1849

November 13

Voters ratified California's new state constitution, paving the way for statehood a year later.

1850

September 9

As part of the bargains established by theCompromise of 1850, California entered the Union as the 31st state, free of slavery.

1850

September 10

John C. Frémont andWilliam M. Gwin, both of San Francisco, presented their credentials and took theoath of office, becoming California's first two United States senators. The senators then drew lots to determine theirclass assignments. Senator Frémont drew Class 1, with a term to expire on March 3, 1851. Senator Gwin drew Class 3, with a term to expire March 3, 1855.

1855

December 13

John B. Weller of San Francisco became chairman of the Senate Committee on Military Affairs (now theArmed Services Committee), a position he held from 1855 to 1857.

1856

November 4

Former senatorJohn C. Frémont was the first ever presidential nominee of the new Republican Party. An unsuccessful candidate, Frémont ran on a ticket with former New Jersey senatorWilliam L. Dayton. They lost to another pair of former senators, Pennsylvania'sJames Buchanan and Kentucky'sJohn C. Breckinridge.

1863

March 10

The Senate confirmed thenomination ofStephen J. Field as the 34th associate justice of theSupreme Court.

1868

June 6

The Senate electedGeorge C. Gorham assecretary of the Senate. Born in New York, Gorham moved to California amidst the 1849 gold rush. Quickly tiring of the hunt for gold, he became law clerk to Stephen J. Field, edited newspapers, and became an owner of the Central Pacific Railroad.

1871

March 10

Cornelius Cole of San Francisco became chairman of theSenate Committee on Appropriations, a position he held from 1871 to 1873.

1878

Albert Bierstadt's painting, "Entrance into Monterey," was purchased for the Capitol art collection. It now hangs in the House wing, west corridor, by the members' private staircase. 

1883

December 10

John F. Miller of San Francisco became chairman of theSenate Committee on Foreign Relations, a position he held from 1883 to 1886.

1898

January 21

The Senate confirmed thenomination ofJoseph McKenna of Suisun as the 50th associate justice of theSupreme Court.

1905

February 22

SenatorGeorge C. Perkins of Oakland readGeorge Washington's 1796 Farewell Address on the floor of the Senate Chamber, an annual tradition dating to 1862.

1912

November 5

California governor and future senatorHiram W. Johnson of San Francisco ran unsuccessfully forvice president of the United States on the Progressive ticket with Theodore Roosevelt, losing the election to Woodrow Wilson and Thomas R. Marshall.

1915

March 5

James D. Phelan of San Francisco became California's first directly elected senator following the adoption of theSeventeenth Amendment in 1913.

1914

November 3

The Senate confirmed thenomination ofWilliam G. McAdoo of Los Angeles as secretary of treasury. McAdoo served in the administration of President Woodrow Wilson from March 6, 1913, to December 15, 1918. In 1932 he was elected to the U.S. Senate and served from March 4, 1933, to November 8, 1938.

1917

February 22

SenatorJohn D. Works of Los Angeles readGeorge Washington's 1796 Farewell Address on the floor of the Senate Chamber, an annual tradition dating to 1862.

1930

January 6

Hiram W. Johnson became chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce (today'sCommittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation), a position he held from 1930 to 1933.

1931

March 1

Congress officially unveiled statues of Thomas Starr King by artist Alexander Doyle andFather Junipero Serra by artist Ettore Cadorin, as California's contributions to theNational Statuary Hall Collection. King's statue was replaced in 2009 by astatue of Ronald Reagan. 

1945

August 6

SenatorHiram W. Johnson died while in office. With more than 28 years of service, Johnson was California's longest-serving senator until 2021, when he was surpassed by SenatorDianne Feinstein.

1950

December 1

Richard M. Nixon of Whittier began service in the United States Senate. Elected to the Senate on November 7, 1950, for the term beginning January 3, 1951, Nixon was subsequently appointed to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation ofSheridan Downey and served from December 1, 1950, until his resignation January 1, 1953, to becomevice president.

1952

November 4

SenatorRichard M. Nixon was electedvice president of the United States on the Republican ticket with Dwight E. Eisenhower. Nixon and Eisenhower were reelected in 1956, and Nixon served as vice president until January 20, 1961.

1953

January 2

SenatorWilliam F. Knowland of Piedmont becamechairman of the Republican Policy Committee and served in that position until August 4, 1953, when he becameRepublican floor leader.

1953

August 4

SenatorWilliam F. Knowland was electedRepublican floor leader at age 45, becoming the youngest Senate majority leader in Senate history. He served as Republican leader until his retirement from the Senate on January 3, 1959.

1954

March 1

The Senate confirmed thenomination of California nativeEarl Warren as the 14thchief justice of the United States. Warren had received arecess appointment from President Dwight D. Eisenhower on October 2, 1953.

1959

January 7

SenatorThomas H. Kuchel of Anaheim was electedRepublican whip (or assistant floor leader). He served as whip for 10 years, until his retirement from the Senate on January 3, 1969. Kuchel co-managed theCivil Rights Act on the floor of the Senate in 1964.

1959

October 1

Future senatorPierre E. G. Salinger of San Francisco joined the staff of Massachusetts senatorJohn F. Kennedy. In 1960 Salinger became Kennedy's press officer during the presidential campaign. When Kennedy became president in January of 1961, Salinger became his press secretary. He was appointed to the Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death ofClair Engle of Red Bluff and served from August 4, 1964, to December 31, 1964.

1964

June 10

The Senate voted to end debate on theCivil Rights Act—the first time the Senate had ever invoked cloture on civil rights legislation.Clair Engle, suffering from advanced brain cancer, was brought from the hospital to the Senate Chamber in a wheelchair. He dramatically cast his "aye" vote by pointing to his right eye. The Civil Rights Act was eventually passed on June 19, 1964.

1966

January 

The Senate acquired amarble bust of formervice president  Richard M. Nixon, for the Senate'sVice Presidential Bust Collection. The marble bust was carved by Gualberto Rocchi.

1968

November 5

Former senator andvice president  Richard M. Nixon waselected as the 37th president of the United States. Nixon was sworn into office on January 20, 1969, was reelected in 1972, and remained in office until his resignation on August 9, 1974.

1977

January 4

SenatorAlan M. Cranston of Los Angeles was electedDemocratic whip, serving until 1991.

1977

January 10

Alan M. Cranston became chairman of theSenate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, a position he held from 1977 to 1981, and again from 1987 to 1993.

1977

February 21

SenatorSamuel I. Hayakawa of Mill Valley readGeorge Washington's 1796 Farewell Address on the floor of the Senate Chamber, an annual tradition dating to 1862.

1982

December 10

SenatorSamuel I. Hayakawa received theGolden Gavel Award for presiding over the Senate for 100 hours in a single session.

1988

February 3

The Senate confirmed thenomination ofAnthony M. Kennedy of Sacramento as the 93rd associate justice of theSupreme Court.

1992

November 3

Dianne Feinstein of San Francisco was elected in a special election to fill the seat left vacant by the resignation ofPete Wilson of San Diego. She took theoath of office on November 10, 1992, becoming thefirst woman to represent California in the U.S. Senate.

1993

January 3

Barbara Boxer of Greenbrae became a U.S. senator. Joining sitting senatorDianne Feinstein, Boxer's election marked the first time that a state was represented simultaneously by two women in the U.S. Senate.

1994

October 18

John C. Frémont, one of California's first two senators, was featured on aU.S. postage stamp, one of the "Great Americans" series.

1995

January 4

The Senate elected Sheila P. Burke, a native of San Francisco, as thesecretary of the Senate. Burke had served as chief of staff to Senate Majority LeaderRobert J. Dole from 1986 until her election as one of the Senate's officers.

2007

January 3

Dianne Feinstein of San Francisco became the first woman to chair theSenate Committee on Rules and Administration. She held this position until 2009, when she became the first woman to chair theSenate Select Committee on Intelligence, a position she held until 2015.

2007

January 3

Barbara Boxer of Greenbrae became the first woman to chair theSenate Committee on Environment and Public Works, a position she held until 2015.

2009

June 3

Astatue of Ronald Reagan was unveiled in the Capitol as part of theNational Statuary Hall Collection. Reagan's statue replaced one of Thomas Starr King that had been unveiled in 1931.

2017

January 3

Kamala Harris of Los Angeles became California's first African American senator.

2021

January 20

Kamala Harris of Los Angeles became the first woman and the first African American and Asian American to serve asvice president of the United States and president of the U.S. Senate, a position she held until January 20, 2025.

2021

March 28

Dianne Feinstein became California's longest-serving senator, surpassing the record of 28 years, 4 months, and 24 days established byHiram Johnson in 1945. She went on to serve a total of 30 years, 10 months, and 25 days before her death on September 29, 2023.

2024

August 22

Vice PresidentKamala Harris won the Democratic Party nomination for president of the United States but lost in the November election to Donald Trump.