The region known today as a California was part of Mexico in 1821, the area was taken in the war for independence, but after 27 years this territory becomes part of America after the Mexican-American War. The last part of Alta California was added to territory two years after on September 9, 1850, and that date is the birth of the 31st state in the United States. Do the math and there is your answer, California is 169 years old, as a part of the United States. In the article down below you can read more about the top 3 oldest cities in Golden State.
The oldest city in the Golden State is San Diego with 249 years old, and the newest city in California, El Cerrito is one year old. It is very hard to determine when some city was founded in the Land of Milk an Honey because there are not possible to find official data from every place in America. The cities in California have not created at the same time, and the same year, some of them are old as a California state, 169 years old.
San Diego
San Diego is the oldest city in California, founded in 1769, and has a population of 1,374,812 people. The first inhabitants who lived in the area of San Diego were San Dieguito and La Jolla people, and after the territory was inhabited by the Kumeyaay people.
The first Spanish explorer, who came in Golden State, was Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo. He was the sailor from Portugal, but he was sailing under the flag of Castile. Cabrillo came in Califonia in his ship San Salvador from Navidad, New Spain, and claimed territory for Spanish Empire in 1542. He named the seen territory San Miguel. The next Spanish explorer was Sebastian Vizcaino, in November 1602, came in Golden State on the spot of today`s Mission Bay and Point Loma. He named the area for the Catholic Saint Didacus, more commonly known as San Diego de Alcala. Friar Antonio de la Ascension, who was the member of the Vizcaino`s expedition. held the first Christian religious service in Alta California.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles is one of the oldest city in California, founded in 1850, and has a population of 3,918,872 people. Tongva and Chumash Native American tribes were the first who settled the coastal area of Los Angeles and called the territory Yang-na which means poison oak place.
The first Spanish explorer, who came to Los Angeles, was Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo. He was the sailor from Portugal, but he was sailing under the flag of Castile. Cabrillo came in California in his ship San Salvador from Navidad, New Spain, and claimed territory for Spanish Empire in 1542. In 1769, on August 2, Gaspar de Portola and Juan Crespi came in Los Angeles.
At the moment this is one of the most popular cities in the whole world, where is the location of the film industry, and Hollywood.
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara was founded in 1850, the same year as Los Angeles, and the same year when California becomes the 31st state in the United States. This city has a population of the 90,922 people. The first trace of the human habitation on the territory of Santa Barbara was found at around 13,000 years ago.
In the 1980s were found evidence of the Paleoindian presence in the western Santa Barbara Country coast. When the first European explorers came in the Golden State in the area of Santa Barbara lived from 8,000 to 10,000 Chumash people, in five villages. On the place of today`s Santa Barbara City College was the village of Mispu, on the site of El Bano pool, was the village of Syuktun.
If you are planning a visit to California those are the three cities you should visit and enjoy. There is plenty of sightseeing in them.
