California timeline
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John C. Fremont Enters California
Although the United States declared war against Mexico on May 13, 1846, it took almost two months (until the middle of June, 1846) for definite... Read more
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Word Of The Mexican-American War Reaches California
Although the United States declared war against Mexico on May 13, 1846, it took almost two months (until the middle of June, 1846) for definite... Read more
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James W. Marshall Discovers Gold In California
On January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall discovered gold on the property of Johann A. Sutter near Coloma, California. A builder, Marshall was... Read more
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New York Herald Reports on the Discovery of Gold in California
The gold mine discovered in December last, on the South branch of the American fork, in a range of low hills forming the base of the Sierra Nevada,... Read more
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California is Admitted to the Union as a Free State
In 1848, the non-native population of California has been estimated to be no more than 15,000. But after gold was discovered, the population... Read more
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California is the 31st State Admitted to the Union
It was August 1848 before the United States Senate ratified the treaty ending the Mexican War and recognizing the transfer of California to... Read more
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Gadsden Secures Land To Serve As The Dividing Line For The Two Californias
Gadsden had supported nullification in 1831, and he advocated secession by South Carolina in 1850 when California was admitted to the Union as a... Read more
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Sinking of the Brother Johnathan
On July 30, 1865, the ship wrecked on its way to Portland in a terrible windstorm, hitting an uncharted rock near Point St. George, off the coast... Read more
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Lone Pine Earthquake
The Great Lone Pine earthquake was one of the largest earthquakes to hit California in recorded history. The quake struck on March 26, 1872 and its... Read more
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Houdini Performs Buried Alive Escape
Throughout his career, Houdini performed three variations on a "Buried Alive" stunt/escape. The first was near Santa Ana, California in 1917, and... Read more
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Honda Point Disaster
The Navy's greatest navigational tragedy took place in September 1923 at an isolated California coastal headland locally known as Honda Point.... Read more
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St. Francis Dam Failure
The bold, black headlines echo down through the years, staring up from the fading, crumbling newspapers that carried the tale of death and... Read more
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Western Air Express Flight 7 Crashes, Killing 5
On January 12, 1937, shortly after 11 a.m. in adverse weather, Western Air Express Flight 7 crashed into a ridge below Los Pinetos Peak near the... Read more
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Golden Gate Bridge is Opened
On May 27, 1937, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge was opened to the public for the first time for "Pedestrian Day," marking the start of the... Read more
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Mary MacPhee Is Recorded Performing Gaelic Songs
On June 15, 1939, in Oakland, California, folk music collector Sidney Robertson Cowell recorded Mary MacPhee performing Gaelic songs from the... Read more
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Ronald Reagan is Ordered for Active Duty
Reagan was ordered to active duty for the first time on April 18, 1942. Due to his nearsightedness, he was classified for limited service only,... Read more
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U.S. Army Corps B-34 Bomber Strikes American Airlines Flight 28
American Airlines Flight 28 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight that crashed on October 23, 1942 in Chino Canyon, near Palm Springs,... Read more
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Philippine Clipper Crashes into Mountainous Terrain, Killing 19
This is the story of the last flight of the “Philippine Clipper” which crashed on the California coast near Booneville after arriving from... Read more
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Port Chicago Disaster
The Port Chicago disaster was a deadly munitions explosion that occurred on July 17, 1944, at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in Port Chicago,... Read more
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Plane Chartered by the U.S. Immigration Services Crashes
On January 28, 1948, a twin-engine DC-3C chartered by the U.S. Immigration Service from Airline Transport Carriers of Burbank, California crashed... Read more
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United Airlines Flight 615 Crashes, Killing 50
At 04:25 Flight 615 was cleared for a straight-in approach on the southeast course of the Oakland radio range from Newark. At 04:27 the flight... Read more
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Patricia Ann Reagan is Born
Patti Davis (born Patricia Ann Reagan on October 21, 1952 in Los Angeles, California) is the daughter of former President of the United States... Read more
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British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines' Resolution Crashes
The only problem, however, was that the "Resolution" was actually several miles south of their reported position. At about 8:42 AM., the flight... Read more
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Ronald Prescott Reagan is Born
Reagan grew up in Los Angeles and then Sacramento, while his father was Governor of California from 1967 to 1975. He has a sister, Patti Davis,... Read more
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Pacific Airlines Flight 773 Crashes After the Pilot and Co-Pilot are Shot
After arriving at the San Francisco Airport, Gonzales took out two insurance policies totaling a $105,000. Then, shortly before boarding the flight... Read more