On This Day

California overtakes Great Britain to become the worlds fifth largest economy

California () is a state in the Western United States that lies on the Pacific Coast.

California () is a state in the Western United States that lies on the Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares an international border with the Mexican state of Baja California to the south. With almost 40 million residents across an area of 163,696 square miles (423,970 km2), it is the largest state by population, third-largest state by area and the largest state economy in the U.S., with a GDP of approximately $4.3 trillion.

Prior to European colonization, California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America. European exploration in the 16th and 17th centuries led to the colonization by the Spanish Empire.

Historical Significance

California () is a state in the Western United States that lies on the Pacific Coast.

Events Before

  1. Australian Open Women's Tennis: Serena Williams defeats older sister Venus Williams 6–4, 6–4 for her 7th Australian titl

    Australian Open Women's Tennis: Serena Williams defeats older sister Venus Williams 6–4, 6–4 for her 7th Australian title and record 23rd Grand Slam event singles victory

  2. Discovery of a new mostly underwater continent, Zealandia, in the South Pacific is announced in the research journal "GS

    Discovery of a new mostly underwater continent, Zealandia, in the South Pacific is announced in the research journal "GSA Today"

  3. Jay-Z becomes the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame alongside Max Martin, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lew

    Jay-Z becomes the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame alongside Max Martin, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis

  4. World's oldest golf club, Muirfield in Scotland, votes to admit women as members for the first time in 273 years

    World's oldest golf club, Muirfield in Scotland, votes to admit women as members for the first time in 273 years

  5. Bob Dylan receives his Nobel Prize for Literature at a private ceremony in Stockholm

    Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter.

Events After

  1. Dutchman Michael van Gerwen wins his 3rd PDC World Darts Championship; beats Englishman Michael Smith 7-3 at the Alexand

    Dutchman Michael van Gerwen wins his 3rd PDC World Darts Championship; beats Englishman Michael Smith 7-3 at the Alexandra Palace in London

  2. US grounds all Boeing 737 Max aircraft after bans by other countries following the plane type's second crash in Ethiopia

    The Boeing 737 MAX is a series of narrow-body aircraft developed by Boeing Commercial Airplanes as the fourth generation of the Boeing 737.

  3. Climate change strikes held by schoolchildren take place around the world, inspired by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg

    Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg is a Swedish activist best known for pressuring governments to address climate change and social issues.

  4. Syrian Democratic Forces announce that the last Islamic State territory has been retaken, raising flags in Baghuz, Syria

    Syrian Democratic Forces announce that the last Islamic State territory has been retaken, raising flags in Baghuz, Syria, and ending the five-year Islamic State "caliphate"

  5. Amazon's Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Bezos agree record-breaking $35 billion divorce settlement

    Amazon's Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Bezos agree record-breaking $35 billion divorce settlement

More from the 2010s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 4, 2018?
California () is a state in the Western United States that lies on the Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares an international border with the Mexican state of Baja California to the south. With almost 40 million residents across an area of 163,696 square miles (423,970 km2), it is the largest state by population, third-largest state by area and the largest state economy in the U.S., with a GDP of approximately $4.3 trillion.
Why is California overtakes Great Britain to become the worlds fifth largest economy significant?
California () is a state in the Western United States that lies on the Pacific Coast.

Explore More