1947: Guy West became the first president of Sacramento State during this year when it opened at Sacramento City College. The pedestrian bridge was named in his honor.

Sac State’s colors were established – green for the foothills and trees and gold for discovery. Herky was also chosen as the university’s mascot.

1949: The first print edition of The State Hornet is published as a four-page mimeograph.

1957: Student-government elections were canceled after the Hornet documented ineligible student voting.

1967: Martin Luther King Jr. visited the campus to deliver a speech before approximately 7,000 people at what is now known as the Alex Spanos Sports Complex.

1972: Sac State became its own university.

1974: Hornet staff members published a blank newspaper to demonstrate a protest of what they believed to be confusing and absurd budget hearings regarding the future of the newspaper.

1978: Associated Students Inc. approved a $425,054 budget for the year. Today, this would only be 3.9 percent of the current $10.8 million budget.

1999: The Hornet’s web publication won first place among college newspaper websites from the California Intercollegiate Press Association.

2000 A Sacramento County Superior Court judge dismissed a subpoena that asked a student editor to turn over unpublished photos of a fight that took place at a football game. Protesters took 3,000 copies of the Hornet from its racks. The paper received a bomb threat, but no bomb was found.

Sac State hosted the USA Olympic Trials in the Hornet Stadium for the first time.

2006: The Hornet achieved 18 honors at the California College Media Association; categories included page design, news, sports, arts and entertainment. It also won second, third and honorable mention awards for best info graphic, photo illustration, sports photograph, news series, news feature series and breaking news story. The newspaper received an honorable mention in the Associated Collegiate Press’ national Newspaper of the Year competition.Gubernatorial candidates Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state treasurer Phil Angelides participated in debates held at Sac State.

2007: Sac State’s California Faculty Association members overwhelmingly voted in favor of a strike authorization. Of the 8,129 faculty members who voted, 94 percent voted yes, according to a CFA press release. The systemwide voter turnout was 81 percent.

President Alexander Gonzalez came under scrutiny, after letters he signed in support of the hunting of numerous Tanzanian animals surfaced.

2008: The Hornet won 11 Associate Collegiate Press awards at the Associated Collegiate Press national conference in San Francisco. It was awarded the Associated Collegiate Press’ 2008 Online Pacemaker. The recognition puts the Hornet in the same category as Harvard and San Francisco State.

Kevin Johnson and Heather Fargo, then mayoral candidates, shared their visions for the future of Sacramento at a mayoral debate hosted by Sac State. Johnson went on to win the race and become mayor. Since being elected, he has worked to establish a good relationship with Sac State and its students.

2009: Hits the big 6-0!

– Research by Jacqueline Tualla