San Francisco

The area that is now San Francisco was first colonized by the Spanish in 1776 when Juan Bautista de Anza founded the Presidio of San Francisco, a military fortification. At the same time, the Franciscan missionary Francisco Palóu established the Mission San Francisco de Asís, commonly known as Mission Dolores. These two settlements marked the beginning of the European presence in the Bay Area.

The discovery of gold by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill sparked the California Gold Rush which began on January 24, 1848. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California from the rest of the United States and abroad. San Francisco, then a small settlement, quickly became the central city of the new California Gold Rush. This influx of fortune seekers caused a tremendous economic boom and transformed San Francisco into a bustling metropolis.

On April 18, 1906, a major earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.9 shook San Francisco and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. The earthquake and the fires that followed destroyed over 80% of the city, leaving more than 250,000 residents homeless out of a population of about 400,000. The event is remembered as one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history and has had a lasting impact on the development and housing policies of the city.

The Golden Gate Bridge, one of the most internationally recognized symbols of San Francisco, was opened to vehicular traffic on May 27, 1937. The bridge spans the Golden Gate, the one-mile-wide strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. At the time of its completion, it was the longest and tallest suspension bridge in the world, with a total length of approximately 1.7 miles and a main span of 4,200 feet.

The Summer of Love was a social phenomenon that occurred during the summer of 1967, when as many as 100,000 people, converged in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco. People flocked to San Francisco in search of music, freedom, and community. This movement, with its emphasis on peace, love, and happiness, was characterized by countercultural values, antiwar sentiment, and a vibrant music scene, with performances by bands such as the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane.

On November 27, 1978, San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk were assassinated by Dan White, a disgruntled former city supervisor. The assassinations shocked the city and the world, as Harvey Milk was one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States. This tragic event highlighted the growing tensions in the city surrounding social issues and had a profound impact on the LGBTQ community and civil rights movement.

The Loma Prieta earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay area on October 17, 1989, during the late afternoon. Measuring a magnitude of 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale, it caused widespread destruction and left thousands injured. The earthquake is named after the Loma Prieta Peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains, considered its epicenter. It caused extensive damage to infrastructure, including the collapse of the upper deck of the Bay Bridge and sections of the Nimitz Freeway.

Flower Drum Song, originally a Broadway musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein, was revised in the 2000s to appeal to contemporary audiences with input from Asian American voices. This revival began on August 31, 2004, at San Francisco's Curran Theatre, a remodel of the classic that addressed modern issues more relevant to Asian American audiences while maintaining the spirit of the original. It ignited interest in diverse casting.

On October 27, 2010, the San Francisco Giants won the World Series, defeating the Texas Rangers. This victory was significant as it marked the team's first championship win since moving to San Francisco in 1958, ending a 56-year drought dating back to 1954 when they were based in New York. The Giants' win was a major event for the city of San Francisco and solidified the team's place in Major League Baseball history.

The Salesforce Tower, the tallest building in San Francisco, became a prominent skyline feature upon its naming on June 5, 2012. Initially known as the Transbay Tower, it has become a symbol of San Francisco's rapid urban development and the tech boom. Completed in 2018, it stands at 1,070 feet, making it not only the tallest building in San Francisco but also the second-tallest in the western United States. The building is a testament to urban innovation and growth, amidst debates about the changing cityscape.