History of Monterey, California in Timeline

Monterey is a city on the Central Coast of California, located on the southern edge of Monterey Bay in Monterey County. According to the 2020 census, the city's population was 30,218, occupying a land area of approximately 8.466 square miles.

1900: Thomas Work buys into First National Bank

In 1900, Thomas Albert Work bought into the First National Bank in Monterey.

1906: Thomas Work acquires First National Bank

In 1906, Thomas Albert Work acquired the First National Bank in Monterey, becoming its president for over 20 years.

1906: California Historic Landmarks League purchases California's First Theater

In 1906, the California Historic Landmarks League purchased California's First Theater, which was then deeded to the State of California.

1937: Denny-Watrous Management leases California's First Theater

In 1937, Denny-Watrous Management leased California's First Theater, reviving the tradition of melodrama at the historic building.

May 18, 1950: Wharf Theater opened

On May 18, 1950, the Wharf Theater opened on Fisherman's Wharf with a production of Happy Birthday.

1953: Ocean View Boulevard renamed Cannery Row

In 1953, Ocean View Boulevard was renamed Cannery Row in honor of John Steinbeck, who had written the novel "Cannery Row".

1954: Newport Jazz Festival Established

In 1954, the Newport Jazz Festival was established.

1958: Monterey Jazz Festival began

In 1958, the Monterey Jazz Festival began, presenting artists such as Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, and Billie Holiday.

December 31, 1959: Wharf Theater destroyed by fire

On December 31, 1959, the Wharf Theater was destroyed by fire.

1960: The Wharf Theater reopened

In 1960, the Wharf Theater reopened in a new location on Alvarado Street.

January 1962: Snow in Monterey

In January 1962, unusual weather brought a light coating of snow to Monterey.

January 21, 1962: Snow delays Bing Crosby golf tournament

On January 21, 1962, 1.5 inches of snowfall delayed the Bing Crosby golf tournament in nearby Pebble Beach.

1963: The Monterey Theater renamed

In 1963 the Monterey Theater was renamed "The Old Monterey Opera House".

June 1967: Monterey Pop Festival

In June 1967, the city hosted the Monterey Pop Festival, a three-day concert event that was the first widely promoted rock festival and featured the first major American appearances by Jimi Hendrix and The Who, as well as the first major public performances of Janis Joplin and Otis Redding.

1967: Beginning of the Summer of Love

In 1967, The Monterey Pop Festival embodied the themes of San Francisco as a focal point for the counterculture and is generally regarded as one of the beginnings of the "Summer of Love".

1971: Amtrak discontinued Del Monte service

In 1971, Amtrak took over intercity train service and the Del Monte service to Monterey train station was discontinued.

1975: Construction of The New Wharf Theater began

In 1975, Ariss and Angelo Di Girolamo began construction on The New Wharf Theater.

February 1976: Snow in Monterey

In February 1976, an unusual weather event brought a light coating of snow to Monterey.

December 3, 1976: The New Wharf Theater opened

On December 3, 1976, The New Wharf Theater opened its doors with a production of Guys and Dolls.

1986: Monterey Blues Festival Created

In 1986, the Monterey Blues Festival was created.

November 1995: Monterey Proclaimed Language Capital

In November 1995, California Governor Pete Wilson proclaimed Monterey "the Language Capital of the World".

July 1997: Start of Wettest Rain Year

July 1997 marked the start of the wettest "rain year" on record for Monterey and Monterey WFO, lasting until June 1998.

December 1997: Snow in Monterey

In December 1997, an unusual weather event brought a light coating of snow to Monterey.

February 1998: Most precipitation in one month

In February 1998, Monterey experienced the most precipitation in one month, with 13.73 inches.

June 1998: End of Wettest Rain Year

June 1998 marked the end of the wettest "rain year" on record for Monterey and Monterey WFO, with 47.15 inches of precipitation since July 1997.

December 24, 1998: Record low temperature

On December 24, 1998, Monterey experienced a record lowest temperature of 26 °F (−3.3 °C).

1999: Troupers of the Gold Coast closed

In 1999, the Troupers of the Gold Coast closed for renovation.

2000: United States Census

As of the census of 2000, Monterey had a population of 29,674 people, 12,600 households, and 6,476 families.

2005: Golden State Theatre Refurbished

In 2005, the Golden State Theatre, a former movie palace on Alvarado Street, was refurbished to produce live theatrical events.

March 10, 2006: Heavy snowfall in Monterey

On March 10, 2006, Monterey received 2.2 inches of snowfall.

March 2006: Snowfall in Monterey

In March 2006, Monterey experienced a total of 3.2 inches of snowfall.

January 13, 2007: Record low temperature

On January 13, 2007, Monterey matched its record lowest temperature of 26 °F (−3.3 °C).

2010: United States Census reported Monterey population

In 2010, the United States Census reported that Monterey had a population of 27,810.

2012: Monterey Blues Festival Files for Bankruptcy

In 2012, the Monterey Blues Festival filed for bankruptcy.

July 2013: Start of Driest Rain Year

July 2013 marked the start of the driest "rain year" on record for Monterey and Monterey WFO, lasting until June 2014.

June 2014: End of Driest Rain Year

June 2014 marked the end of the driest "rain year" on record for Monterey and Monterey WFO, with only 7.67 inches of precipitation since July 2013.

December 11, 2014: Record maximum 24-hour precipitation

On December 11, 2014, Monterey experienced a record maximum 24-hour precipitation of 3.55 inches.

2015: Top private-sector employers

In 2015, the city reported the top private-sector employers.

2017: Monterey Blues Festival Resurrected

In 2017, the Monterey Blues Festival was resurrected as the Monterey International Blues Festival.

2020: United States Census

In 2020, the United States census reported that Monterey had a population of 30,218 people, with 12,912 households.

2020: Monterey population recorded

In 2020, the census recorded Monterey's population as 30,218.

June 7, 2021: macOS Monterey presented at WWDC2021

On June 7, 2021, the macOS Monterey operating system was presented at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC2021) and named after the Monterey region.