Short answers, pulled from the story.
The first documented European visit to San Francisco occurred on the 2nd of November 1769 when a Spanish exploration party led by Don Gaspar de Portolá arrived at San Francisco Bay. This event marked the initial recorded contact with the area that would eventually become one of America's most iconic cities.
Juan Bautista de Anza founded the Presidio of San Francisco on the 28th of March 1776, while Padre Francisco Palóu established Mission San Francisco de Asís, also known as Mission Dolores, on the 9th of October 1776. These two institutions served as the foundation for what would eventually become a major city named after Francis of Assisi.
A major earthquake struck San Francisco at 5:12 am on the 18th of April 1906 causing buildings to collapse and ruptured gas lines to ignite fires that spread out of control for several days. Contemporary accounts reported 498 deaths though modern estimates place the number far higher in the several thousands.
The Castro emerged as an urban gay village and became North America's first gay village during the 1970s when the city became a center of the gay rights movement. Harvey Milk was elected to the Board of Supervisors before his assassination along with Mayor George Moscone in 1978 cementing this reputation.
San Francisco contains more than 50 hills within its city limits including Mount Davidson which stands as the tallest hill at 825 feet and is capped with a tall cross built in 1934. Twin Peaks forms one of the highest points overlooking the city while Sutro Tower reaches 1,811 feet above sea level near the geographic center.