Yosemite National Park

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  • Yosemite National Park

    scenic mountain region in east-central California, U.S. It is situated about 140 miles (225 km) east of the city of San Francisco; Devils Postpile National Monument lies about 15 miles (25 km) to the east and Kings Canyon National Park about 40 miles (65 km) to the southeast.

  • Northridge earthquake of 1994

    Northridge earthquake of 1994

    On January 17, 1994, an earthquake rocked Los Angeles, California, killing 54 people and causing billions of dollars in damages.

  • California

    California

    The most populous state in the U.S., California joined the union in 1850.

  • The States

    The States

    Stretching more than 3,000 miles from the Atlantic to the Pacific, the United States of America is comprised of 50 states, each with its own unique traditions and history.

This 761,268-acre park was created by an act of Congress on October 1, 1890. The land that became Yosemite had been occupied by Native American groups including the Ahwahneechee for generations before the arrival of Europeans in the 19th century. Concerned about the destruction of the Western landscape, John Muir and his colleagues campaigned successfully for federal protection of this environmentally rich area. Today, Yosemite hosts around 3.7 million visitors a year. The park is known for its wide range of intact natural habitats and high biodiversity.

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This Day in History

Jun 20

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Jaws released, 1975

On this day in 1975, Jaws, a film directed by Steven Spielberg that made countless viewers afraid to go into the water, opens in theaters. The story of a…

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