Portal:California

Introduction Welcome to the Portal:California. Such a lovely place. California State State of California Flag Seal 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 an international border with the Mexican state of Baja California to the south. With nearly 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. 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 U.S. state, with a $4.0 trillion gross state product as of 2024. 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. Notable contributions to popular culture, ranging from entertainment, sports, music, and fashion, have their origins in California. California is the home of Hollywood, the oldest and one of the largest film industries in the world, profoundly influencing global entertainment. The San Francisco Bay and the Greater Los Angeles areas are seen as the centers of the global technology and U.S. film industries, respectively. (Full article...) Selected article - Dodger Stadium in 2015 Dodger Stadium in 2015 Dodger Stadium is a ballpark in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a cost of US$23 million (US$232 million in 2023). It is the oldest ballpark in MLB west of the Mississippi River, and third-oldest overall, after Fenway Park in Boston (1912) and Wrigley Field in Chicago (1914), and is the largest baseball stadium in the world by seat capacity. Often referred to as a "pitcher's ballpark", the stadium has seen 13 no-hitters, 2 of which were perfect games. The stadium hosted the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 1980 and 2022, as well as the World Series eleven times (1963, 1965, 1966, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1988, 2017, 2018, and 2024). It also hosted the semifinals and finals of the 2009 and 2017 World Baseball Classics, as well as exhibition baseball during the 1984 Summer Olympics. The stadium hosted a soccer tournament on August 3, 2013, featuring four clubs: the hometown team Los Angeles Galaxy, and Europe's Real Madrid, Everton, and Juventus. The Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks played a regular season game in 2014 as part of the NHL Stadium Series. The stadium was also the home of the Los Angeles Angels from 1962 through 1965. (Full article...) More selected articles General images - The following are images from various California-related articles on Wikipedia. General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo reviewing his troops in Sonoma in 1846. (from History of California) General Richard Barnes Mason was the longest serving U.S. Military Governor of California (1847–1849), overseeing California's transition into statehood. (from History of California) 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) Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, founded in 1771 by padres Pedro Benito Cambón and Ángel de la Somera. (from History of California) Mission San Francisco Solano, founded in 1823 by order of Governor Luis Antonio Argüello, was the last Californian mission established. (from History of California) 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) 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) The American capture of San Diego by the USS Cyane in 1846 (from History of California) Dividing the Light (2007), a skyspace by James Turrell at Pomona College (from Culture of California) Presidio of Santa Barbara. (from Culture of California) 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) The Spanish founded Mission San Juan Capistrano in 1776, the third to be established of the Californian missions. (from History of California) 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) Map of the Butterfield Overland Mail routes through California, c. 1858. (from History of California) Concord Coach no. 251 in Wells Fargo livery in Old Town San Diego. (from History of California) California's first State Capitol building in San Jose, which served as the capital of California 1850–51. (from History of California) 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) Flag of Company A (The California 100) during the U.S. Civil War. (from History of California) In-N-Out burgers (from Culture of California) The Getty Villa (from Culture of California) Bodega y Quadra led a 1775 expedition along the coast of California into the Pacific Northwest. (from History of California) 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) The colonial coat of arms of the Californias, granted by Antonio de Mendoza, the first Viceroy of New Spain. (from History of California) Francis Drake's 1579 landing in "New Albion" (modern-day Point Reyes); engraving by Theodor De Bry, 1590. (from History of California) The railway station in Sacramento in 1874. (from History of California) The University of California, Berkeley is the flagship school of the University of California system. (from Culture of California) The Battle of San Pasqual in 1846. (from History of California) The Vallecitos stop of the Butterfield Overland Mail, in Julian, California. (from History of California) The Petaluma Adobe, built by General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo in 1836 on Rancho Petaluma. (from History of California) SS California (1848), the first paddle steamer to steam between Panama City and San Francisco, as part of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company. (from History of California) Junípero Serra conducting the first mass in Monterey Bay in 1770. (from History of California) Juan Bautista de Anza led the 1774-76 Anza Expeditions. (from History of California) Depiction of the Donner Party heading west on the California Trail. (from History of California) Poppies, Antelope Valley, a California Impressionist painting by Benjamin Chambers Brown (from Culture of California) Advertisement for sailing to California, c. 1850. (from History of California) Balthazar, Inhabitant of Northern California, an 1818 portrait of a Miwok man by artist Mikhail Tikhanov. (from History of California) Forces raising the U.S. flag over the Monterey Customhouse following their victory at the Battle of Monterey (from History of California) Depiction of the revolt of the Mission Indians against padre Luis Jayme at Mission San Diego de Alcalá in 1775. (from History of California) Mission Santa Barbara, founded in 1786, was the first mission to be established by Fermín de Lasuén. (from History of California) The 1846 Bear Flag Revolt declared the California Republic and prefaced the American conquest of California. (from History of California) Depiction of the California hide trade. (from History of California) Pacheco Adobe, built 1835 by Salvio Pacheco on Rancho Monte del Diablo. (from History of California) 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) "Independent Gold Hunter on His Way to California", c. 1850 (from History of California) The Battle of Río San Gabriel, in 1847, was a decisive victory for the American campaign in Alta California. (from History of California) Presidio of San Francisco, founded by José Joaquín Moraga in 1776. (from History of California) Bilingual English-Spanish sign in the Colorado Desert of Southern California. (from Culture of California) Manuel Domínguez built Domínguez Adobe on Rancho San Pedro in 1826. (from History of California) A Southern Pacific Train at Arcade Depot, Los Angeles, 1891 (from History of California) The 1835 Manifiesto a la República Mejicana, by José Figueroa, was the first book published in California (from Culture of California) Goldfields in the Sierra Nevada and Shasta Cascade. (from History of California) 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) 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) While slavery was abolished in California by Mexican authorities in 1829, the first California State Legislature under U.S. statehood passed the 1850 Indian Indenture Act, which allowed for the forced labor of indigenous Californians by Americans. (from History of California) 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) Portrait of an "assimilated" Maidu man in Sacramento, 1867. (from History of California) San Francisco harbor, c. 1850–51. (from History of California) Gaspar de Portolá served as the first Governor of the Californias and led the famed Portolá expedition of 1769-70. (from History of California) Stanford University Oval (from Culture of California) Selected quote - Selected biographies - Knight in 2007 Marion Hugh "Suge" Knight Jr. (/ʃʊɡ/ SHUUG; born April 19, 1965) is an American record executive and convicted felon who is the co-founder and former CEO of Death Row Records. Knight was a central figure in gangsta rap's commercial success in the 1990s. This feat is attributed to the record label's first two album releases: Dr. Dre's The Chronic in 1992 and Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle in 1993. Knight is currently serving a 28-year sentence in prison for a fatal hit-and-run in 2015. Before founding Death Row Records, Knight played college football at UNLV as a defensive end. He briefly played in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams as a replacement player during the 1987 NFL players strike. In 1995, Tupac Shakur began serving a prison sentence of up to 4+1⁄2 years for a sexual abuse conviction. Knight struck a deal with Shakur that October, posting his $1.4 million bail and freeing him from prison pending an appeal of his conviction, while signing him to Death Row Records. In 1996, the label released Shakur's greatest commercial success, All Eyez on Me. That September, after departing a Mike Tyson boxing match in Las Vegas, a group that included Knight and Shakur assaulted Orlando Anderson, a Southside Compton Crips gang member. Three hours later, someone shot into the car Knight was driving, injuring Knight and fatally wounding Shakur. (Full article...) Snoop Dogg in 2023 Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (/ˈbroʊ.dɪs/ BROH-dis; born October 20, 1971), also known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, media personality, 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's 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. (Full article...) Caroline Agnes Brady (also known as Caroline Agnes Von Egmont Brady; October 3, 1905 – November 5, 1980) was an American philologist who specialised in Old English and Old Norse works. Her works included the 1943 book The Legends of Ermanaric, based on her doctoral dissertation, and three influential papers on the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf. She taught at the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, and Harvard University, among other places. Brady was born an American citizen in Tientsin, China, and traveled frequently as a child, spending time in Los Angeles, California, British Columbia, and Austin, Texas. She studied in the University of California system, receiving her bachelor's and master's degrees, and her Ph.D. in 1935. She next became an English instructor at that university's College of Agriculture, and worked as an assistant professor of languages and literature at Berkeley from 1941 to 1946. The following three years were spent at the University of Pennsylvania, until, at the end of 1949, Brady moved to teach at Central Oregon Community College; her resignation due to "ill health" was announced a few months later. After being named the 1952–53 Marion Talbot Fellow of the American Association of University Women and writing two articles, Brady's scholarship ceased for a quarter of a century. In 1979, and posthumously in 1983, her final two articles were published. (Full article...) Portrait of Warren Earl Warren (March 19, 1891 – July 9, 1974) was an American lawyer, politician, and jurist who served as the 30th governor of California from 1943 to 1953 and as the 14th Chief Justice of the United States from 1953 to 1969. The Warren Court presided over a major shift in American constitutional jurisprudence, which has been recognized by many as a "Constitutional Revolution" in the liberal direction, with Warren writing the majority opinions in landmark cases such as Brown v. Board of Education (1954), Reynolds v. Sims (1964), Miranda v. Arizona (1966), and Loving v. Virginia (1967). Warren also led the Warren Commission, a presidential commission that investigated the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He served as Governor of California from 1943 to 1953, and is the last chief justice to have served in an elected office before nomination to the Supreme Court. Warren is generally considered to be one of the most influential Supreme Court justices and political leaders in the history of the United States. Warren was born in 1891 in Los Angeles and was raised in Bakersfield, California. After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, he began a legal career in Oakland. He was hired as a deputy district attorney for Alameda County in 1920 and was appointed district attorney in 1925. He emerged as a leader of the state Republican Party and won election as the Attorney General of California in 1938. In that position he supported, and was a firm proponent of the forced removal and internment of over 100,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. In the 1942 California gubernatorial election, Warren defeated incumbent Democratic governor Culbert Olson. As the 30th Governor of California, Warren presided over a period of major growth—for the state as well as the nation. Serving from 1943 to 1953, Warren is the only governor of California to be elected for three consecutive terms. (Full article...) Picture of Stafford from the New York Sunday News, September 21, 1947 Jo Elizabeth Stafford (November 12, 1917 – July 16, 2008) was an American traditional pop singer, whose career spanned five decades from the late 1930s to the early 1980s. Admired for the purity of her voice, she originally underwent classical training to become an opera singer before following a career in popular music, and by 1955 had achieved more worldwide record sales than any other female artist. Her 1952 song "You Belong to Me" topped the charts in the United States and United Kingdom, becoming the second single to top the UK Singles Chart, and the first by a female artist to do so. Born in remote oil-rich Coalinga, California, near Fresno in the San Joaquin Valley, Stafford made her first musical appearance at age 12. While still at high school, she joined her two older sisters to form a vocal trio named the Stafford Sisters, who found moderate success on radio and in film. In 1938, while the sisters were part of the cast of Twentieth Century Fox's production of Alexander's Ragtime Band, Stafford met the future members of the Pied Pipers and became the group's lead singer. Bandleader Tommy Dorsey hired them in 1939 to perform vocals with his orchestra. From 1940 to 1942, the group often performed with Dorsey's new male singer, Frank Sinatra. (Full article...) Young in 2002 (Age 72) John Watts Young (September 24, 1930 – January 5, 2018) was an American astronaut, naval officer and aviator, test pilot, and aeronautical engineer. He became the 9th person to walk on the Moon as commander of the Apollo 16 mission in 1972. He is the only astronaut to fly on four different classes of spacecraft: Gemini, the Apollo command and service module, the Apollo Lunar Module and the Space Shuttle. Before becoming an astronaut, Young received his Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and joined the U.S. Navy. After serving at sea during the Korean War he became a naval aviator and graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. As a test pilot, he set several world time-to-climb records. Young retired from the Navy in 1976 with the rank of captain. (Full article...) Oppenheimer in 1944 J. Robert Oppenheimer (born Julius Robert Oppenheimer; /ˈɒpənhaɪmər/ OP-ən-hy-mər; April 22, 1904 – February 18, 1967) was an American theoretical physicist who served as the director of the Manhattan Project's Los Alamos Laboratory during World War II. He is often called the "father of the atomic bomb" for his role in overseeing the development of the first nuclear weapons. Born in New York City, Oppenheimer obtained a degree in chemistry from Harvard University in 1925 and a doctorate in physics from the University of Göttingen in Germany in 1927, studying under Max Born. After research at other institutions, he joined the physics faculty at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was made a full professor in 1936. Oppenheimer made significant contributions to physics in the fields of quantum mechanics and nuclear physics, including the Born–Oppenheimer approximation for molecular wave functions; work on the theory of positrons, quantum electrodynamics, and quantum field theory; and the Oppenheimer–Phillips process in nuclear fusion. With his students, he also made major contributions to astrophysics, including the theory of cosmic ray showers, and the theory of neutron stars and black holes. (Full article...) Milk in June 1978 Harvey Bernard Milk (May 22, 1930 – November 27, 1978) was an American politician and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Milk was born and raised in New York. He acknowledged his homosexuality in adolescence but secretly pursued sexual relationships well into adulthood. The counterculture of the 1960s caused him to shed many of his conservative views about individual freedom and sexual expression. Milk moved to San Francisco in 1972 and opened a camera store. Although he held an assortment of jobs and frequently changed addresses, he settled in the Castro, a neighborhood that was experiencing a mass immigration of gay men and lesbians. He ran for city supervisor in 1973 but the existing gay political establishment resisted him. Milk's campaign was compared to theater due to his personality, earning media attention and votes, although not enough to be elected. He campaigned again in the next two supervisor elections, dubbing himself the "Mayor of Castro Street". The voter response caused him to also run for the California State Assembly. Due to his growing popularity, he led the gay rights movement in battles against anti-gay initiatives. Milk was elected city supervisor in 1977 after San Francisco began to choose neighborhood representatives rather than city-wide ones. During Milk's almost eleven months in office, he sponsored a bill banning discrimination based on sexual orientation in public accommodations, housing, and employment. The Supervisors passed the bill by a vote of 11–1, and Mayor George Moscone signed it into law. On November 27, 1978, Milk and Moscone were assassinated by Dan White, a disgruntled former city supervisor who cast the sole vote against Milk's bill. (Full article...) Jack Leonard Warner (born Jacob Warner; August 2, 1892 – September 9, 1978) was a Canadian-born American film executive, who was the president and driving force behind the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. Warner's career spanned over 55 years, surpassing that of any other of the pioneering Hollywood studio moguls. As co-head of production at Warner Bros. Studios, Warner worked with his brother, Sam Warner, to procure the technology for the film industry's first talking picture, The Jazz Singer (1927). After Sam's death, Jack clashed with his surviving older brothers, Harry and Albert Warner. He assumed exclusive control of the company in the 1950s when he secretly purchased his brothers's shares in the business after convincing them to participate in a joint sale of stocks. (Full article...) Official portrait, 1981 Ronald Wilson Reagan (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, he became an important figure in the American conservative movement, and his presidency is known as the Reagan era. Born and raised in Illinois, Reagan graduated from Eureka College in 1932 and was hired the next year as a sports broadcaster in Iowa. In 1937, he moved to California where he became a well-known film actor. During his acting career, Reagan was elected president of the Screen Actors Guild twice, serving from 1947 to 1952 and from 1959 to 1960. In the 1950s, he became the host for General Electric Theater and also worked as a motivational speaker for General Electric. Subsequently, Reagan's "A Time for Choosing" speech during the 1964 U.S. presidential election launched his rise as a leading conservative figure. After being elected governor of California in 1966, he raised the state taxes, turned the state budget deficit into a surplus and implemented harsh crackdowns on university protests. Following his loss to Gerald Ford in the 1976 Republican Party presidential primaries, Reagan won the Republican Party's nomination and then a landslide victory over President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 presidential election. (Full article...) Jolie in 2024 Angelina Jolie (/dʒoʊˈliː/ joh-LEE; born Angelina Jolie Voight, /ˈvɔɪt/; June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian. The recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony 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 television films George Wallace (1997) and Gia (1998), Jolie won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1999 drama Girl, Interrupted. Her portrayal of the titular heroine in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) established her as a star. 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. Jolie directed and wrote the war dramas In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011), Unbroken (2014), First They Killed My Father (2017) and Without Blood (2024), and produced the musical The Outsiders (2024), winning the Tony Award for Best Musical. (Full article...) Monroe in 1953 Marilyn Monroe (/ˈmærəlɪn mənˈroʊ/ MARR-ə-lin mən-ROH; 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. Born and raised in Los Angeles County, Monroe spent most of her childhood in a total of twelve 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...) Coppola in 2019 Francis Ford Coppola (/ˈkoʊpələ/ KOH-pə-lə, Italian: [ˈkɔppola]; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the leading figures of the New Hollywood film movement 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 BAFTA Award. 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 won three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay and revolutionized the gangster genre of filmmaking, receiving strong commercial and critical reception. He directed The Godfather Part II (1974) which also won Best Picture with Coppola earning the Best Director. (Full article...) Seaborg in 1964 Glenn Theodore Seaborg (/ˈsiːbɔːrɡ/ 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...) Downey in 2014 Robert John Downey Jr. (born April 4, 1965) is an American actor. His films as a leading actor have grossed over $14 billion worldwide, making him one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. Downey's career has been characterized by some early success, a period of drug-related problems and run-ins with the law, and a surge in popular and commercial success since the late 2000s. In 2008, Downey was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. From 2013 to 2015, he was listed by Forbes as Hollywood's highest-paid actor. At the age of five, Downey made his acting debut in his father Robert Downey Sr.'s 1970 film Pound. He subsequently worked with the Brat Pack in the teen films Weird Science (1985) and Less than Zero (1987). Downey's portrayal of Charlie Chaplin in the 1992 biopic Chaplin garnered him a BAFTA Award for Best Actor and his first Academy Award nomination. Following a stint at the Corcoran Substance Abuse Treatment Facility on drug charges, he joined the TV series Ally McBeal in 2000 and won a Golden Globe Award for the role. Downey was fired from the show in 2001 in the wake of additional drug charges. He stayed in a court-ordered drug treatment program and has maintained his sobriety since 2003. (Full article...) Did you know - ... that the Sweet Vengeance Mine was owned and operated by Black miners during the California Gold Rush? ... that the memorabilia of Jennie Scott Griffiths, a Texan who died in California, are housed in the National Library of Australia? ... that during the January 1982 California floods, more than 18,000 landslides swept through the San Francisco Bay Area with little warning? ... that beginning in 2024, some California stores will be required to have a gender-neutral children's section? ... that at the time, the Fountain Fire was the third-most destructive wildfire in California's recorded history? ... that a California TV station wondered whether it had the "World's Longest Pregnancy"? ... that the San Diego Trough Fault Zone can produce an earthquake that devastates the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego, California? ... that from the old Chicago Station, a five-cent fare would get you as far west as California? Selected picture - Balboa Stadium Balboa Stadium Credit: Eric Bekins Balboa Stadium is located in San Diego, California and was built in 1914 as part of the many buildings erected for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition located in Balboa Park. Originally called City Stadium, and designed by the Quayle Brothers architectural firm, it is located to the East of San Diego High School. The Stadium was the home of the American Football League's San Diego Chargers' from 1961-66. Selected panorama - The northern area of Lake Irvine Lake Irvine (known in Orange County as Irvine Lake) is a reservoir in Orange County, California. The lake is located northeast of the city of Irvine close to Irvine Regional Park. The lake is formed by the Santiago Dam at its north end, which was built between 1929 and 1931, and the lake was originally called the Santiago Reservoir. Topics Government of California List of California state agencies   •   Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments   •   California Attorney General   •   California State Board of Education   •   CDF Aviation Management Program   •   CalPERS   •   California Air Resources Board   •   California Commission for Economic Development   •   California Department of Boating and Waterways   •   California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection   •   California Department of Insurance   •   California Insurance Commissioner election, 2006   •   California Legislative Analyst's Office   •   California Military Department   •   California Public Utilities Commission   •   California Speaks   •   California State Lands Commission   •   California State Lottery   •   California executive branch   •   CaliforniaVolunteers   •   California State Capitol   •   List of California District Attorneys   •   Districts in California   •   State of California enterprise IT systems   •   Department of Fair Employment and Housing   •   California Geological Survey   •   Governor of California   •   11-99 Foundation   •   California Institute for Regenerative Medicine   •   California Insurance Commissioner   •   Joint Powers Authority   •   Local Agency Formation Commission   •   Secretary of State of California   •   List of law enforcement agencies in California   •   California State Controller   •   California State Police   •   California Department of Transportation   •   California State Treasurer   •   Westlands Water District Categories Category puzzle Select [►] to view subcategories California California-related lists Works about California Etymology of California Communications in California California culture Demographics of California Economy of California Education in California Environment of California Episcopal churches in California Geography of California Geology of California Government of California Health in California History of California Indigenous peoples of California California law Military in California Organizations based in California Orphanages in California People from California Politics of California Science and technology in California California society Sports in California Tourist attractions in California Transportation in California Images of California California stubs Quality content Extended content Featured articles 1946 California's 12th congressional district election 1950 United States Senate election in California 2007 USC Trojans football team 2008 Orange Bowl Accolade (company) Nick Adenhart Aliso Creek (Orange County) Amador Valley High School Amanita ocreata Maya Angelou Arthur O. Austin Back to the Future Bale Out Ann Bannon Joseph Barbera John Barrymore Blade Runner Caroline Brady (philologist) Avery Brundage Cactus wren California Chrome California Diamond Jubilee half dollar California Pacific International Exposition half dollar California condor California gold rush Californium Calutron Carolwood Pacific Railroad Casablanca (film) Chains of Love (TV series) Charlie Chaplin Jessica Chastain Checkers speech Murray Chotiner Colorado River Cougar Cutthroat trout Death Valley National Park Leonardo DiCaprio Die Hard Walt Disney Disneyland Railroad Donner Party Dookie Dubnium Kirsten Dunst Henry Edwards (entomologist) Eisenhower dollar The Empire Strikes Back Fantasy Book Flight Unlimited II Flower Drum Song Fountain Fire Geology of the Lassen volcanic area Greed (1924 film) Jake Gyllenhaal Winfield Scott Hancock William Hanna Phil Hartman Heidi Game Hurricane Hilary Susanna Hoffs Hurricane Linda (1997) Interstate 8 Illustrated Daily News JC's Girls Janet Jackson Michael Jackson Jaws (film) Angelina Jolie Ted Kaczynski Kalākaua coinage Otto Klemperer Kona Lanes Sandy Koufax Franklin Knight Lane Brie Larson Ursula K. Le Guin Liberty Head double eagle Steve Lukather MLS Cup 2022 Mantra-Rock Dance Manzanar Billy Martin Metallica Bob Meusel Harvey Milk Mono–Inyo Craters Monroe Doctrine Centennial half dollar Marilyn Monroe Pierre Monteux Mulholland Drive (film) Nihonium Pat Nixon Richard Nixon No Way Out (2004) Christopher Nolan Ruth Norman Oganesson Gerard K. O'Neill J. Robert Oppenheimer Orel Hershiser's scoreless innings streak Panama–Pacific commemorative coins Jack Parsons George S. Patton Katy Perry Brad Pitt Plutonium Pomona College Port Chicago disaster R U Professional Rainbow trout Ronald Reagan Redwood National and State Parks Regents of the University of California v. Bakke Sally Ride Rockstar San Diego Hurricane Rosa (2018) Elias Abraham Rosenberg Bill Russell Saline Valley salt tram San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge half dollar Santa María de Óvila Mark Satin Schmerber v. California Seacology Sisters at Heart Tyler Skaggs Addie Viola Smith Ozzie Smith Liza Soberano Jo Stafford Stanford Memorial Church Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home Gwen Stefani Igor Stravinsky Edward Teller Temple Sinai (Oakland, California) Terminator 2: Judgment Day Thatgamecompany Thomcord Jozo Tomasevich Tool (band) Toys for Bob Tropic Thunder U.S. Route 101 United States v. Wong Kim Ark Jerry Voorhis Jack L. Warner History of the Yosemite area John Young (astronaut) Farran Zerbe Zodiac (film) Featured lists 1984 Summer Olympics medal table 1st Academy Awards 51st Academy Awards 52nd Academy Awards 53rd Academy Awards 54th Academy Awards 56th Academy Awards 58th Academy Awards 59th Academy Awards 60th Academy Awards 61st Academy Awards 62nd Academy Awards 63rd Academy Awards 64th Academy Awards 65th Academy Awards 66th Academy Awards 67th Academy Awards 68th Academy Awards 69th Academy Awards 70th Academy Awards 71st Academy Awards 72nd Academy Awards 73rd Academy Awards 74th Academy Awards 75th Academy Awards 76th Academy Awards 77th Academy Awards 78th Academy Awards 79th Academy Awards 80th Academy Awards 81st Academy Awards 82nd Academy Awards 83rd Academy Awards 84th Academy Awards 85th Academy Awards 86th Academy Awards 87th Academy Awards 88th Academy Awards 89th Academy Awards 90th Academy Awards 91st Academy Awards 92nd Academy Awards 93rd Academy Awards 94th Academy Awards 95th Academy Awards 96th Academy Awards List of California hurricanes List of governors of California List of California tornadoes Leo Carrillo on stage and screen List of Crystal Dynamics video games List of mergers and acquisitions by Gen Digital List of Golden State Warriors head coaches List of international goals scored by Landon Donovan List of acquisitions by Juniper Networks List of municipalities in California List of tallest buildings in San Diego List of 1960 Winter Olympics medal winners List of Arrested Development episodes List of Bay Area Rapid Transit stations List of Caltrain stations List of Chevron Championship winners List of Las Vegas Raiders head coaches List of Los Angeles Chargers head coaches List of Los Angeles Clippers seasons List of Los Angeles Metro Rail stations List of Muni Metro stations List of Oakland Athletics team records List of SacRT light rail stations List of San Diego Padres team records List of San Francisco 49ers head coaches List of San Francisco Giants Opening Day starting pitchers List of San Francisco Giants first-round draft picks List of San Francisco Giants managers List of San Francisco Municipal Railway lines List of San Jose Sharks players List of VTA light rail stations List of acquisitions by Adobe List of acquisitions by Cisco List of acquisitions by Electronic Arts List of acquisitions by eBay List of cities and towns in the San Francisco Bay Area List of mergers and acquisitions by Apple List of mergers and acquisitions by Yahoo List of tallest buildings in Los Angeles List of tallest buildings in Oakland, California List of tallest buildings in San Francisco Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame List of Los Angeles Angels first-round draft picks List of Los Angeles Dodgers first-round draft picks List of Los Angeles Lakers seasons Mayor of San Diego Mayor of San Francisco List of mergers and acquisitions by Alphabet List of milestone home runs by Barry Bonds List of Oakland Athletics first-round draft picks List of Pomona College people 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards List of San Diego Padres first-round draft picks A-Class articles 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment Featured topics Jake Gyllenhaal Featured portals Portal:California Portal:California roads Featured pictures File:1967 Mantra-Rock Dance Avalon poster.jpg File:2010 mavericks competition.jpg File:20070616 Chris Young visits Wrigley (4)-edit3.jpg File:Acorn woodpecker holding a nut in its beak-0225.jpg File:Agassiz statue Mwc00715.jpg File:Albert Bierstadt - Among the Sierra Nevada, California - Google Art Project.jpg File:Albino Alligator 2008.jpg File:Alcatraz03182006.jpg File:Alice Park - Records of the National Woman's Party.jpg File:Amboy (California, USA), Hist. Route 66 -- 2012 -- 1.jpg File:Ansel Adams and camera.jpg File:Beulah Ream Allen receiving the Medal of Freedom (1945).jpg File:Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus), Corte Madera.jpg File:Boats on Lake Oroville during the 2021 drought.jpg File:Bodie ghost town.jpg File:Border USA Mexico.jpg File:Brown pelican in flight (Bodega Bay).jpg File:Burned mobile home neighborhood in California edit.jpg File:Buteo jamaicensis in flight at Llano Seco-1520.jpg File:CA-84 Woodside April 2023 002.jpg File:CA Ground Squirrel on rock.jpg File:CID Array.jpg File:Cable Car No. 1 and Alcatraz Island.jpg File:California island Vinckeboons5.jpg File:California sea lion in La Jolla (70568).jpg File:California state coat of arms (illustrated, 1876).jpg File:CampanileMtTamalpiasSunset-original.jpg File:Cervus canadensis nannodes at Tomales Point.jpg File:Chemerinsky during Hyatt III sketch.jpg File:Christ's Entry into Brussels in 1889.jpg File:Crystal Mountains CA02.jpg File:Cynthia Woodhead 1980 - Restoration.jpg File:Deathvalleysky nps big.jpg File:Devastation in San Bruno.jpg File:Donner Lake as seen from Donner Pass.jpg File:Double-crested cormorant at Sutro Baths-6460.jpg File:Dungeness crab face closeup.jpg File:EdwardTeller1958 fewer smudges.jpg File:Egretta thula at Las Gallinas Wildlife Ponds.jpg File:Elephant seals fighting.jpg File:Eureka Inn, Entrance Hall.jpg File:European starling at Bodega Head-1209.jpg File:Fort Baker and Angel Island.jpg File:Fort Mason Center and Downtown San Francisco.jpg File:GGB reflection in raindrops.jpg File:GREIDER Carol 2014 - Less vignetting.jpg File:Gateway Generating Station rectified.jpg File:Giant Marbles in Joshua Tree National Park.jpg File:GoldenGateBridge BakerBeach MC.jpg File:Grauman's Chinese Theatre, by Carol Highsmith fixed & straightened.jpg File:Greater Yellowlegs2.jpg File:Greater white-fronted goose in flight-1045.jpg File:Gull ca usa.jpg File:Hawk eating prey.jpg File:Heinrich Berann NPS Panorama of Yosemite without labels.jpg File:Hotel Del c1900b.jpg File:Igor Stravinsky LOC 32392u.jpg File:Jane Russell in The Outlaw.jpg File:JetBlue292Landing.jpg File:Jfader dryden.jpg File:JohnShea.jpg File:Joshua tree keys view pano more vertical.jpg File:Juvenile pelecanus occidentalis in flight.jpg File:Kobe Bryant 7144 adjusted.jpg File:LAPD Bell 206 Jetranger.jpg File:LagunaBeachCA photo D Ramey Logan.JPG File:Lange-MigrantMother02.jpg File:Langechildren2.jpg File:Lansdowne Herakles Getty Museum.jpg File:Line scan photo of nine car BART C1 train in 2017.jpg File:Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.jpg File:Los Angeles Pollution.jpg File:Los angeles from getty panorama.jpg File:LutraCanadensis fullres.jpg File:Male northern pintail at Llano Seco.jpg File:Male wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) strutting.jpg File:Map of Cathedral Peak Granodiorite.svg File:Marilyn Monroe photo pose Seven Year Itch.jpg File:Mary Pickford cph.3c17995u.jpg File:McClure Tunnel west.jpg File:Mission Santa Clara.jpg File:Mono lake tufa.JPG File:Mudpot at Lassen Volcanic National Park in August 2019.webm File:NPG 2010 112 Lucia Chamberlain by Zaida Ben-Yusuf.jpg File:Official Portrait of President Reagan 1981.jpg File:Oppenheimer (cropped).jpg File:Palace of Fine Arts (16794p).jpg File:Parlos Verdes Light House Aug 2012.JPG File:Pelecanus erythrorhynchos at Las Gallinas Wildlife Ponds.jpg File:Photograph of Members of the Mochida Family Awaiting Evacuation - NARA - 537505 - Restoration.jpg File:Pigeon Point Lighthouse (2016).jpg File:Pioneertown california saloon and bath house.jpg File:Point Arena Lighthouse, Mendocino County.jpg File:Point Reyes Lighthouse (April 2012).jpg File:Post-and-Grant-Avenue-Look.jpg File:Pyrosoma atlanticum (12256).jpg File:Randy's donuts1 edit1.jpg File:RiP2013 GreenDay Mike Dirnt 0002.JPG File:Ronald Reagan with cowboy hat 12-0071M edit.jpg File:Rosalind Goodrich Bates (1931).jpg File:Russian chapel at Fort Ross (2016).jpg File:Sacramento,-California---State-Capitol.jpg File:Saint Teresa of Avila Church, Bodega (2023)-L1003432.jpg File:Sally Ride (1984).jpg File:San Francisco City Hall as seen from 100 Van Ness at dusk (wide).jpg File:San Francisco International Airport at night.jpg File:San Francisco in ruin edit2.jpg File:San gorgonio pass wind farm california pano.jpg File:SanFrancisco1851a.jpg File:SanFranciscoharbor1851c sharp.jpg File:Sea otter nursing02.jpg File:Seaborg in lab - restoration.jpg File:Sfearthquake3b.jpg File:Sharon Tate Valley of the Dolls 1967 - Restoration.jpg File:Shasta dam under construction new edit.jpg File:Sonoma chipmunk at Samuel P. Taylor State Park.jpg File:Spanish shawl.JPG File:Steve Jobs and Macintosh computer, January 1984, by Bernard Gotfryd - edited.jpg File:Strip photo of San Francisco Cable Car 10.jpg File:Surfer in california 2.JPG File:Tower Bridge Sacramento edit.jpg File:Tracy Caldwell Dyson in Cupola ISS.jpg File:US-NBN-CA-Oakland-2248-1870-10-388-B.jpg File:US-NBN-CA-Petaluma-2193-1870-100-209-A.jpg File:US-NBN-CA-San Francisco-1741-1870-5-6758-B.jpg File:US-NBN-CA-San Francisco-1741-1870-20-2772-C.jpg File:US-NBN-CA-San Francisco-1741-1870-50-1616-A.jpg File:USA Lassen NP Kings Creek CA edit3.jpg File:Vernal Falls Rainbow.jpg File:Victor Adam after Louis Choris - Vue du Presidio san Francisco, 1822.jpg File:Vineyards of Napa Valley panorama.jpg File:Walt Disney Concert Hall, LA, CA, jjron 22.03.2012.jpg File:Waxman during Hyatt III sketch.jpg File:World War II woman aircraft worker, Vega Aircraft Corporation, Burbank, California 1942.jpg State facts 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: Insect: California Dogface Butterfly Bird: California Valley Quail Fossil: Saber-toothed cat Dance: West Coast Swing Colors: Blue & Gold Animal: California Grizzly Bear Flower: California Poppy Gem: Benitoite Rock: Serpentine Fish: California Golden Trout Songs: I Love You, California Tree: California Redwood Mineral: Gold Related WikiProjects Related WikiProjects Main Project California Sub-projects Southern California • Los Angeles • San Francisco Bay Area • Santa Barbara County • California State Highways • California County Routes • University of California • California State University Subportals Related portals Things you can do Things you can do Create Requested California Articles Help assess articles supported by WikiProject California Help suggest content for usage in this portal by using the archive links to obtain instructions Write California-related topics if you see a redlink which is worthy of an article Cleanup and expand stub-class articles relating to California Associated Wikimedia The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject: Commons Free media repository Wikibooks Free textbooks and manuals Wikidata Free knowledge base Wikinews Free-content news Wikiquote Collection of quotations Wikisource Free-content library Wikiversity Free learning tools Wikivoyage Free travel guide Wiktionary Dictionary and thesaurus More portals Discover Wikipedia using portals List of all portals The arts portal Biography portal Current events portal Geography portal History portal Mathematics portal Science portal Society portal Technology portal Random portal WikiProject Portals Shortcuts to this page: P:CALIFORNIA • P:CAL