December 16
Sebastian Vizcaino drawn by Barron Park School students
Exploration in 1602
Sebastian Vizcaino named Monterey Bay. The conquistador who sailed from New Spain (Mexico) to the Philippines was searching for safe harbors for Spanish galleons returning from the Philippines.
Overland trail in 1846
Patrick Breen, traveling with the Donner Party, wrote in his diary, “Fair & pleasant. Froze hard last night. & the company started on snow shoes to cross the mountains. Wind S.E. Looks pleasant.” The “company” was 17 of the strongest emigrants, with six days’ rations. The snowshoers were called the “Forlorn Hope”.
Garden Valley.
Post offices in 1852
A U.S. post office opened in Garden Valley near Coloma. It closed in 1853, re-opened in 1854, then closed in 1862, re-opened in 1872 but closed in 1895 then re-opened in 1896 and moved 1/4 mile away in 1940.
Parks in 1896
Griffith Griffith donated 3,015 acres for Griffith Park to Los Angeles. He wanted to develop property near his ostrich farm Rancho Los Feliz.
Griffith Park strollers
Film in 1913
Charlie Chaplin began his film career at Keystone Studios in Edendale, earning $150 a week.
“Frowning Alcatraz, Key of San Francisco” (1866)
Prisons in 1937
Theodore Cole and Ralph Roe escaped from Alcatraz Island Federal Penitentiary. Warden Johnson suspected the kidnapper and bank robber drowned in the bay.
Government in 1983
A judge in Riverside denied cerebral palsy victim Elizabeth Bouvia request to starve herself to death in a county hospital.
James in 1988
Sylvester James, disco superstar born in Watts, died in San Francisco of AIDS-related causes at age 41.
Business in 1996
Intel, in Santa Clara, announced development of the world’s fastest computer, capable of 1 trillion operations per second.
Intel logo (1968-2005).
Madlyn Rhue.
Rhue in 2003
Madlyn Rhue, actress, died in Los Angeles at age 68. She is remembered for roles in “Operation Petticoat” (1959), “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” (1963) and Star Trek episode “Space Seed” (1967).
Business in 2005
Google, in Mountain View, announced it would pay $1 billion for a 5% stake in AOL.
Google.
Bottoms in 2008
Sam Bottoms, film and television actor and producer, born in Santa Barbara, died in Los Angeles at age 53. He is remembered for roles in “The Last Picture Show” (1971), “The Outlaw Josey Wales” (1976) and “Apocalypse Now” (1979).
Government in 2009
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom struck a deal with the U.S. Navy to acquire Treasure Island for a guaranteed payment of $55 million over several years.
Government in 2010
The California Air Resources Board approved the nation’s first broad-based program to put a cap on green house gas emissions.
California air basin map.
Rohayent Gomez.
Crime in 2010
Rohayent Gomez, age 13, was shot and paralyzed by a Los Angeles police officer as the boy held a replica gun. A jury ordered the LAPD to pay $24 million to Gomez in 2012.
Business in 2011
Zynga, a digital game company in San Francisco, went public for $10 a share, valuing the company at $1 billion. It created Farmville.
Zynga.
December 17
Ranchos in 1833
Laguna de las Calabazas, a 2,304.75 acre Mexican land grant was deeded. The land in the San Fernando Valley, today is an affluent Los Angeles neighborhood.
Calabazas.
Margaret and Patrick Breen
Overland trail in 1846
Charles Burger and William Murphy, unable to keep up with the snowshoers, returned to camp. Five women, nine men, and 12-year-old Lemuel Murphy keep going. Patrick Breen wrote in his diary: “Pleasant sunshine today. Wind about S.E. Bill Murphy returned from the mountain party last evening. Bealis died night before last. Milt. & Noah went to Donners 8 days since; not returned yet; thinks they got lost in the snow. J Denton here to day.”
Post offices in 1910
A U.S. post office opened in Muroc, a Kern County town in the Mojave Desert. It closed in 1951. The name honored settlers Ralph and Clifford Corum, whose surname spelled backwards is “Muroc.” Today it is part of Edwards Air Force Base, home of stealth technology.
Eagle Rocks, Mojave National Preserve
Radio in 1926
KYA-AM in San Francisco began radio transmissions. It has had 14 owners and four call signs in 85 years. Today it broadcasts Immaculate Heart Radio, a Roman Catholic radio format.
December 18
Margaret and Patrick Breen
Overland trail in 1846
Patrick Breen, traveling with the Donner Party, wrote in his diary, “Beautiful day; sky clear; it would be delightful were it not for the snow lying so deep. Thaws but little on the south side of shanty. Saw no strangers today from any of the shantys.”
Libraries in 1884
Frank Kimball used his personal book collection to open National Free Library and Reading Rooms in his real estate office. Ah Lem, a Chinese workman, assisted.
National City railway terminal, 1888.
North Fork.
Post offices in 1888
A U.S. post office opened in North Fork in Madera County. The town was first named Brown’s after Milton Brown, a white settler. The North Fork name is from the North Fork Lumber Company, which opened in 1888.
Crime in 1997
Arturo Reyes Torres, a fired California highway employee, shot and killed four people at the Caltrans maintenance yard in Orange before he was killed by police.
Protests in 1999
Julia “Butterfly” Hill climbed down from an ancient redwood in Humboldt County after living there for two years. She protested logging of old growth redwood forests.
Business in 2002
Governor Gray Davis announced a $34.8 billion cash shortage over the next 18 months. A legislative analyst later assessed the deficit at $21 billion.
Business in 2003
Sierra Railroad, which began in 1897, bought the 40-mile Mendocino County Skunk Train, which began in 1885, for $1.4 million.
Business in 2007
Half Moon Bay hired lawyers to fight a federal court ordering the city to pay a developer $36.8 million in a property dispute. The city’s annual budget was $10 million.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
Energy in 2007
PG&E announced it would support the first commercial wave power plant off the Humboldt County coast. Eight power generating buoys were projected to begin working in 2012.
Business in 2009
U.S. bank regulators shut down seven banks including two in California. This brought to 140 the number of U.S. banks closed down due to the weak economy and loan defaults.
Office Depot.
Business in 2009
Ben Rosenfield, San Francisco Controller, released an audit that said Office Deport overcharged the city for some $5.75 million worth of office supplies over 4½ years.
Hellman in 2011
Warren Hellman, who privately sponsored the annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival, died in San Francisco at age 77. He provided the free music event with funds to continue.
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass.
December 19
Juan Bautista de Anza
Exploration in 1788
Juan Bautista de Anza, Spanish explorer of Alta California, died in Arizpe, Mexico. He lead the first colonists north from Mexico to Monterey and found an inland route to San Francisco Bay.
Overland trail in 1846
Patrick Breen, travelling with the Donner Party, wrote in his diary, “Snowed last night; commenced about 11 o’clock. Squalls of wind with snow at intervals. This morning, thawing. Wind N. by W. A little singular for a thaw. May continue. It continues to snow. Sun shining. Cleared off towards evening.”
Newspapers in 1852
The Golden Era newspaper, published in San Francisco, debuted. It featured articles by Mark Twain and Bret Harte. They became two of the most popular fiction authors of the time.
The Golden Era masthead
Railroads in 1859
Grading began for San Francisco’s first railroad. Market Street Railway ran three miles from Market Street to Mission Dolores.
Market Street Railway 1860
Post offices in 1920
A U.S. post office opened at Palomar Mountain, north of San Diego. Today it is famous for Palomar Observatory with a 200-inch telescope and as home to Palomar Mountain State Park.
Christmas flood (1964).
Floods in 1964
Heavy rain from December 18, 1964 to January 7, 1965 flooded nearly every river in coastal Northern California. It was called the Christmas Flood.
Education in 1996
The Oakland School Board voted to recognize Black English, known as “ebonics.” The board later reversed its position.
December 20
Ranchos in 1844
Rancho Rio de los Molinos, a 22,172-acre Mexican land grant in present day Tehama County was deeded. It extended along the east side of the Sacramento River from Dye Creek to Toomes Creek, including present day Los Molinos.
Rancho diseno
Margaret and Patrick Breen
Overland trail in 1846
Patrick Breen, traveling with the Donner Party, wrote in his diary, “Night clear. Froze a little. Now clear & pleasant. Wind N.W. Thawing a little. Mrs Reid here. No account of Milt. Yet Dutch Charley started for Donners; turned back, not able to proceed. Tough times, but not discouraged. Our hopes are in God. Amen.”
Government in 1849
Peter Burnett became the first state governor of California. He proposed that blacks, slave or free, be banned from the state and thought it necessity to exterminate the state’s native people.
Government in 1934
A state liquor control law went into effect, making it legal to sell hard liquor by the drink in California hotels, restaurants and clubs.
Floods in 1955
The central Sierra and South San Francisco Bay Area rivers areas flooded. The storm resulted in 74 deaths and $200 million in damages. On Christmas Eve, a levee on the Feather River collapsed, flooding Yuba City and farmlands in the basin.
Yuba City 1955
Zodiac Killer composite drawing (1982).
Crime in 1968
The Zodiac Killer killed Betty Lou Jenson and David Faraday in Vallejo. The Northern California serial killer was never caught.
Darin in 1973
Bobby Darin, pop, rock, jazz, folk and country singer, died in Los Angeles at age 37. He is remembered for “Dream Lover” among other popular songs.
Intel logo (1968-2005).
Business in 1994
Intel, in Santa Clara, announced it would replace all flawed Pentium computer chips.
Weather in 1998
Snow fell in San Francisco and low temperature records were made around the Bay.
Snow in San Francisco (1887)
Calpine Corp.
Business in 2005
Calpine Corp., a power company in San Jose, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It was some $22 billion in debt.
Seagate Corp.
Business in 2005
Seagate Corp., a computer disk drive maker in Cupertino, agreed to pay $1.9 billion for rival Maxtor Corp.
Business in 2007
U.S. regulators cleared the proposal by Google, in Mountain View, to acquire online advertising DoubleClick, sparking privacy concerns and challenges in the European Union.
Google.
Netsuite Inc.
Business in 2007
NetSuite Inc., a software maker headquartered in San Mateo, rose 37% in its first day of trading after raising $161.2 million in an IPO a day earlier.
Police in 2008
San Francisco Police Chief Heather Wong announced her retirement. She became the city’s first female police chief nearly 5 years before.
Murphy in 2009
Brittany Murphy, actress, singer and voice artist, died in Los Angeles at age 22. She is remembered for roles in “Riding in Cars with Boys” (2001), “8 Mile” (2002) and “Happy Feet” (2006).
Business in 2012
Apple Inc., in Cupertino, was denied a patent for mobile pinch-to-zoom gestures by U.S. patent authorities.
December 21
Santa Barbara Mission by Lloyd Harting (1901 – 1974)
Missions in 1812
Santa Barbara Mission and Mission La Purisima were severely damaged by an earthquake. It was estimated at around 7.0 on the Richter Scale, possibly triggered by the recent Wrightwood earthquake.
Overland trail in 1846
Patrick Breen, traveling with the Donner Party, wrote in his diary: “Milt. got back last night from Donners’ camp [with] sad news. Jake Donno [Jacob Donner], Sam Shoemaker, Rinehart, & Smith are dead; the rest of them in a low situation. Snowed all night with a strong S.W. wind. To day Cloudy. Wind continues but not snowing. Thawing sun shining dimly. In hopes it will clear off.”
Education in 1909
The first junior high school in California opened in Berkeley.
Film in 1914
“Tillie’s Punctured Romance” debuted, Keystone Film Company’s first feature-length film and only the Keystone Cops comedy featuring Charlie Chaplin.
Film in 1932
“Flying Down to Rio,” the first film starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, was released. They became legendary dance partners in a series of ten films.
Shirley Temple in a scene from the movie “Stand Up and Cheer” (1934). Photo courtesy of Fox Film Corporation.
Film in 1933
Fox Films extended its contract with 5-year-old Shirley Temple, one of the great child stars. She was paid $150/week and Gertrude, her mother, was hired at $25/week as her hairdresser and personal coach.
Film in 1937
“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” the first full-length animated film, premiered. It was the first in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series.
Film in 1946
Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” premiered. The Christmas fantasy comedy drama, starring James Stewart and Donna Reed became a holiday classic.
Sports in 1995
San Francisco Giants announced plans to build a new stadium to open in 2000. The opening game on April 11, 2000 was against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Walt Disney Company.
Business in 2012
The Walt Disney Company, in Burbank, completed acquisition of Lucasfilm, in San Francisco, and the Star Wars franchise for $4.05 billion.
December 22
Ranchos in 1844
Rancho Johnson, a 22,197-acre Mexican land grant in Yuba County, was deeded. It stretched along the Bear River, and encompassed modern Wheatland.
Rancho diseno
Overland trail in 1846
Patrick Breen, traveling with the Donner Party, wrote in his diary: “Snowed all last night. Continued to snow all day with some few intermissions. Had a severe fit of the gravel yesterday. I am well to day, Praise be to the God of Heaven.
Sutter’s Fort drawn by George Victor Cooper in 1849
Agriculture in 1847
John Sutter received 2,000 fruit trees, which began Sacramento Valley’s agriculture industry. What type of trees and where they came from is not known.
Libraries in 1852
The Mercantile Library Association was founded in San Francisco to “stimulate a generous rivalry in mental culture, by rendering it the fashion to read and converse on literary topics.” It merged with the Mechanics Institute in 1854 to serve job-seeking unemployed gold miners. Today it is a popular venue for chess players.
Mercantile Library
Walnut.
Cities in 1908
Lemon, built on what was Rancho Los Nogales in Los Angeles County, changed its name to Walnut. Walnut is known as one of America’s best small towns.
West in 1940
Nathanael West, novelist and screenwriter, along with his wife, died in a car accident in El Centro. He was age 37. They were returning to Los Angeles from a hunting trip in Mexico when he ran a red light. Miss Lonelyhearts (1933) is widely regarded as his masterpiece.
Nathaniel West.
KPIX-TV.
Television in 1948
KPIX-TV channel 5 in San Francisco began broadcasting. It was the first television station in northern California, the 49th in the U.S.
Sports in 1963
Tom Flores, Oakland Raiders quarterback, passed for 6 touchdowns to defeat the Houston Oilers, 52-49. It was the 4th highest scoring game in NFL history.
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.
Flight in 1964
The first test flight of the SR-71 “Blackbird” took place at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale. It was a long-range, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance U.S. Air Force aircraft.
Music in 1965
The Byrds recorded “Eight Miles High” in Hollywood. It was one the first full-blown psychedelic rock recording and was banned from the radio shortly after release.
Los Angeles Skid Row.
Weingart in 1980
Ben Weingart, multimillionaire philanthropist, died in Los Angeles at age 93. He co-developed Lakewood, near Long Beach. He and his wife, established the Weingart Center for the Homeless.
Earthquakes in 2003
An earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter Scale hit near San Simeon. Two people were killed in Paso Robles. Property damages were estimated at some $100 million.
Paso Robles, San Simeon earthquake damage (2003).
Crime in 2006
Bryan Tuvera, San Francisco police officer, was shot in a gun battle in the Sunset District, killing Marlon Ruff, an escaped convict. Tuvera also died later that day.
Great Seal of California.
Business in 2008
California’s chief financial officer warned that the state would run out of money in about two months as hopes of a Christmas budget compromise melted into political finger-pointing by the end of the day.
Business in 2008
Foley Wine Group of Los Olivos bought the historic Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery in Sonoma for an undisclosed price.
Crime in 2010
Three men were shot and killed in a drive-by shooting in South San Francisco. Nineteen people were indicted in 2012 for the killings. Three federal agents were wounded during the arrest.
December 23
Pio Pico
Ranchos in 1845
Rancho Jamul was deeded to Pio Pico, the last governor of Alta California. Born at Mission San Gabriel, Pico was Spanish, African and Native American. He became one of the richest men in the state but lost his fortune. He is honored at Pio Pico State Historic Park.
Benicia in 1846
Mariano Vallejo sold the land to build the town of Benicia, named in honor of his wife. Located on the Carquinez Straight, it was intended to rival San Francisco. Benicia was the state capital in 1853 – 1854.
Overland trail in 1846
Patrick Breen, traveling with the Donner Party, wrote in his diary: “Snowed a little last night. Clear to day & thawing a little. Milt took some of his meat to day; all well at their camp. Began this day to read the Thirty days prayer. May Almighty God grant the request of an unworthy sinner that I am. Amen.”
Film in 1912
“Hoffmeyer’s Legacy,” the first Keystone Cops film, was released.
San Bruno in 1914
San Bruno was incorporated following a campaign by the local newspaper, the San Bruno Herald, mainly so the streets could be paved.
World War II in 1941
The Union Oil tanker Montebello was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine and sank off the coast near Cambria. The crew of 38 survived.
Union Oil tanker torpedoed (1941).
Webb in 1982
Jack Webb, actor, producer and director, died in Los Angeles at age 62. He was best known for his role, Joe Friday, in the radio and television series “Dragnet,” perhaps the most famous and influential police procedural drama in history.
Flight in 1986
Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager landed the Rutan Model 76 Voyager at Edwards Air Force Base, making it the first aircraft to fly non-stop around the world without refueling.
Rutan Model 76 Voyager.
Business in 1998
Two days of freezing temperatures caused an estimated $700 million in agricultural damage. Citrus crops in the central San Joaquin Valley were especially hit hard.
Billy Barty in “Willow” (1988).
Barty in 2000
Billy Barty, film and television actor, died in Glendale at age 76. He stood three feet, nine inches tall. His career spanned 50 years.