Timeline of Sacramento, California

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Sacramento, California, United States.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

19th century

• 1839 – Sutter's Fort (or “New Helvetia”) established.^[1]
• 1845 – New Helvetia Cemetery established, the first cemetery in the city^[2]
• 1849
  • Sacramento City founded by John Sutter, Jr. and Sam Brannan.^[3]
  • William Stout becomes mayor.
  • City Cemetery established.
  • First sale of town lots.^[1]
• 1850
  • August: Squatters' Riot.
  • October–November: Cholera outbreak^[4]
  • November: Chevra Kaddisha Cemetery established, the first Jewish cemetery in the state^[5]
  • Population: 6,820.^[1]
  • Daily California Republican newspaper begins publication.^[6]
• 1852
  • Congregation B'nai Israel synagogue established.
  • Big Four Building constructed.
  • Fire.^[1]
• 1854 – State legislature relocates to Sacramento.^[7]
  • Sacramento Turn Verein founded ^[8]
• 1855
  • First local steam railway of California opened.^[1]
  • November: the first California State Convention of Colored Citizens, a colored convention, was held here.^[9][10]
• 1856
  • Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park built.
  • December: the second California State Convention of Colored Citizens, a colored convention, held here^[10]
• 1857
  • Daily Bee newspaper begins publication.
  • Sacramento Library Association founded.^[11]
• 1860 – Ground broken for California State Capitol building.^[7]
• 1862 - Flood.^[1]
• 1863 – Central Pacific Railroad building across the Sierras begins.^[1]
• 1865 – California State Convention of Colored Citizens, a colored convention, was held here^[12]
• 1869 – First train from the Atlantic coast reaches Sacramento.^[1]
• 1874 – Capitol building completed.^[7]
• 1877 – Muybridge photographs galloping horse at Union Park Racetrack.
• 1879 – Sacramento Free Public Library founded.^[13]
• 1889 – Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament built.
• 1890 – Population: 26,386.^[1]
• 1891 – Brighton School rebuilt.
• 1898 – Ruhstaller Building constructed.
• 1900 – Population: 29,282.^[1]

20th century

• 1909 - Old Sacramento Chinatown closed for railroad
• 1910 – Population: 44,696.^[1]
• 1912
  • Empress Theatre opens.
  • New Helvetia Cemetery closes for burials^[14]
• 1915 – Zoological park established.^[15]
• 1919 – Business and Professional Women's Club founded.^[16]
• 1923 – Sacramento Municipal Utility District established.
• 1924
  • Senator Hotel in business.
  • Chevra Kaddisha Cemetery closes
  • Home of Peace Cemetery opens
• Turn Verein Hall on J street opens ^[8]
• 1927
  • Westminster Presbyterian Church built.
  • William Land Park Zoo opens.
• 1931 – Blue Anchor Building constructed.
• 1933 – Federal Building constructed.
• 1935
  • Tower Bridge opens.
  • McClellan Air Force Base established near city.

1937 - Sacramento Sheriff's Posse organized.

• 1937 – Sacramento Movie Forum organized.^[17]
• 1939 – Sacred Heart Parish School constructed.
• 1941 – Sacramento Army Depot activated.

1942 - Sacramento Horsemen's Association organized.

• 1947
  • Sacramento Opera Guild founded.^[18]
  • Vic's Ice Cream in business.
• 1948
  • Sacramento Symphony formed.^[19]
  • Belle Cooledge elected mayor.^[20]
• 1954 – Sacramento Ballet founded.
• 1955 – KCRA-TV begins broadcasting.
• 1956 – Sacramento Youth Symphony founded.
• 1957 – Arden Fair Mall in business.
• 1959 - KVIE-TV begins broadcasting.
• 1960 – Tower Records in business.
• 1961
  • Sacramento Peace Center established.^[21]
  • Sacramento Book Collectors Club active.^[22]
• 1962 – The Sacramento Observer newspaper begins publication.^[23]
• 1966 – From March to April, farmworkers march to Sacramento from Delano.^[24]
• 1968 – Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society formed.^[25]
• 1974 – Sacramento Dixieland Jubilee first held.^[26]
• 1975
  • Phil Isenberg becomes mayor.
  • September 5: Gerald Ford assassination attempt.
• 1977 – Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission established.
• 1979
  • November 28: Anti-nuclear sit-in at State Capitol.^[24]
  • Local Government Commission headquartered in city.^[27]
• 1982 – California State Capitol building restored.
• 1983 – Anne Rudin becomes mayor.
• 1985
  • Sacramento Kings basketball team active.
  • Sacramento History Center established.
• 1989 – Renaissance Tower built.
• 1990 – Population: 369,365.^[28]
• 1991
  • April 4: 1991 Sacramento hostage crisis.
  • U.S. Bank Plaza built.
• 1992 – Wells Fargo Center built.
• 1993 – Joe Serna, Jr. becomes mayor.
• 1995
  • City website online.^[29]
  • Sacramento Festival of Cinema begins.
• 1996 – Thistle Dew Dessert Theatre founded.
• 1997 – Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra established.
• 1998 – Al-Arqam Islamic School established.
• 1999 – Robert T. Matsui United States Courthouse and Esquire Tower built.
• 2000
  • Sacramento Film and Music Festival begins.
  • Heather Fargo becomes mayor.

21st century

• 2008
  • Kevin Johnson becomes mayor.
  • Sacramento Press and Natomas Buzz begin publication.^[30]
  • U.S. Bank Tower built.
• 2009 – Bank of the West Tower built.
• 2010 – Population: 466,488.
• 2014 – Golden 1 Center breaks ground as the new home of the Sacramento Kings and opens in 2016.
• 2016 – Darrell Steinberg becomes mayor.
• 2022 – A mass shooting occurs in downtown Sacramento, killing six and injuring twelve.

See also

• History of Sacramento, California
• List of mayors of Sacramento, California
• California Historical Landmarks in Sacramento County, California
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Sacramento County, California
• Timelines of other cities in the Northern California area of California: Fresno, Mountain View, Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose