San Diego Basic Timeline

This is meant as a very basic time line, that may help you know what was hapening in San Diego during your ancestor's lives.  Here is a link back to the cities in San Diego County.  Here is a link to a list of any documents, images etc.. that mention San Diego City. I found the following information on the San Diego County website, wikipedia, etc.

1542 - First European (Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo), enters San Diego Bay
1602 - Sebastian Vizcaino names, and maps out San Diego Bay
1769 - First settlements placed in Alta California in New Spain
1821 - San Diego becomes Mexican land after Mexico gains independence
1848 - Treaty of Guadalupe Hildago cedes California to Untied States
1850 - California becomes a state
1858 - There is a hurricane October 2nd.  It destroyed many houses.
1867 - Alonzo Horton purchased 960 acres of land that is now part of Downtown Sand Diego
1868 - The Sand Diego Union begins pubication
1872 - San Diego is incorporated
1882 - San DiegoPublic Library established
1887 - San Diego Daily Bee starts publication
1892 - San Diego Electric Railway opens
1895 - Evening Tribune starts publication
1897 - San Diego Normal School Established
1903 - Marine Biological Association of San Diego Founded
1905 - USS Bennington explodes in the harbor killing 66, and injuring 46
1908 - Great White Fleet visits San Diego
1910 - Balboa Park gets it's name
1916 - Major floods in January cut San Diego off fromthe rest of the state for about a month, and 10 million estimated in property damage. There was also 28 estimated dead in the City,and 50 in the County
1919 - San Diego and Arizona Railway open
1921 -  U.S. Marine Training Base Commisioned
1921 - San Diego Zoo Established
1922 - Naval Base Established
1923 - NavalTraining Base Established
1937 - U.S. Coast Gaurd Air Station Established
1941 - Consolidated Aircraft is the biggest employer in San Diego with 25,000 employees

Here are some resources you may find helpful

San Diego Historical Society

San Diego History Center

El Campo Santo Cemetery
http://hiddensandiego.net/el-campo-cemetary.php

Mount Hope Cemetery
https://www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/general-info/mthope/

Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery (Veteran Cemetery)
http://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/ftrosecrans.asp

Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, and Mausoleum
http://www.holycrosssd.com/wp/

Mission Basilica Sna Diego de Acala
http://www.missionsandiego.org/visit/history/