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Alcatraz Island ( / ˈælkəˌtræz /) is a small island 1.25 miles (2.01 km) offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. [1] The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, and a military prison. In 1934, the island was converted into a federal prison, Alcatraz Federal ...
- 22 acres (8.9 ha)
- San Francisco, California
- 1934; 89 years ago
Alcatraz, former maximum-security prison located on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, off the coast of California. Alcatraz, originally envisioned as a naval defense fortification, was designated a residence for military offenders in 1861, and it housed a diverse collection of prisoners in its.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
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Jun 13, 2018 · Now And Then: Alcatraz Island. To those that only know the Hollywood version, the rich history of Alcatraz is surprising. Civil War fortress, infamous federal prison, bird sanctuary, first lighthouse on the West Coast, and the birthplace of the American Indian Red Power movement are just a few of the fascinating stories of the Rock. Alcatraz ...
Feb 28, 2024 · Scientists and technology experts spent three weeks in December using cameras, drones and robot dogs to gather four trillion bytes of data and build the first 3-D map of the entire island in full ...
Nov 24, 2020 · Initially discovered by a Spanish explorer in 1775 (its name literally meant Isle of the Penguins originally), Alcatraz Island was first used by the US military in 1853, when it established a base there, transforming it into Fortress Alcatraz. This heavily fortified structure was completed in 1859. In the course of the American Civil War, the ...
- Sarah Roller
Alcatraz Island. Alcatraz Island, commonly referred to as simply Alcatraz or locally as The Rock, is a small island located in the middle of San Francisco Bay in California, United States . Due to its isolation by the cold, strong, hazardous currents of San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz was used to house Civil War prisoners as early as 1861.
Mar 31, 2024 · In 1972 Alcatraz became part of the newly created Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Although no effort has been made to repair the structures on the island—most have suffered general decay and weathering, and the historic lighthouse and four other buildings burned in 1970 (the lighthouse survived, but the other buildings were largely destroyed)—Alcatraz Island is now open to the public ...
