The Jesuits were taking over, literally. By 1767 the Jesuits had opened over 20 monasteries in the Spanish lands of Baja, California. Spain was Catholic, and did not take kindly to the Jesuit expansion, so King Carlos III of Spain ordered Gaspar de Portola to remove the them. At gunpoint if necessary.
On this day July 14th, in 1769, Gaspar de Portola creates a base in present day San Diego, Southern California. After exploring the area, Portola then headed north.
The Portola expedition would continue for another 6 months. This is considered to be the first exploration of California by Europeans. The goal was to reach Monterey Bay. The expedition trekked through what would become Los Angeles on August 2nd where, nearly starving, they were forced to eat some of their mules. Finally, on January 24th, in 1770, the Portola Expedition reached Monterey.