For over 175 years, California has always led the way. Hundreds of “firsts” happened here—some serious, some playful, and some altering the world forever. Here are 15 things that were invented, discovered, or introduced in California:
The Craft Beer Craze Began in California
Home to famous names like Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (Chico) and Anchor Brewing Co. (San Francisco), California has long been a pioneer in the craft brewing industry. But a lesser-known Golden State brewery predates those giants: New Albion Brewing Company was the first U.S. microbrewery to open after the repeal of Prohibition. Founded in Sonoma in 1976, New Albion made small-batch beers that were wildly popular but not profitable. The brewery shut down in 1982, but it laid the groundwork for the craft beer movement.
State Parks Started With Yosemite
In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Valley Grant Act, which gave Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa sequoia grove to the state of California. Governor Frederick Low accepted the land grant and established the first state park—not just in California, but in the entire country. In 1906, California returned the land to the federal government to become part of Yosemite National Park, but the idea of state parks had already taken hold. Now every state has state parks; California has 280 of them.
The First Online Internet Message Came from California
Before the Internet existed, there was ARPANET, a government-funded network designed to help research institutions share information. ARPANET’s first message was transmitted in October 1969 when UCLA graduate student Charley Kline tried to send the word “login” to the Stanford Research Institute in Menlo Park. The system crashed after Kline typed the first two letters, but that transmission laid the groundwork for our digital world.
How Skateboards Went From Local Toy to Global Sensation Thanks to California
Bored kids were building homemade skateboards in the 1940s and 1950s, but those early prototypes got an upgrade in 1962, when Bill Richards of Val Surf Shop started manufacturing them. Richards purchased clay roller-skate wheels, affixed them to wooden boards, and sold them in his North Hollywood shop. In 1973, skateboards got an even bigger upgrade in Encinitas, when Frank Nasworthy made wheels out of urethane, and surfboard makers Bill and Bob Bahne attached them to fiberglass decks. The result? Better traction, flashier tricks, and millions of skateboards sold.
Barbie’s Birthplace Was in El Segundo, California
If you’ve seen the movie, you know. The original Barbie doll was made and patented by Mattel, headquartered in the L.A. suburb of El Segundo, in 1959. The doll was the brainchild of Ruth Handler, who co-owned the toy company with her husband Elliot. Barbie, named after the couple’s daughter Barbara, made her debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York. Barbie’s male sidekick, Ken, came into the world in 1961. He was named after the Handlers’ son.
The Squeegee Started in Oakland
You may have one of Ettore Steccone’s inventions in your shower. The familiar glass-cleaning tool was invented by an Oakland window cleaner who started manufacturing them in his garage. After many kinds of squeegee iterations Steccone patented the single blade design in 1936. Ettore Products eventually moved into a factory near Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport, where it still produces squeegees today.
The Very First Disneyland Opened in Anaheim
When Disneyland opened in 1955, it revolutionized the way Americans had fun. Early U.S. amusement parks were a mish-mash of rides, games, and sideshows that weren’t always family-friendly. Walt Disney, a father of two daughters, sought to create a clean, safe environment where parents and children could immerse themselves in the magical world of characters like Mickey Mouse and other cartoon stars. Disneyland’s focus on a popular narrative “theme” changed the leisure industry forever and sparked new parks in Florida, France, Japan, and China.
Apple Reinvented the Phone in Silicon Valley
Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone at the Macworld Conference in San Francisco in January 2007, igniting a mobile communication revolution. The iPhone was developed at Apple Computer Inc. in Cupertino, but after its dramatic debut, Jobs changed the company’s name to Apple Inc.
How San Diego Helped Us All Loosen Up With WD-40
Everybody knows that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, but they may not know that WD-40 was invented in San Diego in 1953. The Rocket Chemical Company set out to invent a degreasing and rust-prevention product for the aerospace industry, and after 40 attempts, they had a winner. The product’s name is an abbreviation for Water Displacement, 40th formula.
The Wetsuits Journey From Idea, Invention to Surfing Staple in California
Three Californians played pivotal roles in inventing the neoprene wetsuit. UC Berkeley physicist Hugh Bradner proposed the hypothesis that a suit made from the proper material could help divers retain their body heat in frigid water. Willard Bascom, an engineer at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in La Jolla, believed neoprene had the necessary insulating properties. Bradner tested the neoprene wetsuit in the winter of 1950 at Lake Tahoe. The pair did not secure a patent, but another Californian did: Santa Cruz surfing legend Jack O’Neill.
Levi’s Started As A Local Dry Goods Store in San Francisco
Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis patented copper-riveted denim pants in 1873, calling them “waist overalls.” Davis, a tailor from Reno, was the designer, but Strauss’ dry-goods company, Levi Strauss and Company in San Francisco, introduced them to Gold Rush prospectors who needed durable work clothing. Davis eventually signed over his rights to the patent, leaving the Levi’s fortune to Strauss.
Steel-track Rollercoasters Started in Disneyland
Wooden roller coasters had been around since the 1880s, but when Disneyland’s Matterhorn Bobsleds debuted in 1959, it was the world’s first tubular steel-track roller coaster. Engineered by Karl Bacon and Ed Morgan at Arrow Development in Mountain View, tubular steel tracks paved the way for spiraling tracks and longer drops and loops—thrills that modern coaster riders take for granted.
Hollywood Helped Bolster the First Electric Theatre
Thomas Lincoln Tally opened Tally’s Electric Theatre in Los Angeles in April 1902. It was the West’s first venue devoted entirely to movies projected on a screen. A ticket for the elegant theater cost 10 cents—a big bump up from nickelodeons, where patrons paid a nickel to watch a movie in a space that often doubled as a storefront or vaudeville stage.
How Malibu Discovered Lasers
In 1960, Dr. Theodore Maiman developed the first working laser at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu. Maiman used a synthetic ruby crystal to supply the atoms that powered up the laser and created a powerful, focused beam of pulsing light. Today lasers are used in almost every industry.
The First Commercial Electric Guitar Rocked Out in Los Angeles
The first commercial electric guitar was the Rickenbacker A-22 lap steel, dubbed the "frying pan" due to its unique shape. Created in Los Angeles in 1931 by George Beauchamp and Adolph Rickenbacker, the guitar was a big hit with musicians who played both Hawaiian and country music.