in San Francisco by August Schilling and George F. Volkmann, both natives of
Bremen Bremen ( Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state cons ...
, Germany *
Chateau Montelena Chateau Montelena is a Napa Valley winery most famous for winning the white wine section of the historic "Judgment of Paris" wine competition. Chateau Montelena's Chardonnay was in competition with nine other wines from France and California und ...
, at the foot of Mount Saint Helena in the
Napa Valley Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier ...
, is established *
Cresta Blanca Winery Cresta Blanca Winery was one of the original Livermore Valley wineries. It was founded by Charles Wetmore in 1882 with cuttings of Sauvignon blanc from Chateau d'Yquem and other top Bordeaux properties. Its first vintage, a dry white wine in 188 ...
''(pictured)'' in the
Livermore Valley The Livermore Valley, historically known as the Valle de San José (Valley of San José), is a valley in Alameda County, California, located in the East Bay region. The city of Livermore is located in the valley. Geography The valley is bound ...
is established * Concannon Vineyard ''(pictured)'' in the
Livermore Valley The Livermore Valley, historically known as the Valle de San José (Valley of San José), is a valley in Alameda County, California, located in the East Bay region. The city of Livermore is located in the valley. Geography The valley is bound ...
is established *Firemen on coal-burning steamers found the Pacific Coast Marine Firemen, Oilers, Watertenders and Wipers Association in San Francisco *''
The Silverado Squatters ''The Silverado Squatters'' (1883) is a travel memoir by Robert Louis Stevenson of his two-month honeymoon trip with Fanny Vandegrift (and her son Lloyd Osbourne) to Napa Valley, California, in 1880. Background In July 1879, Stevenson recei ...
'', about
Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as '' Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...
's travels in
Napa Valley Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier ...
, is published * Matthew Turner, his brother, and John Eckley form the Matthew Turner Shipyard at
Benicia Benicia ( , ) is a waterside city in Solano County, California, located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. It served as the capital of California for nearly thirteen months from 1853 to 1854. The population was 26,997 at th ...
*
Charles N. Felton Charles Norton Felton (January 1, 1832September 13, 1914) was an American banker and politician who served as a Congressman (1885 to 1889) and U.S. Senator (1891 to 1893) from California in the late 19th Century, in addition to co-founding th ...
''(pictured)'' of Menlo Park is elected to the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
*The
California and Nevada Railroad The California and Nevada Railroad was a narrow gauge steam railroad which ran in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 19th century. It was incorporated on March 25, 1884. J.S. Emery was listed as the railroad's president - t ...
, a
narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...
steam railroad in the
East Bay The East Bay is the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area and includes cities along the eastern shores of the San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. The region has grown to include inland communities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties ...
, is incorporated *The
Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy ( U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, ...
opens a home for war veterans in
Napa County Napa County () is a county north of San Pablo Bay located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 138,019. The county seat is the City of Napa. Napa County was one of the original c ...
* Alcazar Theatre in San Francisco opens * V. Sattui Winery ''(pictured)'' in the
Napa Valley Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier ...
is established *
Leland Stanford Junior University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...
is founded (on paper) by
Leland Stanford Amasa Leland Stanford (March 9, 1824June 21, 1893) was an American industrialist and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 8th governor of California from 1862 to 1863 and represented California in the United States Sen ...
, former
governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
of and
U.S. senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and power ...
from California and leading railroad tycoon, and his wife,
Jane Lathrop Stanford Jane Elizabeth Lathrop Stanford (August 25, 1828 – February 28, 1905) was an American philanthropist, co-founder of Stanford University in 1885 (opened 1891) along with her husband, Leland Stanford, as a memorial to their only child, Leland St ...
, in memory of their only child,
Leland Stanford, Jr. Leland Stanford Jr. (May 14, 1868 – March 13, 1884), known as Leland DeWitt Stanford until he was nine, was the only son of American industrialist and politician Leland Stanford and his wife Jane Stanford, Jane. Following his death from typhoid ...
, who died of
typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over severa ...
at age 15 the previous year. *The ''
Aegis The aegis ( ; grc, αἰγίς ''aigís''), as stated in the ''Iliad'', is a device carried by Athena and Zeus, variously interpreted as an animal skin or a shield and sometimes featuring the head of a Gorgon. There may be a connection with a d ...
'' high school newspaper is founded in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
*The Students' Observatory ''(historical plaque pictured)'' at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
is constructed *
Eshcol Eshcol (, ''’Eškōl'') is a term in the Hebrew Bible. It may refer to: * One of three Amorite confederates of Abram in the Hebron area, who, with his brothers Mamre and Aner, joined forces with those of Abram in pursuit of king Chedorlaomer an ...
vineyards and winery in the
Napa Valley Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier ...
is established *The California League Baseball Grounds baseball park opens in San Francisco * John McLaren ''(pictured)'' is appointed superintendent of the developing
Golden Gate Park Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, United States, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. It is administered by the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department, which began in 1871 to oversee the developm ...
in San Francisco *
William Randolph Hearst William Randolph Hearst Sr. (; April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American businessman, newspaper publisher, and politician known for developing the nation's largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications. His flamboya ...
takes over management of the ''
San Francisco Examiner The ''San Francisco Examiner'' is a newspaper distributed in and around San Francisco, California, and published since 1863. Once self-dubbed the "Monarch of the Dailies" by then-owner William Randolph Hearst, and flagship of the Hearst Corporat ...
'', which his father had received in 1880 as payment for a gambling debt *The 36-inch telescope at
Lick Observatory The Lick Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the University of California. It is on the summit of Mount Hamilton, in the Diablo Range just east of San Jose, California, United States. The observatory is managed by t ...
is the largest telescope in the world when it sees first light. *The
SS City of Chester The SS ''City of Chester'' was a steamship built in 1875 that sank after a collision in a dense fog with at the Golden Gate in San Francisco Bay on August 22, 1888. She was owned by the Oregon Railroad Co. and leased by the Pacific Coast Steam ...
sinks after a collision ''(pictured)'' with RMS ''Oceanic'' at the
Golden Gate The Golden Gate is a strait on the west coast of North America that connects San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. It is defined by the headlands of the San Francisco Peninsula and the Marin Peninsula, and, since 1937, has been spanned by t ...
in
San Francisco Bay San Francisco Bay is a large tidal estuary in the U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the big cities of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland. San Francisco Bay drains water f ...
* Hunt Bros. Fruit Packing Co. is founded in
Sebastopol Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
* Swinerton construction is founded in San Francisco *The
Pacific-Union Club The Pacific-Union Club is a social club located at 1000 California Street in San Francisco, California, at the top of Nob Hill. It is considered to be the most elite club of the West Coast, and one of the most elite clubs in the United States, a ...
in San Francisco ''(pictured)'' is founded as a merger of two earlier clubs: the Pacific Club (founded 1852) and the Union Club (founded 1854) *The Astronomical Society of the Pacific is founded in San Francisco * Mayacamas Vineyards is established on the
Mayacamas Mountains The Mayacamas Mountains are located in northwestern California in the United States. The mountain range is part of the Northern Inner Coast Ranges, of the California Coast Ranges System. Geography The Mayacamas Mountains are located south of the ...
within the
Napa Valley Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier ...
* St. Paul's Episcopal Church ''(historical plaque pictured)'' in
Walnut Creek A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus ''Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, ''Juglans regia''. Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a true bo ...
is completed *
Livermore Valley The Livermore Valley, historically known as the Valle de San José (Valley of San José), is a valley in Alameda County, California, located in the East Bay region. The city of Livermore is located in the valley. Geography The valley is bound ...
winery Cresta Blanca's first vintage, an 1884 dry
white wine White wine is a wine that is Fermentation in winemaking, fermented without skin contact. The wine color, colour can be straw-yellow, yellow-green, or yellow-gold. It is produced by the alcoholic fermentation of the non-coloured Juice vesicles, ...
, wins Grand Prize at the Paris Exposition, becoming the first
California wine California wine production has a rich viticulture history since 1680 when Spanish Jesuit missionaries planted '' Vitis vinifera'' vines native to the Mediterranean region in their established missions to produce wine for religious servic ...
to win a competition in France *Jacob Gillig opens a carriage and wagon shop in San Francisco * Oakland Harbor Light ''(pictured)'' is built at the
Oakland Estuary The Oakland Estuary is the strait in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, separating the cities of Oakland and Alameda and the Alameda Island from the East Bay mainland. On its western end, it connects to San Francisco Bay proper, while it ...
* Dominican College is founded in San Rafael * Nichelini Winery is founded in
Napa Valley Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier ...
* Roe Island Light ''(pictured)'' is built at the east end of
Suisun Bay Suisun Bay ( ; Wintun for "where the west wind blows") is a shallow tidal estuary (a northeastern extension of the San Francisco Bay) in Northern California. It lies at the confluence of the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River, forming the ...
across from Port Chicago *
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is conside ...
''(pictured)'' opens in
Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring San Benito County together ...
, with 21 departments, including the Department of the History and Art of Education *King Kalākaua of
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
dies at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco *The
First Unitarian Church of Berkeley The Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley (UUCB) was founded as the First Unitarian Church of Berkeley in Berkeley, California in 1891 and moved to Kensington, California in 1961. It is one of the oldest and largest Unitarian Universalist ch ...
is founded *
Le Petit Trianon Le Petit Trianon is a historic mansion on the grounds of De Anza College at 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd. in Cupertino, California. The building now serves as the California History Center. History Built in 1892 for Charles A. Baldwin and his wi ...
''(pictured)'' near
Santa Clara Valley The Santa Clara Valley is a geologic trough in Northern California that extends 90 miles (145 km) south–southeast from San Francisco to Hollister. The longitudinal valley is bordered on the west by the Santa Cruz Mountains and on the east ...
is built for Charles A. Baldwin and his wife Ellen Hobart Baldwin, as the center of their wine-producing estate *
Stanford Cardinal football The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. The team is known as the Cardinal, adopted prior to the 1982 seas ...
play the first game of their first season, 1891–1892, and shortly into the season win in their first game against California Golden Bears football *The University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Education is established *Paul Masson's first sparkling wine under the name "Champagne (wine), champagne" is introduced at Almaden Valley in
Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring San Benito County together ...
*The Owl Drug Company is established in San Francisco *Church Divinity School of the Pacific is founded in San Mateo, California, San Mateo *Stanford Law School ''(founder and former U.S. president Benjamin Harrison pictured)'' is established at
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is conside ...
*University of California Press is established at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
*Adolph Sutro ''(pictured)'' is elected Mayor of San Francisco *Fentons Creamery in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
is founded *The California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894 is held in San Francisco *Palo Alto, California, Palo Alto in
Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring San Benito County together ...
, Pleasanton, California, Pleasanton in
Alameda County Alameda County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and 21st most populous nationally. The county seat is Oakland. Alam ...
, and San Mateo, California, San Mateo in San Mateo County are incorporated *The de Young (museum), De Young museum is founded in San Francisco by ''San Francisco Chronicle'' publisher M. H. de Young ''(pictured)'' as an outgrowth of the California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894 *Landscape designer Makoto Hagiwara creates the Japanese Tea Garden (San Francisco, California), Japanese Tea Garden in
Golden Gate Park Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, United States, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. It is administered by the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department, which began in 1871 to oversee the developm ...
*The Chinese American Citizens Alliance, Native Sons of the Golden State, a Kongsi, Chinese benevolent society, is founded in San Francisco *John Van Denburgh completes his organizing of the herpetology department of the
California Academy of Sciences The California Academy of Sciences is a research institute and natural history museum in San Francisco, California, that is among the largest museums of natural history in the world, housing over 46 million specimens. The Academy began in 1853 ...
*The Sutro Baths ''(pictured)'' north of Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California, Ocean Beach, San Francisco open to the public *Native son James D. Phelan ''(pictured)'' is elected mayor of San Francisco *Molinari's delicatessen in North Beach, San Francisco, San Francisco's North Beach is founded *Colombo Baking Company is founded in the Bay Area *Anchor Brewing Company is founded in San Francisco *Cutter Laboratories in Berkeley is founded ''(penicillin chemical structure pictured)'' *The ''Evening Press'' and ''Sonoma Democrat'' are merged to create ''The Press Democrat'' in
Santa Rosa Santa Rosa is the Italian, Portuguese and Spanish name for Saint Rose. Santa Rosa may also refer to: Places Argentina * Santa Rosa, Mendoza, a city * Santa Rosa, Tinogasta, Catamarca * Santa Rosa, Valle Viejo, Catamarca *Santa Rosa, La Pampa * S ...
*Californio and former Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, Contra Costa County Supervisor Víctor Castro (landowner), Víctor Castro dies United States v. Wong Kim Ark is decided in favor of Wong Kim Ark ''(pictured, left)'', who is thus considered a U.S. citizen
The San Francisco Ferry Building ''(pictured, right)'', designed by A. Page Brown, opens
A Neptune Society Columbarium, columbarium ''(pictured, right)'' is built at Odd Fellows Cemetery in San Francisco by Bernard J. S. Cahill, to complement an earlier columbarium built by him
The Baldwin Hotel ''(pictured, right)'' in San Francisco, built in 1876, burns down
Francis K. Shattuck Francis Kittredge Shattuck (March 6, 1824 – September 9, 1898) was the most prominent civic leader in the early history of Berkeley, California, and played an important role in the creation and government of Alameda County as well. He also ...
dies after being knocked down by a man exiting from a train that Shattuck was attempting to board on the eponymous Shattuck Avenue *San Francisco State University, San Francisco State Normal School ''(later architectural element pictured)'' is established *Botanist Willis Linn Jepson receives his Ph.D. degree from, and is made assistant professor at, the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
*''McTeague'' by Frank Norris is published *San Francisco plague of 1900–1904, An epidemic of bubonic plague centered on San Francisco's Chinatown begins, the first plague epidemic in the continental United States ''(reviled investigator Joseph J. Kinyoun pictured)'' *The California Automobile Company is founded in San Francisco *The Sempervirens Club is founded with the goal of preserving Big Basin Redwoods State Park, old growth coast redwood forest in the Santa Cruz Mountains *''The World's Drinks And How To Mix Them'', by William "Cocktail" Boothby, is published by the Palace Hotel, San Francisco


20th century

*The Lowie Museum of Anthropology is established in San Francisco by patron Phoebe Hearst ''(pictured)'', to house items for the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
. *The Family (club), The Family, a gentlemen's club, private club in San Francisco, California, is formed by newspapermen who had left the
Bohemian Club The Bohemian Club is a private club with two locations: a city clubhouse in the Nob Hill district of San Francisco, California and the Bohemian Grove, a retreat north of the city in Sonoma County. Founded in 1872 from a regular meeting of journ ...
*The California Society of Artists is founded in San Francisco by Xavier Martínez, Maynard Dixon, Gottardo Piazzoni, Matteo Sandona and other artists disaffected with the
San Francisco Art Association The San Francisco Art Association (SFAA) was an organization that promoted California artists, held art exhibitions, published a periodical, and established the first art school west of Chicago. The SFAA – which, by 1961, completed a long sequence ...
*Golden Gate University, YMCA Evening College in San Francisco opens its law school, becoming a full-fledged college *The Mountain Winery, Paul Masson Mountain Winery is established by Paul Masson in Saratoga, California, Saratoga *The ''SS City of Rio de Janeiro'' shipwrecks off the shores of San Francisco at the
Golden Gate The Golden Gate is a strait on the west coast of North America that connects San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. It is defined by the headlands of the San Francisco Peninsula and the Marin Peninsula, and, since 1937, has been spanned by t ...
*A Centennial Light, light bulb is installed at a Livermore, California, LIvermore fire station *Hotel Majestic (San Francisco), Hotel Majestic ''(pictured)'' in San Francisco is built. *The Carpenter Gothic Victorian architecture, Victorian St. Thomas Aquinas Church (Palo Alto, California), St. Thomas Aquinas Church is completed in Palo Alto, California, Palo Alto *Big Basin Redwoods State Park is established in the Santa Cruz Mountains *Stanford Memorial Church ''(pictured)'' at
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is conside ...
, designed by architect Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge, Charles A. Coolidge, is dedicated *George A. Wyman becomes the first person to ride a motorcycle (and the first using any motor vehicle) across the US, from San Francisco to New York City *The Alameda Free Library is completed *The ''California Pelican'' student humor magazine begins publishing at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
*Pittsburg, California, Pittsburg is incorporated in
Contra Costa County ) of the San Francisco Bay , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1 = State , subdivision_name1 = California , subdivision_type2 ...
*The Bank of Italy (United States), Bank of Italy is founded in San Francisco by Amadeo Giannini, A.P. Giannini, a San Jose born son of Italian immigrants. *The 12-story Flood Building ''(pictured)'' in San Francisco is completed. *The Merchants Exchange Building (San Francisco), Merchants Exchange Building in San Francisco is completed *The San Francisco Motorcycle Club is founded *San Francisco graft trials, Graft trials begin in San Francisco against mayor Eugene Schmitz, members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and attorney and political boss Abe Ruef, who were receiving bribes, and business owners who were paying the bribes. ''(prosecutors pictured)'' *Concord, California, Concord and
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...
are incorporated in
Contra Costa County ) of the San Francisco Bay , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1 = State , subdivision_name1 = California , subdivision_type2 ...
*The Mechanics Bank, Bank of Pinole ''(pictured)'' is founded in
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...
*The Phoenix Theater, Hill Opera House opens in Petaluma *The Bancroft Library at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
is founded when the university purchases Hubert Howe Bancroft's 50,000 volumes on the history of California and the North American West On April 17, Daniel Burnham delivers plans ''(pictured, left)'' for the redesign of San Francisco
The next day, 1906 San Francisco earthquake, a massive earthquake hits San Francisco, starting fires which burn much of the city to the ground. 3,000 people die during the disaster. *By the end of a violent San Francisco Streetcar Strike of 1907, streetcar operator strike in San Francisco, thirty-one people had been killed and about 1100 injured. *San Francisco Mayor Eugene Schmitz ''(pictured)'' is found guilty of extortion, and the office of mayor is declared vacant *The California College of the Arts, School of the California Guild of Arts and Crafts is founded in Berkeley during the height of the Arts and Crafts movement *Piedmont, California, Piedmont is incorporated in
Alameda County Alameda County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and 21st most populous nationally. The county seat is Oakland. Alam ...
*The Whaling ship, whaling bark ''Lydia (whaling bark), Lydia'' wrecks on the shore of San Francisco *Brisbane, California, Brisbane is incorporated in San Mateo County on the lower slopes of San Bruno Mountain *Muir Woods National Monument ''(Sequoia sempervirens, coast redwood undergrowth pictured)'' is established in
Marin County Marin County is a county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and largest city is San Rafael. Marin County is acros ...
*Cooper Medical College is acquired by
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is conside ...
and renamed the Stanford University School of Medicine *Victoria Theatre, San Francisco, Brown's Opera House opens in San Francisco The first Portola Road Race ''(pictured, left)'' is run through Melrose, Oakland, California, Melrose in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
, San Leandro, California, San Leandro and Hayward, with at least 250,000 attending
Albany, California, Albany ''(Albany Hill pictured, right)'' is incorporated in
Alameda County Alameda County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and 21st most populous nationally. The county seat is Oakland. Alam ...

Fort Ross State Historic Park is established in
Sonoma County Sonoma County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa. It is to the north of Marin County and the south of Mendocino ...
to protect Fort Ross, California, Fort Ross, founded in 1812 as the southernmost point in the Russian colonization of the Americas *The Roxie Theater, C. H. Brown Theater opens in the Mission District, San Francisco *Samuel Merritt University, Samuel Merritt College is founded in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
as a hospital school of nursing *San Francisco Law School is founded *The neighborhood of Thousand Oaks, Berkeley, California, Thousand Oaks, a refugee camp from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake adjacent to Albany, California, Albany and Berkeley, is first Subdivision (land), subdivided *The Richmond Police Department (California), Richmond Police Department is founded *John Sabatte opens the Berkeley Farms, South Berkeley Creamery ''(current logo pictured)'', selling milk from local farmers in Alameda County, California, Alameda and Contra Costa County, Contra Costa counties (including "Don Sherwood (disc jockey), farms in Berkeley?") ''(sound clip shown, simulating radio ad for company)'' *The Southern Pacific Transportation Company, Southern Pacific railroad company completes the Dumbarton Rail Bridge, the first bridge crossing San Francisco Bay. The bridge is inaugurated on . *Hillsborough, California, Hillsborough is incorporated in San Mateo County on May 5 *The San Francisco Symphony, conducted by Henry Kimball Hadley ''(pictured)'', is founded *Italian immigrant Ambrogio Soracco opens Liguria Bakery in San Francisco *Daly City, California, Daly City is incorporated in San Mateo County The Bay to Breakers ''(news headline on race pictured, right)'' is run in San Francisco for the first time
Chinese restaurant Sam Wo ''(pictured, left. translation: "Three Harmonies Porridge and Noodles")'' in San Francisco's
Chinatown A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Aust ...
opens
Sunnyvale, California, Sunnyvale in
Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring San Benito County together ...
is incorporated
The California Society of Printmakers, California Society of Etchers is founded in San Francisco
Essanay Studios opens the Essanay-West studio in Niles, California, Niles, at the foot of Niles Canyon *Chauncey Thomas opens California Faience, The Tile Shop on San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley to make and sell faience tiles ''(Hearst Castle tower, decorated with tiles from California Faience, pictured)'' *Dewing Park in
Contra Costa County ) of the San Francisco Bay , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1 = State , subdivision_name1 = California , subdivision_type2 ...
is renamed Saranap, California, Saranap after the local inter-urban commuter rail system developer's mother, Sara Napthaly *John Swett, former Superintendent of the San Francisco Public Schools, and "Father of the California public school", dies Sather Tower ''(pictured, left)'', a campanile at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
is completed
Temple Sinai (Oakland, California), Temple Sinai ''(pictured, right)'' in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
is completed
The Baby Hospital Association (organized September 1912), and the Baby Hospital Association of Alameda County (organized September 1913), establish Children's Hospital Oakland, The Children's Hospital of the East Bay in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
The new Beaux-Arts architecture, Beaux-Arts style San Francisco City Hall ''(pictured, right)'' opens at the Civic Center, San Francisco, Civic Center, San Francisco
The Panama–Pacific International Exposition is held in San Francisco, to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal. It features the Palace of Fine Arts ''(pictured, left)'', the Tower of Jewels (PPIE), Tower of Jewels ''(pictured, right)'', and The San Francisco Civic Auditorium. Laura Ingalls Wilder West from Home, writes about the exposition during her visit to the city that year. *During a parade on Preparedness Day, prior to entry into World War I, a Preparedness Day Bombing, suitcase bomb detonates, Preparedness Day Bombing, killing ten and wounding forty, the worst such attack in San Francisco's history *Buena Vista Cafe opens in San Francisco on the first floor of a boardinghouse converted into a saloon *Thomaso Castagnola opens the Castagnola's, first crab stand on Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, selling fresh crab to passersby *Writer Jack London ''(pictured)'' dies at his Jack London State Historic Park, ranch on the eastern slope of Sonoma Mountain *List of former automotive manufacturing plants, General Motors Oakland Assembly opens *Fageol, Fageol Motors is founded in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
*
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
establishes the first program in the US for the study of criminal justice, headed by Berkeley police chief August Vollmer *The Columbus Salame, San Francisco Sausage Company is established by Italian immigrants Peter Domenici and Enrico Parducci *Neptune Beach (California), Neptune Beach opens in
Alameda An alameda is a street or path lined with trees () and may refer to: Places Canada * Alameda, Saskatchewan, town in Saskatchewan ** Grant Devine Dam, formerly ''Alameda Dam'', a dam and reservoir in southern Saskatchewan Chile * Alameda (Santia ...
with private picnic areas, barbecue pits, a clubhouse for dancing, and vacation cottages *El Cerrito, California, El Cerrito in
Contra Costa County ) of the San Francisco Bay , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1 = State , subdivision_name1 = California , subdivision_type2 ...
is incorporated *During World War I, a major explosion of barges loaded with munitions at Mare Island Naval Shipyard#World War I, Mare Island Naval Shipyard killes 6 people, wounds another 31, and destroys some port facilities. *The -long Twin Peaks Tunnel ''(pictured)'' opens to streetcar service under Twin Peaks (San Francisco), Twin Peaks, San Francisco *Santa Rosa Junior College is established *Historian and ethnologist Hubert Howe Bancroft dies in
Walnut Creek A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus ''Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, ''Juglans regia''. Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a true bo ...
*''Wines & Vines'', a journal devoted to the North American wine business ''(early Wine Country vintages pictured)'', begins publishing in
Marin County Marin County is a county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and largest city is San Rafael. Marin County is acros ...
*Robert Duncan (poet), Edward Howard Duncan Jr. is born in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
*The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, 18th Amendment results in California Wine#Phylloxera and Prohibition, Bay Area vineyards uprooted and cellars destroyed, with some vineyards and wineries converting to table grape or grape juice production, or providing churches with sacramental wine *The 1920 Democratic National Convention, Democratic National Convention ''(guest pass pictured)'' is held at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium, with their platform supporting the League of Nations and women's suffrage *Cooley LLP is founded in San Francisco by attorneys Arthur Cooley and Louis Crowley *The Schlage lock company is founded in San Francisco by Walter Schlage *The Solon and Schemmel Tile Company is founded in San Jose * San Jose engineer Charles Herrold, after experimenting with radio broadcasting since 1909, receives a broadcast license, commercial license under the callsign KCBS (AM), KQW *KKSF (AM), KLX, owned by ''
Oakland Tribune The ''Oakland Tribune'' is a weekly newspaper published in Oakland, California, by the Bay Area News Group (BANG), a subsidiary of MediaNews Group. Founded in 1874, the ''Tribune'' rose to become an influential daily newspaper. With the declin ...
'' publisher Joseph R. Knowland, begins broadcasting out of
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
*San Jose City College, San Jose Junior College is established *The original Stanford Stadium ''(pictured)'' is completed on the
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is conside ...
campus, as the home of the
Stanford Cardinal football The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. The team is known as the Cardinal, adopted prior to the 1982 seas ...
team *The University of California Museum of Paleontology opens at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
, to hold fossils gathered during the 1860–1867 California Geological Survey *The ''(pictured)'' goes missing after leaving Mare Island *KNBR (AM), KPO, owned by the Hale Brothers department store and the ''San Francisco Chronicle'', begins broadcasting out of San Francisco *Naturalist Henry A. Snow establishes the Oakland Zoo *San Mateo Junior College is founded *Huntington Hotel (San Francisco), Huntington Apartments in San Francisco ''(pictured)'', named after Collis Potter Huntington of the "Big Four (Central Pacific Railroad), Big Four", is completed A 1923 Berkeley Fire, large fire in Berkeley ''(pictured, right)'' consumes some 640 structures, before being extinguished by cool, humid afternoon air coming through the
Golden Gate The Golden Gate is a strait on the west coast of North America that connects San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. It is defined by the headlands of the San Francisco Peninsula and the Marin Peninsula, and, since 1937, has been spanned by t ...
across the bay
Atherton, California, Atherton is incorporated in San Mateo County
California Memorial Stadium ''(pictured, right)'' opens in Berkeley, as the home field for the California Golden Bears football team of the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...

The East Bay Municipal Utility District is formed to provide water and sewage treatment services to the
East Bay The East Bay is the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area and includes cities along the eastern shores of the San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. The region has grown to include inland communities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties ...

The San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Opera Ballet gives its first performance, of ''La bohème'' ''(pictured, left)'', with Queena Mario and Giovanni Martinelli, conducted by founder Gaetano Merola, at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium *Legion of Honor (museum), The California Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco ''(pictured)'', modeled after the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur in Paris, opens *KGO (AM), KGO Radio begins broadcasting from General Electric's
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
electrical facility *Colma, California, Lawndale is incorporated in San Mateo County, at the behest of the cemetery owners in the area, which had been established after San Francisco banned all cemeteries in 1900, and removed most existing ones from the city *Congregation Beth Israel (Berkeley, California), Congregation Beth Israel is established in Berkeley *San Francisco is reported to have the highest average per capita income of any city in the worl

The heated, saltwater Fleishhacker Pool in San Francisco opens ''(pictured, left)''
The original Kezar Stadium in San Francisco opens ''(replica arch pictured, right)''
San Carlos, California, San Carlos is incorporated in San Mateo County
The Arts and Crafts movement, California Arts and Crafts Ainsley House is built in Campbell, California, Campbell *George Whitney becomes general manager of a variously named complex of seaside attractions next to Ocean Beach, San Francisco, Ocean Beach in San Francisco, and christens it Playland (San Francisco), "Playland-at-the-Beach" ''(Big Dipper pictured)'' *The law firm of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison is founded *College of Marin, Marin Junior College in Kentfield, California, Kentfield is founded *The Leimert Bridge in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
, a cement and steel arch bridge spanning 357 feet and rising 117 feet above Sausal Creek (Alameda County, California), Sausal Creek, becomes the largest single-span bridge on the West Coast of the United States, West Coast *The Weeks and Day designed Mark Hopkins Hotel opens on Nob Hill in San Francisco ''(interior mural pictured)'' *During prohibition in the United States, Prohibition, Frank Torres builds Moss Beach Distillery, Frank's Place ''(pictured)'' as a speakeasy and clandestine liquor smuggling center on the cliffs above Moss Beach in San Mateo County *Governor C. C. Young signs the State Bar Act into law, establishing the State Bar of California, which begins operating out of San Francisco * Menlo Park in San Mateo County is incorporated *680 acres of land in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
are purchased to create an airport runway, which, when finished in time for the Dole Air Race, at 7,020 feet, becomes the longest in the world. Later in the year the Oakland International Airport, airport is dedicated by Charles Lindbergh *The Fox Oakland Theatre, West Coast Oakland movie theatre ''(renamed theatre pictured)'', built by Weeks and Day, opens *The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, Golden Gate Bridge and Highway District incorporates, its purpose to design, construct, and finance the Golden Gate Bridge *Harvey Spencer Lewis of the Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis presents his first exhibit of Egyptian antiquities, Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, "The Rosicrucian Egyptian Oriental Museum", at their headquarters in San Jose *Dreyer's, Edy's Grand Ice Cream is established in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
*The Shell Development Emeryville, Emeryville Research Center of Shell Development Company is established in Emeryville by the Shell Oil Company *San Francisco Zoo, Fleishhacker Zoo opens in San Francisco *Hamilton Army Airfield, Air Corps Station, San Rafael begins service *The Golden West Financial, Golden West Savings and Loan Association in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
opens *The Berkeley City Club, Berkeley Women's City Club building ''(pictured)'' is built by
Julia Morgan Julia Morgan (January 20, 1872 – February 2, 1957) was an American architect and engineer. She designed more than 700 buildings in California during a long and prolific career.Erica Reder"Julia Morgan was a local in ''The New Fillmore'', 1 Febr ...
*The Art Deco downtown Berkeley Public Library building is completed ''(pictured)'' *International House Berkeley is established by YMCA official Harry Edmonds *Sigmund Stern Recreation Grove, Stern Grove in the Sunset District, San Francisco, California, Sunset District, San Francisco opens to the public *The Bimbo's 365 Club, Bal Tabarin nightclub opens, the same year as the 365 Club opens at 365 Market Street (San Francisco), Market Street, San Francisco *The state of California acquires enough land to create a small state park around the peak of Mount Diablo ''(pictured)'' in
Contra Costa County ) of the San Francisco Bay , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1 = State , subdivision_name1 = California , subdivision_type2 ...
*The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Radiation Laboratory is established at
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
by Ernest O. Lawrence *The War Memorial Opera House ''(pictured)'' opens, becoming the new home of the San Francisco Opera *Air Corps Station, San Rafael, begins formal development, and is renamed Hamilton Army Airfield *The Art Deco Doelger Building is built as the offices for local developer Henry Doelger *Coit Tower in San Francisco is completed ''(interior mural pictured)'' *The Alley ''(pictured)'', a restaurant and piano bar in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
, opens *The Oakland Symphony is formed as a volunteer community orchestra *The San Francisco City Clinic for treating sexually transmitted diseases is established *The Black Cat Bar reopens in San Francisco, upon the repeal of Prohibition in the United States, Prohibition *The alleged kidnappers and murderers of San Jose resident Brooke Hart are lynched *Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary is opened ''(Mugshot of Robert Stroud pictured, right)'' *A 1934 West Coast waterfront strike, waterfront strike along the West Coast begins in San Francisco ''(billy club used at the strike in Seattle pictured, right)'' *The American Musical Theatre of San Jose, San Jose Light Opera Association is established *Victor Jules Bergeron, Jr. opens a small bar/restaurant across from his parents' grocery store at San Pablo Avenue and 65th Street in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
, originally calling it Trader Vic's, "Hinky Dink's" ''(Trader Vic's menu pictured, left)'' *The Wine Institute (California), Wine Institute in San Francisco is cofounded by wine historian Leon Adams *Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo was founded in Palo Alto by Josephine O'Hara in the basement of a local elementary school The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco Museum of Art opens at the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center, War Memorial Veterans Building on Van Ness Avenue (San Francisco), Van Ness Avenue in the Civic Center, San Francisco, Civic Center ''(''Woman with a Hat'' by Matisse, from the museum collection, pictured, left)''
Benjamin Franklin Davis, grandson of the man who helped develop Levi's jeans, opens his Ben Davis (clothing), eponymous clothing store in San Francisco
Benicia Capitol State Historic Park opens at the site of California's third capital building ''(pictured, right)'', where the California State Legislature convened from February 3, 1853 to February 24, 1854
San Francisco Junior College is established
Lucky Stores is founded in
Alameda County Alameda County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and 21st most populous nationally. The county seat is Oakland. Alam ...

Trolleybuses in San Francisco, Trolleybuses ''(pictured, right)'' began operating in San Francisco *The San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge opens to traffic, in a ceremony attended by former U.S. president Herbert Hoover, among others ''(Bridge commemorative coin from 1936 pictured)'' *Cliff's Variety Store in The Castro, San Francisco opens for business *Former San Francisco political boss Abe Ruef dies *Lafayette Park (San Francisco), Lafayette Park is created in San Francisco The Berkeley Rose Garden ''(pictured, right)'', built with funds from the Civil Works Administration, opens to the public
The Golden Gate Bridge ''(opening day pictured, left)'' opens to the public
The Hanna–Honeycomb House ''(pictured, right)'', built by Frank Lloyd Wright at
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is conside ...
, is completed
The new
San Francisco Mint The San Francisco Mint is a branch of the United States Mint. Opened in 1854 to serve the gold mines of the California Gold Rush, in twenty years its operations exceeded the capacity of the first building. It moved into a new one in 1874, now kno ...
''(pictured, right)'' is completed
Stanford Memorial Auditorium is completed
Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno, California, San Bruno is dedicated
The Malloch Building in San Francisco is completed The 49-Mile Scenic Drive ''(road sign pictured, left)'' is created in San Francisco for the Golden Gate International Exposition by the San Francisco Down Town Association
Lake Anza ''(pictured, right)'' is created in Tilden Park in the Berkeley Hills The Golden Gate International Exposition ''(poster pictured, left)'' opens at newly created Treasure Island, California, Treasure Island
The Neptune Beach (California), Neptune Beach amusement park closes in
Alameda An alameda is a street or path lined with trees () and may refer to: Places Canada * Alameda, Saskatchewan, town in Saskatchewan ** Grant Devine Dam, formerly ''Alameda Dam'', a dam and reservoir in southern Saskatchewan Chile * Alameda (Santia ...

Hewlett-Packard is founded in a HP Garage, garage ''(pictured)'' in Palo Alto, California, Palo Alto
Blue Shield of California is founded in San Francisco by the California Medical Association
Consumers' Cooperative of Berkeley opens, having formed from the Berkeley Buyers' Club, which was associated with the End Poverty in California movement
The Top of the Mark rooftop bar ''(pictured)'' is established at the top of the Mark Hopkins Hotel on Nob Hill in San Francisco
Nuclear chemistry, Nuclear scientist Ernest Lawrence at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
wins the Nobel Prize for Physics for his invention of the cyclotron *The Anshen & Allen, Anshen + Allen architectural firm ''(the 601 California Street, International Building in San Francisco, designed by firm, pictured)'' is founded by Frank Lloyd Wright disciple Rob Anshen, and Steve Allen, in San Francisco *Palo Alto Airport of Santa Clara County begins operations *Neptunium and Plutonium are synthesized at the Berkeley Radiation Laboratory *Treasure Island, San Francisco, Treasure Island is leased to the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
, which opens Naval Station Treasure Island the next year *World War II enlistment commences in the Bay Area ''(San Francisco recruiting office pictured)'' *A two-masted schooner, ''Benicia'', built in Tahiti by a shipwright who had worked in Matthew Turner (shipbuilder), Matthew Turner's
Benicia Benicia ( , ) is a waterside city in Solano County, California, located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. It served as the capital of California for nearly thirteen months from 1853 to 1854. The population was 26,997 at th ...
shipyard, arrives in San Francisco under the French flag *The Xerces blue butterfly is last observed in San Francisco either this year, or in 1943 *The Buchanan Field Airport, Concord Army Air Base in
Contra Costa County ) of the San Francisco Bay , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1 = State , subdivision_name1 = California , subdivision_type2 ...
begins operations *The Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport, Santa Rosa Army Air Field in
Sonoma County Sonoma County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa. It is to the north of Marin County and the south of Mendocino ...
begins operations *The Internment of Japanese Americans, transport of Japanese Americans to "War Relocation Camps" ''(pictured)'' begins in the San Francisco Bay Area The Travis Air Force Base, Fairfield-Suisun Army Air Base ''(pictured, right)'', near Fairfield, California, Fairfield, in
Solano County Solano County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 453,491. The county seat is Fairfield. Solano County comprises the Vallejo–Fairfield, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which i ...
, is officially activated
Golden Gate Park Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, United States, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. It is administered by the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department, which began in 1871 to oversee the developm ...
superintendent John McLaren dies
Edwin Hawkins is born in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
''(Edwin Hawkins Singers pictured, left)'' *In Korematsu v. United States ''(plaintiff Fred Korematsu pictured)'', concerning the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066, which ordered Japanese Americans into Japanese American internment, internment camps during World War II regardless of citizenship, the Supreme Court sides with the government, ruling that the exclusion order was Constitutionality, constitutional *A Ammunition, munitions explosion ''(pictured)'' at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in Port Chicago Port Chicago disaster, kills 320 sailors and civilians and injures 390 others, with most of the dead and injured enlisted African American, African-American sailors. *George P. Miller is elected to United States House of Representatives elections in California, 1944, California's 6th congressional district *The Hayward Area Recreation and Park District is created *Americium and curium are synthesized at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
, with the discovery kept secret due to World War II *The United Nations Charter is signed at the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center in San Francisco *Following the effective end of World War II on Victory over Japan Day#Public celebrations, Victory over Japan Day, thousands of drunken people, the vast majority of them Navy enlistees who had not served in the war theatre, embarked in what the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' summarized in 2015 as "a three-night orgy of vandalism, looting, assault, robbery, rape and murder" and "the deadliest riots in the city's history", with more than 1000 people injured, 13 killed, and at least six women raped. *The Tonga Room restaurant and tiki bar opens at the Fairmont San Francisco *San Francisco-based Western Pipe and Steel Company ends operations *The Bay Area Council for economic development is founded in San Francisco *Samuel P. Taylor State Park is established in
Marin County Marin County is a county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and largest city is San Rafael. Marin County is acros ...
''(gravesite of Samuel Penfield Taylor, at park, pictured)'' *Two guards and three inmates die during Battle of Alcatraz, an unsuccessful escape attempt ''(pictured)'' from Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary *Cargo airline Emery Worldwide begins operating out of
Redwood City Redwood City is a city on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California's Bay Area, approximately south of San Francisco, and northwest of San Jose. Redwood City's history spans its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people to being a po ...
*Potato chip maker Granny Goose is founded in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
*Overstock and government surplus Grocery Outlet, Cannery Sales stores open in San Francisco *Japanese American newspaper ''Nichi Bei Times'' begins publishing in San Francisco *The Pacifica Radio, Pacifica Foundation is created by World War II conscientious objectors E. John Lewis and Lewis Hill (radio company founder), Lewis Hill *The SRI International, Stanford Research Institute ''(contemporary building pictured)'' is founded in Menlo Park *Sunset Books is founded by the San Francisco-based publishers of Sunset (magazine), ''Sunset'' magazine *Pacific Air Lines, Southwest Airways ''(plane pictured)'' begins operations out of San Francisco International Airport *The ''Contra Costa Times'' begins publishing in
Walnut Creek A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus ''Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, ''Juglans regia''. Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a true bo ...
*Mel's Drive-In opens in San Francisco *Trans International Airlines begins service out of Oakland International Airport *The University of California Police Department is created at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
''(logo pictured)'' *KPIX-TV Channel 5, the first television station in Northern California and the first television station in the
San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area G ...
signs on the air in San Francisco The ''Point Reyes Light (newspaper), Point Reyes Light'' weekly newspaper begins publishing in
Marin County Marin County is a county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and largest city is San Rafael. Marin County is acros ...

The San Francisco Boys Chorus ''(pictured)'' is formed
Stanford University School of Humanities and Sciences is created from the merger of the Schools of Biological Sciences, Humanities, Physical Sciences and Social Sciences
Beat Generation hangout Vesuvio Cafe ''(pictured)'' opens in San Francisco
Westlake Shopping Center opens in Daly City, California, Daly City
Richard Diebenkorn has his first art exhibit at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco
The Doggie Diner fast food restaurant opens in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
''(later iconic doggie head pictured)'' *KPFA community supported radio is founded in Berkeley *KGO-TV Channel 7, the second television station in Northern California and the second television station in the
San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area G ...
signs on the air in San Francisco *KRON-TV Channel 4, the third television station in Northern California and the second television station in the
San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area G ...
signs on the air in San Francisco *Diablo Valley College, East Contra Costa Junior College is founded in Pleasant Hill, California, Pleasant Hill *Fantasy Records is founded in San Francisco *The first Mervyn's department store opens in San Lorenzo, California, San Lorenzo ''(contemporary logo pictured)'' *The Western Air Defense Force ''(pictured)'' is established at the Hamilton Army Airfield, Hamilton Air Force Base in
Marin County Marin County is a county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and largest city is San Rafael. Marin County is acros ...
*Berkelium is synthesized at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
*Children's Fairyland ''(child performance pictured)'' opens at Lake Merritt in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
*Contra Costa College is established in San Pablo, California, San Pablo *Californium is synthesized at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
The Treaty of San Francisco, between Japan and part of the Allies of World War II, Allied Powers, is officially signed by 48 nations at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco ''(signing pictured, right)''
Stanford Research Park, Stanford Industrial Park in Palo Alto, California, Palo Alto is completed
A Trader Vic's opens in San Francisco
Nuclear chemistry, Nuclear scientist Glenn T. Seaborg ''(pictured, left)'' at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
shares the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Edwin McMillan for "discoveries in the chemistry of the transuranium elements."
The is scuttled near the Farallon Islands, after being used as a target for the Operation Crossroads nuclear test at Bikini Atoll *The Purple Onion nightclub opens in San Francisco *Dwinelle Hall is completed at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
*Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory ''(pictured)'' is established in Livermore, California, Livermore *Russ Harvey adds hamburgers to the menu of his San Pablo, California, San Pablo hot dog stand, and renames it Nation's Giant Hamburgers, Harvey's Giant Hamburgers *Poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti's City Lights Bookstore ''(pictured)'' opens in San Francisco *Johnny Kan opens an early "open kitchen" Chinese restaurant in San Francisco *Laney College is established in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
*The ''Survey of California and Other Indian Languages'' begins publication at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
*Merritt College is established in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
*Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park ''(pictured)'' is established in the Santa Cruz Mountains *KQED (TV) Channel 9, the fourth television station in Northern California and the fourth television station in the
San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area G ...
signs on the air in Berkeley, California *Doctors Medical Center San Pablo Campus, Brookside Hospital opens in San Pablo, California, San Pablo *''Howl (poem), Howl'', by Allen Ginsberg ''(signature pictured)'', is written, then recited at the Six Gallery reading in San Francisco *The California Medical Facility, a List of California state prisons, state prison in Vacaville, California, Vacaville, opens *Cazadero Performing Arts Camp is established in western
Sonoma County Sonoma County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa. It is to the north of Marin County and the south of Mendocino ...
*The city of Cupertino, California, Cupertino ''(flag pictured)'' is incorporated in
Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring San Benito County together ...
*Daughters of Bilitis, the first lesbian civil and political rights organization in the United States, is formed in San Francisco *KNTV Channel 11, the first television station in San Jose, California signs on the air *Newark, California, Newark is incorporated in
Alameda County Alameda County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and 21st most populous nationally. The county seat is Oakland. Alam ...
*Caffe Trieste ''(pictured)'' opens in San Francisco *The 1956 Republican National Convention, Republican National Convention is held at the Cow Palace in San Francisco *''
The Argonaut ''The Argonaut'' was a newspaper based in San Francisco, California from 1878 to 1956. It was founded by Frank Somers, and soon taken over by Frank M. Pixley, who built it into a highly regarded publication. Under Pixley's stewardship it was c ...
'' ceases publication in San Francisco *Half Moon Bay State Beach ''(pictured)'' is established in San Mateo County *The Hayward Area Historical Society is founded *Williams Sonoma (brand), Williams Sonoma opens its first store in Sonoma, California, Sonoma *George Christopher is elected mayor of San Francisco *While living with poet Gary Snyder outside Mill Valley, California, Mill Valley, Jack Kerouac works on a book centering on Snyder, which he considers calling ''The Dharma Bums, Visions of Gary'' *The San Francisco International Film Festival is founded *Fairchild Semiconductor ''(historic plaque pictured)'' is founded in San Jose *California State University, East Bay, The State College for Alameda County is founded in Hayward *''The Flower Drum Song'' (the basis of 1958 musical ''Flower Drum Song'') by C. Y. Lee (author), C. Y. Lee, is published *The Kingston Trio folk music group forms in San Francisco *Pacifica, California, Pacifica is incorporated in San Mateo County *KTVU Channel 2 signs on the air in Oakland, California *Rice-A-Roni, "The San Francisco Treat", is introduced *The first Cost Plus, Inc., Cost Plus store opens at Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, California, Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco *The History of the New York Giants (NL), New York Giants move to San Francisco and become the San Francisco Giants ''(logo pictured)'' *San Francisco columnist Herb Caen coins the term Beat Generation, Beatnik, adding the suffix "-nik" from Sputnik I to the Beat Generation, or "Beats" *The Embarcadero Freeway ''(pictured)'' opens in San Francisco, the same year the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Highway revolts#San Francisco, votes to cancel seven of ten planned freeways *The Montgomery Block building ''(pictured)'' in San Francisco is demolished *Henry W. Coe State Park ''(pictured)'', in the
Diablo Range The Diablo Range is a mountain range in the California Coast Ranges subdivision of the Pacific Coast Ranges in northern California, United States. It stretches from the eastern San Francisco Bay area at its northern end to the Salinas Valley ...
in Santa Clara County, California, Santa Clara and Stanislaus County, California, Stanislaus counties, is established *Jack London State Historic Park, on the eastern slope of Sonoma Mountain, is established *The Crown-Zellerbach Building in San Francisco is completed *The San Francisco Mime Troupe is formed in San Francisco, performing (despite its name) musical political satire *Union City, California, Union City is established in
Alameda County Alameda County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and 21st most populous nationally. The county seat is Oakland. Alam ...
*Owen Chamberlain and Emilio Segrè at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
are awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their discovery of the antiproton *George Paul Miller, George Miller is re-elected to United States House of Representatives elections in California, 1960, California's 8th congressional district *Bothe-Napa Valley State Park is established *Candlestick Park opens in San Francisco *The Onizuka Air Force Station, Air Force Satellite Test Center ''(pictured)'', in
Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring San Benito County together ...
, becomes operational *Sonoma State University ''(pictured)'' is established *Donald A. Glaser at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his invention of the bubble chamber *San Jose, California, San Jose's population is 204,196, an increase by 114% from 1950's 95,280 *AC Transit, Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) begins service in October. *The Moore Dry Dock Company in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
ceases operations *Chabot College ''(pictured)'' is established in Hayward *The Frontier Village amusement park in San Jose opens *Melvin Calvin of the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
, Andrew Benson and James Bassham are awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their discovery of the Calvin cycle *Marine World/Africa USA, Marine World ''(pictured)'' opens in Redwood Shores, California, Redwood Shores *''Ramparts (magazine), Ramparts'', a left-wing political and literary magazine, is founded in Menlo Park *The SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center ''(pictured)'' is established in Menlo Park *Sproul Plaza is completed at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
*General Motors' Fremont Assembly plant opens *The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive ''(pictured)'' is founded *The Committee (improv group), The Committee improvisational theatre group is formed in San Francisco *The Reverend Cecil Williams (pastor), Cecil Williams becomes pastor of Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco *List of former automotive manufacturing plants, General Motors Oakland Assembly closes *The 1964 Republican National Convention, Republican National Convention is held at the Cow Palace, San Francisco *The Christmas flood of 1964, Christmas flood hits
Sonoma County Sonoma County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa. It is to the north of Marin County and the south of Mendocino ...
*The Free Speech Movement begins at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
*Pacific Air Lines Flight 773 crashes near San Ramon, California, San Ramon after a gunman kills the pilot and co-pilot, with no survivors *Don Edwards ''(pictured)'' is elected to United States House of Representatives elections in California, 1964, California's 9th congressional district *The Oakland California Temple ''(pictured)'' of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is completed *The Grateful Dead ''(pictured)'' forms in Palo Alto, California, Palo Alto *Jefferson Airplane ''(pictured)'' forms in San Francisco *The Acid Tests begin to be given by author and Merry Prankster Ken Kesey in the San Francisco Bay Area and across the West Coast *Condominium 1 is built at Sea Ranch, California, Sea Ranch on the
Sonoma County Sonoma County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa. It is to the north of Marin County and the south of Mendocino ...
coast *The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission is created to protect and preserve the
San Francisco Bay San Francisco Bay is a large tidal estuary in the U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the big cities of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland. San Francisco Bay drains water f ...
The Love Pageant Rally is held, on the day Lysergic acid diethylamide, LSD becomes illegal, in
Golden Gate Park Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, United States, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. It is administered by the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department, which began in 1871 to oversee the developm ...
, by the creators of the ''San Francisco Oracle''
The Society for Creative Anachronism ''(pictured)'' forms in Berkeley, with a parade down Telegraph Avenue
George Paul Miller is re-elected to United States House of Representatives elections in California, 1966, California's 8th congressional district
The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco ''(artifacts pictured)'' opens as a wing of the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum in
Golden Gate Park Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, United States, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. It is administered by the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department, which began in 1871 to oversee the developm ...

High-end clothier Wilkes Bashford opens in Union Square, San Francisco
The Black Panther Party, Black Panther Party for Self-Defense is formed in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale
Moby Grape is formed in San Francisco by Skip Spence and Matthew Katz
The Oakland Coliseum ''(pictured)'' opens
Peet's Coffee & Tea ''(pictured)'' is founded in Berkeley
The Print Mint begins publishing and distributing posters and underground comics in Berkeley
The ''San Francisco Bay Guardian'' weekly alternative newspaper is founded in San Francisco
The American Conservatory Theater moves to San Francisco *KICU-TV Channel 36 signs on the air in San Francisco The Mantra-Rock Dance concert takes place at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco
The Human Be-In ''(poster artwork from magazine cover depicted, left)'' occurs at San Francisco's
Golden Gate Park Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, United States, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. It is administered by the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department, which began in 1871 to oversee the developm ...
, a prelude to the Summer of Love
The University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism is established
Creedence Clearwater Revival ''(pictured, right)'' is formed in El Cerrito, California, El Cerrito
''Rolling Stone'' magazine ''(current logo pictured, right)'' begins publishing in San Francisco
Santana (band), Santana is formed in San Francisco by Carlos Santana ''(pictured, right)''
The Summer of Love comes to San Francisco *KBCW (TV), KBHK-TV Channel 44 signs on the air in San Francisco *KOFY-TV, KEMO-TV Channel 20 signs on the air in San Francisco *In the last minute of a American football, football game between the Oakland Raiders and the New York Jets, Oakland scores two touchdowns to overcome a 32–29 New York lead, just as the NBC Television Network Heidi Game, breaks away from the game, with the Jets still winning, to air the television film ''Heidi'' *Japan Airlines Flight 2 flying from Haneda Airport, Tokyo International Airport to San Francisco International Airport lands in the shallow waters of
San Francisco Bay San Francisco Bay is a large tidal estuary in the U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the big cities of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland. San Francisco Bay drains water f ...
, two and a half miles short of the runway, with no injuries *Douglas Englebart presents The Mother of All Demos ''(prototype based on the demo pictured)'' at the Joint Computer Conference, Fall Joint Computer Conference in San Francisco *The Lawrence Hall of Science ''(pictured)'' is established in Berkeley *KSFR, 94.9 FM, changes to call letters KSAN (FM), KSAN, and switches formats from classical music to freeform (radio format), freeform rock *Luis Walter Alvarez at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics The Altamont Free Concert is held at the Altamont Raceway Park, Altamont Speedway between Tracy, California, Tracy and Livermore, California, Livermore
Advanced Micro Devices is founded in Sunnyvale, California, Sunnyvale
American Zoetrope ''(headquarters at the Columbus Tower (San Francisco), Sentinel Building pictured)'' is founded in San Francisco by Francis Ford Coppola
The Exploratorium ''(interior pictured)'' is founded in San Francisco
Clothing retailer Gap Inc., The Gap ''(early logo pictured)'' is founded in San Francisco
The Oakland Museum of California is established
The San Jose Museum of Art ''(pictured)'' is established
A "People's Park (Berkeley), People's Park" ''(pictured)'' is created by community activists on
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
property, off Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley
The 555 California Street, Bank of America Center building in San Francisco is completed
The Occupation of Alcatraz by Native American people, Native American activists begins
Earth Day is first proposed by John McConnell (peace activist), John McConnell at a UNESCO conference in San Francisco
An unidentified person sends letters to the ''Vallejo Times Herald'', the ''San Francisco Chronicle'', and ''The San Francisco Examiner'', taking credit for two fatal shooting incidents, then sends a fourth letter to the ''Examiner'' with the salutation "Dear Editor This is the Zodiac Killer, Zodiac speaking." *Jonathan P. Jackson, Jonathan Jackson attempts to negotiate the freedom of the Soledad Brothers (which included his older brother George Jackson (Black Panther), George) by kidnapping Superior Court judge Harold Haley from the Marin County Civic Center in San Rafael. The Marin County courthouse incident, resulting shootout leaves four men dead, including both Jackson and Judge Haley. *People v. Newton reverses the voluntary manslaughter conviction of Huey P. Newton in the death of an Oakland Police Department, Oakland Police officer *A pipe bomb filled with Fragmentation (weaponry), shrapnel San Francisco Police Department Park Station bombing, detonates on the ledge of a window at the San Francisco Police Department's Golden Gate Park station, killing one officer and wounding nine *The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive ''(pictured)'' opens *Ron Dellums is elected to California's 7th congressional district *San Jose, California, San Jose's population is 459,913, an increase by 125% from 1960's 204,196 *Two Standard Oil tankers collide in the
San Francisco Bay San Francisco Bay is a large tidal estuary in the U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the big cities of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland. San Francisco Bay drains water f ...
, 1971 San Francisco Bay oil spill, spilling 800,000 gallons of oil *Annadel State Park ''(pictured)'' is established in the
Sonoma Valley Sonoma Valley is a valley located in southeastern Sonoma County, California, in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Known as the birthplace of the California wine industry, the valley is home to some of the earliest vineyards a ...
*Erhard Seminars Training is founded in San Francisco *Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site, Eugene O'Neill's Tao House ''(pictured)'', in what is now Danville, California, Danville, is declared a National Historic Landmark *Chez Panisse restaurant ''(pictured)'' is established in Berkeley *Filmmaker George Lucas founds Lucasfilm in San Rafael, the same year he releases ''THX 1138'', filmed in the
San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area G ...
*Japanese American city councilman Norman Mineta is elected Mayor of San Jose, California, Mayor of San Jose *The Palo Alto Art Center, Palo Alto Community Cultural Center is founded in Palo Alto, California, Palo Alto *The Stanford marshmallow experiment results are published *The Tiffany Building (San Francisco), Tiffany Building in San Francisco is completed *Playland (San Francisco), Playland ''(pictured)'' in San Francisco closes *Bay Area Rapid Transit ''(early car model pictured)'' begins operations *The Haas-Lilienthal House in San Francisco opens to the public *Venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers is founded in Menlo Park *Stag's Leap Wine Cellars in the Napa Valley, California, Napa Valley produces its first vintage *The first San Francisco Pride festival, then called Christopher Street West, attracts an estimated 54,000 attendees ''(1983 parade pictured)'' *The Oakland A's win the 1972 World Series, World Series *The pornographic film ''Behind the Green Door'' is released, directed by the San Francisco-based Mitchell Brothers *''Burst of Joy'', depicting United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, Lt. Col. Robert L. Stirm being reunited with his family, after spending more than five years in captivity as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam, is taken at Travis Air Force Base ''(pictured)'' in
Solano County Solano County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 453,491. The county seat is Fairfield. Solano County comprises the Vallejo–Fairfield, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which i ...
*16 people are killed, during a string of racially motivated attacks, dubbed the Zebra murders, committed by African-American men against mostly white victims, in San Francisco, continuing into 1974 *The Oakland A's win the 1973 World Series, World Series *Bill Owens (photographer), Bill Owens' photoessay ''Suburbia (book), Suburbia'', featuring images of Livermore, California, Livermore, is published by Straight Arrow Press in San Francisco *The University of California, Berkeley College of Natural Resources is established *Symbionese Liberation Army members hold up a Hibernia Bank (San Francisco), Hibernia Bank in San Francisco, where an iconic image ''(pictured)'' of kidnapped heiress Patricia Hearst is caught on security footage *The serial ''Tales of the City'' by Armistead Maupin appears in the ''Pacific Sun (newspaper), Pacific Sun'' alternative newsweekly *George Moscone San Francisco mayoral election, 1975, is elected mayor of San Francisco *KDTV-DT, KDTV Channel 60 (now Channel 14) signs on the air in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...
*The Marine Mammal Center ''(staff and patient pictured)'' is established in the Marin Headlands at a former MIM-3 Nike Ajax, Nike Missile site *Gary Snyder's 1974 ''Turtle Island (book), Turtle Island'' (after the Iroquois, Goano'ganoch'sa'jeh'seroni Turtle Island (North America), name for the lands of North America) wins the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry *The ''San Francisco Review of Books'' is founded by Ronald Nowicki *The Golden State Warriors win the 1975 NBA Finals, NBA Finals Gypsy Hill killings, Five unsolved murders of young women are committed in San Mateo County
Apple Inc. ''(pictured, left)'' is founded in Cupertino, California, Cupertino by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne
Napa Valley Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier ...
wineries Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and
Chateau Montelena Chateau Montelena is a Napa Valley winery most famous for winning the white wine section of the historic "Judgment of Paris" wine competition. Chateau Montelena's Chardonnay was in competition with nine other wines from France and California und ...
''(pictured, right)'' place best in the red and white wine categories respectively, against their traditionally first ranked French competitors, in the wine tasting that becomes known as the Judgment of Paris (wine), Judgment of Paris
China Camp State Park is established in San Rafael
Fairfield, California, Fairfield-based candy company Herman Goelitz sells their first Jelly Belly, Jelly Bellies
Cyra McFadden's ''The Serial's'' first installments are published in the ''Pacific Sun (newspaper), Pacific Sun'' alternative newsweekly
Dennis Richmond becomes the lead anchor at KTVU news in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
, an early African American news anchor in a major US television market
KPIX television in San Francisco debuts a locally produced magazine program called ''Evening Magazine, Evening: The MTWTF Show'' The San Francisco Board of Supervisors election, 1977, San Francisco Board of Supervisors election places Dianne Feinstein ''(pictured, left)'', Harvey Milk ''(pictured, far right)'' and Dan White on the board
Oracle Corporation is founded in Santa Clara
Victoria's Secret opens its first store at the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, California, Palo Alto
Members of the Joe Boys gang Golden Dragon massacre, open fire at the Golden Dragon Restaurant in
Chinatown A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Aust ...
, in an assault on rival gang Wah Ching, leaving 5 people dead and 11 others injured, none of whom are gang members.
Apple Inc., Apple Computer introduces the Apple II *909 members of the San Francisco-based People's Temple die, primarily from cyanide poisoning, at an agricultural project coined Jonestown in Guyana, following the murder of five others by Temple members at Port Kaituma, including United States Congressman Leo Ryan ''(pictured)'' of the Bay Area *San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk Moscone–Milk assassinations, are shot and killed in San Francisco City Hall by former Supervisor Dan White ''(news headline pictured)'' *Retailer Banana Republic is founded in Mill Valley, California, Mill Valley *The Dead Kennedys are formed in San Francisco *The French Laundry restaurant opens in Yountville, California, Yountville in the
Napa Valley Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier ...
*The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus is formed *The whaling ship ''
Niantic Niantic may refer to: * Niantic people, tribe of American Indians * Niantic, Inc., mobile app developer known for the mobile games ''Ingress'' and ''Pokémon Go'' Ships * ''Niantic'' (whaling vessel), relic of San Francisco Gold Rush *USS ''Ni ...
'' is uncovered near the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco *The murder of Tammy Vincent, body of Tammy Vincent is found in Tiburon, California, Tiburon *The White Night riots ''(pictured)'' erupt in San Francisco *Dianne Feinstein ''(pictured)'' San Francisco mayoral election, 1979, is elected mayor of San Francisco *The Gilroy Garlic Festival is founded *Huey Lewis and the News is founded in San Francisco *Experimental music group Negativland is founded in Concord, California, Concord *Data storage company Seagate Technology is founded in Cupertino, California, Cupertino *David Carpenter commits his first trailside killings in the Bay Area *1979 Coyote Lake earthquake, A 5.7 magnitude earthquake strikes with an epicenter near Coyote Lake in
Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring San Benito County together ...
*Hughes Airwest, based out of San Francisco International Airport, is acquired by Republic Airlines (1979–1986), Republic Airlines *The Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall ''(pictured)'' in San Francisco is completed *Timeline of HIV/AIDS#1980s, A medical patient in San Francisco is reported to have both Kaposi's sarcoma and Cryptococcus neoformans, Cryptococcus *KSAN (FM), KSAN radio switches formats from freeform (radio format), freeform rock to country music *
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
Slavic Languages and Literature Professor Czesław Miłosz ''(pictured)'' is awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature The first World Games 1981, World Games are held in Santa Clara
Erhard Seminars Training in San Francisco dissolved
The Sonoma Valley AVA ''(winery directional sign pictured, left)'' is established
The Napa Valley AVA ''(historic marker pictured, right)'' is established *KSTS Channel 48 signs on the air in San Jose, California The Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary is established in coastal waters off the
Golden Gate The Golden Gate is a strait on the west coast of North America that connects San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. It is defined by the headlands of the San Francisco Peninsula and the Marin Peninsula, and, since 1937, has been spanned by t ...

Arthur Leonard Schawlow at
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is conside ...
, along with Nicolaas Bloembergen and Kai Siegbahn, share the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work with lasers
14 year old Marcy Renee Conrad is murdered in Milpitas, California, Milpitas
''Ceratitis capitata'', known commonly as the "Mediterranean fruit fly", infests the Bay Area *The Caldecott Tunnel fire kills seven people in the third (then-northernmost) bore of the Caldecott Tunnel, on California State Route 24, State Route 24 between
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
and Orinda, California, Orinda *San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana The Catch (American football), throws a memorable touchdown pass to Dwight Clark in the NFC Championship Game with the Dallas Cowboys *The 1982 California Golden Bears football team, University of California Golden Bears perform The Play (Stanford vs. California), The Play, a Kickoff (American football), kickoff return during a college football game with the 1982 Stanford Cardinal football team, Stanford Cardinals, which is among the most memorable events in Sports in the United States, American sports. *E-Trade ''(pictured)'' is founded in Palo Alto, California, Palo Alto *NortonLifeLock, Symantec ''(pictured)'' is founded in Mountain View, California, Mountain View *General Motors' Fremont Assembly ''(pictured)'' closes *The San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl XVI, win the Super Bowl for the first time *Cleve Jones and Marcus Conant establish the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, Kaposi's Sarcoma Research and Education Foundation *Floods in California, Severe flooding in the Bay Area results in 33 deaths and $280 million in losses. *The 1983 San Jose School District California bankruptcy, San Jose School District declares bankruptcy *Dianne Feinstein ''(pictured)'' San Francisco mayoral election, 1983, is re-elected mayor of San Francisco *Tax preparation software company Intuit is founded in Mountain View, California, Mountain View *KRCB (TV), KRCB-TV Channel 22 signs on the air in Cotati, California *San Francisco General Hospital establishes the first inpatient ward and outpatient clinic in the United States to treat Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome *Charles McCabe, writer of the "Fearless Spectator" and "Himself" columns for the ''San Francisco Chronicle'', dies at his home in North Beach, San Francisco, North Beach *The 1984 Democratic National Convention ''(Vice Presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro pictured)'' is held at Moscone Center in San Francisco *An earthquake with an epicenter near Mount Hamilton (California), Mount Hamilton, 1984 Morgan Hill earthquake, close to Morgan Hill in the South Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), South Bay, inflicts over US$7 million in damage *The Alexander Valley AVA is established *California State Prison, Solano in Vacaville, California, Vacaville is completed *The Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco is established by publisher Malcolm Whyte *NUMMI, New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. ''(pictured)'' opens at the site of the former General Motors Fremont Assembly *Apple Inc., Apple Computer introduces the Macintosh 128K, Macintosh personal computer ''(pictured)'' A plane heading for Buchanan Field Airport loses control and 1985 Sunvalley Mall plane crash, crashes into the roof of Macys, killing the pilot and two passengers, and seriously injuring 84 Christmas shoppers at the Sun Valley Mall in Concord, California, Concord
Año Nuevo State Park is established at Año Nuevo Island ''(pictured, left)'' and points in San Mateo County
Emeryville Crescent State Marine Reserve ''(pictured, right)'' is established
NeXT is founded in
Redwood City Redwood City is a city on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California's Bay Area, approximately south of San Francisco, and northwest of San Jose. Redwood City's history spans its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people to being a po ...
by Apple Computer co-founder Steve Jobs, after being forced out of Apple
The San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl XIX, win the Super Bowl for the second time *The Napa River Napa River flood of 1986, experiences its worst flooding of the 20th century *The Oakland Symphony is dissolved *The punk rock club 924 Gilman Street ''(pictured)'' is established in Berkeley *The Cacophony Society of culture jamming, culture jammers is founded in San Francisco, and *The first Burning Man gathering occurs at Baker Beach ''(pictured, with typical apparel of later events)'' in San Francisco *Shoreline Amphitheatre opens in Mountain View, California, Mountain View *Jackie Speier is elected to the California State Assembly *Art Agnos San Francisco mayoral election, 1987, is elected mayor of San Francisco *Punk rock band Green Day ''(Billie Joe Armstrong pictured)'' forms in the
East Bay The East Bay is the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area and includes cities along the eastern shores of the San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. The region has grown to include inland communities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties ...
, with early gigs at 924 Gilman in Berkeley *Security software company McAfee is founded in Santa Clara *Biotech pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences is founded in Foster City, California, Foster City *The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority light rail system ''(logo pictured)'' begins operation *The Sonoma Coast AVA is established *Nancy Pelosi is elected to California's 5th congressional district *Cleve Jones and Mike Smith begin work in San Francisco on a NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, quilt project to memorialize people who had died from AIDS *A gunman Richard Farley, kills seven people and wounds four others at ESL Incorporated in Sunnyvale, California, Sunnyvale. *A Ashurbanipal (sculpture), sculpture of Ashurbanipal ''(pictured)'' is installed at the Civic Center, San Francisco *The Niles Canyon Railway is reopened in the
East Bay The East Bay is the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area and includes cities along the eastern shores of the San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. The region has grown to include inland communities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties ...
*The Oakland East Bay Symphony is established *Beat Generation and San Francisco Renaissance poet Robert Duncan (poet), Robert Duncan dies *Pacific Sports Network (now NBC Sports Bay Area) signs on the air in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...
*The Oakland Athletics win the 1989 World Series, World Series *An earthquake centered near Loma Prieta in the Santa Cruz Mountains 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, causes significant damage in the Bay Area, kills 63 people throughout Northern California, and injures 3,757 ''(damage pictured)'' *The original Kezar Stadium ''(pictured)'' in San Francisco is demolished *The Santa Clara Valley AVA is established *The San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl XXIII, win the Super Bowl for the third time *California sea lions begin to haul out on docks at San Francisco's Pier 39 *The Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose ''(pictured)'' opens *Ron Dellums is re-elected to the California's 8th congressional district, 8th district of the United States Congress *Michael Sweeney (politician), Michael Sweeney is elected mayor of Hayward *The San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl XXIV, win the Super Bowl for the fourth time *Long time International Longshore and Warehouse Union president Harry Bridges dies in San Francisco *The 1990 United States Census indicates that San Jose has officially surpassed San Francisco as the most populous city in the Bay Area. The Oakland firestorm of 1991, Oakland and Berkeley Hills are hit by a firestorm ''(damage pictured, left)''
Frank Jordan San Francisco mayoral election, 1991, is elected mayor of San Francisco
Groundbreaking ceremonies take place at the AIDS Memorial Grove in San Francisco ''(logo pictured, right)''
San Francisco pornography and striptease club pioneer Mitchell brothers, Jim Mitchell kills his brother and business partner Artie in
Marin County Marin County is a county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and largest city is San Rafael. Marin County is acros ...

Apple Inc., Apple Computer introduces the PowerBook line of subnotebook personal computers *Barbara Boxer ''(pictured)'' United States Senate election in California, 1992, is elected to the United States Senate *Nicholas C. Petris is re-elected to California's 9th State Senate district, the 9th State Senate district *Lynn Woolsey is elected to California's 6th congressional district, the 6th congressional district *Eight people are killed and six others injured by a gunman at 101 California Street shooting, the 101 California Street building in San Francisco *Polly Hannah Klaas is kidnapped from her home in Petaluma and Murder of Polly Klaas, subsequently strangled *The magazine ''Wired (magazine), Wired'' begins publishing in San Francisco *The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts ''(pictured)'' opens in San Francisco *Employees of San Francisco's two major daily newspapers, the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' and The ''
San Francisco Examiner The ''San Francisco Examiner'' is a newspaper distributed in and around San Francisco, California, and published since 1863. Once self-dubbed the "Monarch of the Dailies" by then-owner William Randolph Hearst, and flagship of the Hearst Corporat ...
'', San Francisco newspaper strike of 1994, walk off the job for eleven days *The San Francisco-based I. Magnin department store chain is liquidated ''(former SF building pictured)'' *Yahoo! is founded in Sunnyvale, California, Sunnyvale *The Mount Vision fire ''(damage pictured)'' burns 12,000 acres (49 km2) at the Point Reyes National Seashore *Willie Brown (politician), Willie Brown San Francisco mayoral election, 1995, is elected mayor of San Francisco *Craigslist is founded by Craig Newmark ''(pictured)'' in San Francisco *The San Jose Earthquakes association football, soccer team is established *The St. Helena AVA is established *The Salon (website), Salon website is established in San Francisco *The San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl XXIX, win the Super Bowl for the fifth time *Grateful Dead co-founder, guitarist and singer/songwriter Jerry Garcia dies in
Marin County Marin County is a county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and largest city is San Rafael. Marin County is acros ...
*The Computer History Museum ''(pictured)'' is established in Mountain View, California, Mountain View *The Internet Archive is established in San Francisco *''San Francisco Chronicle'' columnist Herb Caen wins a Pulitzer Prize Special Citations and Awards, Special Pulitzer Prize for "his extraordinary and continuing contribution as a voice and conscience of his city" *Stanley B. Prusiner of the University of California, San Francisco and the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his research into prions *The Googleplex, Silicon Graphics campus in Mountain View, California, Mountain View is completed *Netflix is founded in Los Gatos, California, Los Gatos *''San Francisco Chronicle'' columnist Herb Caen ''(pictured)'' dies *Steve Jobs returns as CEO of Apple Computer *Naval Air Station Alameda is closed on 25 April. *Google is founded in Menlo Park *The Sonoma Valley Museum of Art is founded in Sonoma, California, Sonoma *Ron Gonzales ''(pictured)'' is elected mayor of San Jose *Jerry Brown is elected mayor of
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
*The Elihu M. Harris State Office Building ''(pictured)'' in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
is completed *Apple Inc., Apple Computer introduces the iMac G3, iMac *Willie Brown (politician), Willie Brown ''(pictured)'' San Francisco mayoral election, 1999, is re-elected mayor of San Francisco *The San Francisco Bay AVA is designated *The Union Landing Shopping Center in Union City, California, Union City is completed *AT&T Park opens in San Francisco *Pandora Radio is founded in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
*The Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park is designated in
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...
''(historic photo shown)'' *''Peanuts'' creator Charles M. Schulz dies at his home in
Santa Rosa Santa Rosa is the Italian, Portuguese and Spanish name for Saint Rose. Santa Rosa may also refer to: Places Argentina * Santa Rosa, Mendoza, a city * Santa Rosa, Tinogasta, Catamarca * Santa Rosa, Valle Viejo, Catamarca *Santa Rosa, La Pampa * S ...
*The Dot-com bubble, affecting many Silicon Valley Dot-com company, internet companies, peaks


21st century

*30 inches (76 cm) of snow falls on Mount Hamilton (California), Mount Hamilton ''(pictured)'' *The collapse of the Dot-com bubble accelerates *City Lights Bookstore is declared a List of San Francisco Designated Landmarks, San Francisco Designated Landmark *Michael Chabon's 2000 novel ''The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay'' wins the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction *Apple, Inc. releases iTunes, and later in the year introduces the iPod
---- *Murder of Gwen Araujo, Gwen Araujo is murdered in Newark, California, Newark *Murder of Laci Peterson, Laci Peterson is murdered at an unknown location along the
San Francisco Bay San Francisco Bay is a large tidal estuary in the U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the big cities of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland. San Francisco Bay drains water f ...
*The Berkeley I-80 bridge ''(pictured)'' opens *The JPMorgan Chase Building (San Francisco), JPMorgan Chase Building in San Francisco is completed *Tom Bates ''(pictured)'' is elected mayor of Berkeley *The Paramount, San Francisco, The Paramount residential tower in San Francisco is completed *555 City Center, a skyscraper in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
, is completed
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*Gavin Newsom San Francisco mayoral election, 2003, is elected mayor of San Francisco *The Los Esteros Critical Energy Facility goes online in San Jose *Tesla Motors ''(pictured)'' is founded in Palo Alto, California, Palo Alto *Adobe World Headquarters, Adobe World Headquarters, Almaden tower in San Jose is completed
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*San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom San Francisco 2004 same-sex weddings, directs the city-county clerk to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples ''(applicants pictured)'' *Bob Wasserman is elected mayor of Fremont, California, Fremont *Johan Klehs is elected to California's 18th State Assembly district
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*Thin-film solar cell manufacturer Solyndra ''(logo pictured)'' is founded in Fremont, California, Fremont *YouTube is founded in San Bruno, California, San Bruno *The new San Jose City Hall ''(pictured)'' is completed *The Sobrato Office Tower in San Jose is completed
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*The first Maker Faire ''(exhibit pictured)'' takes place at the San Mateo County, California, San Mateo County Event Center *Microblogging site Twitter is founded in San Francisco *Knight Ridder, a media company based in San Jose, is purchased by The McClatchy Company *Gayle McLaughlin Richmond, California municipal elections, 2006, is elected mayor of Richmond *Chuck Reed is elected mayor of San Jose *Ron Dellums is elected mayor of
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
*Ellen Corbett ''(pictured)'' California State Senate election, 2006, is elected to the 10th State Senate district *Leland Yee California State Senate election, 2006, is elected to the 8th State Senate district *George Smoot at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, with John C. Mather for work that led to the "discovery of the black body form and anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation."
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*Berkeley Marine Corps Recruiting Center protests, Members of Code Pink begin protesting in front of a United States Marine Corps Recruiting Center in Berkeley *Hayward teachers strike, Teachers go on strike against the Hayward Unified School District *A tiger San Francisco Zoo tiger attacks, escapes from her open-air enclosure at the San Francisco Zoo and attacks three visitors, killing one *Village Music in Mill Valley, California, Mill Valley closes *Mayoralty of Gavin Newsom, Gavin Newsom ''(pictured)'' San Francisco mayoral election, 2007, is re-elected mayor of San Francisco *The Año Nuevo State Marine Conservation Area is established ''(elephant seals pictured)'' *The Greyhound Rock State Marine Conservation Area, adjacent to Año Nuevo, is established *''Zodiac (film), Zodiac'', a film about the Zodiac killer, debuts *The container ship Hanjin Venezia, ''Cosco Busan'' strikes a base tower of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge in thick fog, Cosco Busan oil spill, spilling of heavy fuel oil into San Francisco Bay *Apple Inc. introduces the iPhone (1st generation), iPhone
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*SiPort shooting, Three people are fatally shot at the office of SiPort, a start-up company in Silicon Valley *The Hayward-based Mervyn's department store chain is liquidated ''(headquarters pictured)'' *The Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival premieres at
Golden Gate Park Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, United States, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. It is administered by the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department, which began in 1871 to oversee the developm ...
in San Francisco *A Angel Island (California)#2008 fire, fire on Angel Island ''(pictured)'' scorches a third of the island *One Rincon Hill, One Rincon Hill South Tower in San Francisco is completed *The 555 Mission Street office tower in San Francisco is completed *The 88 (San Jose), The 88, a residential skyscraper in San Jose, is completed *Tesla Motors introduces the Tesla Roadster (2008), Tesla Roadster, the first fully electric sports car *Vintner Robert Mondavi dies in Yountville, California, Yountville
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*Oscar Grant BART Police shooting of Oscar Grant, is fatally shot by BART Police officer Johannes Mehserle *A convicted felon 2009 shootings of Oakland police officers, shoots and kills four Oakland police officers * Jack's Restaurant ''(pictured)'' closes in San Francisco after operating since 1863 *Millennium Tower (San Francisco), Millennium Tower ''(pictured)'' in San Francisco is completed *The Infinity complex, consisting of 2 high-rise towers and 2 low-rise buildings in San Francisco, is completed
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*A AC Transit Bus fight, fight on an AC Transit Bus is recorded on video and uploaded to YouTube *A 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion, pipeline explosion in San Bruno ''(pictured)'' registers a shock wave equivalent to a magnitude 1.1 earthquake *Sun Microsystems Sun acquisition by Oracle, is acquired by Oracle *The Calistoga AVA (wine region) is established *Onizuka Air Force Station in
Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring San Benito County together ...
closes *Jean Quan ''(pictured)'' is elected mayor of
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
*Michael Sweeney (politician), Michael Sweeney is re-elected mayor of Hayward *The San Francisco Giants win the 2010 World Series, World Series *The NUMMI automobile manufacturing plant in Fremont, California, Fremont closes, then reopens as the Tesla Factory ''(pictured)''
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*Steve Jobs dies at his home in Palo Alto, California, Palo Alto *Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis dies in his suite at the Oakland International Airport, Oakland Airport Hilton Hotel *A gunman kills 3 co-workers and wounds 6 others at Permanente Quarry in Cupertino, California, Cupertino *Occupy Oakland protests and demonstrations ''(pictured)'' at Frank H. Ogawa Plaza *Ed Lee (politician), Ed Lee San Francisco mayoral election, 2011, is elected mayor of San Francisco *Fremont, California, Fremont solar panel manufacturer Solyndra closes *Former San Francisco District Attorney's Office, San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris begins serving as California's first female California Attorney General, Attorney General
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*The San Francisco Giants win the 2012 World Series, World Series *Matt Cain ''(pictured)'' Matt Cain's perfect game, pitches a perfect game at AT&T Park in San Francisco *2012 Ingleside, San Francisco homicide, Five people are found dead at a home in San Francisco's Ingleside (San Francisco), Ingleside neighborhood *The Novato meteorite ''(trajectory pictured)'' crosses the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), North Bay *A gunman 2012 Oikos University shooting, kills seven people inside Oikos University in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
*The South San Francisco Ferry Terminal opens *Nadia Lockyer resigns as Alameda County Board of Supervisors, Alameda County Supervisor *Gus Morrison is appointed mayor of Fremont, California, Fremont *Eric Swalwell is United States House of Representatives elections in California, 2012, elected to California's 15th congressional district *A large fire erupts at the Chevron Richmond Refinery#2012 fire, Chevron Richmond Refinery ''(smoke plume pictured)'', and a shelter in place order is given by
Contra Costa County ) of the San Francisco Bay , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1 = State , subdivision_name1 = California , subdivision_type2 ...
*Tesla Motors introduces the Tesla Model S
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The 2013 America's Cup ''(Oracle Corporation, Oracle Team USA yacht pictured)'' is held in
San Francisco Bay San Francisco Bay is a large tidal estuary in the U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the big cities of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland. San Francisco Bay drains water f ...

Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crashes while landing at San Francisco International Airport
An unofficial death certificate is issued for Jahi McMath case, Jahi McMath by the
Alameda County Alameda County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and 21st most populous nationally. The county seat is Oakland. Alam ...
coroner
Shooting of Andy Lopez, Andy Lopez is shot and killed by a
Sonoma County Sonoma County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa. It is to the north of Marin County and the south of Mendocino ...
sheriff's deputy
Warren Hall ''(pictured)'', at California State University, East Bay, is Building implosion, demolished by implosion
Graton Resort & Casino opens in Rohnert Park, California, Rohnert Park
The Russell City Energy Center goes online in Hayward
SFJAZZ Center ''(pictured)'' opens in San Francisco
The Eastern span replacement of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, new eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge opens
Ordinaire (wine bar), Ordinaire, a wine bar and shop serving natural wine, opens in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
Solar Impulse begins a cross-US flight, taking off from Moffett Field in Mountain View, California, Mountain View
The Tom Lantos Tunnels ''(pictured)'', at Devil's Slide (California), Devil's Slide near Pacifica, California, Pacifica, open
Gilead Sciences' drug Sofosbuvir, Sovaldi, for the treatment of hepatitis C, is approved by the FDA
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory physicist Carl Haber (physicist), Carl Haber is awarded a MacArthur Prize, MacArthur "Genius Grant"
San Francisco Bay San Francisco Bay is a large tidal estuary in the U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the big cities of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland. San Francisco Bay drains water f ...
is designated a Ramsar Convention, Ramsar Wetland of International Importance
Cancer patient Miles Scott becomes Batkid for a day in San Francisco, turning it into Gotham City, with Mayor Ed Lee and others participating in the Make-A-Wish project
----
* 2014 in the United States#March, March ** The Mission Bay fire ''(pictured)'' breaks out in San Francisco ** California State Senate, Democratic California State Senator Leland Yee is arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI on charges related to Corruption, public corruption and Arms trafficking, gun trafficking * 2014 in the United States#June, June **A new Kaiser Permanente Medical Center (San Leandro, California), Kaiser Permanente Medical Center opens in San Leandro, California, San Leandro **Barbara Halliday is elected mayor of Hayward ** San Francisco political consultant Ryan Chamberlain is apprehended by the FBI and the San Francisco Police Department after explosive materials are allegedly discovered in his apartment **Amelia Rose Earhart ''(pictured)'' departs from
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
on June 26, and lands back in Oakland on July 1, successfully recreating her namesake Amelia Earhart's unsuccessful 1937 circumnavigation of the Earth ** The San Jose Repertory Theatre ceases operations and files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy * 2014 in the United States#July, July **Levi's Stadium ''(pictured)'' opens in Santa Clara as the new home of the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League * 2014 in the United States#August, August **Actor and comedian Robin Williams ''(pictured)'' dies from an apparent suicide at his home outside Tiburon, California, Tiburon **Maryam Mirzakhani of
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is conside ...
becomes the first woman to be awarded the Fields Medal in mathematics ** The East Bay Municipal Utility District and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission impose mandatory water rationing measures, as a consequence of the 2012–14 North American drought, ongoing drought in California ** Paul McCartney plays a concert at Candlestick Park, the last event to be held at the venue, and 50 years after The Beatles performed their last concert there ** Two owners and two staff of the now defunct Rancho Feeding Corporation in Petaluma are indicted on federal charges of violating the 1906 Federal Meat Inspection Act ** A moment magnitude scale, magnitude 6.0 2014 South Napa earthquake, earthquake strikes in Napa County ''(damage pictured)'', with an epicenter northwest of the city of American Canyon, California, American Canyon, the largest earthquake to hit the
San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area G ...
since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, sending at least 172 people to the hospital *2014 in the United States#September, September ** The Berkeley city council passes an ordinance to provide free medical marijuana for low-income patients **Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook presents the Apple Watch ''(pictured)'', the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus at the De Anza College, Flint Performing Arts Center in Cupertino, California, Cupertino **
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is conside ...
social psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt is awarded a MacArthur Fellows Program, Macarthur "Genius Grant" Fellowship **Larry Ellison ''(pictured)'' steps down as CEO of Oracle Corporation, to become chief technical officer, and executive chairman of the board of directors *2014 in the United States#October, October **Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman announces plans for the company to split in two, forming Hewlett-Packard Enterprise and HP, Inc. **
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is conside ...
professor William E. Moerner ''(pictured)'', Eric Betzig and Stefan Hell are awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their use of fluorescence in microscopy ** Livermore, California, Livermore golf coach Andrew Nisbet is sentenced to 27 years in prison on charges of molesting three of his juvenile students, and then plotting to kill them while being held in jail ** The Daughters of Charity Health System approves the sale of Daly City, California, Daly City's Seton Medical Center and San Jose, California, San Jose's O'Connor Hospital to Prime Healthcare Services ** The ''San Francisco Bay Guardian'' free weekly alternative newspaper ceases publication after 48 years ''(logo pictured)'' ** The San Francisco Giants defeat the Kansas City Royals to win the 2014 World Series, World Series, their third championship in five seasons **Ross William Ulbricht is arrested in San Francisco, charged with running the Silk Road (marketplace), Silk Road dark web online illicit marketplace **Apple, Inc. CEO Tim Cook states in an editorial that he is "proud to be gay", becoming the first openly gay leader of a major U.S. company **
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
Chancellor Nicholas Dirks announces plans for a Berkeley Global Campus at Richmond Bay, to develop existing UC campuses in
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...
** Susan Xiao-Ping Su, founder and former president of the defunct Pleasanton, California, Pleasanton-based Tri-Valley University, is sentenced to 16 years in prison for Visa (document), visa and mail fraud *2014 in the United States#November, November **Libby Schaaf ''(pictured)'' is elected mayor of
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
, defeating incumbent mayor Jean Quan ** Measure D, a Soda tax, sugary drink tax, is approved by Berkeley voters, the first such tax in the United States **Mike Honda is elected to California's 17th congressional district, defeating Ro Khanna **David Chiu (politician), David Chiu is elected to California's 17th State Assembly district, defeating David Campos **Sam Liccardo is elected mayor of San Jose, defeating Dave Cortese ** A new, unnamed species ''(pictured)'' in the coral genus ''Leptogorgia'' is discovered off the coast of
Sonoma County Sonoma County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa. It is to the north of Marin County and the south of Mendocino ...
, near the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, Gulf of the Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries ** Up to 18,000 nurses from at least 21 Kaiser Permanente hospitals and 35 clinics around the Bay Area go on strike, citing issues with patient care standards and Ebola safeguards ** The 27 story 535 Mission Street office skyscraper opens in the South of Market (San Francisco), South of Market district of San Francisco **Marian and Vivian Brown, Marian Brown of the Marian and Vivian Brown, San Francisco Twins, dies, her sister Vivian having died in January 2013 ''(sisters pictured)'' ** The BART to Oakland International Airport automated guideway transit system begins operating between the Bay Area Rapid Transit Oakland Coliseum Station and Oakland International Airport (BART station), Oakland International Airport ** The Watershed Alliance of Marin reports that no coho salmon had returned to Redwood Creek (Marin County), Redwood Creek in 2014, prompting concerns of likely local extinction of the species. **The remains of the ''SS City of Rio de Janeiro'' ''(pictured)'', which shipwrecked in 1901, are found off the shores of San Francisco at the
Golden Gate The Golden Gate is a strait on the west coast of North America that connects San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. It is defined by the headlands of the San Francisco Peninsula and the Marin Peninsula, and, since 1937, has been spanned by t ...
*2014 in the United States#December, December **Protesters of the Death of Eric Garner, grand jury decision in the death of New Yorker Eric Garner take to the streets in Berkeley,
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
and San Francisco **A December 2014 North American winter storm, large storm ''(video shown)'' leaves 150,000 households without power across the Bay Area ** San Jose demolishes The Jungle (homeless encampment), The Jungle, the nation's largest homeless person encampment **Google unveils a fully functioning prototype of the Google driverless car, with plans to test it on Bay Area roads beginning in 2015
---- *2015 in the United States, January **Personal genomics and biotechnology company 23andMe announces a $60 million investment by Genentech for Parkinson's disease, Parkinson's research **The Golden Gate Bridge closes to automobile traffic for the first time in its history, in order to install a Barrier transfer machine, mobile concrete median ''(pictured)'' **Birds coated with an unidentified sticky grey substance are found along the eastern shore of
San Francisco Bay San Francisco Bay is a large tidal estuary in the U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the big cities of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland. San Francisco Bay drains water f ...
, and are sent to International Bird Rescue in Fairfield, California, Fairfield for cleanup efforts **Ford Motor Company announces the creation of the Ford Research and Innovation Center, located in Palo Alto, California, Palo Alto ''(logo pictured)'' **The Golden Eagle Refinery, Tesoro refinery in Martinez, California, Martinez closes due to a strike affecting nine refineries in the US *2015 in the United States#February, February **The National Weather Service announces that due to the 2012–14 North American drought, ongoing California drought, San Francisco received no January rainfall for the first time in 165 years. The Bay Area had the driest January on record. **The UCSF Medical Center, University of California, San Francisco Medical Center opens a new hospital in the Mission Bay, San Francisco, Mission Bay district of San Francisco ''(construction pictured)'' **President Barack Obama attends the White House Cybersecurity Summit at
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is conside ...
**San Francisco resident Christie White, battling cancer, sues the state of California for the right to die at home, by physician assisted suicide **Shipowners at the Port of Oakland suspend the unloading of container and other cargo ships, due to a slowdown during contract negotiations with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union **The UCSF Medical Center receives a philanthropic donation of $100 million from Chuck Feeney, the largest gift by an individual in the history of the UC system. **Avaya Stadium, the new home of the San Jose Earthquakes soccer team, stages its first Earthquakes soccer game *2015 in the United States#March, March **Scientists ''(pictured)'' at the Ames Research Center announce they have synthesized "...uracil, cytosine, and thymine, all three components of RNA and DNA, non-biologically in a laboratory under conditions found in space." **Patrick Willis, linebacker for eight years with the San Francisco 49ers, retires at age 30 due to a foot injury **Prime Healthcare Services rejects an offer to purchase Daly City, California, Daly City's Seton Medical Center and San Jose, California, San Jose's O'Connor Hospital from the Daughters of Charity Health System **The U.S. Geological Survey report, "Third Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast", estimates there is a 72 percent chance that a magnitude-6.7 or larger quake will strike the Bay Area before the year 2044 **Professor Ronald Rael, of the College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley, College of Environmental Design at University of California, Berkeley, UC Berkeley unveils a 9' high 3D printing, 3D printed architectural experiment, entitled "Bloom", the first printed structure of its type. **The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration more than doubles the size of the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Cordell Bank and Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, Gulf of the Farallones Marine Sanctuaries ''(underwater topography pictured)'' **The San Francisco Police Department relocates its headquarters from the Hall of Justice to a new facility at Mission Bay, San Francisco, Mission Bay ''(insignia pictured)'' **Lawyer and Reddit executive Ellen Pao Pao v. Kleiner Perkins, loses in a gender discrimination lawsuit against Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers *2015 in the United States#April, April **The Brookings Institution reports that San Francisco has the wealthiest people, in the top 5% of its population, of any major U.S. city, and the fastest growing income inequalit
S.F.’s richest are wealthiest in the land
**Governor Jerry Brown imposes mandatory water rationing for the first time in state history, requiring all local water supply agencies, including the Alameda County Water District, Alameda County, Marin Municipal Water District, Marin, Sonoma County Water Agency, Sonoma and Santa Clara Valley Water Districts, reduce water use by 25%, due to the ongoing Climate change in California, drought in California **Author and community activist Eddy Zheng is pardoned by governor Brown, for crimes he committed at age 16 **Apple, Inc. introduces the Apple Watch ''(pictured)'' **Over 100 prominent Bay Area Catholics sign a full page advertisement in the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' appealing to Pope Francis to replace Salvatore Cordileone as archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco, San Francisco Archdiocese, for fostering "an atmosphere of division and intolerance." **The World War II era aircraft carrier ''(pictured)'' is rediscovered near the Farallon Islands by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration **Doctors Medical Center San Pablo Campus, Doctors Medical Center in San Pablo, California, San Pablo closes **The San Francisco-based Heald College system shuts down, when its parent company, Corinthian Colleges, goes out of business **Tesla Motors announces the Powerwall (Tesla), Powerwall, a battery system for home use *2015 in the United States#May, May **Golden State Warriors basketball player Stephen Curry ''(pictured)'' is awarded the NBA Most Valuable Player Award **The San Mateo–Hayward Bridge closes to traffic, for the first time since opening in 1967, for resurfacing and maintenance. **San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón orders a review of at least 3,000 arrests over the last 10 years, in response to evidence that San Francisco Police Department officers may have shown racial bias, based on their having sent racist and homophobic text messages **San Francisco becomes the first city in the United States to ban chewing tobacco at sports venues, including AT&T Park, the home of the San Francisco Giants **The Regional Renewable Energy Procurement Project dedicates its first project, a future solar farm at Hayward, California, Hayward's former landfill site **Dead gray whales wash ashore at Half Moon Bay (California), Half Moon Bay, then at List of beaches in Sonoma County, California, Portuguese Beach in
Sonoma County Sonoma County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa. It is to the north of Marin County and the south of Mendocino ...
, with a sperm whale also washing ashore at Point Reyes National Seashore, the third, fourth and fifth dead whales found on Bay Area beaches (among eight in Northern California) in less than 2 months **
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
based start-up company, start-up Next Thing Co. raises over $1.5m in its Kickstarter campaign for its forthcoming $9 miniature computer, Chip. **The population of San Jose is now officially over 1,000,000, making it the tenth largest city in the United States, according to the U.S. Census **Vandals damage an inflatable dam across Alameda Creek in Fremont, California, Fremont, releasing 50 million gallons of drinking water into San Francisco Bay **The Solar Energy Research Center opens at the newly built Steven Chu, Chu Hall at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley **The Golden State Warriors beat the Houston Rockets in the 2015 NBA Playoffs, National Basketball Association Playoffs, and advance to the 2014–15 NBA season, NBA Finals for the first time since 1974–75 NBA season, 1975 *2015 in the United States#June, June **Surgeons at University of California, San Francisco and California Pacific Medical Center successfully complete 18 surgeries in the nation's first nine-way, two-day kidney transplant chain in a single city **Berkeley balcony collapse, Six people are killed and eight are injured, some with life-threatening injuries, after a balcony collapses in Berkeley, near the campus of the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
; five of the casualties are Irish people, Irish students. **The Golden State Warriors win the 2015 NBA Finals, National Basketball Association Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, their first championship since 1975 **The surviving members of the Grateful Dead play the first concerts of their Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead, Fare Thee Well farewell tour, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Dead, at Santa Clara's Levi's Stadium *2015 in the United States#July, July **Former state senator Leland Yee pleads guilty to a federal racketeering charge, confessing to using his bids for secretary of state and Mayor of San Francisco to extort bribes **A gunman opens fire at Pier 14 in San Francisco's Embarcadero (San Francisco), Embarcadero district, Shooting of Kathryn Steinle, killing Kathryn Steinle. An Illegal immigration to the United States, illegal immigrant from
Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...
, Francisco Sanchez, is subsequently arrested and charged with murder. **The Wragg Fire wildland fire ''(pictured)'' starts just off of California State Route 128 near Lake Berryessa in
Napa County Napa County () is a county north of San Pablo Bay located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 138,019. The county seat is the City of Napa. Napa County was one of the original c ...
*2015 in the United States#August, August **Alphabet Inc, Alphabet, a holding company and conglomerate (company), conglomerate owning several companies owned by or sprung from Google, is founded *2015 in the United States#September, September **The Valley Fire encroaches into Napa County, California, Napa and Sonoma County, California, Sonoma Counties **Tesla Motors begins shipping the Tesla Model X, Model X Sport utility vehicle, SUV ''(pictured)'' from its Tesla Factory, Fremont factory **UC Berkeley chemistry and materials science professor Peidong Yang is awarded a MacArthur Fellows Program, MacArthur "Genius" grant **Filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi releases the documentary ''San Francisco 2.0'', chronicling the recent high tech takeover and gentrification of the City **The Golden State Warriors finalize the purchase of 12 acres of land in Mission Bay, San Francisco, to house a future stadium *2015 in the United States#November, November **San Jose is the richest city in the United States, according to Bloomberg L.P., Bloomberg **toplessness, Topless stripper Carol Doda, an iconic Condor Club performer, dies in San Francisco ''(Condor Club c. 1973 pictured)'' **Wang Hall, housing the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, opens at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory *2015 in the United States#December, December **Artificial intelligence laboratory OpenAI is founded in San Francisco **Linux software pioneer and Debian founder Ian Murdock ''(pictured)'' dies in San Francisco at age 42 **''CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin'', the largest container ship to visit a US port, comes to the Port of Oakland
---- *2016 in the United States#January, January **Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, including Peidong Yang ''(pictured, above)'', announce they were able to induce ''Moorella thermoacetica'' to photosynthesize, despite its not being photosynthetic. It also synthesized semiconductor nanoparticles, thus using light to produce chemical products other than those produced in photosynthesis. **A federal court jury in San Francisco finds Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow, Raymond Chow Kwok-cheung guilty of all 162 charges against him, including murder, after a five year long undercover federal operation **William Del Monte, the last known survivor of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, dies in
Marin County Marin County is a county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and largest city is San Rafael. Marin County is acros ...
at age 109 **Paul Kantner ''(pictured)'', guitarist, vocalist and co-founder of Jefferson Airplane, dies in San Francisco **The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive opens its new building to the public ''(entrance pictured)'' *2016 in the United States#February, February **The Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers, in Super Bowl 50, held at Levi's Stadium ''(halftime show pictured)'' **Apple Inc says it will not comply with an FBI request to provide unblocking software for an IPhone#Encryption, IPhone owned by one of the perpetrators of the 2015 San Bernardino attack *2016 in the United States#March, March ** An Altamont Corridor Express train derails in Sunol, California, Sunol **Ben Bagdikian, journalist, author, and dean emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, dies in Berkeley **The first Silicon Valley Comic Con, organized by Steve Wozniak and Stan Lee, is held at the San Jose Convention Center **Former Intel CEO and chairman Andy Grove ''(pictured)'', one of the major figures in the growth of Silicon Valley, dies **The wreck of the ''(pictured)'' is confirmed in the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, 95 years after it had gone missing **Tesla Motors announces the Tesla Model 3, Model 3, pre-orders of which reach 115,000 within 4 hours of the announcement. *2016 in the United States#April, April **The ''
Oakland Tribune The ''Oakland Tribune'' is a weekly newspaper published in Oakland, California, by the Bay Area News Group (BANG), a subsidiary of MediaNews Group. Founded in 1874, the ''Tribune'' rose to become an influential daily newspaper. With the declin ...
'' ceases publication after 142 years, and is replaced by the ''East Bay Times'' **Hundreds of pages of
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
records are released, showing a pattern of documented sexual harassment and firings of non-tenured staff **The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passes a parental leave law requiring employers to offer six weeks of fully paid leave for new parents, the first city in the US to do so. **The long closed UC Theatre in Berkeley, formerly a revival house movie theater, reopens as a music venue **The Golden State Warriors win against the Memphis Grizzlies, their 73rd win of the season, breaking the previous National Basketball Association, NBA record, held by the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls, for the most victories in a single season **Napster founder and philanthropist Sean Parker donates $250 million to create the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, with funds going to over 300 scientists at 40 laboratories, in 6 institutions, including the University of California at San Francisco **The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passes a law requiring all new buildings below 10 stories to have rooftop solar panels, making it the History of San Francisco#2010s, first major US city to do so **Sanford Weill, Sanford and Joan Weill donate $185 million to the University of California, San Francisco to create the Weill Institute for Neurosciences *2016 in the United States#May, May **A poll of 1,000 people, by the Bay Area Council, showed that 34 percent are considering leaving the area, due primarily to the high costs of living and housing, and traffic. **McDonald's tests garlic fries at four restaurants in the South Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), South Bay, using locally grown garlic from Gilroy, California, Gilroy ''(Gordon Biersch Brewing Company garlic fries pictured)'' **The Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry ''(pictured)'' is named NBA Most Valuable Player Award, NBA MVP, in their first unanimous vote ** It is revealed that the FBI hid microphones outside an Oakland Alameda County Superior Court René C. Davidson Courthouse, building ''(pictured)'', between March 2010 and January 2011, as part of an investigation into bid rigging and fraud by Alameda County, California, Alameda and San Mateo County real estate investors, this done without a warrant **The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art ''(pictured)'' reopens after the completion of a two-and-a-half-year expansion, by architecture firm Snøhetta (company), Snøhetta, more than doubling the gallery space **Pittsburg, California, Pittsburg moves to install surveillance cameras along California State Route 4, in response to a series of 20 freeway shootings in the area that have taken the lives of six people, and injured 11, in the past year **Scientists find evidence of Methanogen, methane-producing microbes in water coming from underground at The Cedars, freshwater springs along Austin Creek in
Sonoma County Sonoma County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa. It is to the north of Marin County and the south of Mendocino ...
, the first time these methanogens that extremophiles, thrive in harsh environments have been discovered beyond the ocean floor **The San Jose Sharks win against the St. Louis Blues in the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs, Stanley Cup ice hockey playoffs, advancing them to the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals, Stanley Cup Finals, their first trip to the finals since their founding in 1991 **San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr resigns after the officer-involved shooting death of a woman. **The Golden State Warriors beat Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2016 NBA Playoffs, National Basketball Association Playoffs, and advance to the 2015–16 NBA season, NBA Finals for the second year in a row *2016 in the United States#June, June **The San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority's ballot measure, the San Francisco Bay Clean Water, Pollution Prevention, and Habitat Restoration Program, passes with 2/3 of the vote in the 9 Bay Area counties, providing $500 million in funding for wetland restoration and other projects **Protests of the Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016#2016, Protesters attack Trump supporters at a Donald Trump campaign stop in San Jose, leaving one supporter bloodied after having their head bludgeoned **Public protest erupts over People v. Turner, the sentencing of former
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is conside ...
swimmer Brock Turner, People v. Turner, convicted of three charges of felony sexual assault, to six months of jail and three years of probation, by Santa Clara County Superior Court judge Aaron Persky **Oakland Police Department Chief of the Oakland Police Department, chief Sean Whent steps down, while the department is being investigated for an alleged sex scandal possibly involving an underage girl, following the suicide of one officer associated with the scandal **
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
mayor Libby Schaaf appoints City Administrator Sabrina Landreth as head of the Oakland Police Department, putting it under civilian control, after 3 Chief of the Oakland Police Department, police chiefs resign within 9 days, while the department is under multiple investigations **In San Francisco's highly volatile housing market, a North Beach, San Francisco, North Beach resident's rent is increased by 344%, from $1,800 a month to $8,000, with him facing eviction for nonpayment **The Oakland City Council votes unanimously to ban the handling of coal and Coke (fuel), coke at the city's shipping and storage facilities, including the as yet unfinished Port of Oakland, Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal **
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is conside ...
researchers, including study co-author Robert Jackson (earth scientist), Robert Jackson, find evidence for new groundwater in the California Central Valley, tripling the previous estimates for deep aquifer reserves in the region **The Sonoma Stompers professional baseball team add two female players to their roster, outfielder-pitcher Kelsie Whitmore and infielder Stacy Piagno, the first women to play professional baseball for a mixed-gender team in the US since the 1950s. **San Francisco bans the sale of products made from expanded polystyrene ''(typical pollution pictured)'', including packing material, buoys and cups, the most stringent ban on foam-type plastics in the US *2016 in the United States#July, July **The augmented reality mobile game Pokémon Go, Pokémon GO, developed by San Francisco-based Niantic, Inc. ''(stock value at release pictured)'', is published by The Pokémon Company, reaching 15 million downloads within one week **More than 140 Silicon Valley technology figures, including Steve Wozniak, Vinod Khosla ''(pictured)'', and Twitter co-founder Evan Williams (Internet entrepreneur), Evan Williams, sign a statement opposing Donald Trump's campaign for the presidency, saying it will potentially have a negative impact on innovatio
Silicon Valley Writes a Protest Letter Against Trump
**Verizon Communications announces their intent to acquire Yahoo!, Yahoo's internet business for US$4.8 billion *2016 in the United States#August, August **The San Francisco Millennium Tower (San Francisco), Millennium Tower ''(pictured)'' is found to have sunk 16 inches since construction, and is tilting 2 inches towards the northwest **California declares that
Napa County Napa County () is a county north of San Pablo Bay located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 138,019. The county seat is the City of Napa. Napa County was one of the original c ...
, and California, are free of the invasive species ''Lobesia botrana'' ''(pictured)'', known as the "European grapevine moth", with no moths found since June 2014 **A statue of Tony Bennett is unveiled outside the Fairmont San Francisco, Fairmont Hotel, the venue at which he first sang "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" in 1961 **Governor Jerry Brown signs legislation banning the use of state transportation funds for new coal export terminals, in response to a developer's failed proposal to build a coal terminal at the Port of Oakland **San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick ''(pictured)'' refuses to stand for the United States national anthem, national anthem at a preseason football game, in protest of List of killings by law enforcement officers in the United States, police brutality and racism in the United States *2016 in the United States#September, September **Napa Valley, California, Napa Valley's Margrit Mondavi, the widow of wine pioneer Robert Mondavi, and advocate for the culture of the region, dies at her home in Napa at age 91 **Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz ''(pictured)'' donates $20 million to a number of elections organizations, with the express purpose of supporting Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party candidates and issues, and defeating Donald Trump, making him the 3rd largest donor in the 2016 United States Presidential election, 2016 campaigns **Discovery Bay, California, Discovery Bay former realtor Marco Gutierrez, the co-founder of Latinos for Donald Trump, Trump, says to Joy Reid on MSNBC that Mexican culture in the US is "dominant" and that "If you don't do something about it, you're going to have taco trucks on every corner" **Influential San Francisco political activist and broker Rose Pak, an advocate for the Chinatown, San Francisco, Chinatown community, dies in San Francisco **The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative announces a new science program, Chan Zuckerberg Science, with $3 billion in investment over the next decade, with the goal of helping to cure, manage, or prevent all disease by the year 2100. $600 million is to be spent on Biohub, a location in San Francisco's Mission Bay, San Francisco, Mission Bay District near the University of California, San Francisco **The Sawmill Fire breaks out in rural Cloverdale, California, Cloverdale, near The Geysers, in
Sonoma County Sonoma County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa. It is to the north of Marin County and the south of Mendocino ...
, followed by the Loma Fire ''(pictured)'' in the Santa Cruz Mountains **The MacArthur Fellows Program, MacArthur "Genius" grant recipients are announced, including
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is conside ...
bioengineering professor and inventor Manu Prakash, San Jose graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang, and San Francisco sculptor Vincent Fecteau **The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passes a law, authored by Scott Wiener, LGBT culture in San Francisco#After 2000 - same-sex marriage and trans awareness, barring the city from doing business with companies that have a home base in states such as North Carolina, Tennessee, and Mississippi, that forbid civil rights protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people *2016 in the United States#October, October **Theranos announces it will close its laboratory operations, shutter its wellness centers and lay off around 40 percent of its work force, while focusing on an initiative to create miniature medical testing machines **Researchers led by Ali Javey at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory announce the creation of a transistor with a working 1-nanometer Gate (transistor), gate, the smallest transistor reported to date **A new California law, authored by San Jose California State Assembly, Assemblywoman Nora Campos ''(pictured)'', will allow San Jose to be the first California city to create Tiny house movement, "tiny homes" for the homeless, bypassing some state building codes **The new control tower ''(pictured)'' at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) begins operating **The US Justice Department's Community Oriented Policing Services, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services releases a 432-page report stating that the San Francisco Police Department stops and searches African Americans at a higher rate than other groups, and inadequately investigates officers use of force. The report details "numerous indicators of implicit and institutionalized bias against minority groups", with a large majority of suspects killed by police being people of color **Peninsula Clean Energy begins providing electricity to 20 percent of residential customers in San Mateo County, all municipalities, and all small- to mid-size businesses, as a Community Choice Aggregation program, an alternative to Pacific Gas and Electric **Wells Fargo chairman and CEO John Stumpf announces he will retire, shortly after the bank is issued $185 million in fines for creating over 1.5 million checking and savings accounts and 500,000 credit cards that its customers never authorized. This includes $100 million in fines from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the largest in the agency's history. **Tesla Motors posts a profitable quarter, their first in 8 quarters, defying industry expectations *2016 in the United States#November, November **The San Francisco–Oakland–Hayward, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, San Francisco – Oakland Metropolitan Region has the worst road conditions of any major US metropolitan area (71% rated "poor"), with the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, San Jose region rated third nationwide (59%) ''(street of San Francisco pictured)'' **The nine Bay Area counties all vote overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton for president, from 62% (
Solano County Solano County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 453,491. The county seat is Fairfield. Solano County comprises the Vallejo–Fairfield, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which i ...
) to 85% (San Francisco) **Hundreds of people turn out in San Francisco ''(pictured)'',
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
and Berkeley, protesting the election of Donald Trump to the presidency, blocking freeways, lighting fires and chanting, "Not our president" and "Fuck Trump" **Half the students at Berkeley High School (Berkeley, California), Berkeley High School, as well as students at Oakland Technical High School, Oakland's Bishop O'Dowd High School, and high schools in San Jose and
Contra Costa County ) of the San Francisco Bay , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1 = State , subdivision_name1 = California , subdivision_type2 ...
walk out of classes the morning after Donald Trump is elected president **The cities of San Francisco, 2016 Oakland riots, Oakland and Albany, California, Albany pass 1 cent/ounce soda taxes, to combat health risks from excessive sugar consumption **Protests against Donald Trump, Protesters against President-Elect Donald Trump join hands around Lake Merritt in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
**Mayor of San Francisco, Mayor Ed Lee (politician), Ed Lee declares that San Francisco will remain a sanctuary city, in response to the election of Donald Trump as president, stating, "I know that there are a lot of people who are angry and frustrated and fearful, but our city's never been about that. We have been and always have been a city of refuge, a city of sanctuary, a city of love." **With the approval of both companies' shareholders, Tesla Motors will merge with SolarCity, which will expedite Elon Musk's plans to introduce solar roofing tiles to integrate with home automobile charging **An American-born, non-Muslim woman in Fremont, California, Fremont, finds a note on her car, reading "Hijab wearing bitch this is our nation now get the fuck out", after making a peace walk to the top of Mission Peak, where presumably the note writer had observed her wearing a head scarf, which she wears to protect her scalp from the sun, due to having lupus. The incident is part of a wave of 437 incidents of hateful intimidation or harassment, since the presidential election, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center **During a concert at the SAP Center, SAP Center at San Jose, Kanye West is booed by shoe-throwing fans, as he goes on a political tirade, including stating that he had not voted in the presidential election, but that "If I would have voted, I would have voted for Donald Trump, Trump" ** San Jose teacher and transgender activist Dana Rivers (formerly David Warfield), who made headlines in 1999 for fighting unsuccessfully to keep a teaching position in
Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
after sharing her transition with her high school students, is arrested in
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
, charged with the murders of 3 acquaintances: married couple Patricia Wright and Charlotte Reed, and their 19-year-old son, Toto Diambu-Wright **Robert P. Goldman, professor of Sanskrit at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
, publishes the 7th and final volume of his translation of the critical edition of Valmikis epic poem, the ''Ramayana'', one of the foundational texts in the history of India, with core themes dating back to the Vedic period **Copies of an Islamophobia, anti-Muslim letter are sent to the Evergreen Islamic Center in San Jose, and Islamic Centers in Long Beach, California, Long Beach and Claremont, California, Claremont, reading, in part, "Your day of reckoning has arrived, there's a new sheriff in town — President Donald Trump. He's going to cleanse America and make it shine again. And, he's going to start with you Muslims... [he is] going to do to you Muslims what Hitler did to the jews [sic]." **A liberal household in Concord, California, Concord is targeted at night by vandals, who plant 56 United States flags defaced with Donald Trump, pro-Trump remarks such as "Trump wall, Build The Damn Wall" and "I Luv The Donald", and who then cut the house's power, causing a loud explosion **The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is hit by hackers, using ransomware, demanding $70,000 in bitcoins, with fare machines reading "OUT OF SERVICE", resulting in passengers riding for free **San Francisco area activist Gregory Lee Johnson, the defendant in the landmark 1989 Supreme Court of the United States, Supreme Court decision Texas v. Johnson abolishing laws against flag burning on free speech grounds, declares that Donald Trump is "using the bully pulpit for fascism and forced patriotism", after Trump tweets "Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag — if they do, there must be consequences — perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!
Donald Trump is a ‘fascist,’ says landmark Supreme Court case ‘flag-burner’ Gregory Lee Johnson
*2016 in the United States#December, December **2016 Oakland warehouse fire, A fire at an Oakland warehouse ''(pictured)'', which was hosting a music event, kills 36 people, the deadliest fire in History of Oakland, California, Oakland history. **The Biomimetic Millisystems Lab at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
designs a wall-jumping robot, called Salto (Latin for jump), modelled after the galago, and which is described as the most vertically agile robot ever built **John Stewart, chief judge at the San Francisco Superior Court, discards 66,000 arrest warrants for criminal infractions, like sleeping on the sidewalk, public urination and public drunkenness, stating "You're putting somebody in jail because they're poor and can't pay a fine. We got a lot of criticism, but we thought it was the right thing to do." **More than 300 Silicon Valley technology company employees Never Again pledge, sign a letter declaring they will not help build a registry, for the upcoming Trump Administration, to be used to track Muslims in the United States, stating "We refuse to build a database of people based on their Constitutionally-protected religious beliefs. We refuse to facilitate mass deportations of people the government believes to be undesirable" **Uber rolled out self-driving cars ''(test vehicle pictured)'' in San Francisco, its headquarter city, and is almost immediately ordered to stop the service by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, which cited it as illegal until an autonomous vehicle testing permit is acquired **Yahoo reports that hackers had, in 2013, stolen data on more than 1 billion user accounts, the largest hack worldwide to date **Apple, Inc, Apple, Google, Uber and Twitter all took the Never Again pledge, declaring that they will not support the development of a registry of Muslims in the United States as proposed by President-Elect Donald Trump **Scientists at
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is conside ...
and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory created the world's thinnest wire, 3 atoms thick, using diamondoids to aid the manufacturing process *2017 in the United States#January, January **After a series of storms hit California, including January storms causing flooding on the Russian River (California), Russian River, Northern California, including the Bay Area, is no longer in drought **The Land Trust of
Napa County Napa County () is a county north of San Pablo Bay located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 138,019. The county seat is the City of Napa. Napa County was one of the original c ...
, with The Trust for Public Land, secures the largest conservation easement in its history, 7,260 acres northeast of Calistoga known as Montesol Ranch, near Mount St. Helena, and contiguous to Robert Louis Stevenson State Park **Kevin Starr ''(pictured)'', American historian and California's State Librarian, best known for his multi-volume series on the history of California, collectively called "Americans and the California Dream", dies in San Francisco, the home of his birth as a seventh-generation Californian **Protests of the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump occur in cities across the Bay Area ''(SF protest pictured)'', including local versions of the 2017 Women's March, Women's March on Washington, a human chain along the span of the Golden Gate Bridge ''(pictured)'', and a 90% no show of dockworkers at the Port of Oakland **Due to severe storms, Governor Jerry Brown declares states of emergency in multiple counties, including all nine Bay Area counties: Alameda County, California, Alameda, Contra Costa County, California, Contra Costa, Marin County, California, Marin, Napa County, California, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo County, California, San Mateo, Santa Clara County, California, Santa Clara, Solano County, California, Solano, and Sonoma County, California, Sonoma counties **The cities of
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
, San Francisco, San Jose, and Berkeley affirm their formal (for San Jose, informal) status as Sanctuary city, Sanctuary cities, after a Trump Administration executive order is issued that will require cities to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement orders, or face cuts to federal spending, more than $1 billion in the Bay Area alone **Pacific Gas and Electric is ordered by U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson to publicly advertise its guilt in violating pipeline safety laws, and obstruction of justice, in the 2010 San Bruno explosion ''(fires that night pictured)'', pay $3 million in fines, and make its employees perform 10,000 hours of community service, including at least 2,000 hours by high-level officials **Google, Inc. recalls all staff travelling overseas who may be affected by President Trump's Executive Order 13769, executive order suspending all entry of citizens from certain Middle Eastern nations, out of concern they may be barred from re-entry to the US **Protesters of the Executive Order 13769, executive order suspending entry of certain foreign nationals are joined at San Francisco International Airport by Sergey Brin, Google co-founder and president of Alphabet (company), Alphabet, who states "I'm here because I'm a refugee", while the airport issues a statement in support of the protesters, saying "We share their concerns deeply, as our highest obligation is to the millions of people from around the world whom we serve. Although Customs and Border Protection services are strictly federal and operate outside the jurisdiction of all U.S. airports, including SFO, we have requested a full briefing from this agency to ensure our customers remain the top priority. We are also making supplies available to travelers affected by this Executive Order, as well as to the members of the public who have so bravely taken a stand against this action by speaking publicly in our facilities." ''(protesters pictured)'' **San Francisco becomes the first city to sue the Trump Administration over his executive order to deny federal funds to Sanctuary city, sanctuary cities, joining 2 states that have sued *2017 in the United States#February, February **The
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
cancels a talk by inflammatory speaker and Breitbart writer Milo Yiannopoulos, and puts the campus on lockdown, due to massive protests, violence, property destruction and fire-settin

** Berkeley mayor Jesse Arreguín receives thousands of hateful, racist, abusive and threatening messages, including death threats, following his criticism of Milo Yiannopoulos' attempted talk at UC Berkeley, initially describing him as a white nationalism, white nationalist, then apologizing and changing the description to "alt-rightist" **Thousands attend a protest at Civic Center, San Francisco to List of protests against Executive Order 13769, protest the immigration/travel ban on seven majority-Muslim nations ''(US Representative Mike Honda, pictured at event)'', one of a number of nationwide protests against the ban **In San Francisco, three judges on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously reject the US Government argument that a stay of the Executive Order 13769, executive order barring nationals from seven majority-Muslim nations should be lifted, stating that any argument limiting or dismissing the courts ability to serve as a check on Article Two of the United States Constitution, Executive Branch power "runs contrary to the fundamental structure of our constitutional democracy" **Historically strong Pineapple Express storms bring flooding and mudslides to the Bay Area, destroying homes and closing numerous roads, including California State Route 17, State Route 17, California State Route 35, State Route 35, California State Route 37, State Route 37, Interstate 80 in California, Interstate 80, California State Route 12, State Route 12, California State Route 1, State Route 1, California State Route 84, State Route 84, California State Route 9, State Route 9, and California State Route 152, State Route 152 ''(storm systems pictured)'' **California Governor Jerry Brown requests a Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Presidential Major Disaster Declaration from President Donald Trump, following a series of storms that hit California, including the Bay Area **The Kunal Patel San Francisco Open has its first tournament, at the Bay Club SF Tennis Center, part of the ATP Challenger Tour **The United States Patent Office rules that the Broad Institute's patent claims on the CRISPR gene manipulation technology are valid for Eukaryotic cells (plants and animals), ruling against claims made by the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
, and granting UC Berkeley a patent limited to its use on Prokaryotic cells (bacteria) **Thousands gather at Ocean Beach, San Francisco, Ocean Beach in San Francisco, to stand together Protests against Donald Trump, in protest against Donald Trump and spell out the word "Civil resistance, Resist !!", with overflow crowds creating an underline **Day Without Immigrants 2017, A Day without Immigrants, modeled on the Great American Boycott of 2006, protesting the Trump Administration immigration policy, has businesses across the Bay Area closing in solidarity with the nationwide day of action **San Francisco is ranked third in traffic congestion of all major US cities, according to the traffic and driver analytics company INRIX ''(Third Street congestion pictured)'' **More than 200 residents are rescued by boat, in the Rocksprings neighborhood of San Jose, due to flooding at Coyote Creek (San Mateo County), Coyote Creek from storm water released at Anderson Lake (California), Anderson Lake ''(dam and spillway pictured)'' Over 14,000 households are subject to mandatory evacuation due to widespread flooding that exceeds the 100-year flood, 100-year flood zone **
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...
is the first city in the United States to pass a resolution calling on the United States Congress to investigate, and if necessary, impeach, President Donald Trump, for violating the Title of Nobility Clause, Foreign Emoluments Clause of the United States Constitution in his international business relations **
Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring San Benito County together ...
is the first county in the nation to file a motion requesting that a Federal judge halt implementation of the Trump Administration's executive order withholding federal funding for sanctuary city, sanctuary cities **The Jewish Anti-Defamation League offices in San Francisco receive two consecutive bomb threats, as do other Bay Area Jewish community centers, part of a widespread wave of over 100 threats and criminal actions directed against the US Jewish community in 2017 *2017 in the United States#March, March **House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, from California's 12th congressional district in San Francisco, and other senior Democratic congressional leaders, call on United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign, following reports that he had lied under oath to Congress about phone contacts he had had with Russian officials prior to taking his post, and during the presidential campaign of Donald Trump, for who he campaigned **Violence at a Berkeley March 4 Trump rally results in injuries to 7, and the arrests of 10 peopl

**The Warm Springs/South Fremont station, Warm Springs / South Fremont Bay Area Rapid Transit station ''(pictured)'' begins operating in Fremont, California, Fremont ** Berkeley is the first city in the US to declare they will refuse to conduct business with companies that are involved with the Executive Order 13767, US/Mexico border wall proposed by President Trump, and will move to divest from those companies that they have investments in **The National Football League approves the Oakland Raiders Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, move from Oakland to Las Vegas, Nevada, once a new stadium is constructed there, despite efforts by Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf to create financing for a new stadium complex in Oakland *2017 in the United States#April, April **A collection of the works of Arthur Szyk ''(work pictured)'', consisting of 450 paintings, drawings and sketches owned by Burlingame, California, Burlingame Rabbi Irvin Ungar, is purchased for $10.1 million by the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
's Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life, through a donation by Taube Philanthropies, the largest single monetary gift to acquire art in UC Berkeley history **
Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring San Benito County together ...
and San Francisco ask U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick III, William Orrick to Executive Order 13768, block an executive order by President Donald Trump that threatens to deny federal funding to Sanctuary city, sanctuary cities and counties, arguing that it violates the Constitution of the United States, Constitution and federal laws **Suicide barriers begin to be installed under the Golden Gate Bridge after years of debate and delays. **At least 21 people are arrested, and 7 hospitalized, at a 2017 Berkeley protests, clash between approximately 200 Pro-Trump and Anti-Trump demonstrators in Berkeley, at Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park, during which numerous fights broke out, with reports of the use of firecrackers and pepper spray **Computer scientist Robert Taylor (computer scientist), Robert W. Taylor ''(pictured)'', who was integral in the development of the Internet, and who founded the Digital Equipment Corporation DEC Systems Research Center, Systems Research Center in Palo Alto, California, Palo Alto, dies at his home in Woodside, California, Woodside **Women's clothing retailer Bebe Stores, Bebe begins closing all 175 of its stores, to become an exclusively online retailer **The area's first officially sanctioned "Weed Day" takes place in San Francisco's
Golden Gate Park Golden Gate Park, located in San Francisco, California, United States, is a large urban park consisting of of public grounds. It is administered by the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department, which began in 1871 to oversee the developm ...
**Tens of thousands turn out in San Francisco on Earth Day at the local March for Science, to protest federal budget cuts to science research, with Mythbusters host Adam Savage saying "The enemy of science isn't politics or a party or an ideology or a law — it is bias, and bias is everywhere. Science is the rigorous elimination of bias. That is a good thing." **In response to requests by
Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring San Benito County together ...
and San Francisco, U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick III, William Orrick temporarily blocks Executive Order 13768, which had threatened to deny federal funding to Sanctuary city, sanctuary cities, writing "The statements of the President, his press secretary and the Attorney General belie the Government's argument in the briefing that the Order does not change the law. They have repeatedly indicated an intent to defund sanctuary jurisdictions in compliance with the Executive Order."..."The threat of the Order and the uncertainty it is causing impermissibly interferes with the Counties' ability to operate, to provide key services, to plan for the future, and to budget." *2017 in the United States#May, May **At least 80 leopard sharks wash up dead on the shores of San Francisco Bay, possibly due to a fungal infection, with likely as many as 1,000 dying and sinking since early March *2017 in the United States#June, June **The Golden State Warriors become National Basketball Association, NBA champions over the Cleveland Cavaliers, with Kevin Durant earning the Bill Russell Bill Russell MVP Award, M.V.P. Award, with coach Steve Kerr joking, "We have very little talent, actually, it was most coaching" **A gunman kills 3 people at a San Francisco United Parcel Service, UPS facility before killing himself *2017 in the United States#July, July **The Tesla Model 3 electric car begins production at the Fremont, California, Fremont Tesla Factory ''(customers pictured)'' **Air Canada Flight 759 narrowly misses a runway incursion at San Francisco International Airport that one retired pilot called "close to the greatest aviation disaster in history". *2017 in the United States#August, August **Bay Area rapper Keak Da Sneak is shot and critically injured in
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...
, in a targeted attack **The Consulate-General of Russia in San Francisco is ordered to close by the Trump Administration, in retaliation to Russia ordering staff reductions at the US Embassies there *2017 in the United States#September, September **San Francisco reaches a daytime temperature of 106 degrees Fahrenheit, its highest recorded temperature since record keeping began in 1874. **Hiking and mountain bike trails open to the peak of Mount Umunhum in San Mateo County, a spur of the Bay Area Ridge Trail *2017 in the United States#October, October **October 2017 Northern California wildfires, Fourteen large wildfires, including the Atlas Fire, Atlas and Tubbs Fires, spread over a 200-mile region north of San Francisco, in Napa County, California, Napa, Sonoma County, Sonoma and Yuba County, California, Yuba counties, kill at least 10 people and destroy over 1,500 structures ''(smoke from fires pictured)'' *2017 in the United States#November, November **A rare mountain lion spotted in San Francisco is tranquilized and released into the wild, far south of the city **The La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve, a 6,142-acre open space reserve in San Mateo County, California, part of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, opens to the public **Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, an undocumented immigrant, is found not guilty of murder for the 2015 shooting of Kathryn Steinle on a San Francisco pier, in a case that had touched off a national immigration debate
San Francisco pier shooting jury ends Day 5 without verdict - The Washington Post
*2017 in the United States#December, December **A data breach at
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is conside ...
reveals that the university History of Stanford University#21st century, secretly ranked fellowship applicants on their potential value to the university, rather than the university's publicly stated method of by need **Silicon Valley software engineer Susan Fowler and San Francisco lobbyist Adama Iwu are featured, with other women, on the cover of ''Time (magazine), Time's'' 2017 Time Person of the Year, Person of the Year issue, this year given to "The Silence Breakers", people who spoke out against sexual abuse and harassment **Mayor of San Francisco, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee (politician), Ed Lee, the city's first Asian-American mayor, dies from a heart attack, with San Francisco Board of Supervisors president London Breed ''(pictured)'' sworn in as acting mayor **Senator Dianne Feinstein formally asks Immigration and Customs Enforcement to investigate the West County Detention Center, where multiple federal detainees have stated that they were not allowed to use restrooms. Feinstein wrote, "It has been reported that the conditions are so deplorable that detainees are requesting deportation over pursuing claims in immigration court" **Buddy's Cannabis Shop, in San Jose, is the first California business to obtain a state Marijuana Micro-Business License, which, along with a city business license, will make it the first fully licensed Adult Use of Marijuana Act, recreational marijuana shop in California, when it becomes legal on 1 January 2018 **Everitt Aaron Jameson, a 25-year-old former marine, is arrested by the FBI on suspicion of planning a terror attack in the Pier 39 area of San Francisco over Christmas. *2018 in the United States#January, January **Starting January 1, with the Adult Use of Marijuana Act going into effect statewide, Harborside Health Center, The Berkeley Patients Group, and many other Medical cannabis, Marijuana dispensaries in the Bay Area begin retail sales of Marijuana to the general publi

''(public performer on 2016 Independence Day pictured)'' **Parks in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, including Muir Woods National Monument and Fort Point National Historic Site, experience partial or total closure, due to the United States federal government shutdown of 2018]
Government Shutdown Leads to Closure of Many Bay Area Parks
**More than 150,000 people attend 2018 Women's March protests across the Bay Area, adding the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements to the protests against President Donald Trump ''(San Francisco event pictured)'
Bay Area women take to the streets in second annual march
**The San Francisco Board of Supervisors votes to replace acting mayor London Breed with an interim mayor, former supervisor Mark Farrell (politician), Mark Farrell ''(pictured)'', amid accusations of racis
Political Uproar as Mark Farrell Replaces London Breed as S.F. Mayor
**San Jose mayor Sam Liccardo resigns from the Federal Communications Commission Broadband Advisory Board, citing undue influence from telecommunications companie
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo quits FCC broadband advisory board
**San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón announces his department will begin to retroactively apply Adult Use of Marijuana Act, Proposition 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, which legalized the possession and recreational use of marijuana for adults ages 21 years or older, to misdemeanor and felony convictions dating back to 1975, recalling and re-sentencing up to 4,940 felony marijuana convictions and dismissing and sealing 3,038 misdemeanors *2018 in the United States#February, February **The Berkeley City Council declares Berkeley a "sanctuary city" for recreational cannabis sales, prohibiting the use of city resources to assist in enforcing federal marijuana laws or providing information on legal cannabis sales, the first city in California to do so **
Marin County Marin County is a county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and largest city is San Rafael. Marin County is acros ...
is ranked worst among all California counties in racial disparity, according to Race Counts and Advancement Project California, with a spokesperson for the groups stating, "We were surprised, and were not expecting Marin to be the number-one county in terms of disparity...It's not that progressive counties have it all figured out" **
Alameda County Alameda County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and 21st most populous nationally. The county seat is Oakland. Alam ...
District Attorney Nancy O'Malley announces that her office will review thousands of marijuana convictions, dating back to 1974, for possible dismissal under Adult Use of Marijuana Act, Proposition 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, guidelines, following closely after San Francisco announced a similar plan (above) **Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf alerts city residents to imminent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, earning criticism from some federal authorities. She responds, "I was sharing information in a way that was legal and was not obstructing justice, and it was an opportunity to ensure that people were aware of their rights." *2018 in the United States#March, March **A man with a rifle enters the Veterans Home of California Yountville, the largest veterans home in the United States, Yountville hostage crisis, holds employees hostage, and is found dead, along with 3 hostages *2018 in the United States#May, May **Two studies conclude that the San Francisco housing shortage, housing crisis in the Bay Area and California housing shortage, California is reaching emergency proportions, with one study estimating that two counties alone, Santa Clara County, California, Santa Clara and Alameda County, California, Alameda, will need more than 50,000 new homes to meet the demand for affordable housing for lower-income residents, while homelessness increased by 36% in Alameda County from 2016-2017 **The father of some of the ten children that were removed from a home in Fairfield, California, Fairfield, where they were living in conditions of severe neglect and abuse, is arrested and booked on seven counts of torture and nine counts of felony child abuse **A nine-story electronic sculpture, "Day for Night", created by artist Jim Campbell (artist), Jim Campbell, that features low resolution, abstract videos of San Francisco, debuts at the top of Salesforce Tower *2018 in the United States#June, June **San Francisco voters pass an ordinance banning the sale of flavored tobacco products, due in part to concerns that candy-flavored products may lure teenagers into nicotine addiction **
Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring San Benito County together ...
voters remove Santa Clara County Superior Court judge Aaron Persky, who came to national attention in 2016 when People v. Turner, he sentenced a Stanford University student to just six months in jail for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman **London Breed ''(pictured)'' is elected Mayor of San Francisco in a special election, defeating close rival Mark Leno **Theranos founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes, and former president and COO Ramesh Balwani are indicted on charges of wire fraud, accused of carrying out a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud investors, doctors and patients. Theranos announced that Holmes would resign as CEO, but retain her position as chairwoman of the board **Koko (gorilla), Hanabiko "Koko", a female western lowland gorilla born at the San Francisco Zoo, who was known for having learned a large number of hand signs from a modified version of American Sign Language. dies at her home in Woodside, California *2018 in the United States#July, July **The West County Detention Center severs ties with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and will no longer incarcerate undocumented migrants at the
Contra Costa County ) of the San Francisco Bay , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1 = State , subdivision_name1 = California , subdivision_type2 ...
facility. **Murder of Nia Wilson, Nia Wilson, an African American woman, is killed while exiting MacArthur station (BART), MacArthur BART station, when a white male attacked her and one of her two sisters with her, with strong suspicions that this was a racially motivated hate crime **Ron Dellums ''(pictured)'', former
East Bay The East Bay is the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area and includes cities along the eastern shores of the San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. The region has grown to include inland communities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties ...
US Representative and mayor of Oakland, known for his fiery anti-Vietnam War oratory and progressive politics, dies at his home in Washington, D.C. *2018 in the United States#August, August **Apple Inc becomes the first company in history to reach $1,000,000,000,000 in value **The Transbay Transit Center opens in San Francisco, initially as a hub for bus lines including MUNI and AC Transit, and eventually nearly a dozen other transit agencies, including BART and CalTrain **A study by the California Association of Realtors shows that only about 1 in 5 Bay Area residents can afford the median purchase price for a home, with state home affordability rates at a 10 year low **A jury in San Francisco awards 46-year-old former school groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson US$289m in Monsanto legal cases#RoundUp, damages against Monsanto, after alleging that it had spent decades hiding the cancer-causing dangers of its Glyphosate#Legal cases, Roundup herbicides. *2018 in the United States#September, September **The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upholds a patent filed by the Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University involving Crispr, Crispr Cas-9 gene-editing, ruling that the patent didn't infringe on another patent filed two years prior by the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant un ...
, where the technique was first developed **The Global Climate Action Summit convenes in San Francisco, hosted by California governor Jerry Brown, who pledges to uphold state environmental guidelines despite moves by the United States to roll them back **San Francisco businessman and co-founder of Salesforce.com, Marc Benioff, and his wife, Lynn Benioff, purchase Time (magazine), ''Time'' magazine for $190 millio
Time Magazine Sold to Salesforce Founder Marc Benioff for $190 Million
**Psychologist and Palo Alto University statistics professor Christine Blasey Ford accuses Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in 1982 *2019 in the United States#January, January **Pacific Gas and Electric Company files for Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code, Chapter 11 bankruptcy for its recent roles in the List of California wildfires, California wildfires. *2019 in the United States#February, February **Oakland teachers go on strike. **Elected San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi dies at the age of 59. **Rainstorms cause the Russian River (California), Russian River to flood, engulfing the town of Guerneville, California, Guerneville in the highest floodwaters in 25 years *2019 in the United States#March, March **California governor Gavin Newsom declares a moratorium on Death penalty in California, the death penalty in California, and orders the gas chamber at San Quentin State Prison, the state's only site for the administration of capital punishment, to be dismantled and closed *2019 in the United States#April, April **East Bay congressperson Eric Swalwell Eric Swalwell 2020 presidential campaign, announces his candidacy for President of the United States in the 2020 election **A Google, Inc offshoot company, Wing, becomes the first Delivery drone, drone delivery service to receive Air Carrier Certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). *2019 in the United States#June, June **
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay ...
becomes the second city in the United States to decriminalize some entheogens, including "Psilocybin mushroom, Magic Mushrooms" *2020 in the United States#March, March **During the week of March 16, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States across COVID-19 pandemic in the San Francisco Bay Area, San Francisco Bay Area, all 9 Bay Area counties issued directives for residents to shelter-in-place until at least April 7. *2020 in the United States#May, May **George Floyd protests in the San Francisco Bay Area begin. *2020 in the United States#May, May **On May 26, 2021, 2021 San Jose shooting, a mass shooting occurred at a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) rail yard in San Jose. Ten people were killed during the shooting, including the gunman, a VTA employee who then committed suicide. It is the deadliest mass shooting in the Bay Area's history.


See also

;Cities in California * Timeline of Fresno, California * Timeline of Los Angeles * Timeline of Mountain View, California * Timeline of Oakland, California * Timeline of Riverside, California * Timeline of Sacramento, California * Timeline of San Bernardino, California history, Timeline of San Bernardino, California * Timeline of San Diego * Timeline of San Francisco * Timeline of San Jose, California


References

{{reflist, 30em San Francisco Bay Area-related lists United States history timelines, San Francisco Bay Area History of the San Francisco Bay Area Articles containing video clips Years in California