| "> | | | | Ceremony. |
| Aerospace | | | | Olympic Games |
| Did you know...For the first time in U.S. history, the | | | | Did you know...For the first time since 1932, the 1984 |
| American government sent a woman to space. | | | | Summer Olympic Games were held in Los Angeles. |
| California's Sally Kristen Ride became the world's third | | | | Over 6,800 athletes from 140 countries and territories |
| spacewoman on June 18,1983, when she flew aboard | | | | participated in the Games. |
| the shuttle Challenger. It was a momentous win for the | | | | Noted Personalities |
| United States. The Encine-born Ride once said, "I didn't | | | | Did you know... Californian-born Hope Namgyal |
| come into the space program to be the first woman in | | | | became Queen of Sikkim (a kingdom until 1975 when it |
| space, I came in to get a chance to fly as soon as I | | | | was annexed by India) in the 1960s. Her husband was |
| could". Before Sally Ride became an astronaut she | | | | the absolute monarch of Sikkim, a country in the |
| had been a tennis player. She was the first of two | | | | Himalaya Mountains. This country had been closed to |
| daughters born to Dale B. Ride and his wife, Joyce. | | | | the outside world for several decades. She hails from |
| Leaders | | | | San Francisco, CA. |
| Did you know...Under the leadership of the governor | | | | National Historic Sites |
| Edmund G. "Pat" Brown, California became one of the | | | | Did you know...The American state holds four famous |
| world's most industrialized regions. From 1959 to 1967, | | | | national historic sites: |
| his regional plan combined a high-tech modern | | | | -Eugene O'Neill (playwright's home, Danville) |
| economy with a human development strategy | | | | -Fort Point (fortification, San Francisco) |
| (focused on improved education, employment, and | | | | -John Muir (environmentalist's home, Martinez) |
| water system). Later on, it also earned one of | | | | -Manzanar (a former internment camp, Lone Pine) |
| America's highest per capita incomes. Today California | | | | Soccer |
| has one of the world's largest well-educated | | | | Did you know... The American state hosted the FIFA |
| workforces. | | | | World Championships. The 15th Men's World Cup was |
| Well-Known Women | | | | held in Pasadena in June/July 1994; an event that was |
| Did you know...This state has notable women: Sally | | | | the envy of the rest of the world. In the late 1980s, the |
| Ride ( astronaut ), Joan Didion ( author ), Dianne | | | | Californian city triumphed over competing bids from |
| Feinstein ( politician ), Amy Tan ( author ), Barbara | | | | Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Rabat (Morocco) and Santiago |
| Boxer ( politician ), Janet Evans ( Olympic champ ), Liza | | | | (Chile). During World Cup, the host country caused an |
| Minnelli ( actress ), Isadora Duncan ( dancer ), Carla | | | | upset in the first round of the tournament by beating |
| Anderson Hills ( politician ), and Jodie Foster | | | | Colombia (one of the heavy-favorites), and placed |
| (performer). | | | | 14th, outpacing Switzerland, Russia, and Greece. Five |
| World-Famous Athletes | | | | years later, on July 10, 1999, Pasadena hosted the |
| California's Mark Spitz is one of the world's highest | | | | Women's World Tournament, where America finished |
| profile athletes. Indeed, in 1972, he secured his place in | | | | first. Before 1994, the United States had never hosted |
| Olympic history when he became the first athlete | | | | the FIFA Championships. |
| (male or female) to win 7 swimming gold medals in a | | | | |
| single Summer Olympics. In the 100m and 200m | | | | Sacramento |
| freestyle, Spitz defeated Australia's Mike Wenden, the | | | | Did you know...Sacramento, a city steeped in history, is |
| 1968 Olympic champ. Since then, it was a momentous | | | | the capital city of California |
| win for America and California. Apart from that, Spitz | | | | Science & Ecology |
| previously had won five gold medals at the 1967 Pan | | | | Did you know... The San Francisco-born Dian Fossey, |
| American Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. In | | | | who had a reputation as the world's leading |
| 2008, Maryland's Michael Phelps, with 8 golds, was the | | | | researcher on gorillas, went to live in Rwanda ( Africa |
| only athlete to break Spitz's record. Mark Andrew | | | | ). With the support of the Rwandan government, she |
| Spitz was born on February 10, 1950 in Modesto, CA. | | | | worked at Karisoke Research Center. In the early |
| History | | | | 1980s, she set up the Digit Foundation ( today the Dian |
| Did you know...On September 9, 1850, California | | | | Fossey Gorilla Fund), whose principal aim is to lend |
| became an official state in the U.S. | | | | financial assistance to save gorillas in Rwanda. |
| Cinematography | | | | Education |
| Did you know... Respected across the globe as a | | | | Some of the world's best scientists, including several |
| multifaceted actress, Diane Keaton, in April 1978, won a | | | | Nobel Prizes (among them Daniel McFadden in 2000) |
| prize as Best Actress from the Academy of Motion | | | | come from the University of California at Berkeley. |
| Picture Arts and Sciences for her performance in | | | | Tourist Attractions |
| "Annie Hall". Keaton has over 30 years of experience | | | | Did you know...The Yosemite National Park is the most |
| as an actress. She was born in Los Angeles (CA) on | | | | famous of California's national parks. It is the home to |
| January 5, 1946. | | | | the country's highest waterfall. |
| Geography | | | | Sports |
| Did you know... The state of California has an area of | | | | Did you know...Between 1951 and 1953, Maureen |
| 158,869 square miles. It about the size of Greece | | | | Connolly, also known as "Little Mo", won nine grand |
| (50,900 sq. mi.), Hungary (35,900 sq. mi.), Ireland (27,100 | | | | slam events. According to an American magazine she |
| sq. mi.), Jamaica (4,200 sq. mi.), and South Korea | | | | is " an all-round player with a strong forehand stroke |
| (38,000 sq. mi.) combined. | | | | and terrific ability to concentrate..." She was born on |
| Academy Awards | | | | September 17, 1934, in San Diego, CA. |
| Los Angeles is home to the Academy Awards | | | | |