Pre-European contact
La Jolla complex (~8000 BCE – 1000CE)
The first inhabitants of the region were the people of the See more

Alta California became part of the United States in 1848 following the U.S. victory in the Mexican–American War and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, with the Mexico–United … See more

Since World War I, the military has played a leading role in the local economy. World War II brought prosperity and gave millions of soldiers, sailors and airmen en route to the Pacific a … See more

• Timeline of San Diego
• Bibliography of California history See more

First Mexican Empire and First Mexican Republic (1821–1835): Pueblo de San Diego
In 1821, Mexico ousted the Spanish in the Mexican War of Independence and created the Province of Alta California. The San Diego … See more

The city grew in bursts, especially in the 1880s and again from 1900 to 1930, when it reached 148,000.
The Gibraltar of the Pacific
In the 1890–1914 … See more

Californios and Chicano/Hispanic
In 1830, San Diego had 520 residents, land was owned by the government, with only seven ranchos awarded to retired soldiers. In 1835, … See more