San Jose begins year-long events for 250th anniversary celebration

San Jose has started a year-long series of events to commemorate its 250th anniversary, highlighting the city's rich and diverse history, CBS News Bay Area reported. The city, founded in 1777 as El Pueblo de San Jose, is the oldest civilian community in California, established 18 months after American independence.

The area was originally home to indigenous peoples before Spanish settlers founded an agricultural town at the convergence of the Coyote and Guadalupe Rivers to support nearby missions and presidios, according to Bill Schroh, president and CEO of History San Jose.

San Jose has grown into the largest and most populous city in the Bay Area, and the celebration aims to honor its full story, from its origins to its current diversity. The Gonzalez-Peralta Adobe, the only remaining structure from the original settlement, now serves as a museum after being preserved by the city in 1976.

The city unveiled a new 'San Jose 250' logo featuring stylized images representing various cultural groups and historical elements, including Santana Row, low-rider car culture, the invention of the floppy disk, and the Eggo Waffle, all part of San Jose's unique heritage.