Timeline of San Jose, California
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The following is a timeline of the
history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
of
San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...
, United States.


Prior to the 19th century

* 1777 – Spanish pueblo San Jose de Guadalupe founded. * 1797 – San Jose mission founded.


19th century

* 1803 – San Jose de Guadalupe church built. * 1805 - Mission San Jose's church built in 1805, not 1803, and named La Mission del Gloriosisimo Patriarch San Jose, or just Mission San Jose, but not San Jose de Guadalupe according to San Jose Mission's history page. * 1809 - Mission San Jose's church completed and dedicated. * 1822 – Mexicans in power. * 1840 – Population: 750 (approximate). * 1846 – Town occupied by U.S. forces. * 1849 – December: Town becomes
capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...
of the new state of California. * 1850 ** City chartered. **
Josiah Belden Josiah Belden (May 4, 1815 – April 23, 1892), known in Spanish as Josías Belden, was a Californian politician and trader. He was born in Connecticut, eventually emigrating to Alta California (then part of Mexico). In California, he became a M ...
becomes mayor. ** San Francisco-San Jose stagecoach begins operating. * 1851 ** '' San Jose Weekly Visitor'' newspaper begins publication. ** College of Notre Dame established. * 1852 – San Jose Foundry in business. * 1853 – Hook and Ladder Company No.1 organized. * 1855 ** ''San Jose Telegraph'' newspaper begins publication. ** San Jose City Hall built on North Market Street. * 1856 – Young Men's Literary Association organized. * 1857 – Minn's Evening School established. * 1861 – ''San Jose Daily Mercury'' newspaper begins publication. * 1862 - California State Normal School founded. * 1864 – San Francisco-San Jose Railway in operation. * 1865 – St. Joseph High School established. * 1866 – ''Santa Clara Argus'' newspaper begins publication. * 1867 – San Jose YMCA established. * 1868 – St. Joseph's Church built (approximate date). * 1870 ** California State Normal School relocated to San Jose. **
Chinatown A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austra ...
fire. ** Population: 9,089; county 26,246. * 1871 –
University of the Pacific University of the Pacific may refer to: *University of the Pacific (Colombia) *University of the Pacific (Ecuador) *University of the Pacific (Peru) * University of the Pacific (United States) *University of Asia Pacific, Bangladesh * University of ...
relocated to San Jose vicinity. * 1875 – San Jose Law Library, San Jose Fruit Packing Company, and California Pioneers of Santa Clara County established. * 1878 – Home of Benevolence founded. * 1879 – ''Daily Morning Times'' begins publication. * 1886 – Board of Trade organized. * 1888 –
Lick Observatory The Lick Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the University of California. It is on the summit of Mount Hamilton, in the Diablo Range just east of San Jose, California, United States. The observatory is managed by th ...
established atop Mount Hamilton. * 1889 ** New San Jose City Hall built in Market Plaza. **
O'Connor Hospital O'Connor Hospital is a hospital in San Jose, California, part of the Santa Clara County Health System. Located in the West San Carlos neighborhood of San Jose, O'Connor Hospital is one of the oldest hospitals in Santa Clara County, founded in 188 ...
and Hotel Vendome established. * 1890 – Population: 18,060. * 1891 – Heald College established. * 1892 –
First Unitarian Church of San Jose The First Unitarian Church of San Jose is located at 160 North Third Street in downtown San Jose, California, across from St. James Park, and was designed in " Richardsonian Romanesque" style by architect George Page, who also designed the Hayes ...
built. * 1892 – We and Our Neighbors Society (women's club) founded. * 1894 ** Associated Charities of San Jose established. **
Washburn Preparatory School Washburn Preparatory School or Washburn College Preparatory School (1894–1911) was a private preparatory school that was located at 165 Devine Street at the corner of San Pedro Street in San Jose, California. History The school was founded by ...
established * 1895 – Post Office built. * 1897 – Good Government League organized. * 1900 – Population: 21,500.


20th century


1900s–1950s

* 1902 –
Naglee Park Naglee Park is a historic residential neighborhood in San Jose, California, to the east of Downtown San Jose and San Jose State University. History Much of the Naglee Park neighborhood was developed on the grounds of the estate of Civil War Bri ...
development begins (approximate date). * 1903 ** Grauman's Theatre and
San Jose Public Library The San José Public Library ( es, Biblioteca Pública de San José) is the public library system of San Jose, California, made up of 23 branch libraries spread across the city. Organization Its central library, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Librar ...
building open. ** Bean Spray Company relocates to San Jose. * 1905 – Balloon, dirigible, and aeroplane exhibitions. * 1906 – April 18: San Francisco earthquake. * 1909 ** KQW radio begins broadcasting. ** Santa Clara Valley Fruit Growers Association organized. * 1911 –
East San Jose East San Jose (abbreviated as ESJ), commonly called The East Side and less commonly as the East Valley, is the eastern region of the city of San Jose, California. The East Side is made up of numerous neighborhoods grouped into two larger distric ...
becomes part of San Jose. * 1921 – San Jose Junior College founded. * 1926 – Bank of Italy Building constructed. * 1927 – Fox California Theatre built. * 1933 ** November 26: Hart killers lynched in St. James Park. ** Spartan Stadium opens. * 1936 –
Willow Glen Willow Glen is a district of San Jose, California, San Jose, California, in Santa Clara County, California, Santa Clara County. Willow Glen is known for its historic downtown, dining and shopping, and is one of the most expensive neighborhoods to ...
becomes part of San Jose. * 1937 – San Jose Civic Orchestra formed. * 1943 – IBM west coast headquarters established. * 1949 ** San Jose Municipal Airport begins operating. ** Burbank Theatre, Garden Theatre, and Mayfair cinema open. ** Historical Museum of San José established. * 1950s – Community Service Organization activity begins in
East San Jose East San Jose (abbreviated as ESJ), commonly called The East Side and less commonly as the East Valley, is the eastern region of the city of San Jose, California. The East Side is made up of numerous neighborhoods grouped into two larger distric ...
. * 1952 – Population: 95,280. * 1957 – San Jose Peace & Justice Center founded. * 1958 – New San Jose City Hall opened at Civic Center. * 1959 – Santa Clara County United Fund established.


1960s–1990s

* 1960 – Population: 204,196. * 1961 **
Happy Hollow Zoo Happy Hollow Park & Zoo is a small zoo and amusement park in San Jose, California, which originally opened in 1961. It was closed in 2008 for major renovations, and opened its gates again on March 20, 2010. Happy Hollow Park & Zoo is an accred ...
opens. **
IBM Shoebox The IBM Shoebox was a 1961 IBM computer that was able to perform mathematical functions and perform speech recognition. It recognized 16 spoken words, including the digits 0 through 9. It was developed by William C. Dersch in the Advanced Systems ...
invented. * 1964 – San Jose Century 21 cinema built. * 1967 – Junior League of San Jose and Center for Employment Training established. * 1968 – Alviso becomes part of city. * 1969 – Century Theatre cinema opens. * 1970 ** Regional Metropolitan Transportation Commission established. ** Population: 447,025. * 1971 ** Norman Mineta becomes mayor. ** San José Historical Museum Association and Sourisseau Academy for State and Local History established. * 1972 –
Food Machinery Corporation FMC Corporation is an American chemical manufacturing company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which originated as an insecticide producer in 1883 and later diversified into other industries. In 1941 at the beginning of US involvemen ...
headquarters relocates from San Jose to Chicago. * 1973 – Willow Glen Neighborhood Association formed. * 1974 – Santa Clara County Transportation Agency,
San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes are an American professional soccer team based in San Jose, California. The Earthquakes compete as a member club of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). Originally as the San Jose Clash, the franchise ...
soccer club, and
Second Harvest Food Bank Feeding America is a United States–based nonprofit organization that is a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that feed more than 46 million people through food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other community-based agencies. ...
established. * 1975 **
Evergreen Valley College Evergreen Valley College (EVC) is a public community college in San Jose, California. Located in the Evergreen district of East San Jose, EVC was founded in 1975 and is part of the California Community College System. History The San José-Eve ...
active. **
Janet Gray Hayes Janet Gray Hayes (July 12, 1926 – April 21, 2014) was the 60th Mayor#United States, mayor of San Jose, California, elected to two consecutive, four-year terms from 1975 to 1983. She was both the first woman to be elected mayor San Jose, and ...
becomes mayor. * 1977 –
San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles The San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles is an art museum in Downtown San Jose, California, USA. Founded in 1977, the museum is the first in the United States devoted solely to quilts and textiles as an art form. Holdings include a permanent colle ...
founded. * 1980 – Rotary Club of San Jose and San Jose Repertory Theatre founded. * 1981 – Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose established. * 1982 –
Adobe Adobe ( ; ) is a building material made from earth and organic materials. is Spanish for ''mudbrick''. In some English-speaking regions of Spanish heritage, such as the Southwestern United States, the term is used to refer to any kind of e ...
in business. * 1983 ** 1983 San Jose School District California bankruptcy **
Tom McEnery Thomas Andrew McEnery (born September 23, 1945) is an American author, businessman, and teacher from San Jose, California, who served as the 61st mayor of that city from 1983 to 1991. McEnery attended Santa Clara University, graduating with a B. ...
becomes mayor. * 1985 –
Market Post Tower Tower 55 (formerly the Market Post Tower; also known as the Gold Building or simply 55 South Market) is a 15-story building at the corner of South Market Street and Post Street in downtown San Jose, California. Built in 1985 as the Market Post Tow ...
built. * 1986 ** First Community Housing and San Jose Cleveland Ballet founded. **
IBM Almaden Research Center IBM Research is the research and development division for IBM, an American multinational information technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, with operations in over 170 countries. IBM Research is the largest industrial research org ...
opens. * 1987 **
Japanese American Museum of San Jose The Japanese American Museum of San Jose (JAMsj) is located at 535 N. Fifth Street in San Jose, in the heart of Japantown. The museum's mission is to collect, preserve, and share Japanese American art, history, and culture with an emphasis on th ...
, Chinese Historical and Cultural Project, and Los Fundadores y Amigos de Alta California established. ** Fairmont Hotel built. * 1988 –
Fairmont Plaza Fairmont Plaza (previously the Knight-Ridder Building) is a 17-story, skyscraper in downtown San Jose, California. When completed in 1988, it was the tallest building in the city; it is currently the sixth. The building was designed by the Skidm ...
built. * 1989 –
Loma Prieta earthquake The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake occurred on California's Central Coast on October 17 at local time. The shock was centered in The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park in Santa Cruz County, approximately northeast of Santa Cruz on a section of t ...
. * 1990 ** Tech Museum of Innovation and
San Jose International Airport Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport , commonly known simply as San Jose International Airport, is a city-owned public airport in San Jose, California, United States. It is named after San Jose native Norman Mineta, former United Sta ...
's new terminal open. ** Population: 782,248. * 1991 ** Tathagata Meditation Center, Santa Clara Valley MultiService Center, and
Filipino American National Historical Society The Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) is a nonprofit organization that documents Filipino American history. History Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) was founded on 26 November 1982 in Seattle, Washington, ...
chapter founded. **
Susan Hammer Susan Walker Hammer (December 21, 1938 – March 7, 2020) was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party, who served as the mayor of San Jose, California, from 1991 to 1999. She was voted best local politician six times. Pre ...
becomes mayor. **
San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...
begin play. * 1992 ** Saba Islamic Center active. ** Chinmaya Mission San Jose founded. * 1993 – Plaza Park renamed Plaza de César Chávez. * 1994 ** City government-public computer-enabled communication ("Virtual Valley") in operation. ** San Jose Clash soccer team formed. * 1995 ** AuctionWeb (eBay) in business. **
Zoe Lofgren Susan Ellen "Zoe" Lofgren ( ; born December 21, 1947) is an American lawyer and politician serving as a U.S. representative from California. A member of the Democratic Party, Lofgren is in her 13th term in Congress, having been first elected in 1 ...
becomes
U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
for
California's 16th congressional district California's 16th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California, which as of the most recent general election was located in the central San Joaquin Valley. The district is currently represented by . On 20 ...
. * 1998 ** City website online (approximate date). **
History San José History Park at Kelley Park in San Jose, California, USA is designed as an indoor/outdoor museum, arranged to appear as a small US town might have in the early 1900s (decade). Since its inauguration in 1971, 32 historic buildings and other landmark ...
nonprofit incorporated. * 1999 – Ron Gonzales becomes mayor. * 2000 – Population: 894,943.


21st century

* 2001 **
Bay Area CyberRays San Jose CyberRays was a professional soccer team that played in the Women's United Soccer Association. The team played at Spartan Stadium on the South Campus of San José State University in San Jose, California. Stars included U.S. National ...
soccer team, and Silicon Valley De-Bug collective established. ** Mike Honda becomes
U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
for
California's 15th congressional district California's 15th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. The district is currently represented by . Currently, the district includes most of San Mateo County and the southeast side of San Francisco. ...
. * 2002 –
Symphony Silicon Valley Symphony Silicon Valley is the professional symphony orchestra of San Jose and the South Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Founded in 2002 following the demise of the San Jose Symphony, the orchestra debuted to rave reviews and standing ...
founded. * 2003 –
Sobrato Office Tower Sobrato Office Tower is a 17-story, class-A office building located at 488 Almaden Boulevard in San Jose, California. It is the fourth tallest building in the city. The building was completed in 2002 by the Sobrato Organization and remained unoc ...
built. * 2005 – San Jose City Hall returned downtown. * 2006 – June: Mayor Gonzales arrested. * 2007 –
Chuck Reed Charles Rufus Reed (born August 15, 1948) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 64th Mayor of San Jose, California from 2007 to 2014. Biography Early life Reed was born in Garden City, Kansas. Reed attended Garden City High Sc ...
becomes mayor. * 2008 –
The 88 The 88 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. The group consists of Keith Slettedahl (vocals and guitar), Adam Merrin (keyboards and vocals), Anthony Zimmitti (drums and percussion), and Todd O'Keefe (bass and vocals). Meeti ...
building constructed. * 2010 ** Three Sixty Residences built. ** Population: 945,942. * 2011 – October: Occupy San José begins. * 2013 – Population: 998,537. * 2014 ** Population tops 1,000,000. ** December: Homeless camp cleared. * 2021 – The San Jose shooting occurs, killing ten people including the gunman.


See also

* History of San Jose, California * List of mayors of San Jose, California *
National Register of Historic Places listings in Santa Clara County, California __NOTOC__ This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Santa Clara County, California, United States. Latitude and longitude coordinates are provided for many National Regi ...
*
Timeline of the San Francisco Bay Area This is a timeline of the San Francisco Bay Area in California, events in the nine counties that border on the San Francisco Bay, and the bay itself. An identical list of events, formatted differently, may be found Portal:San Francisco Bay Area ...
*
Timeline of California A timeline is a display of a list of events in Chronology, chronological order. It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labelled with calendar date, dates paralleling it, and usually contemporaneous events. Timelines can use any ...
* Timelines of other cities in the
Northern California Northern California (colloquially known as NorCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Spanning the state's northernmost 48 counties, its main population centers incl ...
area of California: Fresno, Mountain View,
Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...
,
Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
,
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...


References


Bibliography


Published in the 19th century

* * G.H. Hare, Hare's Guide to San Jose and Vicinity for Tourists and New Settlers (San Jose, 1872) * * * * * * * *


Published in the 20th century

* *
1907
*
1911
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * (fulltext via Open Library)


Published in the 21st century

* * * *


External links

* Digital Public Library of America
Items related to San Jose, California
various dates {{California history San Jose, California-related lists san jose