1. In 1846, the Bear Flag Revolt began in Sonoma, California, marking the start of the Mexican-American War. American settlers rebelled against Mexican authorities to declare California an independent republic.
2. In 1935, the first major league baseball game was played on the west coast at newly built Lane Field in San Diego. The San Diego Padres faced off against the Los Angeles Angels.
3. In 1941, the Golden Gate Bridge was officially opened to the public. The iconic suspension bridge spans the Golden Gate strait, connecting the city of San Francisco to Marin County.
4. In 1962, astronaut Scott Carpenter became the second American to orbit Earth as part of the Mercury-Atlas 7 mission. The spacecraft was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, but Carpenter grew up in Boulder Creek, California.
5. In 2014, a wildfire broke out in San Diego County, burning over 2,000 acres and destroying multiple homes. The Bernardo Fire was one of several destructive wildfires to occur in California that year.