1846 Ship Brooklyn sailed from New York (February 4)

Mormon Battalion recruited in Iowa (July 15)

Brooklyn Saints arrived in San Francisco Bay (Saturday, July 31)

1847 Mormon Battalion arrived at San Diego (January 29)

John Horner became one of first settlers in Alameda County (March)

Brigham Young and Mormon pioneers arrived at Salt Lake Valley (July 24)

President Young sent epistle to California Saints (August 7)

1848 Gold discovered at Sutter’s Mill (January 24)

1851 Parley P. Pratt presided over Pacific Mission at San Francisco

1856 George Q. Cannon published Western Standard in San Francisco (February)

1857 Brigham Young called Saints to return to Utah (fall)

1892 Oakland Branch organized when California was reopened (October 2)

1894 Karl G. Maeser directed Church exhibit in San Francisco

1896 Tabernacle Choir gave concert in Oakland (April 14)

1898 Wilford Woodruff died in San Francisco (September 2)

1906 San Francisco earthquake occurred (April 18)

1915 Church exhibit at Panama Pacific exhibition attracted interest

1917 United States entered World War I (April 6)

1918 End of World War I brought decade of growth in California

1927 First Northern California stake organized at San Francisco (July 10)

1928 Elder George Albert Smith attended Boy Scout meeting in San Francisco (April).

1933 Excursions to Salt Lake Temple in June and Arizona Temple in December.

1934 Elder David O. McKay visited future temple site (January 21)

Oakland Stake organized (December 9)

1937 Property purchased on Lake Merritt for possible future tabernacle

Bay Area Genealogical Committee functioning

1942 Construction restricted because of World War II (March)

First Presidency authorized purchase of Oakland Temple site (November 16)

1947 Key parcel purchased, giving access to temple site (August)

1949 Plans announced for Los Angeles Temple (January 17)

1955 Architect Harold W. Burton presented plans for Interstake Center (January 14)

Harold W. Burton became Church architect

Swiss Temple first to use films in presenting endowment

Interstake genealogical library recommended

1956 Third stake organized in East Bay Area (August 19)

1957 Ground broken for Interstake Center by Steven L. Richards (July 20)

1960 Interstake Center dedicated by President McKay (September 25)

1961 Plan to build temple announced (Monday, January 25)

Genealogy library established in new Interstake Center

1962 67 percent of pledged amount collected; construction to begin (by May)

Ground broken by President McKay (Saturday, May 26); contract awarded

Pouring of concrete started (September)

1963 Cornerstone laid by Joseph Fielding Smith (Saturday, May 25)

Temple roofed over and interior work progressing (December)

1964 Temple president appointed (January)

Sculptures of Christ and Apostles lifted into place (spring)

Pacific Northwest stakes added to the Oakland Temple District (June)

President McKay made surprise visit (Sunday, August 2)

Tours for students leaving for school (Saturday, September 12)

Keys handed over to temple president; VIP tours (Friday, September 25)

Public open house (October 5–31)

Temple dedicated, overflow in separate building for first time (T–Th., November 17–19)

First endowment session, for stake leaders (December 17)

“And It Came to Pass” pageant opened

1965 Temple opened to general Church membership (Tuesday, January 5)

Sunday lecture series inaugurated in Interstake Center

1967 Temple floodlighting praised by architects

1970 Pageant performances increased to twelve, moved to summer

1977 Messiah performances inaugurated at Interstake Center

1978 50,000 Christmas lights attracted attention

1979 Kieth Merrill upgraded pageant script, new costumes

1980 Genealogy “name extraction” program inaugurated

First Tongan ward, representing growing ethnic population

1988 Temple closed for extensive renovation (December 29)

1989 Earthquake caused only a few minor cracks (October 17)

1990 Temple reopened with two additional endowment rooms (October)

1991 No damage to temple during “Oakland Hills Firestorm”

1992 New visitors’ center and genealogy library dedicated (September 12)

1993 “Easter Miracle” performance and special display

1996 Ship Brooklyn plaque next to visitors’ center dedicated

1998 Christmas lights increased to 500,000

2004 Visitors’ center remodeled to emphasize Christ and the Restoration

2006 Dedication of Sacramento Temple took workers and patrons from Oakland (September 3)

2014 Temple commemorated fiftieth anniversary (November 17)