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... )
Cannabis in California has been legal for medical use since 1996, and for recreational use since late 2016. The state of California has been at the forefront of efforts to liberalize cannabis laws in the United States , beginning in 1972 with the nation's first ballot initiative attempting to legalize cannabis (Proposition 19 ). Although it was unsuccessful, California would later become the first state to legalize medical cannabis through the Compassionate Use Act of 1996 (Proposition 215), which passed with 56% voter approval. In November 2016, California voters approved the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (Proposition 64) with 57% of the vote, which legalized the recreational use of cannabis .
As a result of recreational legalization, local governments (city and county) may not prohibit adults from growing, using, or transporting marijuana for personal use. Commercial activities can be regulated or prohibited by local governments although deliveries cannot be prohibited. Following recreational legalization, existing growers and suppliers of medical cannabis were required to register, comply with regulations, and apply for permits. Over half of the nonprofit dispensaries legally providing medical marijuana closed. Local agencies have been slow to approve retail stores selling cannabis for recreational purposes with most cities and counties banning retail with a wait and see approach. Many existing growers have been slow to apply for permits as it has been estimated that 60 percent or more of all cannabis consumed in the United States comes from northern California. The export of marijuana to other states remains illegal since the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration considers it a Schedule I drug. (Full article... )
The following are images from various California-related articles on Wikipedia.
Image 1 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 3 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 4 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 8 In-N-Out burgers (from
Culture of California )
Image 11 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 12 The 1835
Manifiesto a la República Mejicana , by
José Figueroa , was the first book published in California (from
Culture of California )
Image 16 The American capture of
San Diego by the
USS Cyane in 1846 (from
History of California )
Image 17 Portrait of an "
assimilated "
Maidu man in
Sacramento , 1867. (from
History of California )
Image 18 The
University of California, Berkeley is the flagship school of the University of California system. (from
Culture of California )
Image 19 California's first State Capitol building in
San Jose , which served as the capital of California 1850–51. (from
History of California )
Image 22 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 23 A Southern Pacific Train at
Arcade Depot , Los Angeles, 1891 (from
History of California )
Image 25 Forces raising the U.S. flag over the
Monterey Customhouse following their victory at the
Battle of Monterey (from
History of California )
Image 27 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 28 Map of the
Butterfield Overland Mail routes through California, c. 1858. (from
History of California )
Image 30 "Independent Gold Hunter on His Way to California", c. 1850 (from
History of California )
Image 31 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 32 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 )
Image 34 Depiction of the
Donner Party heading west on the
California Trail . (from
History of California )
Image 37 The Spanish founded
Mission San Juan Capistrano in 1776, the third to be established of the
Californian missions . (from
History of California )
Image 39 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 41 The railway station in
Sacramento in 1874. (from
History of California )
Image 45 General
Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo reviewing his troops in
Sonoma in 1846. (from
History of California )
Image 46 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 48 Bilingual English-Spanish sign in the
Colorado Desert of
Southern California . (from
Culture of California )
Image 49 San Francisco harbor,
c. 1850 –51. (from
History of California )
Image 50 Mission San Gabriel Arcángel , founded in 1771 by padres Pedro Benito Cambón and Ángel de la Somera. (from
History of California )
Image 52 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 53 Junípero Serra conducting the first
mass in
Monterey Bay in 1770. (from
History of California )
Image 54 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 55 Francis Drake 's 1579 landing in "
New Albion " (modern-day
Point Reyes ); engraving by
Theodor De Bry , 1590. (from
History of California )
Image 56 Mission Santa Barbara , founded in 1786, was the first mission to be established by
Fermín de Lasuén . (from
History of California )
Image 57 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 58 Advertisement for sailing to California, c. 1850. (from
History of California )
We need Hawaii just as much and a good deal more than we did California. It is Manifest Destiny.
Image 1 Linus Carl Pauling FRS (
PAW -ling; February 28, 1901 – August 19, 1994) was an American
chemist ,
biochemist ,
chemical engineer ,
peace activist , author, and educator. He published more than 1,200 papers and books, of which about 850 dealt with scientific topics.
New Scientist called him one of the 20 greatest scientists of all time. For his scientific work, Pauling was awarded the
Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1954. For his peace activism, he was awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize in 1962. He is one of five people to have
won more than one Nobel Prize (the others being
Marie Curie ,
John Bardeen ,
Frederick Sanger , and
Karl Barry Sharpless ). Of these, he is the only person to have been awarded two unshared Nobel Prizes, and one of two people to be awarded Nobel Prizes in different fields, the other being
Marie Curie .
Pauling was one of the founders of the fields of
quantum chemistry and
molecular biology . His contributions to the theory of the chemical bond include the concept of
orbital hybridisation and the first accurate scale of
electronegativities of the elements. Pauling also worked on the structures of biological molecules, and showed the importance of the
alpha helix and
beta sheet in
protein secondary structure . Pauling's approach combined methods and results from
X-ray crystallography ,
molecular model building, and quantum chemistry. His discoveries inspired the work of
Rosalind Franklin ,
James Watson ,
Francis Crick , and
Maurice Wilkins on the structure of DNA, which in turn made it possible for geneticists to crack the DNA code of all organisms. (
Full article... )
Image 2 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 3 Candice Patricia Bergen (born May 9, 1946) is an American actress. She won five
Primetime Emmy Awards and two
Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of the title character on the
CBS sitcom
Murphy Brown (1988–1998, 2018). She is also known for her role as
Shirley Schmidt on the
ABC drama
Boston Legal (2005–2008). In films, Bergen was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for
Starting Over (1979) and for the
BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for
Gandhi (1982).
Bergen began her career as a fashion model and appeared on the cover of
Vogue before she made her screen debut in the film
The Group (1966). She starred in
The Sand Pebbles (1966),
Soldier Blue (1970),
Carnal Knowledge (1971), and
The Wind and the Lion (1975). She made her
Broadway debut in the 1984 play
Hurlyburly and starred in the revivals of
The Best Man (2012) and
Love Letters (2014). From 2002 to 2004, she appeared in three episodes of the
HBO series
Sex and the City . Her other film roles include
Miss Congeniality (2000),
Sweet Home Alabama (2002),
The Women (2008),
Bride Wars (2009),
Book Club (2018) and
Let Them All Talk (2020). (
Full article... )
Image 4 Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (;
Italian: [diˈkaːprjo] ; born November 11, 1974) is an American actor and film producer. Known for
his work in biographical and period films, he is the recipient of
numerous accolades , including an
Academy Award , a
British Academy Film Award , and three
Golden Globe Awards . As of 2019,
[update] his films have grossed over $7.2 billion worldwide, and he has been placed eight times in annual rankings of
the world's highest-paid actors .
Born in Los Angeles, DiCaprio began his career in the late 1980s by appearing in television commercials. In the early 1990s, he had recurring roles in various television shows, such as the sitcom
Parenthood , and had his first major film part as author
Tobias Wolff in
This Boy's Life (1993). He received critical acclaim and his first
Academy Award and
Golden Globe Award nominations for his performance as a developmentally disabled boy in
What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993). DiCaprio achieved international stardom with the
star-crossed romances
Romeo + Juliet (1996) and
Titanic (1997). After the latter became the
highest-grossing film in the world at the time, he reduced his workload for a few years. In an attempt to shed his image of a romantic hero, DiCaprio sought roles in other genres, including the 2002 crime dramas
Catch Me If You Can and
Gangs of New York ; the latter marked the first of his
many successful collaborations with director
Martin Scorsese . (
Full article... )
Image 9 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 10 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 11 Nancy Patricia Pelosi (
pə-LOH -see ;
née D'Alesandro ; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who served as the
52nd speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023. A member of the
Democratic Party , she was the first woman elected as U.S. House Speaker and the first woman to lead a major political party in either chamber of
Congress , leading the
House Democrats from 2003 to 2023. A member of the House since 1987, Pelosi currently represents
California's 11th congressional district , which includes most of
San Francisco . She is the dean of
California's congressional delegation .
Pelosi was born and raised in
Baltimore , and is the daughter of mayor and congressman
Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. She graduated from
Trinity College, Washington in 1962 and married businessman
Paul Pelosi the next year; the two had met while both were students. They moved to New York City before settling down in San Francisco with their children. Focused on raising her family, Pelosi stepped into politics as a volunteer for the Democratic Party in the 1960s. After years of party work, rising to chair the state party, she was first elected to Congress in a
1987 special election and is now in her 19th term; she is the longest-serving member of California's Congressional delegation. Pelosi steadily rose through the ranks of the House Democratic Caucus to be elected
House minority whip in 2001 and elevated to
House minority leader a year later, becoming the first woman to hold each of those positions in either chamber of Congress. (
Full article... )
Image 12 Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the
Western TV series
Rawhide , Eastwood rose to international fame with his role as the "
Man with No Name " in
Sergio Leone 's
Dollars Trilogy of
spaghetti Westerns during the mid-1960s and as
antihero cop
Harry Callahan in the five
Dirty Harry films throughout the 1970s and 1980s. These roles, among others, have made Eastwood an enduring
cultural icon of
masculinity . Elected in 1986, Eastwood served for two years as the mayor of
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California .
Eastwood's greatest commercial successes are the adventure comedy
Every Which Way but Loose (1978) and its action comedy sequel
Any Which Way You Can (1980). Other popular Eastwood films include the Westerns
Hang 'Em High (1968),
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) and
Pale Rider (1985), the action-war film
Where Eagles Dare (1968), the prison film
Escape from Alcatraz (1979), the war film
Heartbreak Ridge (1986), the action film
In the Line of Fire (1993), and the romantic drama
The Bridges of Madison County (1995). More recent works include
Gran Torino (2008),
The Mule (2018), and
Cry Macho (2021). Since 1967, Eastwood's company
Malpaso Productions has produced all but four of his American films. (
Full article... )
Image 13 Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (; born October 20, 1971), known professionally as
Snoop Dogg (previously
Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly
Snoop Lion ), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. His initial fame dates back to 1992 following his guest appearance on
Dr. Dre 's debut solo single, "
Deep Cover ", and later on Dre's debut album,
The Chronic that same year. Broadus has since sold over 23 million albums in the United States, and 35 million albums worldwide.
His accolades include an
American Music Award , a
Primetime Emmy Award , and 17
Grammy Award nominations.
Produced entirely by Dr. Dre, Broadus' debut studio album,
Doggystyle (1993) was released by
Death Row Records and debuted atop the
Billboard 200. Selling 800,000 copies in its first week, the album received
quadruple platinum certification by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) the following year and spawned the
Billboard Hot 100-top ten singles "
What's My Name? " and "
Gin and Juice ". He was the lead performer on Death Row's
soundtrack album for the 1994 short film
Murder Was the Case , wherein Broadus made his acting debut. His second album,
Tha Doggfather (1996) likewise debuted atop the chart and received double platinum certification. In 1998, he parted ways with Death Row in favor of
Master P 's
No Limit Records , through which he saw largely continued success with his albums
Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told (1998),
No Limit Top Dogg (1999), and
Tha Last Meal (2000). He then signed with
Priority ,
Capitol , and
EMI Records to release his sixth album
Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss (2002), which was further commercially-oriented. This effectively continued upon him signing with
Geffen Records to release his next three albums:
R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece (2004),
Tha Blue Carpet Treatment (2006), and
Ego Trippin' (2008); the former spawned the single "
Drop It Like It's Hot " (featuring
Pharrell ), which became his first to peak atop the
Billboard Hot 100. He then returned to Priority and Capitol—upon his hiring as chairman of the former label—to release his tenth and eleventh albums,
Malice 'n Wonderland (2009) and
Doggumentary (2011), both of which saw mild critical and commercial response. (
Full article... )
Image 14 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 15 Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as
Dr. Dre , is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and
CEO of
Aftermath Entertainment and
Beats Electronics , and co-founded and was the president of
Death Row Records . Dre began his career as a member of the
World Class Wreckin' Cru in 1985, and later found fame with the
gangsta rap group
N.W.A . The group popularized explicit lyrics in
hip hop to detail the violence of street life. During the early 1990s, Dre was credited as a key figure in the crafting and popularization of
West Coast G-funk , a subgenre of hip hop characterized by a
synthesizer foundation and slow, heavy production.
Released as Death Row's first major project, Dr. Dre's solo debut studio album,
The Chronic (1992) made him one of the best-selling American music artists of 1993. It earned him a
Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance with the single "
Let Me Ride ", as well as several accolades for the single "
Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang " (featuring Snoop Dogg). That year, he produced Death Row labelmate
Snoop Doggy Dogg 's debut album
Doggystyle , and mentored producers such as his stepbrother
Warren G (leading to the multi-platinum debut
Regulate... G Funk Era in 1994) and Snoop Dogg's cousin
Daz Dillinger (leading to the double-platinum debut
Dogg Food by
Tha Dogg Pound in 1995), as he would mentor other producers including
Mel-Man and
Scott Storch . In 1996, Dre left Death Row Records to establish his own label, Aftermath Entertainment; his compilation album,
Dr. Dre Presents: The Aftermath (1996) and second studio album,
2001 (1999) followed thereafter. (
Full article... )
An aerial view of Redwood City Port
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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