1. In 1864, the first known Chinese American woman to vote in California cast her ballot in Sacramento. Her name was Ah Toy, and she was a notorious businesswoman and activist in the Chinese community.

2. In 1922, the first-ever coast-to-coast radio broadcast was made from San Francisco. The program, called "California Calling", featured performances by musicians and speeches by politicians, and was heard by millions of people across the country.

3. In 1965, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri was completed. What does that have to do with California? Well, the stainless steel used to build the arch was manufactured by the Kaiser Steel Corporation in Fontana, California.

4. In 1986, the Los Angeles Lakers retired the jersey of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Abdul-Jabbar, who played for the Lakers from 1975 to 1989, won five championships and set numerous records during his career.

5. In 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency due to wildfires that were raging across the state. The fires, which started in October, burned thousands of acres of land, destroyed homes and businesses, and caused widespread power outages.