Christian missionaries first traveled to San Diego in 1769. Their goal was to Christianize the local Native American Indians in the area, and their group was led by Father Junipero Serra. Serra headed the founding of the California Missions, of which San Diego was the first. In 1821, Mexico gained its Independence, and San Diego, along with the rest of California, became part of Mexico. Few people lived in the area at this time. The population and landscape instead consisted mainly of ranches, and the Mission dominated the rest of the area.

The 1840s proved to be a crucial point in San Diego's history. 1848, specifically, brought large change, with the United States prevailing in the war with Mexico. The conflict concluded with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo that same year. The treaty ceded all of California to the United States. Later that year, gold was discovered, and California became a hotbed for everyone looking to move out west and strike it rich. The increase in population soon qualified the territory for statehood, and California became a state in 1850.

San Diego was also officially chartered as a city that year. Just two years later, however, the city fell into bankruptcy, and the state took control of the city government. The late 1800s saw San Diego's government frequently changing, led at different points by mayors, trustees and several other forms of councils. It wasn't until 1931 that the current charter of San Diego was adopted. That charter has been altered several times, but the basis still remains intact today in San Diego government.

Gold was discovered in the hills of San Diego itself in 1869. More miners looking for their fortunes quickly moved in, and this fast expansion brought money and the railroad into town. The mining bubble soon burst, however, and times became tough in San Diego. But the town struggled on.

Population decreased by half, dipping below 2,000. Much like the constantly tweaked city government, San Diego never gained a legitimate industrial product during this time other than its real estate speculation, which fluctuated sporadically. But the town struggled on.

San Diego started to find its modern identity when it held the World's Fair - Pacific California Exposition - in 1915 and 1916. This fair was the catalyst for the city's architects, officials and city planners orchestrating a new face for the city. Heavy influence was put on a Spanish-Mexican theme, and architecture began to become very Mediterranean-like. Missionary-stylized designs sprung up as well. Street names were given Spanish influences. This changing image was bolstered by the rise of maritime and aviation industries.

1935 saw San Diego host another exposition, and the Mediterranean and Mexican designs continued to thrive. Additionally, revenue brought in by the military during the 1930s helped San Diego avoid most of the effects wrought on the rest of the country by the Great Depression.

The biggest shift in the city's economy came after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The United States moved its headquarters for the Pacific fleet to San Diego. This new military presence transformed the city. Even more housing sprang up. Training camps for the military filled lots that were once barren. Hospitals and storage facilities were built to accommodate soldiers. San Diego's population doubled, and it was around this time that the rest of America began to become familiar with the city of "San Diego." After the war, the invested military forces continued to help San Diego forge its way forward. Military establishments set permanent roots in the city, and its economy continued to benefit from this relationship.

Unfortunately for San Diego, funding for military use was cut at the end of the Cold War. San Diego recognized the need to diversify its economy. In years since, the city has become a hotbed for the newly booming biotechnology and telecommunications industries. Additionally, the 1980s saw a large amount of urban renewal in the downtown area. The Centre City Development Corporation was responsible for abandoned buildings becoming waterfront skyscrapers. Empty lots were suddenly filled with expensive loft apartments. The renewal continued and soon restaurants, businesses and hotels moved into the area. The city became a hotspot for trendsetters and wealthy Americans, and is now the seventh largest city in the United States, with approximately 2.5 million residents in the Greater San Diego Area.

San Diego Facts

• San Diego's first mayor under Mexican rule was known as an "Alcalde."
• The job of San Diego's mayor was finally made a full-time position in 1974.
• San Diego was the first of 21 missions to be established on California's coast.
• At one point, a whopping quarter of the total population of San Diego was employed by the U.S. military.
• San Diego is the home of the world's largest military complex, with 165,000 active personnel. The U.S. Navy, Coast Guard and Marines all make San Diego their home.
• The Hotel del Coronado on Coronado Island is the largest wooden structure in the United States.
• San Diego has 70 miles of beaches and coastline.
• Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo sailed into what is now San Diego Bay. He claimed the area for the country of Spain on September 28, 1542. Cabrillo named the area San Miguel. Sebastian Vizcaino was later sent to map the area. Vizcaino renamed it San Diego after San Diego de Alcala (St. Didicus).

Sources:
( http://www.sandiego.gov )

( http://www.lonelyplanet.com )