Oakland, California

Oakland, founded in 1852, is a major city on the east side (also called East Bay) of San Francisco Bay in Northern California in the United States. To its north lies Berkeley, home to the famous university campus (University of California, Berkeley). To its west stands San Francisco, across the Bay Bridge. To its south lies the island city of Alameda, and San Leandro lies to the southeast. Along the hills which run from north to east, Oakland borders five of the East Bay Regional Parks. In the center of Oakland, and completely surrounded by it (prompting the common analogy to a doughnut hole), is the wealthy independent city of Piedmont. Oakland is home of the Port of Oakland, one of three major shipping ports on the American West coast.

Notable natives and residents

• Eddie Anderson, actor
• Billie Joe Armstrong, musician
• Tim Armstrong, musician
• Catherine Asaro, writer
• Max Baer, Jr., actor, director
• Sonny Barger, Hells Angels founding member
• Carla Bley, composer, musician
• Anthony Boucher, writer
• Peter Buck, musician
• Don Budge, athlete
• Fernando J. Corbató, computer scientist
• Frederick Cottrell, inventor
• Buster Crabbe, actor
• Robert Culp, actor
• Mark Curry, actor
• Angela Davis, activist
• Ron Dellums, politician
• Mike Dirnt, musician
• Robert Duncan, poet
• Clint Eastwood, actor, director
• Dennis Eckersley, athlete
• Michael Franti, musician
• Alma Grigsby, oldest native at 108 years (1896 - 2005) Oakland Tribune 2005 April 14
• Mark Hamill, actor
• MC Hammer, musician
• Tom Hanks, actor
• Susan Seaforth Hayes, actor
• Rickey Henderson, athlete
• Del tha Funkee Homosapien, musician
• Sidney Howard, playwright, screenwriter
• Maxine Hong Kingston, writer
• Henry Kaiser, musician
• Jack London, author
• Rod McKuen, poet, composer, singer
• Edwin Meese III, Attorney General
• Russ Meyer, director
• Joaquin Miller, poet
• Stanley Miller, chemist
• Julia Morgan, architect
• David Murray, musician
• Huey P. Newton, activist
• Willis O'Brien, animator
• Harry Partch, composer
• Gary Payton, athlete
• Paul Pierce, athlete
• Ishmael Reed, writer
• Isiah Rider, athlete
• Galen Rowell, photographer
• Bill Russell, athlete
• Pharoah Sanders, musician
• Too Short, entertainer
• George Stevens, director
• Dave Stewart, athlete
• Amy Tan, author
• Jo Van Fleet, actor
• Archie Williams, athlete
• Wendy Yoshimura, artist
• Will Blackwell, athlete
• Jason Kidd, athlete