DK Travel : San Francisco : History & Culture

Page
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Joshua Abraham Norton

Born in 1819, Norton made his fortune in San Francisco but lost it all in 1852. The event left him unhinged but harmless, and he declared himself “Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico.” He issued his own money, and was lovingly indulged by the city’s populace until his death in 1880.
Junipero Serra

This 18th-century Spanish cleric traveled up and down California establishing missions, including Mission Dolores.
Ken Kesey

A powerful, revolutionary writer, his Magic Bus and Trips Festival set the tone for the entire Hippie Movement.
Kong Chow Temple

The oldest of Chinatown’s temples is dedicated to Kuan Di, a male deity (see Chinatown).
Leland Stanford

One of the “Big Four” who masterminded the Transcontinental railroad also founded Stanford University (see Palo Alto and Stanford).
Loma Prieta Earthquake

In October 1989, the quake destroyed the Victorian center of Santa Cruz and part of the Bay Bridge.
Mario Savio

The UC Berkeley student launched the Free Speech Movement on the campus in the late 1960s.
Mark Hopkins

Another of the “Big Four” who struck it super-rich and lived on Nob Hill.
Melvin Belli

Known as the “King of Torts”, the flamboyant Belli was a pivotal figure in fostering today’s litigious society as an innovator in the area of personal injury law. He took on big corporations and controversial clients, including Errol Flynn, Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, Lana Turner, Mae West, Muhammad Ali, and Jack Ruby. Belli died in 1996 at the age of 88, just a few months after filing for bankruptcy.
Mission Dolores

Photos and a diorama offer a stirring impression of what life was like for the Native Americans who built this Spanish mission in the 18th century.