Timeline of Sacramento, California facts for kids

Sacramento is a big city in California with a long and interesting history! This timeline will show you some of the most important things that have happened there, from its early days to more recent times. You'll learn about how the city grew, important buildings that were built, and special events that shaped Sacramento into the place it is today.

The 1800s: Early Days and Growth

• 1839 – Sutter's Fort, an important trading post, was built. It was also called “New Helvetia.”
• 1845 – The first cemetery in the city, New Helvetia Cemetery, was started.
• 1849
  • Sacramento City was founded by John Sutter, Jr. and Sam Brannan.
  • William Stout became the first mayor.
  • The City Cemetery was established.
  • People started buying lots of land in the new town.
• 1850
  • August: There was a conflict called the Squatters' Riot over who owned land.
  • October–November: A serious illness called cholera spread through the city.
  • November: The Chevra Kaddisha Cemetery, the first Jewish cemetery in California, was opened.
  • The city's population was about 6,820 people.
  • The Daily California Republican newspaper began publishing.
• 1852
  • The Congregation B'nai Israel synagogue was built.
  • The Big Four Building was constructed.
  • A big fire happened in the city.
• 1854 – The state government of California moved its main offices to Sacramento.
  • The Sacramento Turn Verein club was founded.
• 1855
  • California's first local steam railway opened.
  • November: The first California State Convention of Colored Citizens, a meeting where African Americans discussed their rights, was held here.
• 1856
  • The beautiful Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park was built.
  • December: The second California State Convention of Colored Citizens meeting was held in Sacramento.
• 1857
  • The Daily Bee newspaper started.
  • The Sacramento Library Association was founded.
• 1860 – Work began on the California State Capitol building.
• 1862 – A big flood hit the city.
• 1863 – The Central Pacific Railroad started building tracks across the Sierra Nevada mountains.
• 1865 – Another California State Convention of Colored Citizens meeting took place.
• 1869 – The very first train from the Atlantic coast arrived in Sacramento.
• 1874 – The State Capitol building was finished.
• 1877 – Famous photographer Eadweard Muybridge took pictures of a galloping horse at Union Park Racetrack.
• 1879 – The Sacramento Free Public Library was opened.
• 1889 – The grand Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament was built.
• 1890 – The population grew to 26,386 people.
• 1891 – The Brighton School was rebuilt.
• 1898 – The Ruhstaller Building was constructed.
• 1900 – The population reached 29,282 people.

The 1900s: A Century of Change

• 1909 – The Old Sacramento Chinatown area was closed for railroad expansion.
• 1910 – The population grew to 44,696.
• 1912
  • The Empress Theatre opened.
  • The New Helvetia Cemetery stopped being used for new burials.
• 1915 – A zoological park (zoo) was started.
• 1919 – The Business and Professional Women's Club was founded.
• 1923 – The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) was created to provide power.
• 1924
  • The Senator Hotel opened for business.
  • The Chevra Kaddisha Cemetery closed.
  • The Home of Peace Cemetery opened.
• The Turn Verein Hall on J Street opened.
• 1927
  • The Westminster Presbyterian Church was built.
  • The William Land Park Zoo opened.
• 1931 – The Blue Anchor Building was constructed.
• 1933 – The Federal Building was constructed.
• 1935
  • The Tower Bridge opened, connecting Sacramento to West Sacramento.
  • McClellan Air Force Base was established near the city.
• 1937 – The Sacramento Sheriff's Posse was organized.
• 1937 – The Sacramento Movie Forum was organized.
• 1939 – Sacred Heart Parish School was built.
• 1941 – The Sacramento Army Depot began operations.
• 1942 – The Sacramento Horsemen's Association was organized.
• 1947
  • The Sacramento Opera Guild was founded.
  • Vic's Ice Cream shop opened.
• 1948
  • The Sacramento Symphony was formed.
  • Belle Cooledge was elected mayor.
• 1954 – The Sacramento Ballet dance company was founded.
• 1955 – KCRA-TV began broadcasting television shows.
• 1956 – The Sacramento Youth Symphony was founded.
• 1957 – The Arden Fair Mall opened for shopping.
• 1959 – KVIE-TV began broadcasting.
• 1960 – Tower Records music store opened for business.
• 1961
  • The Sacramento Peace Center was established.
  • The Sacramento Book Collectors Club became active.
• 1962 – The Sacramento Observer newspaper began publishing.
• 1966 – From March to April, farmworkers marched to Sacramento from Delano to protest for their rights.
• 1968 – The Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society was formed.
• 1974 – The Sacramento Dixieland Jubilee music festival was held for the first time.
• 1975
  • Phil Isenberg became mayor.
  • September 5: An event occurred involving President Gerald Ford in Sacramento.
• 1977 – The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission was established to support local art.
• 1979
  • November 28: A sit-in protest about nuclear power happened at the State Capitol.
  • The Local Government Commission set up its main office in the city.
• 1982 – The California State Capitol building was restored.
• 1983 – Anne Rudin became mayor.
• 1985
  • The Sacramento Kings basketball team became active in the city.
  • The Sacramento History Center was established.
• 1989 – The Renaissance Tower was built.
• 1990 – The population reached 369,365 people.
• 1991
  • April 4: The 1991 Sacramento hostage crisis occurred.
  • The U.S. Bank Plaza was built.
• 1992 – The Wells Fargo Center was built.
• 1993 – Joe Serna, Jr. became mayor.
• 1995
  • The city's website went online.
  • The Sacramento Festival of Cinema began.
• 1996 – The Thistle Dew Dessert Theatre was founded.
• 1997 – The Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra was established.
• 1998 – The Al-Arqam Islamic School was established.
• 1999 – The Robert T. Matsui United States Courthouse and Esquire Tower were built.
• 2000
  • The Sacramento Film and Music Festival began.
  • Heather Fargo became mayor.

The 2000s: A New Millennium

• 2008
  • Kevin Johnson became mayor.
  • The Sacramento Press and Natomas Buzz newspapers began publishing.
  • The U.S. Bank Tower was built.
• 2009 – The Bank of the West Tower was built.
• 2010 – The population reached 466,488 people.
• 2014 – Work began on the Golden 1 Center, which opened in 2016 as the new home of the Sacramento Kings basketball team.
• 2016 – Darrell Steinberg became mayor.