1. In 1847, the Mexican-American War came to a close with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which officially ended hostilities and ceded California to the United States.
2. In 1916, the iconic Highway 101 was officially designated as the Pacific Highway in California, connecting the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco.
3. In 1969, the Cuyahoga River in Ohio caught fire due to excessive pollution, which led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Clean Water Act. This event heightened awareness about environmental issues in California and across the country.
4. In 2004, the California Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry, although this decision was later overturned by Proposition 8 in 2008. However, same-sex marriage became legal once again in California in 2013.
5. In 2018, a magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Southern California, causing minor damage but significant concern about the potential for future seismic activity in the region.