We all know that San Francisco is an amazing city, but there are also many ways that the City by the Bay changed the world. There are so many things that originated here, things that San Francisco did first, and San Francisco inventions. The history of San Francisco is a rich and lengthy one, so it should come as no surprise how many things from San Francisco have been so life-altering for so many. We’ve gathered up a few things that San Francisco did first, check them out:
1. San Francisco was the first major city to be transformed by the technology boom at the end of the 20th century.
The dot-com boom of the late 1990s was quite the dramatic and profound period for San Francisco! Lots of entrepreneurs and computer software professionals moved into the city. They were soon followed by marketing and sales professionals, changing Fog City dramatically. In the ensuing years, many other cities, like Austin and Seattle, have become tech hubs as well, but this was a San Francisco first!
2. San Francisco is the birthplace of the United Nations.
San Francisco was hand-picked by a former president to launch the start of the United Nations. The San Francisco Opera House was where meetings of the United Nations Conference on International Organization took place until 1945. The United Nations officially came into creation later that year.
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3. San Francisco was the inspiration for Summer of Love.
In 1967, San Francisco was the most publicly-known location for the explosion of a massive social movement. The Human Be-In in Golden Gate Park in January 1967 brought hippie culture into the mainstream. This led to the legendary Summer of Love that permanently changed culture.
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4. Irish Coffee originated at the Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco.
Here's another San Francisco invention, in the United States, at least! Irish coffee was popularized in Fog City. In 1952, Santon Delaplane, a travel writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, brought Irish coffee to the United States after drinking it at Ireland's Shannon Airport. At the time, he worked with the Buena Vista Cafe, which would later perfect this delicious drink.
5. The bear on the California flag is from Golden Gate Park.
The bear used for the image on the California State flag lived in Golden Gate Park. The bear, named Monarch, was one of the last wild grizzly bears in California. His stuffed body is still on display in the park today.
The first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California was Harvey Milk in San Francisco. He was assassinated in 1978, but lives on in history and through the 2008 biographical film starring Sean Penn. San Francisco was also the birthplace of the first lesbian rights organization in the United States.
This seafood-tomato mélange was born right here in San Francisco. The dish was first created by Italian immigrants in the late 1800s and continues to be a must-try dish to visitors and locals alike. Cioppino is a tasty seafood soup that is uniquely San Franciscan.
As the Summer of Love occurred primarily within San Francisco, it's no surprise there was such a strong hippie movement here in the 1960s and 1970s. The hippies that frequented the intersection of Haight and Ashbury are perhaps the best-known followers of the movement.
10. The Mission is the home of the San Francisco Burrito.
The Mission burrito is so closely associated with San Francisco that it's also called the San Francisco burrito. This type of burrito first became popular over 40 years ago. It's stuffed with extra rice and plenty of other ingredients that differentiate it from other burrito styles. Hundreds of taquerias in the area add their own pizazz to the dish!
Were you familiar with all these things San Francisco did first? Who knew that our city had so many inventions!
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San Francisco Firsts
Lisa Sammons|June 10, 2023
What are some more unique things San Francisco did first or is known for?
San Francisco is the second most densely-populated city in the country, after New York City. It's home to more than 800,000 residents in its 47 square miles. The country's only moving National Historical Landmark is in San Francisco: the iconic street cars, of course! Did you know San Francisco's Golden Gate Park is actually larger than Central Park?
Are there any San Francisco inventions that are noteworthy?
How about television?! The first electric television was invented by Philo Farnsworth in 1927, which led to TVs as we know them today. Another, perhaps less influential but no less interesting, San Francisco invention is the fortune cookie. It wasn't invented in Asia, but rather in good old San Fran. Another of the most famous things from San Francisco is denim blue jeans. They were invented by Levi's here in San Francisco.
