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We're not claiming to be expert Historians - of San Francisco, or anywhere else for that matter - but here's a very compressed history of San Francisco from 1776 to the present day - showing some of the key moments in the history of the Bay Area. For further information, try the excellent San Francisco Museum website, or indeed many of the other San Francisco pages on guidetotheworld - and the links from those pages!
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| 1776 |
Although California had been 'discovered' by the Spanish in the 16th Century it took them over 200 years to actually colonise the area. This early colonisation was carried out by building Missions and Forts, and it is in this year that San Francisco gained its own - Mission Delores (officially the Mission of San Francisco de Asis) and the Presidio, formed when Father Junipero Serra and Captain Juan Bautista de Anza reach the Bay Area having travelled from Spanish ruled Mexico.
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| 1835 |
William Richardson founds the city of Yerba Buena - which would ultimately become San Francisco.
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| 1846 |
On the 9th of July US Sailors and Marines land in Yerba Buena and claim California from Mexico.
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| 1848 |
Gold is discovered at Sutter's Mill in the Sacramento Valley. The population of San Francisco in 1848 is only 812, by 1850 it has risen to over 25,000!
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| 1849 |
The 49ers arrive. Later to give their name to the San Francisco American Football team, in this nearly 800 ships leave New York bound for the Californian gold fields.
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| 1850 |
California becomes the 31st state of the United States of America.
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| 1853 |
Levi Strauss arrives in the Bay Area and begins to sell his famous Jeans!
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| 1859 |
With the gold rush over, silver is discovered and the Bay Area booms once more. Over the next 25 years 400 millions dollars worth of silver is extracted!
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| 1873 |
The first San Francisco cable car is tested and on September 1st the first line - Clay Street - goes into service.
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| 1906 |
On April 18th San Francisco is devastated by the worst earthquake to ever hit the United States. Measuring an estimated 8.3 on the Richter scale the earthquake and subsequent fires leave 25,000 homeless, and kill over 3,000. The San Francisco Museum has a huge on-line exhibit featuring photos, personal accounts, newspaper stories etc. documenting the earthquake.
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Courtesy San Francisco Museum1906 earthquake aftermath: Three surviving structures in the Financial District - at far left is the Kohl Building on Montgomery Street, the Merchants' Exchange Building on California and, in the center of the picture, the Mills Building on Montgomery.
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| 1907 |
The San Francisco opens for business.
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| 1924 |
San Francisco loses its claim to be the most important port on the West Coast of the US (this title is claimed by Los Angeles).
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| 1933 |
Construction of the begins on January 5th. In July construction begins on the . is also built this year.
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| 1934 |
becomes a maximum security prison.
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| 1936 |
The opens on November 12th.
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| 1937 |
The opens on May 27th to pedestrians, and the following day to vehicles.
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| 1958 |
San Francisco gains its own Major League Baseball team as the New York Giants become the first franchise to move to the West Coast.
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| 1960 |
The Giants move to their new home at what was originally known as Candlestick Park, then for a while as 3Com Park and is currently named <3com>. Candlestick Park opens on April 12th.
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| 1967 |
The Haight-Ashbury region of San Francisco becomes the focal-point for the 'Summer of Love'.
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| 1982 |
The San Francisco system is shut-down for a comprehensive rebuild and refurbishment.
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| 1984 |
After two years of hard work the revitalised network re-opens for public use with the three lines in use today: Powell-Mason, Powell-Hyde and California. (See the map page for route details).
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| 1989 |
San Francisco experiences its second largest earthquake. Registering 7.1 on the Richter Scale, the Loma-Prieta quake kills 67 people and leaves 1800 homeless. Major freeways in San Francisco and Oakland collapse as does a section of the .
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| 1997 |
Construction on the new home stadium for the San Francisco Giants - - begins on December 11th.
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| 2000 |
opens. Despite losing 6-5 to the Las Angeles Dodgers, the Giants score the first run, and Barry Bonds scores his first of many home runs at the new stadium.
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