Alcatraz History
Alcatraz history is fascinating. Learn here why the prison is #1 on the list of San Francisco things to do. I have included a timeline of the most important things that happened in the history of Alcatraz prison. After visiting "The Rock" I became more and more interested in what really happened out there in the middle of San Francisco Bay during the 1960's through today.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1853 | First buildings created on Alcatraz. |
| 1854 | First lighthouse on the Pacific Coast is built and placed on Alcatraz. |
| 1863 | Confederate ship the Chapman is taken and its crew imprisoned on Alcatraz. |
| 1912 | Main cellhouse is completed. |
| 1934 | It's made a maximum-security federal penitentiary. |
| 1946 | Deadliest escape attempt ever costs two guards and five inmates their lives. |
| 1963 | Attorney General Robert Kennedy orders Alcatraz Penitentiary to be closed. |
| 1969 | American Indian tribes live there for 19 months. |
| 1972 | Alcatraz becomes a National Park Service site. |
| 1973 | Open to the public as a National Park. |
I love learning about Alcatraz. It has been a federal penitentiary, Indian reservation, national park, and a focus of many major movies. I recommend learning firsthand the history of Alcatraz by taking a tour. It is always lots more fun to "see" and "do" rather than just ready what happened in a book.
Even though I have taken the tour of the island many times I always learn something new each time I go!
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