July 12

Ranchos in 1805
Topanga Malibu Sequit rancho was deeded, a 13,316-acre Spanish land grant in present day Los Angeles County. People identify Malibu with celebrities, billionaires and luxury estates, but the region was originally home to Chumash people.

Inventions in 1881
Emma and Mary Dietz of Oakland patented a dust pan that closed. “Our invention relates to that class of dustpans which are moved along the floor or carpet, and into which the dust or debris is to be swept… as the pan is covered, the dust will not be carried out of the pan by a gust of wind or the sudden opening of a door in carrying it to a place of deposit, as in the use of the ordinary dust-pan.”

Prisons in 1934 
US Disciplinary Barracks belonging to the military on Alcatraz Island were abandoned. This marked the beginnings of Alcatraz as a federal penitentiary. Alcatraz would hold prisoners who caused trouble at other federal prisons until 1963. Today it is a museum and one of San Francisco’s major tourist attractions, attracting some 1.5 million visitors yearly.

Sports in 1949 
Los Angeles Rams signed Norm Van Brocklin. In 1950 the Rams began platooning quarterbacks, Bob Waterfield and Van Brocklin. That year they averaged 38.8 points per game, a NFL scoring record. In a 1951 game, Van Brocklin passed for 554 yards, also a NFL record. That year the Rams won the championship, which they didn’t repeat until 1999.

Power in 1957
Santa Susana in Los Angeles County began receiving the nation’s first commercial electricity from a small, civilian-owned, nuclear reactor. Scientists reported that the plant might be responsible hundreds of cancer cases. 

Crime in 1971 
Juan Corona, was indicted for the murders of 25 men in Sutter County. He was a labor contractor who hired farm workers for fruit ranches. Corona’s mental illness was presented at his trial but he was convicted and is serving a life sentence.

 

Yamaguchi in 1971
Kristi Tsuya Yamaguchi, Olympic champion figure skater, was born in Hayward.

Crime in 1976
Edward Allaway, CSU Fullerton custodian, murdered seven people in the library and Instructional Media Center using a semi-automatic rifle. He then telephoned police  saying, “I went berserk at Cal State Fullerton, and I committed some terrible act. I’d appreciate it if you people would come down and pick me up. I’m unarmed, and I’m giving myself up to you.” He was convicted of murder but found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Riperton in 1979
Minnie Riperton, pop singer famed for her three-octave range, died in Los Angeles at age 31. ”Lovin’ You,” her international blockbuster, topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975. After being diagnosed with cancer, Riperton continued touring and became the national spokeswoman for the American Cancer Society.

Crime in 2007
Michael John Wills, an Oakland chef, was shot and killed. His killer used an AK-47 assault rifle linked to Your Black Muslim Bakery.  In 2009 an indictment accused Yusuf Bey IV, leader of the bakery, of murder for ordering the murder.

Crime in 2007
Philip Lum Jr., former mayor of Colma, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for failing to report free airline tickets from the Lucky Chances Casino.

Crime in 2010
Los Angeles County police discovered thousands of pounds of marijuana in a railroad car that entered from Mexico.

Education in 2013
University of California announced Janet Napolitano, US Homeland Security Secretary, would become the first woman to lead the 10-campus system.

July 13

Business in 1852
Wells Fargo Bank opened for business in San Francisco and Sacramento. Today Wells Fargo & Company is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.3 trillion in assets, providing services to 30% of US households.

 

 

Crime in 1882
Charles Bowles, English born gentleman bandit known as Black Bart, left poems at the scene of his crimes. He held up Wells Fargo stage coaches 28 times. The 23rd robbery was near LaPorte in Plumas County.

Power in 1895
Electric power from the Folsom Powerhouse lighted Sacramento, 22 miles away. It was one of the first US power stations to generate alternating current from hydroelectric power.  Today it is a State Historic Park.

Transportation in 1898 
The San Francisco Ferry Building at the foot of Market Street opened. it was the largest building  in the city and survived the 1906 and the 1989 earthquakes. Today it is a ferry terminal and a destination marketplace.

Los Angeles in 1923 
The Hollywood sign was officially dedicated in the hills above Hollywood. It originally read “Hollywoodland,” advertising a real estate development. The last four of the 50-foot tall letters were dropped when the sign was renovated in 1949.

Movies in 1935
Walt Disney Productions released “Mickey’s Garden.” It was the second Mickey Mouse cartoon in Technicolor and Pluto’s first color appearance. It tells the story of Mickey trying to rid his garden of insects. When he gets hit with his own bug spray, the world starts to look strange.

Movies in 1945
Walt Disney Productions released “Californy ‘er Bust.” It tells how the Goofy lookalike pioneers traveled West in covered wagons. When they encounter Goofy lookalike Indians, battle breaks out. Goofy is saved when a tornado picks up the covered wagons and drops pioneers into “Wash,” “Organ,” and “Californy.”

Marin in 1946
Cheech Marin, comedian, actor and writer, was born in Los Angeles. He is best known for Cheech & Chong performances with Tommy Chong. Live shows were produced as record albums followed by four films. Marin also had a successful career in TV and children’s music.

Radio in 1960 
KDBQ-AM in San Francisco changed its call letters back to to KYA. It was known as KYA until 1983, then KOIT and KXLR until it became KSFB, broadcasting  Immaculate Heart Radio, a Roman Catholic radio format.

Business in 1979
Teradata, a software company started in a Brentwood garage, incorporated. The name Teradata symbolizes the ability to manage terabytes (trillions of bytes) of data. Now located in Ohio, it sells analytic data platforms, applications and related services.

Crime in 1994 
O.J. Simpson, charged with murder, submitted hair samples for DNA testing. They were for comparison with hair in a knit cap found outside the town home where Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman were found slain on June 12, 1994.

Berman in 1996
Pandro Berman, legendary Hollywood producer, died in Beverly Hills at age 91. Among films he produced were; “Top Hat” (1935), “National Velvet” (1944) and “Father of the Bride” (1950).

Television in 2004
Ken Jennings, a 30-year-old software engineer, crossed the $1 million mark in a 30-game winning streak on Jeopardy, recorded in Culver City.

Buttons in 2006
Aaron Chwatt, known as “Red Buttons,” died in Los Angeles. Comedian and actor, he came up through burlesque and Broadway to Hollywood.

Crime in 2008
Terry Childs, a 43-year-old San Francisco computer engineer, was arrested for plotting to hijack the city’s computer system. He continued to draw his $127,735 salary but refused to provide passwords to the network. 

Labor in 2010
Oakland laid off 80 police officers after negotiations between city officials and union leaders failed to agree on job security. 

July 14

Exploration in 1769
Gaspar de Portolà, with Father Crespí, 63 leather-jacket soldiers and a 100 mules loaded with provisions, marched north from San Diego. They were searching for Monterey Bay. On August 2, they reached the site of present day Los Angeles and marched out the Indian trail that would one day become Wilshire Boulevard to the present site of Santa Monica.

Missions in 1771
Father Junípero Serra founded Mission San Antonio de Padua. The mission fell into disrepair during the Rancho Era. Roof tiles were removed in 1894 then installed on the Southern Pacific Railroad depot in Burlingame, one of the first buildings in the Mission Revival Style. Today, the third of 21 missions in Alta California is an active parish church in Monterey County, near Jolon.

Accidents in 1896
The Pacific Mail Steamship Colombia crashed on rocks and sank near Pescadero, a $680,000 loss.

Labor in 1934
The San Francisco General Strike began. Following Bloody Thursday on July 5th, in which two strikers were shot and killed and 109 wounded by San Francisco police, 65,000 trade unionists staged the most widespread  strike in U.S. history. The strike shut down the city for four days.

Accidents in 1953
The freighters Jacob Luckenbach and Hawaiian Pilot collided near Point Montara, 17 miles from the Golden Gate. The Luckenbach sank but the Hawaiian Pilot limped into port. In 2001 oil traced to the wreck killed significant numbers of sea and shore birds. 

Hollywood in 1987 
Steve Miller’s star was unveiled on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. Steve Miller Band formed in San Francisco in 1966. Today it is known for classic rock songs.

Sports in 1989
Legendary boxer Roberto Duran, age 38, fought local boxer, Pat Lawlor, age 25, in a four-round exhibition match at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium.

Accidents in 1991
A Southern Pacific tanker car derailed near Dunsmuir, spilling 18,000 gallons of pesticides into the Sacramento River. Every creature in the river died for 40 miles downstream including 250,000 trout.

Sports in 1995 
Ramón Martinez, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher, no-hit the Florida Marlins, 7-0. 

Fires in 1996
Fire crews battled blazes covering more than 16,000 acres in California, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon and Utah.

Public health in 1998
Los Angeles sued 15 tobacco companies for $2.5 billion over the dangers of secondhand smoke.

 

 

Sports in 2003
Erin Hemmings broke the world record for “longest throw of an object without any velocity-aiding feature.” He threw an Aerobie 1,333 feet at Fort Funston in San Francisco. That was the first thrown object to break the quarter-mile barrier.

Fires in 2006
The  Sawtooth Complex fire merged with the Millard fire, creating a 69,000-acre blaze in southern California. Some 1,800 firefighters battled the fire which destroyed more than 45 homes.

Crime in 2007
The Los Angeles archdiocese agreed to a $660 million clergy abuse settlement. Over 500 claimants each received an average over $1.3 million.

Labor in 2008
Thousands of UC workers faced penalties for walking off their jobs against a court ruling barring them from doing so. The employees had worked without a contract since January.

 

 

Lotito in 2009
Reverend Floyd Lotito, founder of St. Anthony’s Dining Room in San Francisco died at age 74. St. Anthony’s free-meal program serves more than 2,600 meals daily.

July 15

Exploration in 1769
Gaspar de Portolà, with Father Crespí, 63 leather-jacket soldiers and a 100 mules loaded with provisions, crossed Soledad Valley. Father Juan Crespí diaries described his journey and the world of native California before and during the missions. 

Crime in 1849
Members of the Hounds, a racist Gold Rush gang, attacked people in the Chilean district of San Francisco. The Hounds were Mexican American War veterans, ex-soldiers of the California Volunteers regiment who lived in a tent they called “Tammany Hall.”

War in 1854
The Weaverville Chinese War broke out. Following a minor gambling dispute, nearly 400 men from rival factions or tongs, faced off armed with pikes, tridents and other newly forged ancient weapons. Ten men died, 20 wounded and the conflict was settled temporarily.

Religion in 1855
St. Ignatius Church in San Francisco was dedicated. The wood and plaster structure cost $4,000. Construction soon began on a school and residence.

Santa Monica in 1875
The first lots were auctioned in Santa Monica. “At one o’clock we will sell at public outcry to the highest bidder, the Pacific Ocean, draped with a western sky of scarlet and gold; we will sell a bay filled with white-winged ships; we will sell a southern horizon, rimmed with a choice collection of purple mountains, carved in castles and turrets and domes; we will sell a frostless, bracing, warm, yet languid air, braided in and out with sunshine and odored with the breath of flowers. The purchaser of this job lot of climate and scenery will be presented with a deed of land 50 by 150 feet.”

Gold Rush in 1897
The ship “Excelsior,” laden with gold from Alaska, landed in San Francisco. Seattle mayor W.D. Wood, visiting San Francisco, resigned his job, hired a ship and organized a gold mining expedition to the Yukon territory.

Religion in 1904 
A Buddhist temple opened on East Fourth Street in Los Angeles. The  Jōdo Shinshū temple, school of Pure Land Buddhism, was the vision of Reverend Junjyo Izumida, founding priest from Japan. Today the temple offers a spiritual environment which cultivates individual exploration based on the Buddhadharma. 

Transportation in 1929 
The first airport hotel in the US opened next to the dirt runway in Oakland. The Oakland Airport Inn, currently  home to the Amelia Earhart Senior Squadron 188, featured 37 rooms, a restaurant, a barbershop and a ticket office.

Parks in 1964
Modern tours began at Universal Studios Hollywood. They included a series of dressing room walk-throughs, peeks at actual production, and staged events. The tours in 1915 cost  $0.05 and included a lunch box with chicken. More than 6,000,000 guests visited the park in 2013.

Government in 1964
The Republican National Convention was held at the Cow Palace in Daly City.  Barry Goldwater won its nomination for presidential candidate.

Sports in 1967 
The Los Angeles Wolves beat the Washington Whips 6-5 in overtime to win the United Soccer Association championship. The league survived only one season before becoming part of the North American Soccer League, which lasted until 1984.

Sports in 1973 
Nolan Ryan, California Angels pitcher, threw his second no-hitter to beat the Detroit Tigers, 6-0. That year, Ryan set his first major record by striking out 383 batters in one season, beating Sandy Koufax’s mark by one. 

Crime in 1976
Twenty-six children from Chowchilla and their driver were kidnapped from their school bus and imprisoned in a buried truck near Livermore. 

Convy in 1991
Bert Convy, actor and game-show host, died in Los Angeles at age 57. He hosted “Tattletales” (1974-1984), “Super Password” (1984-1989), and “Win, Lose or Draw” (1987-1990).

Crime in 1993
Los Angeles authorities announced eight arrests in connection with an alleged plot by white supremacists to ignite a race war by bombing a black church and killing prominent black Americans. 

Government in 2005
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said he would quit his job as editor of two bodybuilding magazines following criticism of his moonlighting. He also severed ties with the Arnold Classic bodybuilding event.

Business in 2006
Twitter, now headquartered in San Francisco, introduced its first prototype. Today it is one of the largest social media platforms in the world.

Environment in 2007
Two coyotes, a male and female, were shot and killed in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park following recent attacks on leashed dogs.

Accidents in 2008
Two vehicles collided on a bridge and fell into the Delta Mendota Canal near Westley. Six farm workers and a septic truck driver died.

Government in 2009
California officials said a bill to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol would generate nearly $1.4 billion in revenue.

Business in 2010
Joe Jacob, 54-year-old venture capitalist, and Peter Gruber, 68-year-old chairman of Mandalay Entertainment, led a $450 million purchase of the Golden State Warriors based in Oakland.

Fires in 2013
Mountain Fire in Riverside County started burning about 100 miles east of Los Angeles. It burned for 16 days in the San Bernardino National Forest above Palm Springs. 3,500 firefighters fought it with 20 helicopters, 12 airplanes and 260 engines at an estimated cost of $25.8 million.

July 16

Exploration in 1769
Gaspar de Portolà, with Father Crespí, 63 leather-jacket soldiers and a 100 mules loaded with provisions, camped at Batequitos Lagoon.

Missions in 1769
Father Junipero Serra dedicated Mission San Deigo de Alcalá. It was the first of 21 missions in Alta California. It was built on ancient Kumeyaay land. Indian resistance peaked on November 4, 1776 when around 700 warriors attacked, killed Father Luís Jayme and torched the buildings.

Santa Barbara in 1899
The first Santa Barbara Fiesta, part of the Mission Revivial movement, was held at Our Lady of Carmelo Church in Montecito. Now known as Old Spanish Days, it celebrates Hispanic heritage.

Government in 1907
San Francisco supervisors, pressured by graft prosecutors, named Edward Robeson Taylor, age 67, as mayor. He replaced 16 of 18 supervisors, forced the police chief to quit and replaced city officials with honest and competent men.

Post Offices in 1946
Joshua Tree post office opened. The San Bernardino town had 7,414 residents in 2010. The area is known for spectacular sunrises.

Sports in 1993
Darren Lewis, San Francisco Giants outfielder, set a record of 267 consecutive games without an error. He was one of he great base stealers of the 1990’s.

Music in 1994
The Three Tenors, Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and Jose Carreras, performed at Los Angeles Dodger Stadium. Their world tour began in 1990 and continued into the early 2000s.

Education in 2008
California state educators said 24% of the state’s high school students dropped out of school during the 2006-2007 school year.

Stafford in 2008
Jo Stafford, pop singer, died in Century City at age 90. Her career spanned from the late 1930s to the early 1980s. By 1955 she sold more records worldwide than any other female artist. “Her biggest hit was “You Belong To Me” (1952).

Education in 2009
University of California Board of Regents cut $813 million from budgets and approved pay raises, and other benefits for over two dozen UC executives.

Gammon in 2010       
James Gammon, film and television actor, died in Orange County at age 70. His films included “Major League” (1989) and its 1994 sequel.

July 17

Overland Journeys in 1846
The Donner Party crossed the Continental Divide. They left Springfield, Missouri on April 15th and were already behind schedule to cross the Sierra Nevada before winter. They would be trapped in early November, when the snows were 5 feet deep. Here is Nero, one of the pet dogs that was eaten.

Transportation in 1917
Twin Peaks Tunnel in San Francisco was dedicated. The 2.27-mile long tunnel for light rail and streetcars, blasted through to West Portal and opened in 1918.

Accidents in 1930
A natural gas explosion in the Mitchell ravine tunnel of the Hetch Hetchy water project killed 12 men. Thirty-five workers quit, charging carelessness and lack of equipment to respond to the tragedy.

Accidents in 1944
Munitions for the War in the Pacific exploded at Port Chicago in Concord. Three hundred and twenty sailors and civilians were killed and 390 injured. It was the largest domestic loss of life during World War II. Continuing unsafe conditions led hundreds of servicemen to refuse to load munitions; the Port Chicago Mutiny. Port Chicago was staffed by African American servicemen and attention to the disaster and subsequent strike spurred integration of the U.S. military.

Parks in 1955
Disneyland opened in Anaheim. It has the largest attendance of any theme park in the world, with over 650 million guests since it opened.

Cobb in 1961
Ty Cobb, legendary baseball player, died in Atherton at age 74. He was the first person elected into Baseball’s Hall of Fame.

Flight in 1962    
Robert White, Air Force pilot, flew the rocket-powered X-15 to an altitude of 314,750 feet or 59.6 miles, becoming the first “winged astronaut.” he made 16 flights in the rocket-powered aircraft stationed at Muroc Air Force Base, today’s Edwards AFB.

Environment in 1988 
San Francisco reached 103°F, the highest temperature ever recorded in the city. It got that hot again on June 14, 2000.

Flight in 1989
The controversial B-2 Stealth bomber made its first test flight at Edwards Air Force Base, two days after a technical problem forced a postponement.

Accidents in 2001
A US Air Force F-16 crashed in northeast San Bernadino County. Major Aaron George, pilot, and Judson Brohmer, photographer, were killed.

Environment in 2007
California State Water Resources Control board passed a 70-year mercury cleanup plan for San Francisco Bay.

Literature in 2008
Kay Ryan, of Fairfax, was named the 16th poet laureate of the US. She was selected by James Billington, Librarian of Congress.

Government in 2008
California became the first US state to approve green building standards.

Crime in 2013
Alaysha Carradine, age 8, was killed at a sleepover when gunmen sprayed bullets through the Oakland apartment where she was staying.

July 18

Science in 1947
An anonymous African American patient, code-named CAL-3, at a San Francisco hospital, was injected with plutonium without his knowledge as part of a treatment for apparent bone cancer.

Business in 1968 
Intel Corporation was founded in Santa Clara. Today it is one of the world’s largest and highest valued semiconductor chip makers, based on revenue.

Crime in 1984 
James Huberty killed 21 people at a McDonald’s in San Ysidro. The 41-year-old opened fire, also injuring 19 others before police shot him dead. The day before, Huberty called a mental health clinic, requesting an appointment.

Crime in 1997
Federal agents in California arrested eight seafood importers. They were accused of smuggling contaminated seafood by bribing customs brokers and FDA inspectors.

Government in 2002
California Supreme Court ruled that the state’s marijuana law can help pot smokers avoid being tried for drug offenses.

Public Health in 2005
California began again issuing identity cards to patients who have been prescribed medical marijuana.

Crime in 2005
San Diego acting Mayor Michael Zucchet and councilman Ralph Inzunza were convicted in federal court of taking illegal campaign cash from a strip club owner. 

July 19

Government in 1852
Tulare County was established. It was named for Tulare Lake, the largest freshwater lake west of the Great Lakes until it was drained for agriculture. Sequoia National Park and part of Kings Canyon National Park are in the county. 442,179 people lived there in 2010, according to the census.

Libraries in 1880
San Francisco Public Library began lending books. It opened on June 7, 1879 but did not begin lending books until July 19th.

 

Parks in 1911
Mount Gilbert in Kings Canyon National Park was named for G.K. Gilbert (1843-1918), a leading geologist of his time. 

Accidents in 1963
The U.S. Navy accidentally dropped a 2-foot, 25-pound practice bomb on Market St. in San Francisco.

Music in 1978
Dead Kennedys played their first show at Mabuhay Gardens in San Francisco. They were a leading punk band in the early 1980s and won a large global following, especially in the United Kingdom.

Libraries in 1990
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum opened in Yorba Linda. Nixon agreed to turn over most materials from his presidency, including White House tape recordings. He wanted selected recordings destroyed but Congress intervened and moved those materials to the National Archives.

Titus in 2009
Warren Titus, founder of Royal Viking and Seabourn cruise ship lines, died at a in Marin County at age 94. He helped create the vacation cruise industry.

Goldhaber in 2010
Gerson Goldhaber, physicist, died  in Berkeley at age 86. He contributed to discovering the antiproton and the “charm” quark in 1955, later known as the J/psi particle.

 

Accidents in 2011
Three hikers were swept over the 317-foot Vernal Falls in Yosemite National Park.