1839-47

• July 1839- John Sutter moves to America from Switzerland
• Spring 1842- 1st discovery of gold in California by Francisco Lopez
• July 10, 1846- American flag raised at Monterey and Yerba Buena
• July 31, 1846- Sam Brannan arrives at Yerba Buena
• 1847- Yerba Buena becomes San Francisco

1848

• January 24, 1848- Gold discovered by James Marshall at Sutter's Mill
• January 28, 1848- Marshall to Sutter's office
• January 29, 1848- Sutter at the mill
• February 2, 1848- Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
• March 9, 1848- 1st gold rocker in use during this gold rush
• March 15, 1848- Californian publishes small article on discovery
• April 1, 1848- The Star publishes article on the advantages & disadvantages of California
• early May 1848- The Star calls gold rush-believers "gullable"
• May 12, 1848- Gold found at new site beyond Sutter's Fort
• mid-May 1848- "Gold, gold, gold, from the American River"
• May 20, 1848- The Californian stops publication
• May 29, 1848- News of gold reaches Rev. Walter Colton in Monterrey
• June 1, 1848- Thomas C. Larkin informs James Buchannan of discovery
• June 14, 1848- The Star stops publication
• July 25, 1848- Colonel Richard C. Mason writes proclamation of assistance to apprehend deserters
• August 19,1848- New York Herald publishes news world wide
• mid-September 1848- Alcade Colton goes to the mines
• late 1848- Sacramento surveyed into lots and blocks
• December 5, 1848- President Polk's message to congress includes information on the great gold finds in California
• Winter 1848- Huge storms all along California
• late December 1848- Three white men hanged for robbery

1849

• February 28, 1849- 1st steamer into Bay of San Francisco
• April 1, 1849- Oregon docks
• March 1849- Marysville to Sacramento covered with water
• Summer 1849- Sacramento bloody land riots

1852-54

• November 1852- 1st of the great local fires
• 1854- Sacramento becomes the capital of the state of California