- 58dated events
- 7eras
- Thousands of yearsof Ohlone presence before the 1776 founding
- 24source pages cited
- Ohlone homeland
- Spanish and Mexican era
- Gold Rush and the Gilded Age
- Earthquake, fire and rebuilding
- Bridges, Alcatraz and World War II
- Postwar protest and preservation
- The 21st century
Ohlone Homeland
| When | What happened | Where | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| For thousands of years (no date given) | The Yelamu, a local tribe of the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples, lived on the lands at the Golden Gate. | Golden Gate / Presidio area | Presidio Trust: A Brief History of the Presidio |
Spanish and Mexican Era
| When | What happened | Where | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1775-1776 | Captain Juan Bautista de Anza leads more than 240 colonists from present-day Mexico to establish a mission and presidio in the San Francisco area. | Anza expedition route to San Francisco | NPS Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail: History & Culture |
| June 27, 1776 | Anza Expedition families reach the area of present-day San Francisco. | Presidio / Golden Gate | NPS Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail: History & Culture |
| 1776 | Spain builds a military fort (presidio) overlooking San Francisco Bay. | Presidio of San Francisco | Presidio Trust: A Brief History of the Presidio |
| 1776 | Misión San Francisco de Asís (Mission Dolores) is founded under Father Junípero Serra; the Mission’s own pages give two dates, June 29 and October 9, 1776. | Mission Dolores, 3321 16th Street | Mission Dolores (official site: home page and Old Mission page) |
| 1822-1846 | Mexico operates the San Francisco Presidio as a military post. | Presidio of San Francisco | Presidio Trust: A Brief History of the Presidio |
Gold Rush and the Gilded Age
| When | What happened | Where | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1846 | The United States Army takes over the Presidio after winning the Mexican-American War. | Presidio of San Francisco | Presidio Trust: A Brief History of the Presidio |
| January 1848 | Gold is discovered in the Sierra Nevada foothills; San Francisco becomes the gateway city. | San Francisco / Sierra Nevada foothills | NPS: Gold Rush Transforms San Francisco |
| 1849 | San Francisco’s population reaches a staggering 25,000 as gold fever spreads; the city grows as tent-houses, hotels, saloons and shanties. | San Francisco | NPS: Gold Rush Transforms San Francisco |
| September 9, 1850 | California is admitted to the Union as the 31st state. | California (San Francisco) | State of California (Governor’s Office): Admission Day proclamation |
| 1850-1934 | Alcatraz Island’s military history period (Civil War-era fortress, first lighthouse on the West Coast). | Alcatraz Island | NPS Alcatraz: History & Culture |
| 1851 | Privately run horse-drawn omnibuses begin San Francisco’s public transit service. | San Francisco | SFMTA: Muni History |
| 1853-1861 | The US Army Engineers build Fort Point; finished, armed and garrisoned during the Civil War but never saw battle. | Fort Point, Presidio | NPS Fort Point: History & Culture |
| August 2, 1873 | Andrew Smith Hallidie tests the first cable car on Clay Street at 4 a.m. | Clay Street | SFMTA: Cable Car History |
| September 1, 1873 | Clay Street Hill Railroad begins public service. | Clay Street | SFMTA: Cable Car History |
| 1875 | The Page Act becomes the first restrictive federal immigration law, aimed at China, Japan and other parts of Asia. | United States (San Francisco was the main port of entry) | NPS: Anti-Asian laws and policies |
| 1882 | The Chinese Exclusion Act bars the entry of Chinese laborers, the first broad race- and class-based federal immigration restriction. | United States (San Francisco) | NPS: Anti-Asian laws and policies |
Earthquake, Fire and Rebuilding
| When | What happened | Where | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 18, 1906 (about 5:12 a.m.) | The foreshock strikes at about 5:12 a.m. local time; the main earthquake follows roughly 20 to 25 seconds later. The rupture covered the northernmost 296 miles (477 km) of the San Andreas fault. | San Francisco / San Andreas fault | USGS: 5:12 AM – April 18, 1906 |
| December 28, 1912 | Muni opens with streetcar service on the A and B lines along Geary Street; first major US city to create a city-owned and operated transit system. | Geary Street | SFMTA: Muni History |
| 1913 | The cornerstone of Mission Dolores’ present church is laid. | Mission Dolores | Mission Dolores (official site) |
| 1914 | The Stockton Street Tunnel opens (F Stockton line). | Stockton Street | SFMTA: Muni History |
| February-December 1915 | The Panama-Pacific International Exposition celebrates completion of the Panama Canal and the city’s recovery from 1906 (source gives ‘between February and December 1915’). | Marina / Palace of Fine Arts area | NPS Golden Gate NRA: The Panama-Pacific International Exhibition |
| December 25, 1918 | First Mass is offered in the present Mission Dolores church (Christmas Day 1918). | Mission Dolores | Mission Dolores (official site) |
| June 28, 1921 | Joseph B. Strauss submits preliminary sketches for a Golden Gate bridge with a $27 million cost estimate. | Golden Gate | Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District: Key Dates |
| 1926 | Towers are added to the Mission Dolores basilica church. | Mission Dolores | Mission Dolores (official site) |
Bridges, Alcatraz and World War II
| When | What happened | Where | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 4, 1930 | Voters approve a $35 million bond issue for the Golden Gate Bridge (date as listed by the District). | Golden Gate | Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District: Key Dates |
| January 5, 1933 | Official start of Golden Gate Bridge construction. | Golden Gate | Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District: Key Dates |
| February 26, 1933 | Official groundbreaking ceremony for the Golden Gate Bridge at Crissy Field. | Crissy Field | Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District: Key Dates |
| August 1934 | Alcatraz opens as a federal penitentiary; about 1,545 men are held over 29 years. | Alcatraz Island | Alcatraz City Cruises: Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary |
| November 12, 1936 | San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge opens to traffic. | Bay Bridge | Caltrans: History 1930s |
| February 17, 1937 | A scaffolding collapse kills 10 workers during Golden Gate Bridge construction. | Golden Gate Bridge | Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District: Key Dates |
| May 27, 1937 | Golden Gate Bridge opens to pedestrians. | Golden Gate Bridge | Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District: Key Dates |
| May 28, 1937 | Golden Gate Bridge opens to vehicle traffic at noon, announced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. | Golden Gate Bridge | Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District: Key Dates |
| February 18, 1939 | The Golden Gate International Exposition opens on Treasure Island. | Treasure Island | Treasure Island Museum: The Golden Gate International Exposition |
| February 19, 1942 | President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9066; at the Presidio, Lt. Gen. John L. DeWitt later signs 108 Civilian Exclusion Orders that remove Japanese Americans from the West Coast. | Presidio of San Francisco (Western Defense Command) | NPS Golden Gate NRA: Remembering Executive Order 9066 |
| April 25, 1945 | The United Nations Conference on International Organization opens in San Francisco. | San Francisco | United Nations: The San Francisco Conference |
| June 26, 1945 | The UN Charter is signed at the Herbst Theatre in the Veterans War Memorial Building, having been adopted the day before at the San Francisco Opera House. | Herbst Theatre, Veterans Building | United Nations: The San Francisco Conference |
| October 24, 1945 | The UN Charter enters into force; the date is now observed as United Nations Day. | United Nations | United Nations: The San Francisco Conference |
Postwar Protest and Preservation
| When | What happened | Where | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | Mayor Roger Lapham urges eliminating cable car lines; Friedel Klussmann founds the Citizens’ Committee to Save the Cable Cars and voters pass Measure 10 by a landslide (source gives no ballot year). | San Francisco | SFMTA: Cable Car History |
| 1962 | The Presidio is declared a National Historic Landmark District. | Presidio of San Francisco | Presidio Trust: A Brief History of the Presidio |
| March 21, 1963 | The last 27 inmates leave Alcatraz; the penitentiary closes (March 1963). | Alcatraz Island | Alcatraz City Cruises: Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary |
| November 1969 – June 1971 | Indians of All Tribes, Inc. occupy Alcatraz Island, calling it the first intertribal protest action to focus the nation’s attention on Native peoples. | Alcatraz Island | NPS: Alcatraz Occupation |
| October 16, 1970 | Fort Point becomes a National Historic Site. | Fort Point | NPS Fort Point: History & Culture |
| 1972 | Congress creates the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. | San Francisco / Marin | Presidio Trust: A Brief History of the Presidio |
| June 25, 1978 | Harvey Milk gives the ‘Hope Speech’ at San Francisco’s Gay Freedom Day celebration. | San Francisco | National Archives Prologue: Featured Document, Harvey Milk |
| November 7, 1978 | Proposition 6 (the Briggs Initiative) is defeated by more than 1 million votes. | California / San Francisco | National Archives Prologue: Featured Document, Harvey Milk |
| 1980 | Muni Metro light rail begins with the reopening of the N Judah. | San Francisco | SFMTA: Muni History |
| October 17, 1989 (5:04:15 p.m. PDT) | The M6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake (epicenter near Loma Prieta peak, ~9 mi NE of Santa Cruz) severely shakes the San Francisco and Monterey Bay regions. | San Francisco Bay Area | USGS: 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake Selected Photographs |
| 1989 | The Department of Defense announces it will close many military bases, including the Presidio. | Presidio of San Francisco | Presidio Trust: A Brief History of the Presidio |
| 1994 | The Presidio joins the national park system as part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. | Presidio of San Francisco | Presidio Trust: A Brief History of the Presidio |
| 1998 | The Presidio Trust begins operations (Presidio Trust Act passed 1996). | Presidio of San Francisco | Presidio Trust: A Brief History of the Presidio |
The 21st Century
| When | What happened | Where | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 12, 2004 | Mayor Gavin Newsom begins issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. | San Francisco City Hall | SF.gov: San Francisco’s Legal Fight for Marriage Equality |
| August 12, 2004 | The California Supreme Court rules city officials lacked authority and invalidates the licenses issued in February and March 2004. | California | SF.gov: San Francisco’s Legal Fight for Marriage Equality |
| June 16-17, 2008 | After the May 15, 2008 California Supreme Court ruling becomes final, same-sex weddings resume in San Francisco and across the state. | San Francisco / California | SF.gov: San Francisco’s Legal Fight for Marriage Equality |
| 2009 | Harvey Milk is posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. | San Francisco | National Archives Prologue: Featured Document, Harvey Milk |
| 2015 | The E Embarcadero historic streetcar line begins operating. | Embarcadero | SFMTA: Muni History |
| June 27, 2026 | Los Californianos hold a public celebration at Pershing Square in the Presidio of the 250th anniversary of the 1775-76 Anza Expedition’s arrival in San Francisco. | Pershing Square, Presidio | Los Californianos: Anza 250 / America 250 event page |
| July 4, 2026 | Free fireworks launched from the Golden Gate Bridge for the US 250th anniversary, the city’s only official fireworks show that year. | Golden Gate Bridge | SF.gov: Mayor Lurie to light up Golden Gate Bridge for US 250th |
What We Could Not Verify
- Hyde Street Pier and the park’s historic ships: the National Park Service’s own FAQ page asks why the ships are being moved to Mare Island (Vallejo) and its basic-information page says the pier is closed, so we list the pier as closed. The ships will return to San Francisco when the pier rebuild is done; no date is published.
- Mission Dolores: its own pages give two founding dates (June 29, 1776 on the home page, October 9, 1776 on the Old Mission page). The 250th anniversary was marked in 2026; we show both dates rather than choose.
We re-check these when the source pages change. Spot something we missed? Use the corrections page.
Last checked October 23, 2026 by the Project SF editors against each operator’s, agency’s or organizer’s own page.
Sources
- Presidio Trust: A Brief History of the Presidio
- NPS Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail: History & Culture
- Mission Dolores (official site: home page and Old Mission page)
- NPS: Gold Rush Transforms San Francisco
- State of California (Governor’s Office): Admission Day proclamation
- NPS Alcatraz: History & Culture
- SFMTA: Muni History
- NPS Fort Point: History & Culture
- SFMTA: Cable Car History
- NPS: Anti-Asian laws and policies
- USGS: 5:12 AM – April 18, 1906
- NPS Golden Gate NRA: The Panama-Pacific International Exhibition
- Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District: Key Dates
- Alcatraz City Cruises: Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary
- Caltrans: History 1930s
- Treasure Island Museum: The Golden Gate International Exposition
- NPS Golden Gate NRA: Remembering Executive Order 9066
- United Nations: The San Francisco Conference
- NPS: Alcatraz Occupation
- National Archives Prologue: Featured Document, Harvey Milk
- USGS: 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake Selected Photographs
- SF.gov: San Francisco’s Legal Fight for Marriage Equality
- Los Californianos: Anza 250 / America 250 event page
- SF.gov: Mayor Lurie to light up Golden Gate Bridge for US 250th
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Read the guide →Questions People Ask About San Francisco History Timeline: 58 Dated Events With Sources
When did San Francisco's cable cars start?
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency says Andrew Smith Hallidie tested the first cable car at 4 a.m. on August 2, 1873, on Clay Street. Public service on the Clay Street Hill Railroad began on September 1, 1873.
When did Native Americans occupy Alcatraz?
The National Park Service says the full-scale occupation began on November 20, 1969 and lasted until June 11, 1971. It was the third occupation of the island, after ones in March 1964 and early November 1969.
When was Alcatraz a federal prison?
The National Park Service dates the United States Penitentiary at Alcatraz to 1934 to 1963. Before that, the island was a military site from 1850 to 1934.
When was the Loma Prieta earthquake?
The US Geological Survey records a magnitude 6.9 earthquake on October 17, 1989 at 5:04 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time that severely shook the San Francisco and Monterey Bay regions.
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- Treasures of the Pharaohs Sat, Aug 1, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027 · de Young Museum
- Ferry Plaza Farmers Market Sat, Sep 12 – Dec 31 · Ferry Building Plaza
- Heart of the City Farmers Market Sun, Sep 13 – Dec 31 · Fulton Plaza, Civic Center
- SF State Observatory Public Nights (Wed–Fri, through Dec 4) Thu, Oct 1 – Dec 4 · SF State Observatory, Thornton Hall
Places to Check Out
- Aquarium of the Bay Attractions
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Cite this page: Project SF, “San Francisco History Timeline: 58 Dated Events With Sources”, projectsf.com/guides/san-francisco-history-timeline/ (updated ).