Today in History: San Francisco, California


Today in History–August 5–the Library of Congress features San Francisco, California. On August 5, 1775, the Spanish ship San Carlos, commanded by Juan Manuel de Ayala, entered what would later be called San Francisco Bay. Learn more about this golden city by visiting the Today in History section, then follow the links below to access more primary source treasures.

San Francisco maps

San Francisco images

Before and After the Great Earthquake and Fire: Early Films of San Francisco, 1897-1916

San Francisco sheet music

San Francisco Bound 1913 song recording

San Francisco Souvenir March 1916 song recording

San Francisco books & articles

San Francisco reports, printed ephemera & other texts

San Francisco newspapers

San Francisco Plague (1900-1904): timeline, background, select newspaper articles

Today in History primary source collections

State Spotlight: California