Portal:California

Introduction Welcome to the Portal:California. Such a lovely place. California State State of California Flag Seal Map of the United States with California highlighted California (/ˌkælɪˈfɔːrnjəˌ -ni.ə/ ⓘ KAL-ih-FORN-yə, -⁠FOR-nee-ə) is a state in the Western United States, lying on the American Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and the Mexico to the south. With 39 million residents across an area of 163,696 square miles (423,970 km2), it is the most populous U.S. state, the third-largest by area, and most populated subnational entity in North America. The Greater Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas are the nation's second- and fifth-most populous urban regions, with 19 million and 10 million residents respectively. Los Angeles is the state's most populous city and the nation's second-most, after New York. Sacramento is the state's capital. Prior to European colonization, California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America. European exploration in the 16th and 17th centuries led to the colonization by the Spanish Empire. The area became a part of Mexico in 1821, following its successful war for independence, but was ceded to the United States in 1848 after the Mexican–American War. The California Gold Rush started in 1848 and led to social and demographic changes, including depopulation of indigenous peoples in the California genocide. The western portion of Alta California was then organized and admitted as the 31st state in 1850, as a free state, following the Compromise of 1850. California's economy is the largest of any US state, with a $3.6 trillion gross state product . It is the largest sub-national economy in the world. California's agricultural industry has the highest output of any U.S. state, and is led by its dairy, almonds, and grapes. With the busiest port in the country (Los Angeles), California plays a pivotal role in the global supply chain, hauling in about 40% of goods imported to the US. 84% of residents 25 or older hold a high school degree, the lowest high school education rate of all 50 states. Despite a continuing exodus of businesses from Downtown San Francisco and Downtown Los Angeles, California retains one of the largest number of Fortune 500 companies. (Full article...) Selected article - William Seymour, the leader of the Azusa Street Revival The Azusa Street Revival was a Pentecostal revival meeting that took place in Los Angeles, California, and was led by William J. Seymour, an African American preacher. It began with a meeting on April 14, 1906, at the African Methodist Episcopal Church and continued until roughly 1915. The revival was characterized by speaking in tongues, dramatic worship services, and inter-racial mingling. The participants received criticism from secular media and Christian theologians for behaviors considered to be outrageous and unorthodox, especially at the time. Today, the revival is considered by historians to be the primary catalyst for the spread of Pentecostalism in the 20th century. In 1904, the Welsh Revival took place, during which approximately 100,000 people in Wales converted to Christianity. Internationally, Evangelical Christians took this event to be a sign that a fulfillment of the prophecy in the Bible's book of Joel, chapter 2:23–29 was about to take place. Joseph Smale, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Los Angeles, went to Wales personally in order to witness the revival. (Full article...) More selected articles General images - The following are images from various California-related articles on Wikipedia. The Spanish founded Mission San Juan Capistrano in 1776, the third to be established of the Californian missions. (from History of California) The colonial coat of arms of the Californias, granted by Antonio de Mendoza, the first Viceroy of New Spain. (from History of California) The Battle of San Pasqual in 1846. (from History of California) Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, established in 1770, was the headquarters of the Californian mission system from 1797 until 1833. (from History of California) In-N-Out burgers (from Culture of California) Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, founded in 1771 by padres Pedro Benito Cambón and Ángel de la Somera. (from History of California) Poppies, Antelope Valley, a California Impressionist painting by Benjamin Chambers Brown (from Culture of California) Joaquín Murrieta, called the "Robin Hood of California", was a notorious outlaw during the California Gold Rush. He served as inspiration for Zorro, the famed Californian bandit-hero. (from History of California) Between 1846 and 1873, U.S. government agents waged an extermination campaign against Indigenous Californians, known as the California genocide, resulting in as many as 100,000 deaths. (from History of California) Junípero Serra conducting the first mass in Monterey Bay in 1770. (from History of California) The 1846 Bear Flag Revolt declared the California Republic and prefaced the American conquest of California. (from History of California) Mission San Francisco Solano, founded in 1823 by order of Governor Luis Antonio Argüello, was the last Californian mission established. (from History of California) Portrait of an "assimilated" Maidu man in Sacramento, 1867. (from History of California) The railway station in Sacramento in 1874. (from History of California) Depiction of the Donner Party heading west on the California Trail. (from History of California) Bodega y Quadra led a 1775 expedition along the coast of California into the Pacific Northwest. (from History of California) Francis Drake's 1579 landing in "New Albion" (modern-day Point Reyes); engraving by Theodor De Bry, 1590. (from History of California) Dividing the Light (2007), a skyspace by James Turrell at Pomona College (from Culture of California) Presidio of San Francisco, founded by José Joaquín Moraga in 1776. (from History of California) Map of Spain's Manila galleon trade routes, showing routes between the Spanish East Indies and Acapulco passing along the coast of California. (from History of California) Map of the Butterfield Overland Mail routes through California, c. 1858. (from History of California) The Getty Villa (from Culture of California) The Petaluma Adobe, built by General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo in 1836 on Rancho Petaluma. (from History of California) California was often depicted as an island, due to the Baja California peninsula, from the 16th to the 18th centuries, such as in this 1650 map by cartographer Johannes Vingboons. (from History of California) Depiction of the revolt of the Mission Indians against padre Luis Jayme at Mission San Diego de Alcalá in 1775. (from History of California) The Treaty of Cahuenga, signed at the Campo de Cahuenga in 1847 by Californio general Andrés Pico and American general John C. Frémont, proclaimed a ceasefire under an American victory. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed a year later in 1848, officially ended the Mexican–American War and formally ceded Alta California to the United States. (from History of California) General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo reviewing his troops in Sonoma in 1846. (from History of California) Presidio of Santa Barbara. (from Culture of California) Forces raising the U.S. flag over the Monterey Customhouse following their victory at the Battle of Monterey (from History of California) San Francisco harbor, c. 1850–51. (from History of California) Pacheco Adobe, built 1835 by Salvio Pacheco on Rancho Monte del Diablo. (from History of California) Map of the route taken by the Anza Expedition of 1775–76, from the Presidio of Tubac to San Francisco Bay. (from History of California) Gaspar de Portolá served as the first Governor of the Californias and led the famed Portolá expedition of 1769-70. (from History of California) Concord Coach no. 251 in Wells Fargo livery in Old Town San Diego. (from History of California) Angustias de la Guerra played a crucial role in defending women's property rights during the drafting of the Constitution of California. (from History of California) Goldfields in the Sierra Nevada and Shasta Cascade. (from History of California) Manuel Domínguez built Domínguez Adobe on Rancho San Pedro in 1826. (from History of California) "Independent Gold Hunter on His Way to California", c. 1850 (from History of California) Flag of Company A (The California 100) during the U.S. Civil War. (from History of California) Stanford University Oval (from Culture of California) Depiction of the California hide trade. (from History of California) General Richard Barnes Mason was the longest serving U.S. Military Governor of California (1847–1849), overseeing California's transition into statehood. (from History of California) While slavery was abolished in California by Mexican authorities in 1829, the first California State Legislature under U.S. statehood passed the 1850 Indian Indenture Act, which allowed for the forced labor of indigenous Californians by Americans. (from History of California) Advertisement for sailing to California, c. 1850. (from History of California) A Southern Pacific Train at Arcade Depot, Los Angeles, 1891 (from History of California) Portrait of a Californio in traditional vaquero clothing. Californios benefitted immensely by the establishment of the ranchos of California, following the Mexican secularization act of 1833. (from History of California) California's first State Capitol building in San Jose, which served as the capital of California 1850–51. (from History of California) The Battle of Río San Gabriel, in 1847, was a decisive victory for the American campaign in Alta California. (from History of California) SS California (1848), the first paddle steamer to steam between Panama City and San Francisco, as part of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company. (from History of California) The 1835 Manifiesto a la República Mejicana, by José Figueroa, was the first book published in California (from Culture of California) The American capture of San Diego by the USS Cyane in 1846 (from History of California) Juan Bautista de Anza led the 1774-76 Anza Expeditions. (from History of California) Founded by Vicente Francisco de Sarría in 1817, Mission San Rafael Arcángel, was the last mission founded during the Spanish period. (from History of California) The Vallecitos stop of the Butterfield Overland Mail, in Julian, California. (from History of California) The 1562 map of the Americas, created by Spanish cartographer Diego Gutiérrez, which applied the name California for the first time. (from History of California) Balthazar, Inhabitant of Northern California, an 1818 portrait of a Miwok man by artist Mikhail Tikhanov. (from History of California) The University of California, Berkeley is the flagship school of the University of California system. (from Culture of California) Mission Santa Barbara, founded in 1786, was the first mission to be established by Fermín de Lasuén. (from History of California) Selected quote - Selected biographies - Disney in 1990 Roy Edward Disney KCSG (January 10, 1930 – December 16, 2009) was an American businessman. He was the longtime senior executive for the Walt Disney Company, which was founded by his uncle, Walt Disney, and his father, Roy O. Disney. At the time of his death, he held more than 16 million shares (about 1% of the company), and served as a consultant for the company, as well as director emeritus for the board of directors. During his tenure, he organized ousting of the company's top two executives: Ron W. Miller in 1984 and Michael Eisner in 2005. As the last member of the Disney family to be actively involved in the company, Disney was often compared to his uncle and to his father. In 2006, Forbes magazine estimated his personal fortune at $1.2 billion. (Full article...) Le Guin in 1995 Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (/ˈkroʊbər lə ˈɡwɪn/ KROH-bər lə GWIN; née Kroeber; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the Earthsea fantasy series. Her work was first published in 1959, and her literary career spanned nearly sixty years, producing more than twenty novels and over a hundred short stories, in addition to poetry, literary criticism, translations, and children's books. Frequently described as an author of science fiction, Le Guin has also been called a "major voice in American Letters". Le Guin said she would prefer to be known as an "American novelist". Le Guin was born in Berkeley, California, to author Theodora Kroeber and anthropologist Alfred Louis Kroeber. Having earned a master's degree in French, Le Guin began doctoral studies but abandoned these after her marriage in 1953 to historian Charles Le Guin. She began writing full-time in the late 1950s and achieved major critical and commercial success with A Wizard of Earthsea (1968) and The Left Hand of Darkness (1969), which have been described by Harold Bloom as her masterpieces. For the latter volume, Le Guin won both the Hugo and Nebula awards for best novel, becoming the first woman to do so. Several more works set in Earthsea or the Hainish universe followed; others included books set in the fictional country of Orsinia, several works for children, and many anthologies. (Full article...) Chastain in 2016 Jessica Michelle Chastain (born March 24, 1977) is an American actress and producer. Known for primarily starring in projects with feminist themes, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe, in addition to nominations for two Tony Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2012. Chastain developed an interest in acting from an early age and made her professional stage debut in 1998 as Shakespeare's Juliet. After studying acting at the Juilliard School, she was signed to a talent holding deal with the television producer John Wells. She was a recurring guest star in several television series, and took on roles in several stage productions. After making her film debut at age 31 in the drama Jolene (2008), Chastain had her breakthrough in 2011 with six film releases, including the dramas Take Shelter (2011) and The Tree of Life (2011). She received Academy Award nominations for playing an aspiring socialite in the period drama The Help (2011) and a CIA analyst in the thriller Zero Dark Thirty (2012). (Full article...) Eastwood in 2010 Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series Rawhide, Eastwood rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy of spaghetti Westerns during the mid-1960s and as antihero cop Harry Callahan in the five Dirty Harry films throughout the 1970s and 1980s. These roles, among others, have made Eastwood an enduring cultural icon of masculinity. Elected in 1986, Eastwood served for two years as the mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Eastwood's greatest commercial successes are the adventure comedy Every Which Way but Loose (1978) and its action comedy sequel Any Which Way You Can (1980). Other popular Eastwood films include the Westerns Hang 'Em High (1968), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) and Pale Rider (1985), the action-war film Where Eagles Dare (1968), the prison film Escape from Alcatraz (1979), the war film Heartbreak Ridge (1986), the action film In the Line of Fire (1993), and the romantic drama The Bridges of Madison County (1995). More recent works include Gran Torino (2008), The Mule (2018), and Cry Macho (2021). Since 1967, Eastwood's company Malpaso Productions has produced all but four of his American films. (Full article...) Oppenheimer in 1944 J. Robert Oppenheimer (born Julius Robert Oppenheimer; /ˈɒpənhaɪmər/ OP-ən-hy-mər; April 22, 1904 – February 18, 1967) was an American theoretical physicist. He was director of the Manhattan Project's Los Alamos Laboratory during World War II and is often called the "father of the atomic bomb". Born in New York City, Oppenheimer earned a bachelor of arts degree in chemistry from Harvard University in 1925 and a doctorate in physics from the University of Göttingen in Germany in 1927, where he studied under Max Born. After research at other institutions, he joined the physics department at the University of California, Berkeley, where he became a full professor in 1936. He made significant contributions to theoretical physics, including achievements in quantum mechanics and nuclear physics such as the Born–Oppenheimer approximation for molecular wave functions, work on the theory of electrons and positrons, the Oppenheimer–Phillips process in nuclear fusion, and early work on quantum tunneling. With his students, he also made contributions to the theory of neutron stars and black holes, quantum field theory, and the interactions of cosmic rays. (Full article...) Portrait, c. 1969–1974 Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and as the 36th vice president from 1953 to 1961 under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. His presidency saw the reduction of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, détente with the Soviet Union and China, the Apollo 11 Moon landing, and the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Nixon's second term ended early when he became the only U.S. president to resign from office, as a result of the Watergate scandal. Nixon was born into a poor family of Quakers in a small town in Southern California. He graduated from Duke Law School in 1937, practiced law in California, and then moved with his wife Pat to Washington, D.C., in 1942 to work for the federal government. After serving active duty in the Naval Reserve during World War II, he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1946. His work on the Alger Hiss case established his reputation as a leading anti-communist, which elevated him to national prominence. In 1950, he was elected to the Senate. Nixon was the running mate of Eisenhower, the Republican Party's presidential nominee in the 1952 election, and served for eight years as vice president. He narrowly lost the 1960 presidential election to the Democratic Party nominee John F. Kennedy; after his loss in the 1962 race for governor of California, he announced his retirement from political life. However, in 1968, he made another run for the presidency and defeated the Democratic incumbent vice president Hubert Humphrey. (Full article...) Adams c. 1950 Ansel Easton Adams (February 20, 1902 – April 22, 1984) was an American landscape photographer and environmentalist known for his black-and-white images of the American West. He helped found Group f/64, an association of photographers advocating "pure" photography which favored sharp focus and the use of the full tonal range of a photograph. He and Fred Archer developed a system of image-making called the Zone System, a method of achieving a desired final print through a technical understanding of how the tonal range of an image is the result of choices made in exposure, negative development, and printing. Adams was a life-long advocate for environmental conservation, and his photographic practice was deeply entwined with this advocacy. At age 14, he was given his first camera during his first visit to Yosemite National Park. He developed his early photographic work as a member of the Sierra Club. He was later contracted with the United States Department of the Interior to make photographs of national parks. For his work and his persistent advocacy, which helped expand the National Park system, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1980. (Full article...) Jackson in 1988 Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Known as the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. During his four-decade career, his contributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture. Jackson influenced artists across many music genres. Through stage and video performances, he popularized complicated street dance moves such as the moonwalk, which he named, as well as the robot. He was the eighth child of the Jackson family, and made his public debut in 1964 with his older brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon as a member of the Jackson 5 (later known as the Jacksons). The Jackson 5 signed with Motown in 1968 and achieved worldwide success with Michael as lead singer. Jackson began his solo career in 1971 while at Motown and recorded multiple successful singles outside of Jackson 5. He became a global solo star with his 1979 album Off the Wall. His music videos, including those for "Beat It", "Billie Jean", and "Thriller" from his 1982 album Thriller, are credited with breaking racial barriers and transforming the medium into an art form and promotional tool. He helped propel the success of MTV and continued to innovate with the videos for his subsequent albums: Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995), and Invincible (2001). Thriller became the best-selling album of all time, while Bad was the first album to produce five US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles. (Full article...) Hartman in character as Chick Hazard, Private Eye, circa 1978. Philip Edward Hartman (né Hartmann; September 24, 1948 – May 28, 1998) was a Canadian-born American comedian, actor, screenwriter, and graphic designer. Hartman was born in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, and his family moved to the United States when he was ten years old. After graduating from California State University, Northridge with a degree in graphic arts, he designed album covers for bands including Poco and America. In 1975, Hartman joined the comedy group the Groundlings, where he helped Paul Reubens develop his character Pee-wee Herman. Hartman co-wrote the film Pee-wee's Big Adventure and made recurring appearances as Captain Carl on Reubens' show Pee-wee's Playhouse. In 1986, Hartman joined the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL) as a cast member, and stayed for eight seasons until 1994. Nicknamed "Glue" for his ability to hold the show together and help other cast members, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for his SNL work in 1989. He also starred as Bill McNeal in the sitcom NewsRadio, voiced Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure on The Simpsons, and appeared in supporting roles in the films Houseguest, Sgt. Bilko, Jingle All the Way, and Small Soldiers. (Full article...) Horace Jeremiah "Jerry" Voorhis (April 6, 1901 – September 11, 1984) was a Democratic politician and educator from California who served five terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1937 to 1947, representing the 12th congressional district in Los Angeles County. He was the first political opponent of Richard M. Nixon, who defeated Voorhis for re-election in 1946 in a campaign cited as an example of Nixon's use of red-baiting during his political rise. Voorhis was born in Kansas, but the family relocated frequently in his childhood. He earned a bachelor's degree from Yale University (where he was elected to the academic honor society Phi Beta Kappa) and a master's degree in education from Claremont Graduate School. In 1928, he founded the Voorhis School for Boys and became its headmaster. He retained the post into his congressional career. (Full article...) Norton, c. 1871–72 Joshua Abraham Norton (February 4, 1818 – January 8, 1880) was a resident of San Francisco, California, who in 1859 proclaimed himself "Norton I., Emperor of the United States", commonly known as Emperor Norton. In 1863, after Napoleon III invaded Mexico, he took the secondary title of "Protector of Mexico". For the first few years after arriving in San Francisco in 1849, Norton made a successful living as a commodities trader and real estate speculator. However, he was financially ruined following a failed bid to corner the rice market during a shortage prompted by a famine in China. He bought a shipload of Peruvian rice at 12 cents per pound (26 ¢/kg), but more Peruvian ships arrived in port, causing the price to drop sharply to three cents per pound (6.6 ¢/kg). He then lost a protracted lawsuit in which he tried to void his rice contract, and his local prominence faded. (Full article...) Dr. Dre in 2013 Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American record producer and rapper. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founded and was the president of Death Row Records. Dre began his career as a member of the World Class Wreckin' Cru in 1985, and later found fame with the gangsta rap group N.W.A. The group popularized explicit lyrics in hip hop to detail the violence of street life. During the early 1990s, Dre was credited as a key figure in the crafting and popularization of West Coast G-funk, a subgenre of hip hop characterized by a synthesizer foundation and slow, heavy production. Released as Death Row's first major project, Dr. Dre's solo debut studio album, The Chronic (1992) made him one of the best-selling American music artists of 1993. It earned him a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance with the single "Let Me Ride", as well as several accolades for the single "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" (featuring Snoop Dogg). That year, he produced Death Row labelmate Snoop Doggy Dogg's debut album Doggystyle, and mentored producers such as his stepbrother Warren G (leading to the multi-platinum debut Regulate... G Funk Era in 1994) and Snoop Dogg's cousin Daz Dillinger (leading to the double-platinum debut Dogg Food by Tha Dogg Pound in 1995), as he would mentor other producers including Mel-Man and Scott Storch. In 1996, Dre left Death Row Records to establish his own label, Aftermath Entertainment; his compilation album, Dr. Dre Presents: The Aftermath (1996) and second studio album, 2001 (1999) followed thereafter. (Full article...) Martin with the Yankees in 1954 Alfred Manuel Martin Jr. (May 16, 1928 – December 25, 1989), commonly called "Billy", was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager who, in addition to leading other teams, was five times the manager of the New York Yankees. First known as a scrappy infielder who made considerable contributions to the championship Yankee teams of the 1950s, he then built a reputation as a manager who would initially make bad teams good, before ultimately being fired amid dysfunction. In each of his stints with the Yankees he managed them to winning records before being fired by team owner George Steinbrenner or resigning under fire, usually amid a well-publicized scandal such as Martin's involvement in an alcohol-fueled fight. Martin was born in a working-class section of Berkeley, California. His skill as a baseball player gave him a route out of his home town. Signed by the Pacific Coast League Oakland Oaks, Martin learned much from Casey Stengel, the man who would manage him both in Oakland and in New York, and enjoyed a close relationship with Stengel. Martin's spectacular catch of a wind-blown Jackie Robinson popup late in Game Seven of the 1952 World Series saved that series for the Yankees, and he was the hitting star of the 1953 World Series, earning the Most Valuable Player award in the Yankee victory. He missed most of two seasons, 1954 and 1955, after being drafted into the Army, and his abilities never fully returned; the Yankees traded him after a brawl at the Copacabana club in New York during the 1957 season. Martin bitterly resented being traded, and did not speak to Stengel for years, a time during which Martin completed his playing career with various teams. (Full article...) Major Burnham in his British Army uniform in 1901 Frederick Russell Burnham DSO (May 11, 1861 – September 1, 1947) was an American scout and world-traveling adventurer. He is known for his service to the British South Africa Company and to the British Army in colonial Africa, and for teaching woodcraft to Robert Baden-Powell in Rhodesia. Burnham helped inspire the founding of the international Scouting Movement. Burnham was born on a Dakota Sioux Indian reservation in Minnesota, in the small village of Tivoli near the city of Mankato; there he learned the ways of American Indians as a boy. By the age of 14, he was supporting himself in California, while also learning scouting from some of the last of the cowboys and frontiersmen of the American Southwest. Burnham had little formal education, never finishing high school. After moving to the Arizona Territory in the early 1880s, he was drawn into the Pleasant Valley War, a feud between families of ranchers and sheepherders. He escaped and later worked as a civilian tracker for the United States Army in the Apache Wars. Feeling the need for new adventures, Burnham took his family to southern Africa in 1893, seeing Cecil Rhodes's Cape to Cairo Railway project as the next undeveloped frontier. (Full article...) Milk in June 1978 Harvey Bernard Milk (May 22, 1930 – November 27, 1978) was an American politician and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Milk was born and raised in New York, where he acknowledged his homosexuality as an adolescent, but chose to pursue sexual relationships with secrecy and discretion well into his adult years. His experience in the counterculture of the 1960s caused him to shed many of his conservative views about individual freedom and the expression of sexuality. Milk moved to San Francisco in 1972 and opened a camera store. Although he had been restless, holding an assortment of jobs and changing addresses frequently, he settled in the Castro, a neighborhood that at the time was experiencing a mass immigration of gay men and lesbians. He was compelled to run for city supervisor in 1973, though he encountered resistance from the existing gay political establishment. His campaign was compared to theater; he was brash, outspoken, animated, and outrageous, earning media attention and votes, although not enough to be elected. He campaigned again in the next two supervisor elections, dubbing himself the "Mayor of Castro Street". Voters responded enough to warrant his running for the California State Assembly as well. Taking advantage of his growing popularity, he led the gay political movement in fierce battles against anti-gay initiatives. Milk was elected city supervisor in 1977 after San Francisco reorganized its election procedures to choose representatives from neighborhoods rather than through city-wide ballots. (Full article...) Did you know - ... that before Foster City was built on Brewer Island, unsuccessful proposals included a hog farm, two military air bases, two civilian airports, and an entertainment complex larger than Disneyland? ... that at the time, the Fountain Fire was the third-most destructive wildfire in California's recorded history? ... that government-funded non-profits are not subject to a special motion to strike, and so are exempt from California's anti-SLAPP law? ... that Béla Petsco's Nothing Very Important and Other Stories was based on his own experience as a missionary in Southern California for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? ... that the Phoenixonian Institute was the first African-American high school in California? ... that California radio station KNCR was fined by the Federal Communications Commission for moving its transmitter site without permission after being evicted? ... that an FCC hearing examiner scolded the owner of California radio station KCTY for having a "cavalier attitude" and at times being too lazy to put the station on the air? ... that Richmond station includes a "rather disquieting" artwork by William Mitchell? Selected picture - Oceanside Pier Oceanside, California Credit: Wikibofh Oceanside is the third largest city in San Diego County, California. The city has a population of 173,303. Together with Vista and Carlsbad, it makes up the Tri-City area. The city is just south of U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, the busiest military base in the United States. Selected panorama - The inside of the Senate Chambers at the Benicia Capitol State Historic Park Benicia Capitol State Historic Park is a state park in Benicia, California. The park is dedicated to California’s third capitol building, where the California State Legislature and bureaucracy convened from February 3, 1853 to February 24, 1854. It is the only pre-Sacramento capitol that survives. 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Warner History of the Yosemite area John Young (astronaut) Farran Zerbe Zodiac (film) Featured lists 1984 Summer Olympics medal table 1st Academy Awards 51st Academy Awards 52nd Academy Awards 53rd Academy Awards 54th Academy Awards 56th Academy Awards 58th Academy Awards 59th Academy Awards 60th Academy Awards 61st Academy Awards 62nd Academy Awards 63rd Academy Awards 64th Academy Awards 65th Academy Awards 66th Academy Awards 67th Academy Awards 68th Academy Awards 69th Academy Awards 70th Academy Awards 71st Academy Awards 72nd Academy Awards 73rd Academy Awards 74th Academy Awards 75th Academy Awards 76th Academy Awards 77th Academy Awards 78th Academy Awards 79th Academy Awards 80th Academy Awards 81st Academy Awards 82nd Academy Awards 83rd Academy Awards 84th Academy Awards 85th Academy Awards 86th Academy Awards 87th Academy Awards 88th Academy Awards 89th Academy Awards 90th Academy Awards 91st Academy Awards 92nd Academy Awards 93rd Academy Awards 94th Academy Awards 95th Academy Awards List of California hurricanes List of governors of California List of California tornadoes Leo Carrillo on stage and screen List of Crystal Dynamics video games List of international goals scored by Landon Donovan List of mergers and acquisitions by Gen Digital List of Golden State Warriors head coaches List of acquisitions by Juniper Networks List of municipalities in California List of tallest buildings in San Diego List of 1960 Winter Olympics medal winners List of Arrested Development episodes List of Bay Area Rapid Transit stations List of Caltrain stations List of Chevron Championship winners List of Las Vegas Raiders head coaches List of Los Angeles Chargers head coaches List of Los Angeles Clippers seasons List of Los Angeles Metro Rail stations List of Muni Metro stations List of Oakland Athletics team records List of Sacramento Regional Transit light rail stations List of San Diego Padres team records List of San Francisco 49ers head coaches List of San Francisco Giants Opening Day starting pitchers List of San Francisco Giants first-round draft picks List of San Francisco Giants managers List of San Francisco Municipal Railway lines List of San Jose Sharks players List of VTA light rail stations List of acquisitions by Adobe List of acquisitions by Cisco List of acquisitions by Electronic Arts List of acquisitions by eBay List of cities and towns in the San Francisco Bay Area List of mergers and acquisitions by Apple List of mergers and acquisitions by Yahoo! List of tallest buildings in Los Angeles List of tallest buildings in Oakland, California List of tallest buildings in San Francisco Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame List of Los Angeles Angels first-round draft picks List of Los Angeles Dodgers first-round draft picks List of Los Angeles Lakers seasons Mayor of San Diego Mayor of San Francisco List of mergers and acquisitions by Alphabet List of milestone home runs by Barry Bonds List of Oakland Athletics first-round draft picks List of Pomona College people 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards List of San Diego Padres first-round draft picks A-Class articles 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment Jozo Tomasevich Featured portals Portal:California Portal:California roads Featured pictures File:1967 Mantra-Rock Dance Avalon poster.jpg File:2010 mavericks competition.jpg File:20070616 Chris Young visits Wrigley (4)-edit3.jpg File:Acorn woodpecker holding a nut in its beak-0225.jpg File:Agassiz statue Mwc00715.jpg File:Albert Bierstadt - Among the Sierra Nevada, California - Google Art Project.jpg File:Albino Alligator 2008.jpg File:Alcatraz03182006.jpg File:Alice Park - Records of the National Woman's Party.jpg File:Amboy (California, USA), Hist. Route 66 -- 2012 -- 1.jpg File:Ansel Adams and camera.jpg File:Beulah Ream Allen receiving the Medal of Freedom (1945).jpg File:Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus), Corte Madera.jpg File:Boats on Lake Oroville during the 2021 drought.jpg File:Bodie ghost town.jpg File:Border USA Mexico.jpg File:Brown pelican in flight (Bodega Bay).jpg File:Burned mobile home neighborhood in California edit.jpg File:Buteo jamaicensis in flight at Llano Seco-1520.jpg File:CA-84 Woodside April 2023 002.jpg File:CA Ground Squirrel on rock.jpg File:CID Array.jpg File:Cable Car No. 1 and Alcatraz Island.jpg File:California island Vinckeboons5.jpg File:California sea lion in La Jolla (70568).jpg File:California state coat of arms (illustrated, 1876).jpg File:CampanileMtTamalpiasSunset-original.jpg File:Cervus canadensis nannodes at Tomales Point.jpg File:Chemerinsky during Hyatt III sketch.jpg File:Christ's Entry into Brussels in 1889.jpg File:Crystal Mountains CA02.jpg File:Cynthia Woodhead 1980 - Restoration.jpg File:Deathvalleysky nps big.jpg File:Devastation in San Bruno.jpg File:Donner Lake as seen from Donner Pass.jpg File:Double-crested cormorant at Sutro Baths-6460.jpg File:Dungeness crab face closeup.jpg File:EdwardTeller1958 fewer smudges.jpg File:Egretta thula at Las Gallinas Wildlife Ponds.jpg File:Elephant seals fighting.jpg File:Eureka Inn, Entrance Hall.jpg File:European starling at Bodega Head-1209.jpg File:Fort Baker and Angel Island.jpg File:Fort Mason Center and Downtown San Francisco.jpg File:GGB reflection in raindrops.jpg File:GREIDER Carol 2014 - Less vignetting.jpg File:Gateway Generating Station rectified.jpg File:Giant Marbles in Joshua Tree National Park.jpg File:GoldenGateBridge BakerBeach MC.jpg File:Grauman's Chinese Theatre, by Carol Highsmith fixed & straightened.jpg File:Greater Yellowlegs2.jpg File:Greater white-fronted goose in flight-1045.jpg File:Gull ca usa.jpg File:Hawk eating prey.jpg File:Heinrich Berann NPS Panorama of Yosemite without labels.jpg File:Hotel Del c1900b.jpg File:Igor Stravinsky LOC 32392u.jpg File:Jane Russell in The Outlaw.jpg File:JetBlue292Landing.jpg File:Jfader dryden.jpg File:JohnShea.jpg File:Joshua tree keys view pano more vertical.jpg File:Juvenile pelecanus occidentalis in flight.jpg File:Kobe Bryant 7144 adjusted.jpg File:LAPD Bell 206 Jetranger.jpg File:LagunaBeachCA photo D Ramey Logan.JPG File:Lange-MigrantMother02.jpg File:Langechildren2.jpg File:Lansdowne Herakles Getty Museum.jpg File:Line scan photo of nine car BART C1 train in 2017.jpg File:Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.jpg File:Los Angeles Pollution.jpg File:Los angeles from getty panorama.jpg File:LutraCanadensis fullres.jpg File:Male northern pintail at Llano Seco.jpg File:Male wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) strutting.jpg File:Map of Cathedral Peak Granodiorite.svg File:Marilyn Monroe photo pose Seven Year Itch.jpg File:Mary Pickford cph.3c17995u.jpg File:McClure Tunnel west.jpg File:Mission Santa Clara.jpg File:Mono lake tufa.JPG File:Mudpot at Lassen Volcanic National Park in August 2019.webm File:NPG 2010 112 Lucia Chamberlain by Zaida Ben-Yusuf.jpg File:Official Portrait of President Reagan 1981.jpg File:Oppenheimer (cropped).jpg File:Palace of Fine Arts (16794p).jpg File:Parlos Verdes Light House Aug 2012.JPG File:Pelecanus erythrorhynchos at Las Gallinas Wildlife Ponds.jpg File:Photograph of Members of the Mochida Family Awaiting Evacuation - NARA - 537505 - Restoration.jpg File:Pigeon Point Lighthouse (2016).jpg File:Pioneertown california saloon and bath house.jpg File:Point Arena Lighthouse, Mendocino County.jpg File:Point Reyes Lighthouse (April 2012).jpg File:Post-and-Grant-Avenue-Look.jpg File:Pyrosoma atlanticum (12256).jpg File:Randy's donuts1 edit1.jpg File:RiP2013 GreenDay Mike Dirnt 0002.JPG File:Ronald Reagan with cowboy hat 12-0071M edit.jpg File:Rosalind Goodrich Bates (1931).jpg File:Russian chapel at Fort Ross (2016).jpg File:Sacramento,-California---State-Capitol.jpg File:Sally Ride (1984).jpg File:San Francisco City Hall as seen from 100 Van Ness at dusk (wide).jpg File:San Francisco International Airport at night.jpg File:San Francisco in ruin edit2.jpg File:San gorgonio pass wind farm california pano.jpg File:SanFrancisco1851a.jpg File:SanFranciscoharbor1851c sharp.jpg File:Sea otter nursing02.jpg File:Seaborg in lab - restoration.jpg File:Sfearthquake3b.jpg File:Sharon Tate Valley of the Dolls 1967 - Restoration.jpg File:Shasta dam under construction new edit.jpg File:Sonoma chipmunk at Samuel P. Taylor State Park.jpg File:Spanish shawl.JPG File:Steve Jobs and Macintosh computer, January 1984, by Bernard Gotfryd - edited.jpg File:Strip photo of San Francisco Cable Car 10.jpg File:Surfer in california 2.JPG File:Tower Bridge Sacramento edit.jpg File:Tracy Caldwell Dyson in Cupola ISS.jpg File:US-NBN-CA-Oakland-2248-1870-10-388-B.jpg File:US-NBN-CA-Petaluma-2193-1870-100-209-A.jpg File:US-NBN-CA-San Francisco-1741-1870-5-6758-B.jpg File:US-NBN-CA-San Francisco-1741-1870-20-2772-C.jpg File:US-NBN-CA-San Francisco-1741-1870-50-1616-A.jpg File:USA Lassen NP Kings Creek CA edit3.jpg File:Vernal Falls Rainbow.jpg File:Victor Adam after Louis Choris - Vue du Presidio san Francisco, 1822.jpg File:Vineyards of Napa Valley panorama.jpg File:Walt Disney Concert Hall, LA, CA, jjron 22.03.2012.jpg File:Waxman during Hyatt III sketch.jpg File:World War II woman aircraft worker, Vega Aircraft Corporation, Burbank, California 1942.jpg State facts Nicknames: The Golden State Capital: Sacramento Total area: 163,696 mi2 Land: 156,002 mi2 Water: 7,694 mi2 Highest elevation: 14,505 ft (Mount Whitney) Population 39,250,017 (2016 est) Admission to the Union: September 9, 1850 (31st) State symbols: Insect: California Dogface Butterfly Bird: California Valley Quail Fossil: Saber-toothed cat Dance: West Coast Swing Colors: Blue & Gold Animal: California Grizzly Bear Flower: California Poppy Gem: Benitoite Rock: Serpentine Fish: California Golden Trout Songs: I Love You, California Tree: California Redwood Mineral: Gold Related WikiProjects Related WikiProjects Main Project California Sub-projects Southern California • Los Angeles • San Francisco Bay Area • Santa Barbara County • California State Highways • California County Routes • University of California • California State University Subportals Related portals Things you can do Things you can do Create Requested California Articles Help assess articles supported by WikiProject California Help suggest content for usage in this portal by using the archive links to obtain instructions Write California-related topics if you see a redlink which is worthy of an article Cleanup and expand stub-class articles relating to California Associated Wikimedia The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject: Commons Free media repository Wikibooks Free textbooks and manuals Wikidata Free knowledge base Wikinews Free-content news Wikiquote Collection of quotations Wikisource Free-content library Wikiversity Free learning tools Wikivoyage Free travel guide Wiktionary Dictionary and thesaurus More portals Discover Wikipedia using portals List of all portals The arts portal Biography portal Current events portal Geography portal History portal Mathematics portal Science portal Society portal Technology portal Random portal WikiProject Portals Shortcuts to this page: P:CALIFORNIA • P:CAL