arrow-down arrow-left arrow-right arrow-up play-button plus tab-indicator dots close menu search facebook google-plus instagram pinterest rss twitter tiktok youtube rss-two heart Check FeaturedBadge linkedin minus apps placeholder linkedin

Anniversaries

What's New in San Diego

Art in Queen Califia's Magical Circle | North San Diego County

Anniversaries

The year 2019 marks the 250th commemoration of the founding of San Diego and California. Today, San Diego is the 8th largest city in the nation known for its beautiful beaches, active lifestyle and diverse, vibrant communities. The area was home to the Kumeyaay Nation and their ancestors for tens of thousands of years, and they continue to be part of the region’s cultural fabric. The first Europeans to arrive on the West Coast sailed into San Diego Bay in 1542 and named the land Alta California. This became the starting point for an exploratory expedition northward. Early settlers relied on the help of the Kumeyaay, and much of the exploration of California occurred over native trails. The San Diego of today began on July 16, 1769, with the dedication of Mission San Diego de Alcala, the first of 21 California missions. This first mission was established near the ancient Kumeyaay village of Kosa’aay (Cosoy), known today as Old Town San Diego. Special events to celebrate the 250th anniversary are being held throughout the year. 

Stay in touch

Sign up to receive the latest news, events, and updates about San Diego. Our monthly and weekly newsletters will keep you informed about the latest and greatest happenings in the destination.

Sign Up

Partners

Explore

Plan

Stay

Follow Us

Language:

English | Change Language

Select your country or region

China
Germany
Great Britain
Japan
Mexico
Korea
Switzerland
Brazil
France
Australia
Canada
USA

Or use Google Translate

Afrikaans
Albanian
Arabic
Belarusian
Bulgarian
Croatian
Danish
Deutsch
Español
Estonian
Filipino
Finnish
Francais
Georgian
Greek
Haitian-Creole
Hebrew
Hindi
Hungarian
Icelandic
Indonesian
Irish
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Latvian
Lithuanian
Macedonian
Malay
Maltese
Nederlands
Norwegian
Persian
Polish
Portuguese
Romanian
Russian
Serbian
Slovak
Slovenian
Swahili
Swedish
Telugu
Thai
Turkish
Ukranian
Vietnamese
Yiddish