1995 in California

← 1994 1993 1992 1995 in California → 1996 1997 1998
Decades:	1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
See also:	History of California Historical outline of California List of years in California 1995 in the United States

The year 1995 in California involved several major events.

Incumbents

• Governor: Pete Wilson
• Lieutenant Governor: Leo T. McCarthy (until January 2), Gray Davis (starting January 2)

Events

• January 2 – Pete Wilson is inaugurated for a 2nd term as Governor after winning reelection in the 1994 Gubernatorial election. ^[1]
• January 24 – Murder trial of O. J. Simpson: The criminal trial of O. J. Simpson for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman begins. ^[2]
• March 2 – Yahoo! is incorporated in Sunnyvale. ^[3]
• March 27 – 67th Academy Awards: Robert Zemeckis's Forrest Gump leads the nominations with thirteen, winning six, including Best Picture, Best Director for Zemeckis, and Best Actor for Tom Hanks. ^[4]
• April 13 – The National Football League approves the Los Angeles Rams's move to St. Louis, Missouri, playing as the St. Louis Rams ^[5] until relocating back in 2016. ^[6]
• April 24 – Timber lobbyist Gilbert Murray is killed by Ted Kaczynski in Sacramento, ^[7] in the final bombing Kaczynski carried out before turning himself in September. ^[8]
• May 17 – 1995 San Diego tank rampage: Shawn Nelson, a 35-year-old U.S. Army veteran and unemployed plumber, stole an M60A3 Patton tank from a National Guard armory and went on a destructive rampage through the streets of San Diego. ^[9]
• June 28 – Ted Kaczynski sends a letter to San Francisco Chronicle threatening to detonate an airplane departing from Los Angeles International Airport before sending a letter to The New York Times claiming the scheme was a prank. ^[10]
• July 11 – The National Football League approves the Las Vegas Raiders's move to Oakland, playing as the Oakland Raiders ^[11] until relocating back in 2020. ^[12]
• July 20 – The Regents of the University of California vote to abolish affirmative action. ^[13]
• October 3 – O.J. Simpson is acquitted in the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, causing polarized reactions. ^[14]
• November 20 – U.S. district judge Mariana Pfaelzer strikes down Proposition 187, an anti-immigration law. ^[15]
• December 15 – AltaVista is founded in Palo Alto. ^[16]

References

1. Ingram, Carl (January 2, 1995). "Rosy Outlook Colors Wilson's Inauguration". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2024-11-22.
2. Boyarsky, Bill (January 24, 1995). "Amid the Hoopla, Subtle Signs". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved June 8, 2024.
3. Long, Tony (March 2, 2007). "March 2, 1995: Enter Yahoo". Wired . Retrieved June 8, 2024.
4. Grimes, Williams (March 28, 1995). "'Forrest Gump' Triumphs With 6 Academy Awards". The New York Times . Retrieved June 8, 2024.
5. Simers, T.J. (April 13, 1995). "NFL Owners OK Rams' Move to St. Louis". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved June 8, 2024.
6. Sandomir, Richard (March 11, 2016). "The Rams Can Go Home Again, to the 93-Year-Old Los Angeles Coliseum". The New York Times . Retrieved June 8, 2024.
7. Capps, Steven; Abate, Tom; Winokur, Scott (April 25, 1995). "Forestry lobbyist dies in explosion". San Francisco Examiner . Retrieved June 8, 2024.
8. "Today in History: April 24, final Unabomber-linked killing". Associated Press. April 23, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
9. Rotella, Sebastian; Kraul, Chris (May 19, 1995). "Tank's Driver Beset by Drug, Money Problems". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2025-02-24.
10. "Serial Bomber Threatens Blast, Then Calls the Scheme a Prank". The New York Times . June 29, 1995. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
11. "Raiders' Move Is Approved". The New York Times . July 12, 1995. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
12. Benjamin, Cody (January 22, 2020). "Raiders officially say goodbye to Oakland, relocate to Las Vegas for 2020 and beyond". CBS Sports . Retrieved June 8, 2024.
13. Lesher, Dave (July 21, 1995). "UC Regents, in Historic Vote, Wipe Out Affirmative Action". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved June 8, 2024.
14. Margolick, David (October 4, 1995). "Jury Clears Simpson in Double Murder; Spellbound Nation Divides on Verdict". The New York Times . Retrieved June 8, 2024.
15. Feldman, Paul (November 21, 1995). "Major Portions of Prop. 187 Thrown Out by Federal Judge". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved June 8, 2024.
16. Kallen 2010, p. 63.

Works cited

• Kallen, Stuart (2010). The Information Revolution. New York: Greenhaven Publishing.