California became the 31st state in 1850 and has been inhabited for thousands of years. 20,000 years ago, the first people crossed the Bering Strait (a strip of land that connected the USA and Russia together) into what is called  California now. In the 1600's, Europeans landed in what is now called California, with the Spanish leading the way. But when Mexico got there freedom from Spain, they also took over California! But that didn't last long. Only 20 years after the Mexicans had "gotten" California, It was taken over by the Americans in the American-Mexican war in 1848. But that isn't even the end of it! When someone found gold at a mill in Coloma, more than 100,000 people came rushing to pan for gold.(Most of them didn't become rich) Just a year after that California became a state.