Where California Got Its Start!

In 1542 the Spanish first came to what is now San Diego, but settlement did not start until 1769. In 1821 Mexico won independence from Spain, and along with it, California. In 1848 the Mexican War saw the annexation of California to the United States.

From about 1868, San Diego's "New Town" began to be built in what is now the Gaslamp Quarter. This led to a general decline of Old Town up until 1969 --the 200th anniversary of San Diego-- when the city's Bicentennial celebration returned Old Town to the public eye, and to the heart of San Diego.