1. On September 28, 1542, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo of Spain became the first European to set foot on the land that is now California. He sailed into San Diego Bay aboard the San Salvador.

2. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire began on September 28, causing widespread destruction throughout the city. The disaster resulted in over 3,000 deaths and left more than 80% of the city in ruins.

3. On September 28, 1928, the world's first recorded aerial bomb disposal occurred in San Diego when Lieutenant Colonel William "Billy" Mitchell detonated a 1,000-pound bomb that had failed to explode during bombing practice.

4. The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their first National League pennant in eight years on September 28, 1974, thanks to a dramatic 11th-inning walk-off home run by Steve Garvey against the Houston Astros.

5. On September 28, 1991, the Loma Prieta earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area, measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale. The quake caused 63 deaths, injured over 3,700 people, and resulted in more than $6 billion in damages.