San Francisco history

Since its early days as Yerba Buena (Good Herb), a Spanish fishing village, it has seen peace and happiness, and depression and misery in equal parts. Both have helped shape the city's personality.

The Gold Rush of 1849 inspired a migration from the west but also from the east - the humble beginnings of Chinatown and Japantown. In 1906, a devastating earthquake hit. From its ashes, development saw horse-drawn streetcars replaced with cable cars. In 1937 the completed Golden Gate Bridge provided a postcard-perfect city icon.

In the 1950s, the bohemian Beat movement fostered the city's love of the literature. The counter culture flowered in the Haight Ashbury neighbourhood during the 1967 Summer of Love and the gay community fought for and found a home in Castro and Polk Street. The city saw rapid growth in dotcom industries and has now recovered from downturns. Today it is the financial capital of the West Coast.