Funny Tales from the Bay Area's Past

1️⃣ Gay Mecca Origin 🌈 San Francisco's large LGBTQ+ community has roots in WWII, as gay servicemen were often discharged at its port. 2️⃣ Japanese Fortune Cookies 🥠 Fortune cookies, though associated with Chinese restaurants, were invented in San Francisco and were originally Japanese. 3️⃣ Cheaper Beach Rent 🏖️ Unlike most places, rent in San Francisco tends to be cheaper the closer you get to the beach due to fog and distance from downtown. 4️⃣ Older Than the US 🇺🇸 San Francisco was founded just five days before the United States declared independence. 5️⃣ Wild Parrots 🦜 The city is home to a population of wild parrots. 6️⃣ Fire, Not Just Earthquake 🔥 The devastating damage of the 1906 earthquake was largely due to the subsequent fires. 7️⃣ Bank Founded on Inclusion 🏦 Bank of America started as the Bank of Italy in SF to serve the Italian immigrant community facing discrimination. 8️⃣ Sea Lion Surprise 🦭 The sea lions at Pier 39 arrived randomly before the 1989 earthquake and decided to stay. 9️⃣ Man-Made Land 🚜 Significant portions of San Francisco's shoreline are built on landfill, with shipwrecks buried underneath. 🔟 Violent Egg Wars 🥚 During the Gold Rush, there were literal "Egg Wars" over the valuable seabird eggs from the Farallon Islands. Which fact left you shook? Confess your favorite SF mystery below! 💬 #BayAreaHistory #BayArea