Today In History
5 Fun Facts About January 7 In California History
1. In 1847, the Battle of Rio San Gabriel took place near present-day Los Angeles, marking a significant victory for American forces in the Mexican-American War. It paved the way for the capture of Los Angeles just days later and ultimately led to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended...
5 Fun Facts About January 6 In California History
1. On January 6, 1925, the first woman governor in California and the United States, Nellie Tayloe Ross, was inaugurated as governor of Wyoming. Although this event did not take place in California, it marked a significant milestone for women in politics. 2. In 1838, the first Protestant church in...
5 Fun Facts About January 4 In California History
1. On January 4, 1896, California's first automobile race was held in Pasadena. The race featured gasoline-powered vehicles and drew a large crowd of spectators. 2. In 1900, the Southern Pacific Railroad completed construction of a new train depot in San Jose on January 4th. The depot served as a...
5 Fun Facts About January 3 In California History
1. California became a state in 1850, but it wasn't until January 3, 1870, that Governor Henry Huntly Haight delivered his State of the State address to a joint session of the California State Legislature. In his speech, Haight urged the legislature to address the state's growing debt and improve...
5 Fun Facts About January 2 In California History
1. In 1782, the first recorded contact between Spanish explorers and Native Americans in California occurred on January 2. Fray Francisco Garcés and Juan Bautista de Anza encountered the Mojave tribe near the Colorado River. 2. On January 2, 1847, the first U.S. flag was raised in Los Angeles after...
5 Fun Facts About January 1 In California History
1. California officially became a state on January 1, 1850. The state's admission into the Union was a significant event in American history, as it helped to solidify the country's expansion westward. California's population boom during the Gold Rush of 1849 helped to push the state's admission into the Union....
5 Fun Facts About December 31 In California History
1. The first New Year's Day Tournament of Roses Parade was held in Pasadena on December 31, 1890. It featured horse-drawn carriages decorated with flowers, and it has since become an iconic annual event in California. 2. On December 31, 1915, the world's first commercial airline passenger flight took off...
5 Fun Facts About December 30 In California History
1. In 1846, the Bear Flag Revolt began in Sonoma, California. A group of American settlers, led by John C. Frémont and William B. Ide, declared California an independent republic after the United States declared war on Mexico. The bear flag, which became a symbol of California's struggle for independence,...
5 Fun Facts About December 29 In California History
1. In 1846, the Bear Flag Revolt began in Sonoma, California. A group of American settlers declared California to be an independent republic, unfurling a homemade flag with a crude drawing of a grizzly bear and a star in the upper corner. 2. On December 29, 1911, the Los Angeles...
5 Fun Facts About December 27 In California History
1. In 1845, the first newspaper in California was published in San Francisco. Called the Californian, it was a weekly paper that covered local and international news. 2. On December 27, 1851, the first steamship arrived in San Diego. The steamship Pacific had sailed from San Francisco and landed at...
5 Fun Facts About December 26 In California History
1. The Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1879: On December 26th, 1879, a powerful earthquake struck San Francisco. Although the earthquake caused significant damage to the city, it was not nearly as devastating as the earthquake that would hit the area in 1906. 2. The Naming of San Francisco: On...
5 Fun Facts About December 25 In California History
1. In 1776, Father Junipero Serra celebrated the first Christmas mass in California at Mission San Diego de Alcala. This was the first Christian religious celebration in California. 2. In 1849, the first Christmas tree in California was erected by a German immigrant named August Lang in his San Francisco...