A toast to California! Sep 9, 2019

A toast to California!

Today we"re celebrating the 169th anniversary of the Golden State"s admission into the Union with an appropriately golden image of a Central Coast winery and landscape. In 1850, just 14 months after the peace treaty ending the Mexican-American War ceded most of California along with a large portion of western territory to the US, the former self-proclaimed California Republic became the 31st state. California is one of only six states admitted to the Union without first being recognized as a US territory. Some link this to the California Gold Rush, which began in January 1848 and rapidly increased the California population by more than 1,000 percent.

© Ian Shive/Tandem Motion + Stills

palette

Today in History

Sep 9, 2018Welcome to ‘Hollywood North’
Sep 9, 2020Where the bearded reedling sings
Sep 9, 2021Islands of the Salish Sea
Sep 9, 2022Belize Barrier Reef
Sep 9, 2023Ayutthaya Historical Park, Thailand
Sep 9, 2024Iguazu Falls at the border of Argentina and Brazil
Sep 9, 2025A Eurasian red squirrel in Switzerland

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Mar 13, 2022Daylight saving time
Apr 14, 2025National Dolphin Day
Jan 16, 2021Oh, to sleep under the northern lights
Jun 11, 2020A midsummer twilight s dream
Nov 21, 2023Gray seal pup, Norfolk, England
Jun 22, 2024World Rainforest Day
Sep 2, 2022Seitan Limania Beach, Crete
May 28, 2019Why’s it called a spelling ‘bee,’ anyhow?
Mar 31, 2019Celebrating a Paris landmark
Sep 26, 2024Blue-throated toucanet, Los Quetzales National Park, Costa Rica
Jan 8, 2019A stunning national park in winter white
Oct 12, 2024World Migratory Bird Day
Oct 25, 2025Martimoaapa Mire Reserve, Finland
Aug 8, 2024Spotted owlet, Bangkok, Thailand
Jan 4, 2022Borrego Badlands
Oct 7, 2019From the mind of Frank Gehry
Apr 5, 2022Goðafoss waterfall, Iceland
Jan 2, 2026Aerial view of Venice, Italy
Apr 7, 2019Busy building wetlands
Jan 31, 2023Burchells zebras for International Zebra Day
Nov 16, 2024Wadden Sea coast, Friesland, Netherlands
Jan 30, 2023Ice and Snow Sailing World Championships
Jan 4, 2021Sparkling ice diamonds on a black sandy beach
Jul 31, 2024Hoodoos, Sunset Point, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Apr 24, 2020Celebrating 30 years of eye-opening images
Jan 20, 2018Yellow-eyed penguins, Moeraki, New Zealand
Dec 13, 2024Christmas market, St. Stephens Basilica, Budapest, Hungary
Nov 14, 2025Manatee Awareness Month
Dec 13, 2020The view will stop you in your tracks
Jul 5, 2024Daintree Rainforest and Noah Beach, Queensland, Australia