Welcome to the Portal:California. Such a lovely place.
California
State of California
Map of the United States with California highlighted
California 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 Mexican state of Baja California 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 . California's capital , Sacramento , is located in the Central Valley .
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... )
Alcatraz Island () is a small island 1.25 miles (2.01 km) offshore from San Francisco, California , United States. The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a lighthouse , a military fortification, and a military prison. In 1934, the island was converted into a federal prison, Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary . The strong currents around the island and cold water temperatures made escape nearly impossible, and the prison became one of the most notorious in American history. The prison closed in 1963, and the island is now a major tourist attraction.
Beginning in November 1969, the island was occupied for more than 19 months by a group of Native Americans , initially primarily from San Francisco , who were later joined by AIM and other urban Indians from other parts of the country, who were part of a wave of Native American activists organizing public protests across the US through the 1970s. In 1972, Alcatraz was transferred to the Department of Interior to become part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area . It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1986. (Full article... )
The following are images from various California-related articles on Wikipedia.
Image 1 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 )
Image 2 A Southern Pacific Train at
Arcade Depot , Los Angeles, 1891 (from
History of California )
Image 3 The Spanish founded
Mission San Juan Capistrano in 1776, the third to be established of the
Californian missions . (from
History of California )
Image 6 Depiction of the revolt of the
Mission Indians against padre
Luis Jayme at
Mission San Diego de Alcalá in 1775. (from
History of California )
Image 9 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 )
Image 10 Mission San Gabriel Arcángel , founded in 1771 by padres Pedro Benito Cambón and Ángel de la Somera. (from
History of California )
Image 11 The
University of California, Berkeley is the flagship school of the University of California system. (from
Culture of California )
Image 12 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 )
Image 13 "Independent Gold Hunter on His Way to California", c. 1850 (from
History of California )
Image 15 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 )
Image 16 Map of the
Butterfield Overland Mail routes through California, c. 1858. (from
History of California )
Image 17 California's first State Capitol building in
San Jose , which served as the capital of California 1850–51. (from
History of California )
Image 18 Mission San Francisco Solano , founded in 1823 by order of Governor
Luis Antonio Argüello , was the last Californian mission established. (from
History of California )
Image 20 General
Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo reviewing his troops in
Sonoma in 1846. (from
History of California )
Image 22 The railway station in
Sacramento in 1874. (from
History of California )
Image 23 Bilingual English-Spanish sign in the
Colorado Desert of
Southern California . (from
Culture of California )
Image 28 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 )
Image 29 Advertisement for sailing to California, c. 1850. (from
History of California )
Image 31 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 )
Image 32 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 )
Image 37 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 )
Image 38 The American capture of
San Diego by the
USS Cyane in 1846 (from
History of California )
Image 40 Forces raising the U.S. flag over the
Monterey Customhouse following their victory at the
Battle of Monterey (from
History of California )
Image 42 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 )
Image 43 Portrait of an "
assimilated "
Maidu man in
Sacramento , 1867. (from
History of California )
Image 50 San Francisco harbor,
c. 1850 –51. (from
History of California )
Image 51 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 )
Image 53 In-N-Out burgers (from
Culture of California )
Image 54 The 1835
Manifiesto a la República Mejicana , by
José Figueroa , was the first book published in California (from
Culture of California )
Image 55 Depiction of the
Donner Party heading west on the
California Trail . (from
History of California )
Image 56 Francis Drake 's 1579 landing in "
New Albion " (modern-day
Point Reyes ); engraving by
Theodor De Bry , 1590. (from
History of California )
Image 58 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 )
Image 59 Mission Santa Barbara , founded in 1786, was the first mission to be established by
Fermín de Lasuén . (from
History of California )
California is a garden of Eden, a paradise to live in or see, But believe it or not, you won't find it so hot If you ain't got the do re mi
Image 2 John Muir (
MURE ; April 21, 1838 – December 24, 1914), also known as "John of the Mountains" and "Father of the
National Parks ", was a Scottish-born American
naturalist , author,
environmental philosopher ,
botanist ,
zoologist ,
glaciologist , and early advocate for the preservation of
wilderness in the United States.
His books, letters and essays describing his adventures in nature, especially in the
Sierra Nevada , have been read by millions. His activism helped to preserve the
Yosemite Valley and
Sequoia National Park , and his example has served as an inspiration for the preservation of many other
wilderness areas. The
Sierra Club , which he co-founded, is a prominent American
conservation organization . In his later life, Muir devoted most of his time to his wife and the preservation of the Western forests. As part of the campaign to make Yosemite a national park, Muir published two landmark articles on wilderness preservation in
The Century Magazine , "The Treasures of the Yosemite" and "Features of the Proposed Yosemite National Park"; this helped support the push for
US Congress to pass a bill in 1890 establishing
Yosemite National Park . The spiritual quality and enthusiasm toward nature expressed in his writings has inspired readers, including presidents and congressmen, to take action to help preserve large nature areas. (
Full article... )
Image 3 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... )
Image 4 Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "
King of Pop ", he is regarded as
one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a 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. 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... )
Image 5 Randy Shilts (August 8, 1951 – February 17, 1994) was an American journalist and author. After studying journalism at the
University of Oregon , Shilts began working as a
reporter for both
The Advocate and the
San Francisco Chronicle , as well as for
San Francisco Bay Area television stations. In the 1980s, he was noted for being the first openly gay reporter for the
San Francisco Chronicle .
His first book,
The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk , was a biography of LGBT activist
Harvey Milk . His second book,
And the Band Played On , chronicled the history of the
AIDS epidemic . Despite some controversy surrounding the book in the LGBT community, Shilts was praised for his meticulous documentation of an epidemic that was little-understood at the time. It was later made into an
HBO film of the same name in 1993. His final book,
Conduct Unbecoming: Gays and Lesbians in the US Military from Vietnam to the Persian Gulf , examined discrimination against
lesbians and gays in the military . (
Full article... )
Image 6 J. Robert Oppenheimer (born
Julius Robert Oppenheimer ;
OP -ən-hy-mər; April 22, 1904 – February 18, 1967) was an American
theoretical physicist who served as the director of the
Manhattan Project 's
Los Alamos Laboratory during
World War II . He is often called the "father of the
atomic bomb " for his role in overseeing the development of the first nuclear weapons.
Born in New York City, Oppenheimer obtained a degree in chemistry from
Harvard University in 1925 and a
doctorate in physics from the
University of Göttingen in Germany in 1927, studying under
Max Born . After research at other institutions, he joined the physics faculty at the
University of California, Berkeley , where he was made a full professor in 1936. Oppenheimer made significant contributions to physics in the fields of
quantum mechanics and
nuclear physics , including the
Born–Oppenheimer approximation for molecular
wave functions ; work on the theory of
positrons ,
quantum electrodynamics , and
quantum field theory ; and the
Oppenheimer–Phillips process in
nuclear fusion . With his students, he also made major contributions to
astrophysics , including the theory of
cosmic ray showers, and the theory of
neutron stars and
black holes . (
Full article... )
Image 8 Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (; born October 20, 1971), known professionally as
Snoop Dogg (previously
Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly
Snoop Lion ), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. His initial fame dates back to 1992 following his guest appearance on
Dr. Dre 's debut solo single, "
Deep Cover ", and later on Dre's debut album,
The Chronic that same year. Broadus has since sold over 23 million albums in the United States, and 35 million albums worldwide.
His accolades include an
American Music Award , a
Primetime Emmy Award , and 17
Grammy Award nominations.
Produced entirely by Dr. Dre, Broadus' debut studio album,
Doggystyle (1993) was released by
Death Row Records and debuted atop the
Billboard 200. Selling 800,000 copies in its first week, the album received
quadruple platinum certification by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) the following year and spawned the
Billboard Hot 100-top ten singles "
What's My Name? " and "
Gin and Juice ". He was the lead performer on Death Row's
soundtrack album for the 1994 short film
Murder Was the Case , wherein Broadus made his acting debut. His second album,
Tha Doggfather (1996) likewise debuted atop the chart and received double platinum certification. In 1998, he parted ways with Death Row in favor of
Master P 's
No Limit Records , through which he saw largely continued success with his albums
Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told (1998),
No Limit Top Dogg (1999), and
Tha Last Meal (2000). He then signed with
Priority ,
Capitol , and
EMI Records to release his sixth album
Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss (2002), which was further commercially-oriented. This effectively continued upon him signing with
Geffen Records to release his next three albums:
R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece (2004),
Tha Blue Carpet Treatment (2006), and
Ego Trippin' (2008); the former spawned the single "
Drop It Like It's Hot " (featuring
Pharrell ), which became his first to peak atop the
Billboard Hot 100. He then returned to Priority and Capitol—upon his hiring as chairman of the former label—to release his tenth and eleventh albums,
Malice 'n Wonderland (2009) and
Doggumentary (2011), both of which saw mild critical and commercial response. (
Full article... )
Image 9 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... )
Image 10 Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as
Katy Perry , is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. She is one of the
best-selling music artists of all time , having sold over 143 million units worldwide. Perry is known for her influence on modern
pop music and her
camp style, being dubbed the "
Queen of Camp " by
Vogue and
Rolling Stone . At 16, Perry released a
gospel record titled
Katy Hudson (2001) under
Red Hill Records , which was commercially unsuccessful. She moved to Los Angeles at 17 to venture into
secular music, and later adopted the stage name "Katy Perry" from her mother's maiden name. She recorded an album while signed to
Columbia Records , but was dropped before signing to
Capitol Records .
Perry rose to fame with
One of the Boys (2008), a
pop rock record containing her debut single "
I Kissed a Girl " and follow-up single "
Hot n Cold ", which reached number one and three on the U.S.
Billboard Hot 100 respectively. The
disco -influenced pop album
Teenage Dream (2010) spawned five U.S. number one singles—"
California Gurls ", "
Teenage Dream ", "
Firework ", "
E.T. ", and "
Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) "— the only album by a female singer to do so. A reissue of the album titled
Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection (2012) subsequently produced the U.S. number one single "
Part of Me ". Her empowerment-themed album
Prism (2013) had two U.S. number one singles, "
Roar " and "
Dark Horse ". Both their respective music videos made Perry the first artist to have multiple videos reach one billion views on
Vevo and
YouTube . The
electropop album
Witness (2017) featured themes of feminism and a political subtext, while
Smile (2020) was influenced by motherhood and her mental health journey. Afterwards, she embarked on her Las Vegas
concert residency titled
Play (2021–2023), receiving critical acclaim and commercial success. (
Full article... )
Image 11 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... )
Image 13 Orenthal James Simpson (July 9, 1947 – April 10, 2024) was an American
football player, actor, and media personality who played in the
National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the
Buffalo Bills . Simpson is regarded as one of the greatest
running backs of all time, but his professional success was overshadowed by
his trial and controversial acquittal for the murders of his former wife
Nicole Brown and her friend
Ron Goldman in 1994.
Simpson played
college football for the
USC Trojans , where he won the
Heisman Trophy as a senior, and was selected
first overall by the Bills in the
1969 NFL/AFL draft . During his nine seasons with the Bills, he received five consecutive
Pro Bowl and first-team
All-Pro selections from 1972 to 1976. He also led the league in
rushing yards four times, in rushing
touchdowns twice, and in points scored in 1975. Simpson became the first NFL player to rush for more than
2,000 yards in a season, earning him
NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP), and is the only NFL player to do so in a 14-game
regular season . He holds the record for the single-season yards-per-game average at 143.1. After retiring with the
San Francisco 49ers in 1979, he acted in film and television, became a
sportscaster , and was a spokesman for a wide variety of products and companies, notably
Hertz . He was inducted to the
College Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and the
Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. (
Full article... )
Image 14 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... )
Image 15 John Griffith Chaney (January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as
Jack London , was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors to become an international celebrity and earn a large fortune from writing. He was also an innovator in the genre that would later become known as science fiction.
London was part of the radical literary group "The Crowd" in San Francisco and a passionate advocate of
animal rights ,
workers' rights and
socialism . London wrote several works dealing with these topics, such as his
dystopian novel The Iron Heel , his non-fiction
exposé The People of the Abyss ,
War of the Classes , and
Before Adam . (
Full article... )
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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:
Things you can do