San Diego History & Facts

San Diego is a city in the U.S. state of California on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, approximately 110 miles (180 km) southeast of downtown Los Angeles and immediately adjacent to the border with Mexico. With an estimated population of 1,423,851 as of July 1, 2019, San Diego is the eighth most populous city in the United States and second most populous in California. The city is the county seat of San Diego County, the fifth most populous county in the United States, with 3,338,330 estimated residents as of 2019. San Diego is part of the San Diego–Tijuana conurbation, the second-largest transborder agglomeration between the U.S. and a bordering country (after Detroit–Windsor), home to an estimated 4,922,723 people as of 2012. The city is known for its mild year-round climate, natural deep-water harbor, extensive beaches, long association with the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and recent emergence as a healthcare and biotechnology development center.

San Diego has been called the "Birthplace of California". Historically home to the Kumeyaay people, it was the first site visited by Europeans on what is now the West Coast of the United States. Upon landing in San Diego Bay in 1542, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo claimed the area for Spain, forming the basis for the settlement of Alta California 200 years later. The Presidio and Mission San Diego de Alcalá, founded in 1769, formed the first European settlement in what is now California. In 1821, San Diego became part of the newly declared Mexican Empire, which reformed as the First Mexican Republic two years later. California became part of the United States in 1848 following the Mexican–American War and was admitted to the union as a state in 1850.

The city is the economic center of the region as well as the San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. San Diego's main economic engines are military- and defense-related activities, tourism, international trade, and manufacturing; the city's airport, San Diego International Airport, is the busiest single-runway airport in the United States. The presence of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), with the affiliated UCSD Medical Center, has helped make the area a center of research in biotechnology.

Famous Peoples From San Diego

Stephen Bishop

Earl Stephen Bishop (born November 14, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter, actor, and guitarist. His biggest hits include "On and On", "It Might Be You" and "Save It for a Rainy Day". He has appeared in and contributed musically to many motion pictures, including National Lampoon's Animal House.

Bishop was born and raised in San Diego, California, and attended Will C. Crawford High School. Originally a clarinetist, he persuaded his brother to buy him a guitar after seeing the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. In 1967, he formed his first group, the Weeds, a British Invasion-styled band.

After the Weeds folded, Bishop moved to Los Angeles in search of a solo recording contract. During a lean eight-year period, where he was rejected "by nearly every label and producer," he continued to write songs, eventually landing a $50-a-week job with a publishing house.

Bishop's break came when a friend, Leah Kunkel, gave Art Garfunkel one of Bishop's demo tapes. Garfunkel chose two of his songs, "Looking for the Right One" and "The Same Old Tears on a New Background", to record for the platinum album Breakaway. Via Garfunkel's patronage, Bishop finally secured a recording contract with ABC Records in 1976.

San Diego Points of Interest

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
Sunset Cliffs Natural Park
San Diego Zoo
La Jolla Cove
Balboa Park