Complete History of San Diego

The story of San Diego is a long and colorful one, stretching back more than 12,000 years ago when the native American Kumeyaay people inhabited the region. The European explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo claims to have discovered San Diego Bay in 1542. If true, this would pre-date the arrival of other Europeans by more than 100 years.

However, Cabrillo’s landing did not lead to any kind of settlement in the area. It wasn’t until 1769 that a fort and a mission were established near the present-day city location. This was actually the foundation of San Diego, and from this point forward, the pace of civilization caused the city to develop rapidly.

 

This provided the security needed for a settlement to spring up, first under Spanish control and later under Mexican rule. By 1850, the city had a whopping population of 650 citizens, but that was about to change very soon.

19th century history of San Diego

In the year 1848, San Diego officially became part of the United States, and two years later California was accepted as the next state in the Union. San Diego became the county seat, although it remained a relatively minor town for another few decades.

 

By 1870, a real boom began to take place in San Diego, and a number of entrepreneurs began to see the possibilities offered by the city. Its ideal situation on the ocean made it a great candidate for commerce and tourism. In the 1880s, a number of military facilities made the city their home base, and that provided a huge boost to the population of San Diego. 

San Diego in the 20th Century

Starting after World War II, the pace of development in San Diego picked up even more. At that time, a number of investors saw the city’s potential and contributed huge sums to San Diego’s development. Industries such as tourism, international trade, military-based industries, and manufacturing caused the city to grow by leaps and bounds.

 

The US Navy established a significant presence in 1901 and Camp Kearny was setup in 1917. After a number of closings and re-openings, the venue is today used as the Naval Station at Miramar (of ‘Top Gun’ fame).

San Diego in the 21st Century

Modern day San Diego is home to a diverse array of industries, all of which help to make the city prominent and very popular. The largest industries are those based on the military and defense, tourism, international trade, and research and manufacturing. More than once, it has been designated the best city in the United States to launch a startup business.

 

Because it can provide such ideal startup conditions, San Diego is an ideal place to begin almost any kind of new business. Among all metropolitan areas in the state of California, San Diego’s robust economy ranks fourth.

 

Across the entire United States, San Diego ranks 17th in terms of economic volume. Needless to say, the city is poised to grown even larger, and to provide even more opportunities to both business people and would-be residents of the area.

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