San Francisco is a young City but its history has already been marked by major events. This space provides an overview of these events to give visitors a basic understanding of the historical forces that have shaped this City through years of incredible growth.

10,000 B.C

About 10,000 to 20,000 years ago, the Bay area was inhabited by the native people indigenous to the area, later to be called the Ohlone (a Miwok Indian word meaning "western people"). The Ohlone, composed of forty or so culturally diverse native tribes was a mobile society of hunter-gatherers that lived in the coastal area between Point Sur and the San Francisco Bay.

1542

Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo sailed along the coast near San Francisco and discovered the Farallones (16 Nov). Later in 1575 Sebastian Rodriguez Cermeno landed in Drake's Bay, claimed the land for Spain, and named it Puerto de San Francisco. In 1579 Sir Francis Drake landed in Drake's Bay, claimed the land for England, and named it Nova Albion.

1769

Scouts, including Jose Francisco Ortega, from a Spanish expedition led by DonGaspar de Portola discovered the Golden Gate (2 Nov).

1776

A Spanish expedition led by Juan Bautista de Anza reached the Presidio
(27 Mar) while a colonization party led by Lieutenant Moraga reached the original site of Mission Dolores (27 June). The United States of America declared its Independence from Britain (July 4). The Mission of San Francisco de Asis was officially dedicated (9 Oct).