In 1849, the state of California ratified its first constitution with the goal of establishing a complete educational system, including a state university.

On June 20, 1853, Congregational minister Henry Durant established the private Contra Costa Academy in Oakland, California.

In 1855, the trustees of the Contra Costa Academy were granted a charter for a College of California, which initially operated as a college preparatory school.

Toland Medical College was established in 1864 and later became affiliated with the University of California through written agreements. This affiliation helped in coordinating operations and evolving into the health sciences campus known today as the University of California, San Francisco.

In 1866, the California State Legislature established an Agricultural, Mining, and Mechanical Arts College, taking advantage of the Morrill Land-Grant Acts.

In 1867, Governor Frederick Low proposed the merger of the College of California with the state college, leading to the foundation of the University of California.

The University of California was established on March 23, 1868, in Oakland. It later moved to Berkeley in 1873 after absorbing the assets of the College of California.

The second president of the University of California, Daniel Coit Gilman, inaugurated the new campus in Berkeley in September 1873.

Gilman resigned from the University of California in March 1875 to take on the presidency of the newly established Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

The University and Constitutional Convention of 1878 was covered in Volume 6 of UC History Publications. It explored the relationship between the University of California and the constitutional developments of the late 19th century.

California adopted its second constitution in 1879, which included provisions to ensure the independence of the University of California from the state government. This had significant implications for institutions like the Hastings College of the Law.

In 1886, the Supreme Court of California ruled that the state legislature's attempts to control the Hastings College of the Law were unconstitutional due to UC's protected independence in the state constitution. This legal battle solidified the college's status as a UC affiliate.

A Western Acropolis of Learning: The University of California in 1897 was discussed in Volume 5 of UC History Publications. It focused on the state of the University of California in the late 19th century.

To make this possible, San Francisco Mayor Adolph Sutro donated 13 acres in Parnassus Heights at the base of Mount Parnassus (now known as Mount Sutro). The new site, overlooking Golden Gate Park, opened in the fall of 1898.

The school's origins date back to the State Normal School, a teaching college opened by Doctor Frederic Burk in 1899, with an initial graduating class of 36 young women.

The Association of American Universities (AAU) was founded in 1900 at the suggestion of the University of California. It is an alliance of elite American research universities.

In 1905, the California Legislature established the 'University Farm School' at Davis as a response to California farmers' lobbying for applied research to meet their immediate needs.

Following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, more than 40,000 people were relocated to a makeshift tent city in Golden Gate Park and were treated by the faculty of the Affiliated Colleges.

The Riverside campus, originally known as the Citrus Experiment Station, was established in 1907. It later became a general campus in 1959, offering programs in education, engineering, management, natural and agricultural sciences, humanities, arts, and social sciences.

In 1912, UC acquired a private oceanography laboratory in San Diego, which had been founded nine years earlier by local business promoters working with a Berkeley professor.

In 1919, the state legislature transferred the Los Angeles school, originally a California State Normal School, to UC control and renamed it the Southern Branch of the University of California. This marked the beginning of UCLA's journey towards becoming a prominent UC site.

William Warren Ferrier authored a standard scholarly history book in 1930, detailing the origin and development of the University of California.

William Warren Ferrier's book from 1937, titled 'Ninety Years of Education in California 1846-1936', provides insights into the educational history of California during that period.

During the Manhattan Project in World War II, Lawrence Berkeley Lab created the electromagnetic method for separating uranium isotopes, crucial for developing the first atomic bombs.

In 1944, UC acquired Santa Barbara State College from the California State Colleges, which were the descendants of the State Normal Schools.

In 1946, supporters of the California State College system arranged for the state constitution to be amended to prevent further losses of campuses to the University of California system.

In 1949, the Board of Regents at the University of California implemented an anti-communist loyalty oath that all employees had to sign. This led to the dismissal of several faculty members, including Edward C. Tolman, who objected to the requirement.

In March 1951, UCLA became the first UC site outside of Berkeley to achieve de jure coequal status with the Berkeley campus. This was a significant milestone in the history of the University of California system.

Clark Kerr took office as the president of the University of California in October 1957. Under his leadership, UC underwent rapid transformation into a true public university system through a series of unanimous proposals adopted by the regents.

In 1958, a faculty committee recommended the establishment of the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California. This laboratory focused on rocket and satellite technology and made important contributions to NASA programs.

The Davis campus, initially a farm and part of the College of Agriculture, transitioned into a general campus in 1959, offering a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs.

The California Master Plan for Higher Education of 1960 established that UC must admit undergraduates from the top 12.5% of graduating high school seniors in California, changing the previous admission criteria from the top 15%. It also outlined guidelines for campus enrollments and tuition-free education for California residents.

Anson Blake's will donated his 10-acre estate and mansion in Kensington to the University of California's Department of Landscape Architecture. In 1968, the regents decided to make Blake House the official residence of the UC president.

The UC Natural Reserve System was founded in January 1965 to provide UC faculty with extensive land areas for long-term ecosystem research, free from external disturbances.

Verne A. Stadtman edited a publication commemorating the centennial of the University of California, encapsulating its achievements and legacy in a historical record.

In 1968, a UC centennial coffee table book emphasized the concept of 'one university with pluralistic decision-making', highlighting the unity of all UC campuses under one legal entity.

In 1969, a protest erupted over People's Park, a conflict between Berkeley students, city residents, and the university. The dispute over land use led to a violent confrontation, involving law enforcement and National Guard troops, resulting in injuries and a student's death.

Verne A. Stadtman's book provides a detailed account of the University of California's first hundred years, capturing its growth and evolution over a significant period.

Before 1986, students who applied to UC for undergraduate study could only apply to one campus. Rejected students were redirected to another campus with available space, which led to negative experiences.

UC Irvine Medical Center, located in Orange, is one of the five medical centers operated by the University of California throughout the state.

UC Davis Medical Center, located in Sacramento, is one of the five medical centers operated by the University of California throughout the state.

In 1980, the state funded 86.8% of the UC budget, showing a significant decrease compared to current funding levels.

UC Berkeley operates the Richard B. Gump South Pacific Research Station in Mo'orea, French Polynesia on land donated in 1981 by the heir to the founder of the Gump's home furnishings store.

UC San Diego Medical Center, comprising two distinct hospitals - Hillcrest in San Diego and Jacobs Medical Center in La Jolla, is one of the five medical centers operated by the University of California throughout the state.

In 1986, it was decided that the UC president's office should no longer be based at the Berkeley campus, leading to the relocation of the UC Office of the President to Kaiser Center in Oakland in 1989.

Chancellor Robert Huttenback of Santa Barbara was convicted in 1988 of embezzlement for his unauthorized use of university funds to improve his off-campus residence.

John Aubrey Douglass wrote a PhD dissertation at the University of California, Santa Barbara, focusing on the politics and policy in California higher education from 1850 to the 1960 Master Plan.

The book 'Three Faces of Berkeley' by Henry F. May explores the competing ideologies during the Wheeler Era at the University of California in 1993.

In 1994, Gunther Barth's book 'California's Practical Period' delves into the cultural context of the University of California during the 18050s-1870s.

Eugene C. Lee's work 'The Origins of the Chancellorship' uncovers the buried report of 1948 at the University of California in 1995.

Dean C. Johnson published a book detailing the history and notable accomplishments of the University of California, offering a comprehensive overview of its evolution.

Clark Kerr's vision and leadership at the University of California emphasized diversity, strategic planning, and effective governance.

Since 2002, the NSF-funded San Diego Supercomputer Center at UC San Diego has been managed by the University of California, taking over from the previous manager, General Atomics.

From September 2003 to July 2016, UC managed a contract valued at more than $330 million to establish and operate a University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) at the NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Federal Airfield. The goal was to increase the science output, safety, and effectiveness of NASA's missions through new technologies and scientific techniques.

Patricia A. Pelfrey compiled a concise history of the University of California, offering a condensed yet informative narrative of its journey and milestones.

The memoir provides an insider's account of David Pierpont Gardner's tenure as president of the University of California, reflecting on leadership, controversies, and challenges faced during his time in office.

In 2006, the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) recognized the University of California for its exceptional efforts in advancing scholarly communication. This included the establishment of the California Digital Library (CDL) in 1997 and the launch of CDL's eScholarship in 2002.

On October 1, 2007, the University of California ceased its direct participation in operating the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, with management taken over by Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC.

A $500 million ten-year contract was established between Berkeley, the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, and BP (formerly BP Amoco) on November 14, 2007. The deal, the largest in the University's history, aimed at developing alternative energy sources, faced criticism for its secrecy and potential impact on the university's autonomy.

In 2008, the UC system faced criticism from the regional accreditor for governance and leadership issues, highlighting challenges in decision-making processes.

On November 18, 2010, the UC regents officially renamed the Educational Fee to 'Tuition', abandoning the previous notion that UC did not charge tuition. This change reflected the shift towards a more transparent fee structure.

In 2011, student fees at UC exceeded contributions from the State of California for the first time in UC's history, marking a significant financial shift.

Marina Dundjerski authored a comprehensive scholarly history book about the first century of UCLA, providing valuable insights into its origins and development.

On July 24, 2013, the UC Academic Senate implemented an Open Access Policy requiring all UC faculty research with publication agreements signed after that date to be deposited in UC's eScholarship open access repository.

In 2015, UC reversed its policy of admitting higher percentages of out-of-state and international students in favor of prioritizing California residents due to public backlash. This decision aimed to address concerns about access for in-state students.

Simon Marginson's book delves into the challenges and crisis faced by Clark Kerr's vision of higher education in California, shedding light on the evolving landscape of educational ideals.

The book discusses the success of the University of California in becoming one of the most successful and highly respected public research universities in the world. It analyzes the structural, policy, operational, and environmental factors contributing to UC's success.

As of 2019, the University of California system maintains two regional library facilities, the Northern Regional Library Facility and the Southern Regional Library Facility, which house millions of items from all UC campus libraries in their respective regions.

On July 7, 2020, Dr. Michael V. Drake, a former UC chancellor and medical research professor, was chosen as the 21st president of the University of California system, becoming the first black president in UC's history.

On July 27, 2021, all ten University of California campuses went live with a unified online library catalog called UC Library Search, which provides access to one of the largest collections of printed materials in the world.

The historical fall enrollment data of the University of California was last updated on January 19, 2023.

As of 2024, UC medical centers handle each year about 10 million outpatient visits, 393,802 emergency room visits, and roughly 1.23 million inpatient days.