A Brief History of San Diego

1930 - 1969

1930 - City of San Diego population reaches 147,995.
1932 - Reuben H. Fleet moves Consolidated Aircraft from Buffalo, N.Y.
1935 - California Pacific International Exposition opens in Balboa Park.
1936 - Minor league Hollywood Stars baseball team moves to San Diego to become the San Diego Padres. 1937 - First transcontinental flight from San Diego to New York City made in a seaplane.
1939 - Naval Air Station, Miramar develops on the site of Camp Kearny.
1940 - City of San Diego population reaches 203,341.
1945 - San Diego voters approve $2 million bond issue to begin development of Mission Bay. First phase of park opens four years later.
1947 - San Diego Aqueduct opens, bringing first Colorado River water to San Diego.
1950 - City of San Diego population reaches 333,865.
1951 - First Jack in the Box restaurant opens at 63rd Street and El Cajon Boulevard.
1952 - San Diego College for Women founded; eventually merges with the College for Men in 1972 and becomes the University of San Diego.
1960 - City of San Diego population reaches 573,224.
1961 - American Football League Chargers move from San Diego to San Diego.
1962 - San Diego Port District formed by state to manage San Diego Harbor, operate Lindbergh Field, and administer public lands along San Diego Bay.
1963 - Jonas Salk establishes the Jonas Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego.
1964 - University of California, San Diego opens 1,000 acre campus. City Administration Building opens downtown at Community Concourse. Sea World opens in Mission Bay Park.
1966 - San Diego Sports Arena completed.
1967 - $27 million San Diego Stadium opens in Mission Valley.
1969 - San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge opens, replacing ferry service across San Diego Bay.

1970-2001

1970 - San Diego becomes California's second largest city with a population of 696,474. 6,000-acre La Jolla Underwater Park dedicated.
1973 - Point Loma College established; later renamed Point Loma Nazarene University.
1975 - Redevelopment plans launched for downtown San Diego.
1980 - City of San Diego population reaches 875,538. The San Diego Trolley, first line in the City's new light rail transit system, dedicated. It begins service in 1981. Dennis Conner brings the America's Cup to San Diego, winning the cup in 1980, 1987 and 1988.
1984 - Padres win National League Pennant; first World Series games first played in San Diego.
1986 - The San Diego Supercomputer Center opens at the University of California, San Diego, providing the national research community with access to the highest performance computers available.
1988 - San Diego hosts its first Super Bowl in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.
1989 - San Diego Convention Center opens.
1990 - City of San Diego population reaches 1,110,549.
1996 - San Diego hosts Republican National Convention, first national political convention in San Diego.
1997 - Naval Training Center on Point Loma closes to all active military use as part of federal Base Closure and Realignment Act. Former base to be redeveloped for public and private uses.
1998 - Padres win National League Pennant; second World Series played in San Diego. Super Bowl also held in (renamed) Qualcomm Stadium
2000 - City of San Diego population reaches 1,223,400.
2001 - Expansion of Convention Center opens, doubling the size of the facility.

The San Diego regional economy continues to undergo a dynamic transformation from one based on military and defense spending to an economy that is propelled by high-technology companies competing in the international marketplace. These mostly small and mid-size high-tech firms produce the products and services most in demand in the new global economy. Since a recession of the early 1990s, San Diego has seen dramatic increases in its gross regional product, exports, per capita income, and employment.

Employment

Employment opportunities abound in San Diego. Independent studies indicate San Diego is one of the top 10 cities in the country for job growth through 2025, and many of the high-tech jobs are being created by emerging high-tech companies in the region.

Industry

The top four industries in San Diego are manufacturing, defense, tourism, and agriculture. In addition, the City of San Diego focuses on six main industry clusters:

Biotechnology/Biosciences
Defense and Space Manufacturing
Electronics Manufacturing
Financial and Business Services
Software
Telecommunications

These "economic engines" indicate San Diego's future growth.

Other industries showing significant growth include environmental, transportation, recreational goods, and international trade. San Diego is home to one-third of the country's top 20 environmental design firms, has more than 1,000 companies concentrating on transportation technologies and services, and has more than 600 companies in the region with binational operations.