San Diego History
Brief History of San Diego Summarized
We launch in this article the brief history of San Diego, in an entertaining and summarized way.
The San Diego Foundation
The first European to visit the region was a Spaniard named Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo. In 1542 Cabrillo led an expedition that sailed along the California coast. So on June 27, 1542, Cabrillo set sail from Christmas in Mexico.
On September 28, 1542, Cabrillo anchored in San Diego Bay. However, San Diego’s history began in 1769 when the Spanish built a chain of missions throughout California. Then, in 1821, Mexico became independent from Spain. However, in 1846 the United States annexed California.
San Diego in the late 19th century
In 1850, although San Diego only had a population of several hundred, it was incorporated. San Diego developed slowly. Colorado House was built in 1851. The old Point Loma Lighthouse was built in 1855. Whaley House was built in 1856. It was the first two-story brick house in California.
San Diego grew rapidly in the 1860s. In 1860 San Diego was still a small place with a population of only 731. By 1870 it had grown to a city of 2,300 inhabitants. Meanwhile, Balboa Park opened in 1868.
The Old San Diego City Hall was built in 1874. Then in the 1880s, San Diego became a boom. Meanwhile, in the late 19th century, several famous buildings were built in San Diego. The Llewelyn building was built in 1887. Also in 1887 Villa Montezuma was built. The Yuma Building was built in 1888. Louis Bank of Commerce was also built in 1888.
San Diego in the 20th century
In the early 20th century, San Diego became a major US naval base. However, on July 21, 1905, a boiler explosion aboard the USS Bennington while in San Diego killed 66 men and injured many others. However, due to the navy, San Diego suffered less in the depression of the 1930s than most of the United States.
Meanwhile, in 1915, San Diego held the Panama – California Exposition. In 1936 the California-Pacific International Exposition was held there.
In the early 20th century, the population of San Diego skyrocketed. In 1900 the population of San Diego was less than 18,000. By 1940 it had increased to 203,000.
In the second half of the 20th century, San Diego continued to flourish. Its population numbered 696,000 in 1970. Meanwhile, the Maritime Museum was founded in 1948 and a new Public Library was built in San Diego in 1954. Sea World opened in 1964. The Timken Museum of Art opened in 1965. The San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge opened in 1969.
San Diego continued to prosper in the late 20th century. Plaza Bonita opened in 1983. Horton Plaza opened in 1984. The San Diego Convention Center was built in 1989.
San Diego today
In the 21st century, San Diego continued to prosper. Its main industries are defense and tourism. In 2017 the population of San Diego was 1.4 million. San Diego is the second largest city in California.
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