The year 2024 involved several major events in California.
Incumbents Governor: Gavin Newsom (D) Lieutenant Governor: Eleni Kounalakis (D) Chief Justice: Patricia Guerrero (D) Senate president pro tempore: Toni Atkins (D) (until February 5), Mike McGuire (D) (starting February 5) Speaker of the Assembly: Robert A. Rivas (D)
Demographics The population of California on January 1, 2024, was estimated to be 39,128,186, according to the California Department of Finance. The population increased by 67,024 from 2023, the first rise in population since 2020. The Los Angeles Times attributed the increase to changes in domestic migration across states, a decrease in deaths to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, and U.S. president Joe Biden's immigration policies.
Conflicts
Pro-Palestinian protests occurred at California universities. In April, California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt closed its campus for the remainder of the semester.
Culture Architecture The May Lee State Office Complex, the largest office complex in the state, opened in Sacramento in May.
Media The Los Angeles Times reduced its newsroom by twenty percent in an effort to reduce losses.
Sports In the 2023 NFL season, the Los Angeles Rams advanced to the Wild Card playoffs and the San Francisco 49ers advanced to the divisional playoffs. The Rams lost to the Detroit Lions 24–23, securing the Lions's first playoff win since 1992. In the NFC Championship Game, the 49ers defeated the Lions 34–33, allowing the 49ers to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII. The Chiefs defeated the 49ers 25–22, becoming the first team to consecutively win the Super Bowl since the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX.
In March, Ippei Mizuhara, the interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, was accused of using Ohtani's funds to place bets with a bookmaker who is the subject of a federal investigation.
Economy Significant layoffs in the technology sector as a consequence of growth during the COVID-19 pandemic continued into 2024. In January, Unity Technologies laid off 1,800 employees—or a quarter of its workforce, Amazon's live streaming service Twitch laid off 500 employees—or 35% of its workforce, and Google laid off hundreds of employees in its engineering, voice assistant, and hardware divisions that month.
Environment and weather
A heat wave in the Western United States that began in July resulted in several fatalities, record temperatures, and wildfires. According to Fremont city officials, temperatures incurred a fish die-off in Lake Elizabeth.
Health
The COVID-19 pandemic continued for a fourth year in California. In January, the California Department of Public Health revised its guidance to allow children who test positive for COVID-19 to return to school and reduced the timespan for isolation. A sublineage of COVID-19, FLiRT, contributed to an increase in COVID-19 cases in May. According to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, California had "very high" coronavirus levels in wastewater in July.
Politics and law
National politics In December 2023, California secretary of state Shirley Weber ruled that Donald Trump was eligible to be on the ballot in the 2024 presidential election. In July 2024, Joe Biden, the president of the United States since 2021, concluded his presidential campaign, endorsing Kamala Harris, the vice president of the United States since 2021 and a former California attorney general.
Law A law prohibiting the concealed carry of firearms in most public places took effect on January 1, 2024, after the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit paused an injunction District Court for the Central District of California judge Cormac J. Carney implemented in December 2023. The Ninth Circuit ruled on January 7 that the law could not proceed.
Events January
January 1: Two people are killed and eight are injured in a mass shooting at a New Year's Eve celebration in downtown Los Angeles. A law goes into effect setting the statewide minimum wage at per hour, the second-highest statewide minimum wage behind Washington. January 2 – 2024 Rose Bowl: The Michigan Wolverines defeat the Alabama Crimson Tide 27-20 in overtime, winning their first Rose Bowl title since 1998. January 3 – The California State Assembly session is halted after hundreds of protesters enter the State Capitol in Sacramento to call for a ceasefire in the Gaza war. January 7: A vehicle pileup on Interstate 5 leaves two dead and nine injured. 81st Golden Globe Awards: Oppenheimer wins five awards, including Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Director for Christopher Nolan, and Succession wins four awards, including Best Television Series – Drama. January 9 – The Los Angeles Times appoints Terry Tang as its interim executive editor, the first woman to lead the publication, after Kevin Merida resigns. January 12 – Los Angeles Police Department chief Michel Moore announces he will resign at the end of February. January 15 – 75th Primetime Emmy Awards: The Bear and Succession win six awards, including Best Comedy Series and Best Drama Series, respectively. January 22 – The California Faculty Association begins a five-day strike, canceling classes at California State University campuses. January 29 – Five people are arrested in connection with the killing of six people in the Mojave Desert.
February February 1 – February 2024 California atmospheric river: A category five atmospheric river begins forming in California. February 6 – Five Marines die in a helicopter crash involving a Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion in San Diego. February 9 – Orbic Air Eurocopter EC130 crash: A Eurocopter EC130 helicopter crashes near the California–Nevada border, killing all six passengers, including Nigerian businessmen Herbert Wigwe and Abimbola Ogunbanjo. February 11 – A spree shooting takes place across Los Angeles County, killing four and injuring one. The three perpetrators are reported gang members. February 15 – Nine firefighters are injured in an explosion in Wilmington, Los Angeles. February 17– The city of San Bernardino settles a $4 million lawsuit after police officers were implicated in the Killing of Rob Marquise Adams in 2022. February 26 – Rescue California begins planning to recall Governor Gavin Newsom.
March March 3: Four deputies are shot and wounded following a chase in Santa Rosa, and a suspect is killed. 2024 King City shooting: Six people are killed and seven others are wounded in a gang-related mass shooting in King City. March 5: Proposition 1 is voted on to reform the California Mental Health Services Act and establish a billion bond for new behavioral health beds. 2024 California Republican presidential primary and 2024 California Democratic presidential primary: Former president Donald Trump wins the Republican presidential primary and president Joe Biden wins the Democratic presidential primary. March 7 – A Boeing 777-200 departing from San Francisco International Airport lands at Los Angeles International Airport after losing a wheel during takeoff, damaging several vehicles in an employee parking lot. March 10 – 96th Academy Awards: Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer leads the nominations with thirteen, winning seven, including Best Picture, Best Director for Nolan, Best Actor for Cillian Murphy, and Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr. March 13: Sixteen SWAT members are injured in an explosion at a training facility in Irvine. Los Angeles Opera director James Conlon announces his retirement in 2026. March 14 – San Francisco Symphony director Esa-Pekka Salonen announces his resignation in 2025 over a dispute with the board of governors. March 16 – An allegedly speeding driver crashed into a bus stop in West Portal, San Francisco, killing four people, including two toddlers. She was arrested afterward. March 20 – After fifteen days of tallying mail-in ballots, Proposition 1 passes. March 21 – San Francisco-based social media service Reddit files for an initial public offering at a share price of , valuing the company at billion. March 22 – The Department of Justice files an antitrust case against Apple Inc. March 25 – Sean Combs sexual misconduct allegations: The Department of Homeland Security searches rapper Sean Combs's Los Angeles home.
April April 3 – Thieves steal million from a storage facility in Sylmar, in one of the largest heists in Los Angeles history. April 15: The Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin is ordered to close after allegations of sexual abuse. Demonstrators protesting the Gaza war and United States support for Israel in the war block the Golden Gate Bridge and segments of Interstate 880. April 20 – Fifteen people are injured in an accident at Universal Studios Hollywood. April 21 – A suspect is arrested in connection with a break-in at the residence of Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass. April 24: Pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses: The Los Angeles Police Department arrests 93 University of Southern California students protesting the Gaza war. The Heisman Trust returns Reggie Bush's Heisman Trophy. April 25 – The University of Southern California cancels its main commencement ceremony. April 30: A Los Angeles Metro train and bus collide, injuring 55 people. Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. qualifies for the California ballot after the American Independent Party nominates him.
May May 1 – University of California, Los Angeles pro-Palestinian campus occupation: Fifteen people are injured in a violent counterprotest against a campus occupation at the University of California, Los Angeles. May 20 – University of California academic workers' strike: Workers at the University of California, Santa Cruz go on strike over the University of California's response to the University of California, Los Angeles pro-Palestinian campus occupation. May 21 – California's 20th congressional district special election: California's 20th congressional district elects Republican assemblyman Vince Fong in a special election following the resignation of Kevin McCarthy. May 31 – Thirty children and one adult at Portola Elementary School in San Bruno fall ill from tear gas at a nearby police training facility.
June June 6 – The California Supreme Court rules in favor of the University of California, Berkeley, allowing the university to construct housing at People's Park. June 15 – California wildfires: The Post Fire begins burning, the year's second major wildfire. June 18 – The Los Angeles Unified School District votes to ban smartphone use for students in class. June 20: The Federal Bureau of Investigation raids the home of Oakland mayor Sheng Thao. The Supreme Court rejects the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act, a proposed ballot measure. June 22 – Governor Gavin Newsom reaches an agreement with the California Democratic Party to resolve the budget deficit, cutting billion in spending and declaring a fiscal emergency. June 23 – Violence occurs between pro-Palestinian protesters and pro-Israeli counter-protesters outside the Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles. as sixty Los Angeles Police Department officers are deployed. June 25: Fresno Police Department chief Paco Balderrama resigns during an investigation regarding an alleged affair with an officer's wife. Waymo expands its driverless robotaxi service in San Francisco, removing its waitlist. Gavin Newsom gives his State of the State address, criticizing Republicans in the broader United States.
July
July 7 – Over seventy juveniles are detained in a disturbance at the SouthBay Pavilion mall in Carson. July 8 – A Boeing 757 departing from Los Angeles International Airport loses a wheel during takeoff. July 16: Gavin Newsom signs a bill preventing school districts from notifying parents of pronoun or name changes.