1. California gained statehood on November 8, 1856. At that time, California was the 31st state to join the Union.

2. The first commercial radio station in California, KDKA, began broadcasting on November 8, 1920. It aired news, music, and other programming in Oakland, California.

3. On November 8, 1955, the Los Angeles City Council introduced a resolution to rename Central Avenue after jazz legend Charles Mingus. Unfortunately, the proposal never passed.

4. The first known instance of remote surgery in California happened on November 8, 2001. A surgeon in New York City used a robot to perform hysterectomy surgery on a patient in France.

5. In 2016, California voters passed Proposition 64 on November 8, legalizing the recreational use of marijuana for adults over 21 years old. The law went into effect on January 1, 2018.