California: A Historical Timeline
PRIOR TO 1600 CE PRE-EUROPEAN 25,000– 10,000 BCE People of northeast Asia follow herds of caribou, bison, and mammoth across the Bering Land Bridge and into the American continents. 2,000 BCE Large coastal villages are inhabited, with fewer people in the interior and islands. 200– 500 CE A continental drought leads to wide migration. The Tongvas move west from the Mojave desert to settle in the Los Angeles basin. 458 Chinese records mention the explorer Hui Shan, who sails the Pacific and may have reached the California coast. Hui notes seeing tall trees made of red wood on his journeys. 1500 The population of the area now known as California stands at more than 300,000 Native Americans. 1520–1668 EARLY EUROPEAN EXPLORATION 1542 Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo sails up the coast of California, stepping onshore at the present-day harbor of San Diego. He claims Catalina Island, off the coast of present-day Long Beach, for Spain. 1545 A typhus epidemic kills hundreds of thousands of Native Americans in Cuba and New Spain (which contains present-day California), one of the first of a series of European disease outbreaks that ravage native populations. 1579 Sir Francis Drake lands north of the San Francisco Bay and claims the territory for England. He then leaves, crossing the Pacific Ocean. 1669–1799 CONTINUED EXPLORATION AND SETTLEMENT 1769 Spain separates the Dominican missions from Franciscan missions, and Alta California (Upper California) is formed. California is now separated into two parts: Alta (sometimes referred to as "New") California, and Baja ("Lower," or sometimes "Old") California. The territory includes what is now the state of California and parts of Nevada. The first Alta California mission is founded in San Diego by Padre Junipero Serra. Father Serra continues to establish 21 missions along a 650-mile trail, the El Camino Real, from San Diego to Sonoma. 1775–76 Juan Bautista de Anza leads 198 colonists and 1,000 cattle to California from Sonora, Mexico. 1777 The Acagchemem Native American tribe builds a small adobe church at Mission San Juan Capistrano. Today it is the oldest building still in use in California. A bell tower is completed in 1791. 1800–1848 AN EMERGING CALIFORNIA 1810-13 Boston-based whalers kill an estimated 150,00 fur seals on the Farallon Islands, 28 miles west of San Francisco. Russian hunters follow and occupy the islands for 25 years, during which they wipe out the remaining fur seal population. Fur seals will not begin to return to the area until around 1977;  the first pup is born in 1996. 1816 Thomas W. Doak, a sailor from Boston, jumps ship and becomes the first American to settle in California. 1821–46 Mexico wins its independence from Spain, and California passes from Spanish to Mexican rule; Mexico rules over California with a series of 12 governors for more than 20 years. 1823 Mission San Francisco de Solano de Sonoma is the last of the 21 California missions founded to convert Native Americans and develop local resources. The mission is established by Father Jose Altimira, who plants the first grapevines in the area with Spanish explorer Francisco Castro. Two years later Franciscan missionaries will open vineyards in the area to make sacramental wine. Now known as Napa after the native tribe who inhabited the region, the area will one day become world famous for its wine. 1826 Jedediah Smith leads an expedition across the Mohave desert and San Bernadino Mountains to San Diego. These are the first known whites to cross the southwestern part of the continent. 1838 A smallpox epidemic north of San Francisco kills over 60,000 Native Americans. 1839 Captain John Sutter arrives in California and convinces the Mexican governor to grant him lands on the Sacramento River. He establishes a sawmill, now known as Sutter's Mill, on a hill in Coloma in 1841. 1841 (May 1) The first wagon train leaves Independence, Missouri for California. 1845 The California Missions are sold at public auction. Don Juan Forster, the brother-in-law of the Mexican governor of California, buys Mission San Juan Capistrano for $710. 1846 (May 13) Under President James Polk, the U.S. declares war against Mexico. During the Mexican-American war, 25,000 Mexicans and 12,000 Americans lose their lives in the 17 months of violence. (June 14) Americans in Northern California rebel against Mexican authorities in the Bear Flag Revolt, proclaiming California a republic. (July 7) Commodore John Sloat claims California for the United States. (October 31) Heavy snows trap the Donner party in the eastern Sierras near present-day Truckee. After several weeks in the mountains, in desperation, 10 men and five women leave on snowshoes to cross the Sierra Nevada Mountains. All five women and two of the men survive. When rescuers finally reach the party in mid-February, all but one of the dead has been eaten by the surviving members. Under the command of John C. Fremont, U.S. Army forces attack the Maidu Native American villages along the Sacramento River. 1848 (January 24) While inspecting the construction of Sutter's Mill near Coloma, Carpenter James Marshall discovers a gold nugget. Marshall, Sutter, and their workers try to keep the discovery secret, but gold-seekers quickly pour into California. This event kicks off the famous California Gold Rush of 1849. Three hundred thousand men, women, and children soon arrive from around the world, transforming San Francisco into a boomtown and leading to the development of state infrastructure and wide-scale agricultural development. (February 2) The Treaty of Guadeloupe makes California a U.S. holding, ending the Mexican-American War. Mexico cedes one-third of its territory, including Alta California, to the U.S. in return for $15 million, and agrees to the Rio Grande as the boundary between Texas and Mexico. 1849–1899 THE GOLD RUSH AND IMMIGRATION 1849 (October 13) Voters approve the state constitution, which is written in both English and Spanish and prohibits slavery. California asks to be admitted into the Union as a free state. 1850 (September 9) California becomes the 31st state admitted to the Union. Congress hesitates to admit a new free state, but grants admission due to California's booming population and the discovery of gold. California passes laws that allow the enslavement of Native Americans up to the age of 30 for males and 25 for females. A cholera epidemic kills 10 percent of the population of Sacramento, 15 percent in San Jose. 1851 California Governor Peter Burnette asserts that, unless California's Native Americans are exiled east of the Sierra Nevada mountains, "a war of extermination would continue to be waged until the Indian race should become extinct." By 1851, fewer than 100,000 Native Americans remain in California. 1852 More than 20,000 Chinese immigrants arrive in the U.S, fleeing floods, droughts, famine, and revolution. 1853 Built to house a mere 50 inmates, the state prison at San Quentin is completed. It is today the oldest operating prison in the state, housing 5,000 inmates. Based in San Francisco, Levi Strauss and Company begins peddling "tough" denim pants to California gold miners at $13.50 a dozen. A century later, jeans will become the uniform of the American teenager and make an indelible mark on American popular culture. 1858 California passes a law that bans the immigration of Chinese and "Mongolians." 1859 President James Buchanan signs a letter that confirms the return of California mission properties to the Catholic Church. 1860 The U.S. Pony Express begins when one horse and rider carries a mail pouch from Sacramento to St. Joseph, Missouri in 10.5 days. However, the system fails after 18 months due to competition from the telegraph. 1861 The Civil War. Because of its location, California plays a relatively minor role. Fighting on the side of the Union, it sends gold east to help in the war effort, recruits volunteer combat units, and builds and maintains several camps and forts, securing the New Mexico territory against the Confederacy. The war delays the construction of the state capitol in Sacramento. 1861 Leland Stanford, Charles Crocker, Mark Hopkins, and Collis Huntington found the Central Pacific Railroad, which heads east from Sacramento. 1862 California imposes a "police tax" ($2.50 per month) on every Chinese person in the state. 1865 The worst steamship disaster in the U.S. occurs off the coast of Northern California near Crescent City when 221 people die after the ship is grounded. The steamship is en route to Puget Sound and carries $2 million in gold. In the 1990s, divers will recover 1,207 gold coins. 1867 Two thousand Chinese railroad workers strike, demanding wages, an end to whippings, and a limit of eight hours a day spent in hot tunnels. Charles Crocker cuts off the strikers' food supply and threatens to fire them; the strike collapses after a week. 1870 California prohibits the immigration of Chinese, Japanese, and Mongolian women for purposes of prostitution. 1872–73 The Modoc War, an armed conflict between the Native American tribe and the U.S. Army, begins when, at Lava Beds National Monument in Northern California's Siskiyou County, 52 Modoc warriors hold off over 1,000 U.S. troops for five months. It marks the last of the Indian Wars in both California and Oregon. 1878 California senator A.A. Sargeant introduces the first federal amendment to grant women the right to vote. 1882 Strong anti-Chinese feelings in the West lead to the federal Chinese Exclusion Act, which bans Chinese immigration of laborers for ten years. It is renewed two more times, in 1892 and 1902, and finally repealed in 1943. 1886 California orange growers ship their first trainload of fruit from Los Angeles. Today the state's orange production is second only to Florida's. 1890 With the efforts of conservationist John Muir and Century magazine editor Robert Underwood Johnson, Congress establishes Yosemite National Park, which is run by the U.S. Army until 1916. Today, more than 3.5 million people visit the park annually. 1892 One hundred eighty-two charter members found the environmental conservation non-profit Sierra Club, with naturalist John Muir as president. In its first conservation effort, it leads a campaign to defeat a proposed reduction in the boundaries of Yosemite National Park. In the 21st century, it will remain one of the most powerful conservation groups in the United States. 1896 The California suffrage amendment is defeated statewide, although it does pass in Los Angeles. 1900–1929 EARLY 20TH CENTURY 1906 At 5:12a.m. an earthquake measuring roughly 8.2 on the Richter scale rocks the Bay Area, destroying 28,000 buildings in San Francisco and leveling 498 blocks. More than 3,000 are killed, and one quarter of the city is burned in the resulting inferno. As a result, over the next century the West Coast center of trade, industry, and population growth will move from San Francisco to Los Angeles. 1910 The Bay Area's Angel Island opens. For the next 30 years it will serve as a point entry for U.S. immigrants and a prison for hundreds of Chinese immigrants who are denied entry. 1911 California passes an amendment giving women the right to vote. It is the sixth state to pass a suffrage law. 1913 (May 19) California's Webb Alien Land-Holding Bill, which forbids Japanese immigrants from owning land, is signed. 1914 (May 22) Mount Lassen in the Shasta Cascade region erupts, raining ash as far away as 200 miles eastward. It continues to send up volcanic debris through 1921. 1919 (November 1) California ratifies the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. Newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst begins construction of his 150-room mansion at San Simeon along the Monterey coast. It will become known as Hearst Castle. Construction will continue until 1947, four years before Hearst's death. Ten years later the Hearst Corporation will donate the property to the state of California, and it will become a major tourist attraction. 1920 Walter Knott rents a berry patch in Buena Park that he turns into a family attraction called Knott's Berry Place. The farm will later develop the "boysenberry," naming it after a superintendent who crossed blackberry, raspberry, and loganberry plants. 1923 The 450-foot long, 45-foot tall "Hollywoodland" sign is built on Mount Lee as a promotion for the Hollywoodland subdivision. In 1949 the "land" will be dropped; the sign will become a historical monument in 1973. 1930–1949 THE GREAT DEPRESSION AND WORLD WAR II 1934 (August 11) The U.S. government opens a maximum-security prison on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. The facility,  used since 1859 as a military prison, is redesigned as a penitentiary for the "most dangerous" prisoners. Known as "The Rock," it develops a notorious reputation for inmate prison conditions and inspires numerous storied escape attempts. The prison will close in 1963 and later open its doors to tourists. 1937 (May 27) The Golden Gate Bridge linking San Francisco with Marin County to the north is completed. The world's longest suspension bridge at the time, it will become known the world over as one of the most well-known, iconic symbols of California. 1942 The first Hewlett-Packard factory is built in what's now known as Silicon Valley, the epicenter of the high-tech boom of the coming decades. 1950–PRESENT MODERN CALIFORNIA 1954 Walt Disney announces plans to build a $9 million theme park on 160 acres in Orange County. Disneyland opens the following year. 1964–65 Free Speech movement, Berkeley. Students insist the University of California at Berkeley lift a ban on campus political activities and acknowledge students' rights to free speech and academic freedom. 1965 Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton found the Black Panther Party in Oakland to rally for the protection of African-American neighborhoods from police brutality. The organization will remain active in the Black Power movement into the 1970s. 1978 San Francisco mayor George Moscone and city supervisor and gay rights activist Harvey Milk are shot and killed by former Supervisor Dan White in City Hall. A jury later convicts White of manslaughter, not murder, in part due to the infamous "Twinkie defense," which argues that White's depressive state caused him to go from being health-conscious to consuming junk food. The nickname becomes an epithet used to describe any improbable judicial defense. 1989 During the warm-up for the third game of the 1989 World Series, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake hits the Bay Area along the San Andreas Fault. Portions of the Nimitz Freeway and Bay Bridge collapse, killing 43 people. 1992 Race riots erupt in Los Angeles when a jury acquits four police officers of the videotaped beating of African-American Rodney King. Thousands of people riot over six days, leading to damages of $1 billion.  California becomes the first state to elect two women to the U.S. Senate, Democrats Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein. 2000 The California electricity crisis, a result of deregulation, causes rolling blackouts and "brownouts" across the state. 2003 (October 7) California's first-ever gubernatorial recall election results in Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger being elected governor, ousting incumbent Democrat Gray Davis.
	Click to enlarge an image 25,000 BCE: Replica of Mammoth 1542: Catalina Island 1579: Sir Francis Drake 1776: Present-day coat of arms of Sonora, Mexico 1777: Distribution of Native American languages near Mission San Juan Capistrano 1777: Mission San Juan Capistrano during a neglected period. The mission has since been restored. 1813: The Farallon Islands, now a wildlife refuge 1821: Mission Santa Cruz 1823: Mission San Francisco de Solano de Sonoma 1826: Jedediah Smith 1839: Captain John Sutter 1839: Sutter's Mill 1846: Standard of the Bear Flag Revolt 1846: Donner Pass 1851: Governor Peter Burnette 1852: Chinese Railroad Laborers 1859: Member Certificate of the Sam Yup Association 1872: Aftermath of the Modoc War 1890: El Capitan in Yosemite National Park 1890: John Muir 1915: Mt. Lassen Eruption 1910: Map of Angel Island for visitors to the present-day state park 1919: The Neptune Pool, one of many architectural marvels at Hearst Castle 1923: Hollywoodland Sign after "land" is removed from the end 1937: Golden Gate Bridge 1942: Hewlett-Packard's starting place, a garage in the orchard-filled Santa Clara Valley  1987: San Francisco Mayor George Moscone 2003: Schwarzenegger with his wife, Maria Shriver

California State Flag: History, Design, Trivia
DATE FIRST USED   California State Flag June 14, 1846 (officially adopted 1911)  NICKNAME(S) The Bear Flag DESIGN ELEMENTS A white field with a red, five-pointed star in the canton and a brown grizzly bear facing toward the hoist side with all four paws on a green grass plot and head and eye turned slightly toward the observer; a red stripe forms the length of the flag at the bottom, and between the grass plot and the red stripe appear the words "California Republic" in upper-case letters. Symbols: A California grizzly bear and a single red, five-pointed star. The bear symbolizes strength and unyielding resistance; the star was a reference to the California Lone Star flag, which itself referenced the lone star on the flag of the Texas Republic. Colors: White, red, light brown, dark brown, and green. Proportions:  The size of the bear is 2/3 the size of the hoist width.The hoist or flag width is two-thirds of the fly or flag length; the red stripe width is one-sixth of the hoist width. The height of the condensed gothic letters, as shown on the representation, is one-half of the red stripe width and they occupy a lineal space of two-thirds of the fly length with the beginning and ending letters of the words equidistant from the fly ends. Variations: None HISTORY The use of the word "Republic" on the Golden State's flag may seem curious, but review California's contentious history and the reasons behind it become immediately clear. California had been part of Mexico since Mexican independence in 1821, as the department of Alta California (it was previously under the control of Spain). In 1836, rebels captured Monterey and declared California "a free and sovereign state." While this rebellion against Mexico ultimately failed, it did inspire the design of California's first flag, The Lone Star Flag. This design featured a single red star on a white background, and was inspired by the flag of the Texas Republic. The exact creation date of the Bear Flag is unclear. William L. Todd, a nephew of Abraham Lincoln's wife, Mary Todd, designed the first Bear Flag, and U. S. Naval Lieutenant John Missroon reported the flag's existence as of June 17, 1846. In a 1878 letter, Todd states that the star was drawn using blackberry juice and was an homage to the California Lone Star Flag. On June 14, 1846, a small band of settlers marched on the Mexican garrison at Sonoma and issued a proclamation, declaring California to be a republic independent of Mexico. This uprising became known as the Bear Flag Revolt. The flag only flew until July 9, 1846, when it was learned that Mexico and the United States were already at war (see Legends, Controversies, and Trivia section below). Soon after, the Bear Flag was replaced with the American Stars and Stripes. The State Legislature finally adopted the Bear Flag as the official state flag in 1911. PROPER USES Within the state of California, the Bear Flag should occupy a position of honor when displayed (except in the instance when it is displayed along with the United States flag). It should be raised briskly and lowered slowly. It is customary to only display the flag from sunrise to sunset. If displayed at night, it should be illuminated. The flag should not be carried flat or horizontally, and should always be attached to a staff. The flag should never be used to cover a display, speaker's desk, or platform. When displayed alongside the U.S. flag from a separate flagpole, both flags should be of equal size and the flagpoles of equal length. The U.S. flag should be raised first and lowered last. The Bear Flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as will permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.  LEGENDS, CONTROVERSIES, AND TRIVIA On July 9, 1846, Navy Lt. Joseph Warren Revere arrived in Sonoma and lowered the Bear Flag, replacing it with the Stars and Stripes. This flag was given to young John E. Montgomery (who would later write in a letter to his mother "Cuffy [the bear] came down growling.") In 1848, Montgomery returned with the U.S.S. Portsmouth to the East Coast, bringing the historic flag with him. In 1855 it was returned to California, gifted to California's two senators at the time, John B. Weller and William M. Gwin. The Bear Flag was donated to the Society of California Pioneers on September 8, 1855, and was preserved at the Society's Pioneer Halls in San Francisco until it was destroyed on April 18, 1906, in the fires that followed the great San Francisco earthquake. Today, a replica hangs on display in the Sonoma Barracks, or El Presidio de Sonoma. There is also a statue in the plaza of Sonoma, California, commemorating the raising of the flag, the Bear Flag Monument. The bear that inspired the design of California's current Bear Flag was modeled on the last wild California Grizzly Bear in captivity, named Monarch. It was captured at Samhain by reporter Allen Kelley at the behest of California newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst and subsequently moved to Woodward's Gardens in San Francisco. After Monarch's death in 1911, the bear was preserved at the California Academy of Sciences at Golden Gate Park.

California state Energy Profile
	QUICK FACTS California ranks third in the nation in refining capacity and its refineries are among the most sophisticated in the world. California’s per capita energy consumption is low, in part due to mild weather that reduces energy demand for heating and cooling. California leads the nation in electricity generation from nonhydroelectric renewable energy sources, including geothermal power, wind power, fuel wood, landfill gas, and solar power. California is also a leading generator of hydroelectric power. California imports more electricity from other states than any other state. In 2000 and 2001, California suffered an energy crisis characterized by electricity price instability and four major blackouts affecting millions of customers. Two solar power plants are proposed for central California, covering 12.5 square miles and generating as much as 800 megawatts of power.
RESOURCES AND CONSUMPTION California is rich in both conventional and renewable energy resources. It has large crude oil and substantial natural gas deposits in six geological basins, located in the Central Valley and along the Pacific coast. Most of those reserves are concentrated in the southern San Joaquin Basin. Seventeen of the nation’s 100 largest oil fields are located in California, including the Belridge South oil field, the third largest oil field in the contiguous United States. In addition, Federal assessments indicate that large undiscovered deposits of recoverable oil and gas lie offshore in the federally administered Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), which in 2008 was reopened for potential oil and gas leasing. California’s renewable energy potential is extensive. The state’s hydroelectric power potential ranks second in the nation behind Washington state, and substantial geothermal and wind power resources are found along the coastal mountain ranges and the eastern border with Nevada. High solar energy potential is found in southeastern California’s sunny deserts. California is the most populous state in the nation and its total energy demand is second only to Texas. Although California is a leader in the energy-intensive chemical, forest products, glass, and petroleum industries, the state has one of the lowest per capita energy consumption rates in the country. The California government’s energy-efficiency programs have contributed to the low per capita energy consumption. Driven by high demand from California’s many motorists, major airports, and military bases, the transportation sector is the state’s largest energy consumer. More motor vehicles are registered in California than any other state, and worker commute times are among the longest in the country. PETROLEUM California is one of the top producers of crude oil in the nation, with output accounting for more than one-tenth of total U.S. production. Drilling operations are concentrated primarily in Kern County and the Los Angeles basin, although substantial production also takes place offshore in both state and Federal waters. Concerns regarding the cumulative impacts of offshore oil and gas development, combined with a number of major marine oil spills throughout the world in recent years, have led to a permanent moratorium on offshore oil and gas leasing in California waters. However, development on existing state leases is not affected and may still occur within offshore areas leased prior to the effective date of the moratorium. A moratorium on oil and gas leasing in Federal OCS waters expired in 2008. A network of crude oil pipelines connects production areas to refining centers in the Los Angeles area, the San Francisco Bay area, and the Central Valley. California refiners also process large volumes of Alaskan and foreign crude oil received at ports in Los Angeles, Long Beach, and the Bay Area. Crude oil production in California and Alaska is in decline and California refineries have become increasingly dependent on foreign imports. Led by Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Ecuador, foreign suppliers now provide more than two-fifths of the crude oil refined in California; however, California’s dependence on foreign oil remains less than the national average. California ranks third in the United States in petroleum refining capacity and accounts for more than one-tenth of total U.S. capacity. California’s largest refineries are highly sophisticated and are capable of processing a wide variety of crude oil types and are designed to yield a high percentage of light products like motor gasoline. To meet strict Federal and state environmental regulations, California refineries are configured to produce cleaner fuels, including reformulated motor gasoline and low-sulfur diesel. Most California motorists are required to use a special motor gasoline blend called California Clean Burning Gasoline (CA CBG). In the ozone non-attainment areas of Imperial County and the Los Angeles metropolitan area, motorists are required to use California Oxygenated Clean Burning Gasoline. There are five ethanol production plants in central and southern California, but most of California’s ethanol supply is transported by rail from corn-based producers in the Midwest. Some supply is also imported from abroad. Due to the relative isolation and specific requirements of the California fuel market, California motorists are particularly vulnerable to short-term spikes in the price of motor gasoline. No pipelines connect California to other major U.S. refining centers, and California refineries often operate at near maximum capacity due to high demand for petroleum products. When an unplanned refinery outage occurs, replacement supplies must be brought in via marine tanker. Locating and transporting this replacement gasoline (which must conform to the state’s strict fuel requirements) can take from two to six weeks. NATURAL GAS California natural gas production typically accounts for less than 2 percent of total U.S. production and satisfies less than one-fifth of state demand. Production takes place in basins located in northern and southern California, as well as offshore in the Pacific Ocean. As with crude oil production, California natural gas production is in decline. However, state supply has remained relatively stable due to increases in net receipts from pipelines that supply California with natural gas produced in the Rocky Mountains, the Southwest, and western Canada. California markets are served by two key natural gas trading centers—the Golden Gate Center in northern California and the California Energy Hub in southern California—and the state has a dozen natural gas storage facilities that help stabilize supply. In part to help meet California’s demand for natural gas, an offshore LNG import terminal in southern California has been proposed to the Maritime Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard. If approved, this terminal could import up to 1.4 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day. Two additional potential southern Californian LNG import facility sites have been identified by project sponsors. COAL, ELECTRICITY, AND RENEWABLES Natural gas-fired power plants typically account for about one-half of state electricity generation. California is one of the largest hydroelectric power producers in the United States, and with adequate rainfall, hydroelectric power typically accounts for close to one-fifth of state electricity generation. California’s two nuclear power plants account for about 17 percent of total generation. Due to strict emission laws, only a few small coal-fired power plants operate in California. California leads the nation in electricity generation from nonhydroelectric renewable energy sources. California generates electricity using wind, geothermal, solar, fuel wood, and municipal solid waste/landfill gas resources. California is the top producer of geothermal energy in the nation with over 2,500 megawatts of capacity. A facility known as "The Geysers," located in the Mayacamas Mountains north of San Francisco, is the largest complex of geothermal power plants in the world, with more than 700 megawatts of installed capacity. California is also a leading producer of wind energy and holds nearly 10 percent of the nation’s capacity. The world’s largest solar power facility operates in California’s Mojave Desert. Two new solar power plants have been proposed for central California, and would cover 12.5 square miles and generate as much as 800 megawatts of power. Both plants still require numerous permits, but if approved, they would generate more than 12 times as much electricity as the Mojave Desert plant. To further boost renewable energy use, California’s Energy Action Plan includes incentives that encourage Californians to install solar power systems on their rooftops. Due to high electricity demand, California imports more electricity than any other state. States in the Pacific Northwest deliver power to California markets primarily from hydroelectric sources, while states in the desert southwest deliver power primarily from coal-fired sources. Hydroelectric power comes to California primarily through the Western USA interconnection, which runs from northern Oregon to southern California. The system, also known as the Pacific Intertie, is the largest single electricity transmission program in the United states. Although the Pacific Intertie was originally designed to transmit electricity south during California’s peak summer demand season, flow is sometimes reversed overnight and has occasionally been reversed during periods of reduced hydroelectric generation in the Northwest. California restricts the use of coal-fired generation within its boundaries. However, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) operates the coal-fired Intermountain power plant in Utah, which delivers almost all of its output to LADWP and other California municipal utilities. A recent California law forbids utilities from entering into long-term contracts with conventional coal-fired power producers. Intermountain’s existing contracts with southern California cities are set to expire in 2027. In 2000 and 2001, California suffered an energy crisis characterized by electricity price instability and four major blackouts and caused by a supply and demand imbalance. Multiple factors contributed to this imbalance, including: a heavy dependence on out-of-state electricity providers, drought conditions in the northwest that reduced hydroelectric power generation, a rupture on a major natural gas pipeline supplying California power plants, strong economic growth leading to increased electricity demand in western states, an increase in unplanned power plant outages, and unusually high temperatures that increased electricity demand for air-conditioning and other cooling uses. Following the energy crisis, the California state government created an Energy Action Plan designed to eliminate outages and excessive price spikes. To achieve these goals, the plan calls for optimizing energy conservation, building sufficient new generation facilities, upgrading and expanding the electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure, and ensuring that generation facilities can quickly come online when needed. In 2006, California amended its renewable portfolio standard to require investor-owned utilities, electric service providers, small and multi-jurisdictional utilities, and community choice aggregators to provide at least 20 percent of retail sales from renewable sources by the end of 2010 and 33 percent by the end of 2020. California has also adopted other policies to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy, including energy standards for public buildings, power source disclosure requirements for utilities, and net metering.

Middle School Snapshot State Reports Science Report for California Middle Schools Grade 4 Science Report (PDF) Grade 8 Science Report (PDF) Reading Report for California Middle Schools Grade 4 Reading Report (PDF) Grade 8 Reading Report (PDF) Mathematics Report for California Middle Schools Grade 4 Math Report (PDF) Grade 8 Math Report (PDF) Writing Report for California Middle Schools Grade 4 Writing Report (PDF) Grade 8 Writing Report (PDF) MIDDLE SCHOOL SNAPSHOT STATE REPORTS These Snapshot State Reports summarize the state's performance in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in science, reading, mathematics, and writing for grades 4 and 8. Select a grade and subject to see a PDF of the report. Achievement and Trends Each snapshot begins with a graph and summary comparing the most recent state results to the nation’s results and to earlier state results. The graph illustrates the proportion of students who performed at four levels: below basic, basic, proficient, and advanced. The graph thus allows a quick impression of performance trends in the state. The writing, reading, and science snapshots graph the performance of students at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles over the past decade. Science Fourth and Eighth grade assessments were conducted in 2009, covering Earth, Physical and Life Sciences and evaluating students’ aptitude for conceptual understanding, scientific investigation, and practical reasoning. In the center of the page, a graph breaks down the most recent scores by gender, ethnicity, and eligibility for subsidized school lunch. An analysis of these results appears beneath on the left. Reading For both 4th and 8th grades, results are available for assessments between 1998 and 2009. For both grades, the assessment measured students’ ability in reading for literary experience and to gain information; the 8th grade assessment also rated ability in reading to perform a task. In the center of the page, a graph breaks down the 2009 scores by gender, ethnicity, and eligibility for subsidized school lunch. An analysis summarizing these data is given beneath on the left. Mathematics Results for both 4th and 8th grades are given for eight assessments over nearly two decades, the most recent assessment being from 2009. The assessment evaluated students’ understanding of mathematics concepts and their ability to apply mathematics to everyday situations. Students demonstrated their knowledge of these critical skills by responding to questions about number properties and operations, measurement, geometry, data analysis and probability, and algebra. This snapshot is organized differently from those for reading, writing, and science; a map illustrates the state’s rank, with higher-scoring states in green and lower-scoring states in red. Writing For 8th grade, assessments were conducted in 1998, 2002, and 2007; the most recent 4th-grade assessment was in 2002. The assessments were designed to measure students’ ability to write for a variety of purposes: narrative, informative, and persuasive. Students were prompted with a variety of tasks, such as writing a letter to the editor of a newspaper, offering advice to younger students, reporting to a school committee, and writing a story based on a poem. Since only one year has been assessed, there is no comparison of previous years; rather, a chart shows the raw scores out of a possible 300 for students at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile ranks. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education's National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

National Landmarks in California
Following is an alphabetical list of all National Historic Landmarks in California. Click on the TITLE to display photos and descriptions of these landmarks.
	AHWAHNEE, THE City:       Yosemite National Park County:  Mariposa Type:     Domestic - hotel
	ALCATRAZ ISLAND City:       San Francisco County:  San Francisco Type:     Defense - fortification
	ALMA (SCOW) City:       San Francisco County:  San Francisco Type:     Transportation - water -related
	ANGELUS TEMPLE City:       Los Angeles County:  Los Angeles Type:     Religious facility
	ANZA, JUAN DE, HOUSE City:       San Juan Bautista County:  San Benito Type:     Domestic - single dwelling
	AQUATIC PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT City:       San Francisco County:  San Francisco Type:     Recreation & Culture - sports facility
	ASILOMAR CONFERENCE GROUNDS City:       Pacific Grove County:  Monterey Type:     Domestic - camp
	BALBOA PARK City:       San Diego County:  San Diego Type:     Recreation & Culture - fair, amusement park
	BALCLUTHA City:       San Francisco County:  San Francisco Type:     Transportation - water -related
	BANK OF ITALY BUILDING City:       San Francisco County:  San Francisco Type:     Historic District: Historical
	BERKELEY (FERRY) City:       San Diego County:  San Diego Type:     Transportation - water -related
	BIG FOUR HOUSE City:       Sacramento County:  Sacramento Type:     Commerce/Trade - business
	BODIE HISTORIC DISTRICT City:       Bridgeport County:  Mono Type:     Historic District: Historical
	BRADBURY BUILDING City:       Los Angeles County:  Los Angeles Type:     Commerce/Trade - business
	C.A. THAYER (SCHOONER) City:       San Francisco County:  San Francisco Type:     Transportation - water -related
	CASTRO, JOSE, HOUSE City:       San Juan Bautista County:  San Benito Type:     Domestic - single dwelling
	COLOMA City:       Placerville County:  El Dorado Type:     Historic District: Historical
	COLUMBIA HISTORIC DISTRICT City:       Sonora County:  Tuolumne Type:     Historic District: Historical
	COMMANDER'S HOUSE, FORT ROSS City:       Jenner County:  Sonoma Type:     Domestic - single dwelling
	COSO ROCK ART DISTRICT City:       China Lake County:  Inyo Type:     Recreation & Culture - work of art
	DONNER CAMP City:       Truckee County:  Nevada Type:     Domestic - camp
	ELMSHAVEN (ELLEN GOULD WHITE HOUSE) City:       St. Helena County:  Napa Type:     Domestic - single dwelling
	ESTUDILLO HOUSE City:       San Diego County:  San Diego Type:     Domestic - single dwelling
	EUREKA (STEAMER) City:       San Francisco County:  San Francisco Type:     Transportation - water -related
	FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST City:       Berkeley County:  Alameda Type:     Religious facility
	FOLSOM POWERHOUSE City:       Folsom County:  Sacramento Type:     Government - public works
	GAMBLE, DAVID B., HOUSE City:       Pasadena County:  Los Angeles Type:     Domestic - single dwelling
	GONZALEZ HOUSE City:       Santa Barbara County:  Santa Barbara Type:     Domestic - single dwelling
	GUAJOME RANCH HOUSE City:       Vista County:  San Diego Type:     Domestic - multiple dwelling
	HALE SOLAR LABORATORY City:       Pasadena County:  Los Angeles Type:     Education - research facility
	HANNA-HONEYCOMB HOUSE City:       Palo Alto County:  Santa Clara Type:     Domestic - single dwelling
	HARADA HOUSE City:       Riverside County:  Riverside Type:     Domestic - single dwelling
	HEARST SAN SIMEON ESTATE City:       San Simeon County:  San Luis Obispo Type:     Domestic - single dwelling
	HERCULES (TUG) City:       San Francisco County:  San Francisco Type:     Transportation - water -related
	HOOVER, LOU HENRY AND HERBERT, HOUSE City:       Stanford County:  Santa Clara Type:     Domestic - single dwelling
	HORNET, USS (CVS-12) (AIRCRAFT CARRIER) City:       Alameda County:  Alameda Type:     Defense - naval facility
	HOTEL DEL CORONADO City:       Coronado County:  San Diego Type:     Domestic - hotel
	HUBBLE, EDWIN, HOUSE City:       San Marino County:  Los Angeles Type:     Domestic - single dwelling
	JEREMIAH O'BRIEN (LIBERTY SHIP) City:       San Francisco County:  San Francisco Type:     Defense - naval facility
	LA PURISIMA MISSION City:       Lompoc County:  Santa Barbara Type:     Religious facility
	LAKE MERRITT WILD DUCK REFUGE City:       Oakland County:  Alameda Type:     n/a
	LANE VICTORY (VICTORY SHIP) City:       San Pedro County:  Los Angeles Type:     Maritime: Vessel
	LAS FLORES ADOBE City:       Camp Pendleton County:  San Diego Type:     Domestic - single dwelling
	LECONTE MEMORIAL LODGE City:       Yosemite Valley County:  Mariposa Type:     Social - clubhouse
	LIGHTSHIP WAL-605 "RELIEF" City:       Oakland County:  Alameda Type:     Maritime: Vessel
	LITTLE TOKYO HISTORIC DISTRICT City:       Los Angeles County:  Los Angeles Type:     Historic District: Architectural
	LOCKE HISTORIC DISTRICT City:       Locke County:  Sacramento Type:     Historic District: Historical
	LOS ALAMOS RANCH HOUSE City:       Los Alamos County:  Santa Barbara Type:     Domestic - single dwelling
	LOS ANGELES MEMORIAL COLISEUM City:       Los Angeles County:  Los Angeles Type:     Recreation & Culture - sports facility
	LOS CERRITOS RANCH HOUSE City:       Long Beach County:  Los Angeles Type:     Farm/Ranch
	LOWER KLAMATH NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE City:       Dorris County:  Siskiyou Type:     Landscape - conservation area
	MANZANAR WAR RELOCATION CENTER City:       Independence County:  Inyo Type:     n/a
	MARE ISLAND NAVAL SHIPYARD City:       Vallejo County:  Solano Type:     Defense - naval facility
	MARIN COUNTY CIVIC CENTER City:       San Rafael County:  Marin Type:     Government Building: Local
	MISSION BEACH ROLLER COASTER City:       San Diego County:  San Diego Type:     Recreation & Culture - fair, amusement park
	MISSION INN City:       Riverside County:  Riverside Type:     Domestic - hotel
	MODJESKA HOUSE City:       Modjeska County:  Orange Type:     Domestic - single dwelling
	MONTEREY OLD TOWN HISTORIC DISTRICT City:       Monterey County:  Monterey Type:     Historic District: Architectural
	NEW ALMADEN City:       San Jose County:  Santa Clara Type:     Industry/Processing/Extract - industrial storage
	NIXON, RICHARD M., BIRTHPLACE City:       Yorba Linda County:  Orange Type:     Domestic - single dwelling
	OLD MISSION DAM City:       San Diego County:  San Diego Type:     Agriculture/Subsistence - irrigation facility
	OLD SACRAMENTO HISTORIC DISTRICT City:       Sacramento County:  Sacramento Type:     Historic District: Architectural
	OLD SCRIPPS BUILDING City:       La Jolla County:  San Diego Type:     Education - research facility
	PAMPANITO, USS (SUBMARINE) City:       San Francisco County:  San Francisco Type:     Maritime: Vessel
	PARAMOUNT THEATRE City:       Oakland County:  Alameda Type:     Recreation & Culture - theater
	PARSONS MEMORIAL LODGE City:       Yosemite National Park County:  Tuolumne Type:     Recreation & Culture - outdoor recreation
	PETALUMA ADOBE City:       Petaluma County:  Sonoma Type:     Farm/Ranch
	PIONEER DEEP SPACE STATION City:       Fort Irwin County:  San Bernardino Type:     n/a
	POINT REYES LIFEBOAT STATION City:       Point Reyes County:  Marin Type:     Defense - coast guard facility
	POTOMAC (PRESIDENTIAL YACHT) City:       Oakland County:  Alameda Type:     Maritime: Vessel
	PRESIDIO OF SAN FRANCISCO City:       San Francisco County:  San Francisco Type:     Defense - fortification
	RALPH J. SCOTT (FIREBOAT) City:       San Pedro County:  Los Angeles Type:     Maritime: Vessel
	RANGERS' CLUB City:       Yosemite National Park County:  Mariposa Type:     Domestic - hotel
	ROGERS DRY LAKE City:       Mojave Desert County:  Kern Type:     Defense - air facility
	ROSE BOWL City:       Pasadena County:  Los Angeles Type:     Recreation & Culture - sports facility
	SAN DIEGO MISSION CHURCH City:       San Diego County:  San Diego Type:     Religious facility
	SAN DIEGO PRESIDIO City:       San Diego County:  San Diego Type:     Defense - fortification
	SAN FRANCISCO BAY DISCOVERY SITE City:       San Bruno County:  San Mateo Type:     n/a
	SAN FRANCISCO CABLE CARS City:       San Francisco County:  San Francisco Type:     Transportation - rail - related
	SAN FRANCISCO CIVIC CENTER City:       San Francisco County:  San Francisco Type:     Historic District: Architectural
	SAN FRANCISCO PORT OF EMBARKATION, U.S. ARMY City:       San Francisco County:  San Francisco Type:     Defense - military facility
	SAN JUAN BAUTISTA PLAZA HISTORIC DISTRICT City:       San Juan Bautista County:  San Benito Type:     Historic District: Historical
	SAN LUIS REY MISSION CHURCH City:       Oceanside County:  San Diego Type:     Religious facility
	SANTA CRUZ LOOFF CAROUSEL & ROLLER COASTER ON THE BEACH BOARDWALK City:       Santa Cruz County:  Santa Cruz Type:     Recreation & Culture - fair, amusement park
	SANTA MONICA LOOFF HIPPODROME City:       Santa Monica County:  Los Angeles Type:     Recreation & Culture - fair, amusement park
	SINCLAIR, UPTON, HOUSE City:       Monrovia County:  Los Angeles Type:     Domestic - single dwelling
	SONOMA PLAZA City:       Sonoma County:  Sonoma Type:     Historic District: Historical
	SPACE FLIGHT OPERATIONS FACILITY City:       Pasadena County:  Los Angeles Type:     Transportation - air - related
	SPACE LAUNCH COMPLEX 10 City:       Lompoc County:  Santa Barbara Type:     n/a
	STANFORD, LELAND, HOUSE City:       Sacramento County:  Sacramento Type:     Domestic - single dwelling
	STAR OF INDIA (BARK) City:       San Diego County:  San Diego Type:     Maritime: Vessel
	SUTTER'S FORT City:       Sacramento County:  Sacramento Type:     Defense - fortification
	TAO HOUSE City:       Danville County:  Contra Costa Type:     Domestic - single dwelling
	TOLOWOT, GUNTHER ISLAND SITE 67 City:       Eureka County:  Humboldt Type:     Domestic - village site (pueblo group)
	TWENTY-FIVE-FOOT SPACE SIMULATOR City:       Pasadena County:  Los Angeles Type:     Education - research facility
	UNITARY PLAN WIND TUNNEL City:       Moffett Field County:  Santa Clara Type:     Engineering Structure
	USS HOGA (TUG) City:       Oakland County:  Alameda Type:     Transportation - water -related
	WALKER PASS City:       Bakersfield County:  Kern Type:     n/a
	WAPAMA (STEAM SCHOONER) City:       Richmond County:  Marin Type:     Transportation - water -related
	WATTS TOWERS City:       Los Angeles County:  Los Angeles Type:     Recreation & Culture - work of art
	WAWONA HOTEL AND THOMAS HILL STUDIO City:       Wawona County:  Mariposa Type:     Domestic - hotel
	WELL NO. 4, PICO CANYON OIL FIELD City:       San Fernando County:  Los Angeles Type:     Industry/Processing/Extract. - extractive facil.