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... )
Big Sur () is a rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast of the U.S. state of California , between Carmel Highlands and San Simeon , where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean . It is frequently praised for its dramatic scenery. Big Sur has been called the "longest and most scenic stretch of undeveloped coastline in the contiguous United States ", a sublime "national treasure that demands extraordinary procedures to protect it from development", and "one of the most beautiful coastlines anywhere in the world, an isolated stretch of road, mythic in reputation". The views, redwood forests, hiking, beaches, and other recreational opportunities have made Big Sur a popular destination for visitors from across the world. With 4.5 to 7 million visitors annually, it is among the top tourist destinations in the United States, comparable to Yosemite National Park , but with considerably fewer services, and less parking, roads, and related infrastructure.
Big Sur Village is a collection of small roadside businesses and homes. The larger region known as Big Sur does not have specific boundaries but is generally considered to include the 71-mile (114 km) segment of California State Route 1 between Malpaso Creek near Carmel Highlands in the north and San Carpóforo Creek near San Simeon in the south, as well as the entire Santa Lucia range between these creeks. The interior region is mostly uninhabited, while the coast remains relatively isolated and sparsely populated, with between 1,800 and 2,000 year-round residents and relatively few visitor accommodations scattered among four small settlements. The region remained one of the most inaccessible areas of California and the entire United States until, after 18 years of construction, the Carmel–San Simeon Highway (now signed as part of State Route 1) was completed in 1937. Along with the ocean views, this winding, narrow road, often cut into the face of towering seaside cliffs, dominates the visitor's experience of Big Sur. The highway has been closed more than 55 times by landslides , and in May 2017, a 2,000,000-cubic-foot (57,000 m3 ) slide blocked the highway at Mud Creek, north of Salmon Creek near the San Luis Obispo County line, to just south of Gorda . The road was reopened on July 18, 2018. (Full article... )
The following are images from various California-related articles on Wikipedia.
Image 1 The railway station in
Sacramento in 1874. (from
History of California )
Image 8 The
University of California, Berkeley is the flagship school of the University of California system. (from
Culture of California )
Image 11 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 12 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 13 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 15 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 17 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 19 General
Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo reviewing his troops in
Sonoma in 1846. (from
History of California )
Image 20 Francis Drake 's 1579 landing in "
New Albion " (modern-day
Point Reyes ); engraving by
Theodor De Bry , 1590. (from
History of California )
Image 21 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 22 Junípero Serra conducting the first
mass in
Monterey Bay in 1770. (from
History of California )
Image 27 San Francisco harbor,
c. 1850 –51. (from
History of California )
Image 28 The American capture of
San Diego by the
USS Cyane in 1846 (from
History of California )
Image 29 Depiction of the
Donner Party heading west on the
California Trail . (from
History of California )
Image 30 The Spanish founded
Mission San Juan Capistrano in 1776, the third to be established of the
Californian missions . (from
History of California )
Image 33 Forces raising the U.S. flag over the
Monterey Customhouse following their victory at the
Battle of Monterey (from
History of California )
Image 34 Mission San Gabriel Arcángel , founded in 1771 by padres Pedro Benito Cambón and Ángel de la Somera. (from
History of California )
Image 37 Advertisement for sailing to California, c. 1850. (from
History of California )
Image 38 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 39 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 40 California's first State Capitol building in
San Jose , which served as the capital of California 1850–51. (from
History of California )
Image 43 A Southern Pacific Train at
Arcade Depot , Los Angeles, 1891 (from
History of California )
Image 44 Portrait of an "
assimilated "
Maidu man in
Sacramento , 1867. (from
History of California )
Image 45 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 46 Mission Santa Barbara , founded in 1786, was the first mission to be established by
Fermín de Lasuén . (from
History of California )
Image 47 Map of the
Butterfield Overland Mail routes through California, c. 1858. (from
History of California )
Image 48 "Independent Gold Hunter on His Way to California", c. 1850 (from
History of California )
Image 49 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 51 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 52 In-N-Out burgers (from
Culture of California )
Image 53 The 1835
Manifiesto a la República Mejicana , by
José Figueroa , was the first book published in California (from
Culture of California )
Image 55 Bilingual English-Spanish sign in the
Colorado Desert of
Southern California . (from
Culture of California )
Image 57 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 59 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 )
I've been in California for about 15 years now. You're always in your car and insulated. I miss New York so much.
Image 2 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 3 Glenn Theodore Seaborg (
SEE -borg; April 19, 1912 – February 25, 1999) was an American chemist whose involvement in the
synthesis , discovery and investigation of ten
transuranium elements earned him a share of the 1951
Nobel Prize in Chemistry . His work in this area also led to his development of the
actinide concept and the arrangement of the
actinide series in the
periodic table of the elements .
Seaborg spent most of his career as an educator and research scientist at the
University of California, Berkeley , serving as a professor, and, between 1958 and 1961, as the university's second chancellor. He advised ten US presidents—from
Harry S. Truman to
Bill Clinton —on nuclear policy and was Chairman of the
United States Atomic Energy Commission from 1961 to 1971, where he pushed for commercial
nuclear energy and the peaceful applications of nuclear science. Throughout his career, Seaborg worked for arms control. He was a signatory to the
Franck Report and contributed to the
Limited Test Ban Treaty , the
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty . He was a well-known advocate of science education and federal funding for pure research. Toward the end of the
Eisenhower administration , he was the principal author of the Seaborg Report on academic science, and, as a member of President
Ronald Reagan 's
National Commission on Excellence in Education , he was a key contributor to its 1983 report "
A Nation at Risk ". (
Full article... )
Image 4 Murray M Chotiner (October 4, 1909 – January 30, 1974) was an American
political strategist ,
attorney ,
government official , and close associate and friend of President
Richard Nixon during much of the 37th President's political career. He served as
campaign manager for the future president's successful runs for the
United States Senate in 1950 and for the
vice presidency in 1952, and managed the campaigns of other
California Republicans . He was active in each of Nixon's two successful runs for the
White House in low-profile positions.
Chotiner was born in
Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania; his father moved the family to California and then abandoned his wife and children. Murray Chotiner attended
UCLA , and graduated from the
Southwestern School of Law . He practiced law in Los Angeles, and branched out into public relations. Involving himself in Republican politics, he played an active part in several political campaigns and made an unsuccessful run for the
California State Assembly in 1938. (
Full article... )
Image 5 John Whiteside Parsons (born
Marvel Whiteside Parsons ; October 2, 1914 – June 17, 1952) was an American
rocket engineer ,
chemist , and
Thelemite occultist . Associated with the
California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Parsons was one of the principal founders of both the
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the
Aerojet Engineering Corporation . He invented the first
rocket engine to use a
castable ,
composite rocket propellant , and pioneered the advancement of both
liquid-fuel and
solid-fuel rockets.
Born in Los Angeles, Parsons was raised by a wealthy family on
Orange Grove Boulevard in Pasadena, California. Inspired by
science fiction literature , he developed an interest in rocketry in his childhood and in 1928 began
amateur rocket experiments with school friend
Edward Forman . He dropped out of
Pasadena Junior College and
Stanford University due to financial difficulties during the
Great Depression , and in 1934 he united with Forman and graduate
Frank Malina to form the Caltech-affiliated
Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratory (GALCIT) Rocket Research Group, supported by GALCIT chairman
Theodore von Kármán . In 1939 the GALCIT Group gained funding from the
National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to work on
Jet-Assisted Take Off (JATO) for the U.S. military. After the U.S. entered World War II, they founded Aerojet in 1942 to develop and sell JATO technology; the GALCIT Group became JPL in 1943. (
Full article... )
Image 6 Thelma Catherine "
Pat "
Nixon (
née Ryan ; March 16, 1912 – June 22, 1993) was the
first lady of the United States from 1969 to 1974 as the wife of President
Richard Nixon . She also served as the
second lady of the United States from 1953 to 1961 when her husband was vice president.
Born in
Ely, Nevada , she grew up with her two brothers in what is now
Cerritos, California , graduating from Excelsior Union High School in
Norwalk, California in 1929. She attended
Fullerton Junior College and later the
University of Southern California . She paid for her schooling by working multiple jobs, including pharmacy manager, typist, radiographer, and retail clerk. In 1940, she married lawyer Richard Nixon and they had two daughters,
Tricia and
Julie . Dubbed the "Nixon team", Richard and Pat Nixon campaigned together in his successful
congressional campaigns of 1946 and 1948. Richard Nixon was elected vice president in 1952 alongside General
Dwight D. Eisenhower , whereupon Pat became Second Lady. Pat Nixon did much to add substance to the role of Second Lady, insisting on visiting schools, orphanages, hospitals, and village markets as she undertook many missions of goodwill across the world. (
Full article... )
Image 7 J. Robert Oppenheimer (born
Julius Robert Oppenheimer ;
OP -ən-hy-mər; April 22, 1904 – February 18, 1967) was an American
theoretical physicist . He was director of the
Manhattan Project 's
Los Alamos Laboratory during
World War II and is often called the "father of the
atomic bomb ".
Born in New York City, Oppenheimer earned a
bachelor of arts degree in chemistry from
Harvard University in 1925 and a
doctorate in physics from the
University of Göttingen in Germany in 1927, where he studied under
Max Born . After research at other institutions, he joined the physics department at the
University of California, Berkeley , where he became a full professor in 1936. He made significant contributions to theoretical physics, including achievements in
quantum mechanics and
nuclear physics such as the
Born–Oppenheimer approximation for molecular
wave functions , work on the theory of
electrons and
positrons , the
Oppenheimer–Phillips process in
nuclear fusion , and early work on
quantum tunneling . With his students, he also made contributions to the theory of
neutron stars and
black holes ,
quantum field theory , and the interactions of
cosmic rays . (
Full article... )
Image 8 Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers (born October 1, 1989), known professionally as
Brie Larson , is an American actress. Known for her supporting roles in comedies as a teenager, she has since expanded to leading roles in
independent films and
blockbusters . She has received
various accolades , including an
Academy Award , a
Golden Globe Award , and a
Primetime Emmy Award .
Time magazine named her one of the
100 most influential people in the world in 2019.
At age six, Larson was the youngest student admitted to a training program at the
American Conservatory Theater , and she began her acting career in 1998 with a
comedy sketch on
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno . She appeared as a regular in the 2001 sitcom
Raising Dad and briefly dabbled with a music career, releasing the album
Finally Out of P.E. in 2005. She subsequently had supporting roles in the comedy films
Hoot (2006),
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), and
21 Jump Street (2012), and appeared as a sardonic teenager in the television series
United States of Tara (2009–2011). (
Full article... )
Image 9 Ronald Wilson Reagan (
RAY -gən; February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th
president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. A member of the
Republican Party ,
his presidency constituted the
Reagan era , and he is considered one of the most prominent
conservative figures in American history.
Reagan graduated from
Eureka College in 1932 and began to work as a
sports broadcaster in
Iowa . In 1937, he moved to California, and became a well-known film actor there. From 1947 to 1952, Reagan served as the president of the
Screen Actors Guild . During the 1950s, he worked in television and spoke for
General Electric . From 1959 to 1960, he again served as the Screen Actors Guild's president. In 1964, his "
A Time for Choosing " speech gave Reagan attention as a new conservative figure. He was
elected governor of California in 1966 . During
his governorship , he raised
taxes , turned the state budget deficit into a surplus, and cracked down harshly on university protests. After challenging and losing to incumbent president
Gerald Ford in the
1976 Republican presidential primaries , Reagan
won the Republican nomination and then a
landslide victory over incumbent
Democratic president
Jimmy Carter in the
1980 presidential election . (
Full article... )
Image 10 Marilyn Monroe (; born
Norma Jeane Mortenson ; June 1, 1926 – August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "
blonde bombshell " characters, she became one of the most popular
sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as well as an emblem of the era's
sexual revolution . She was a top-billed actress for a decade, and her films grossed $200 million (equivalent to $2 billion in 2023) by the time of
her death in 1962. Long after her death, Monroe remains a
pop culture icon . In 1999, the
American Film Institute ranked her as
the sixth-greatest female screen legend from the Golden Age of Hollywood .
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Monroe spent most of her childhood in a total of 12 foster homes and an orphanage before marrying
James Dougherty at age sixteen. She was working in a factory during
World War II when she met a photographer from the
First Motion Picture Unit and began a successful
pin-up modeling career, which led to short-lived film contracts with
20th Century Fox and
Columbia Pictures . After a series of minor film roles, she signed a new contract with Fox in late 1950. Over the next two years, she became a popular actress with roles in several comedies, including
As Young as You Feel and
Monkey Business , and in the dramas
Clash by Night and
Don't Bother to Knock . Monroe faced a scandal when it was revealed that she had posed for nude photographs prior to becoming a star, but the story did not damage her career and instead resulted in increased interest in her films. (
Full article... )
Image 11 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 12 Angelina Jolie (; born
Angelina Jolie Voight ; June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian. The recipient of
numerous accolades , including an
Academy Award and three
Golden Globe Awards , she has been named Hollywood's highest-paid actress multiple times.
Jolie made her screen debut as a child alongside her father,
Jon Voight , in
Lookin' to Get Out (1982). Her film career began in earnest a decade later with the low-budget production
Cyborg 2 (1993), followed by her first leading role in
Hackers (1995). After starring in the biographical television films
George Wallace (1997) and
Gia (1998), Jolie won the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing a sociopath in the 1999 drama
Girl, Interrupted . Her portrayal of the
titular heroine in
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) established her as a household name. Her fame continued with roles in the action films
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005),
Wanted (2008), and
Salt (2010). She also received acclaim for her performances in the dramas
A Mighty Heart (2007) and
Changeling (2008), the latter earning her a nomination for the
Academy Award for Best Actress . Her other commercial successes include the fantasy film
Maleficent (2014), its
2019 sequel , and the superhero film
Eternals (2021). She played a voice role in the
Kung Fu Panda animated film series from 2008 to 2016. Jolie has directed and written the war dramas
In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011),
Unbroken (2014), and
First They Killed My Father (2017). (
Full article... )
Image 13 Melvin Jerome Blanc (born
Blank ; May 30, 1908 – July 10, 1989) was an American voice actor and radio personality whose career spanned over 60 years. During the
Golden Age of Radio , he provided character voices and vocal sound effects for comedy radio programs, including those of
Jack Benny ,
Abbott and Costello ,
Burns and Allen ,
The Great Gildersleeve ,
Judy Canova , and his own
short-lived sitcom .
However, he became known worldwide for his work in the
Golden Age of American Animation as the voices of
Bugs Bunny ,
Daffy Duck ,
Tweety ,
Sylvester the Cat ,
Yosemite Sam ,
Foghorn Leghorn , the
Tasmanian Devil , and numerous other characters from the
Looney Tunes and
Merrie Melodies theatrical cartoons . Blanc also voiced the
Looney Tunes characters
Porky Pig and
Elmer Fudd after replacing their original performers
Joe Dougherty and
Arthur Q. Bryan , respectively, although he occasionally voiced Elmer during Bryan's lifetime as well. He later voiced characters for
Hanna-Barbera 's television cartoons, including
Barney Rubble and
Dino on
The Flintstones ,
Mr. Spacely on
The Jetsons ,
Secret Squirrel on
The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show , the title character of
Speed Buggy , and Captain Caveman on
Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels and
The Flintstone Kids . (
Full article... )
Image 15 Francis Ford Coppola (
KOH -pəl-ə,
Italian: [ˈkɔppola] ; born 7 April 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the leading figures of the
New Hollywood film movement of the 1960s and 1970s and is widely considered one of the greatest directors of all time.
Coppola is the recipient of five
Academy Awards , six
Golden Globe Awards , two
Palmes d'Or , and a
British Academy Film Award (BAFTA).
After directing
The Rain People in 1969, Coppola co-wrote
Patton (1970), which earned him the
Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay along with
Edmund H. North . Coppola's reputation as a filmmaker was cemented with the release of
The Godfather (1972), which revolutionized the
gangster genre of filmmaking, receiving strong commercial and critical reception.
The Godfather won three Academy Awards:
Best Picture ,
Best Actor and
Best Adapted Screenplay (shared with
Mario Puzo ).
The Godfather Part II (1974) became the first sequel to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Highly regarded by critics, the film earned Coppola two more Academy Awards, for Best Adapted Screenplay and
Best Director , making him the second director (after
Billy Wilder ) to win these three awards for the same film. (
Full article... )
Western Gull (Larus occidentalis ). Image taken in Monterey, California The
Western Gull (
Larus occidentalis ) is a large white-headed
gull that lives on the western coast of
North America . It is a large gull, around 60 cm long with a white head and body, and gray wings. It has a yellow bill with a red subterminal spot (this is the small spot near the end of the bill that chicks peck in order to stimulate feeding).
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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