What has the GDP of California been in the past 50 years?

The name California once referred to a large area of North America, including much of the southwestern United States and the Baja California peninsula. Beginning in the late 18th century, the area known as Alta California (Upper California) (roughly speaking, what is now the southwestern USA west of the prairie) was colonized by the Spanish Empire, being part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. In 1821, Mexico, including Alta California, became the First Mexican Empire, beginning as a monarchy, before shifting to a republic. In 1846 a group of American settlers in Sonoma declared the independence of a California Republic in Alta California. As a result of the Mexican-American War, Mexico ceded Alta California to the United States. Western areas of Alta California became the state of California, the 31st state admitted to the union on September 9, 1850, while eastern areas were assigned to various U.S. territories.

In the 19th century, the California Gold Rush brought about dramatic social, economic, and demographic change in California, with a large influx of people and an economic boom that caused San Francisco to grow from a hamlet of tents to a world-renowned boomtown. Key developments in the early 20th century included the emergence of Los Angeles as center of the American entertainment industry, and the growth of a large, state-wide tourism sector. In addition to California's prosperous agricultural industry, other important contributors to the economy include aerospace, petroleum, and information technology. If California were a country, it would rank among the ten largest economies in the world, with a GDP similar to that of Italy. It would be the 35th most populous country.