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Period: Jan 1, 1540 to
Historical Events
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Sep 28, 1542
Exploration of San Diego Bay
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, a Portuguese explorer employed by Spain, explored San Diego Bay. -
Jun 17, 1579
Francis Drake sailed along the coast and claimed California for England.
Drake landed somewhere north of Spain's northern-most claim at Point Loma, in Alta California. He found a good port, landed, repaired and restocked his vessels, then stayed for a time, keeping friendly relations with the natives. He claimed the land in the name of the Holy Trinity for the English Crown as called Nova Albion—Latin for "New Britain". -
Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá was founded
Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá was the first Franciscan mission in the Las Californias Province of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. Located in present-day San Diego, California, it was founded in 1769 by Spanish friar Junípero Serra in an area long inhabited by the Kumeyaay Indians. -
Establishment of the Original Presidio of Monterey
Captain Don Gaspar de Portola established a PRESIDIO (fort) and mission at the southern end of Monterey Bay in accordance with his orders to “erect a fort to occupy and defend the port from attacks by the Russians, who are about to invade us.” -
El Presidio Real de San Francisco was founded
El Presidio Real de San Francisco founded on December 17, 1776 – responsible for the defense of all installations located within the Fourth Military District (the missions at Santa Cruz, San José, Santa Clara, San Francisco, San Rafael, and Solano, along with El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe [San Jose] -
Establishment of Fort Ross
Russian fur traders established Fort Ross on the northern California coast. -
California became the 31st state of US
California became the 31st state on Sept. 9, 1850 -
San Francisco Earthquake
An earthquake kills about 700 and destroys much of San Francisco -
The Golden Gate Bridge Open
The bridge was completed and opened to the public on May 27, 1937. The next day, with a push of a telegraph button, President Franklin Roosevelt opened the bridge to cars, too. -
First Plane Breaks the Sound Barrier
U.S. Air Force Capt. Chuck Yeager nudged an experimental rocket-powered plane faster than the speed of sound across the clear skies of the Mojave Desert.
