Alcatraz Island image

Alcatraz Island

Location
San Francisco, California, United States
Type
Fortification
Completed
1934
Alcatraz Island

Alcatraz Island is located in San Francisco Bay, 1.25 miles offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. The small island was developed with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and a federal prison, the latter operated from August 11, 1934 until March 21, 1963. The strong currents around the island and cold water temperatures made escape all but impossible. Since the late 20th century, it has become a major tourist attraction. Beginning in November 1969, the island was occupied for more than 19 months by a group of Native Americans, initially primarily from San Francisco, who were later joined by AIM and other urban Indians from other parts of the country, who were part of a wave of Native American activists organizing public protests across the US through the 1970s. In 1972, Alcatraz was transferred to the Department of Interior to become part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

About Alcatraz Island

22-acre island in the San Fransisco Bay that served as a federal penitentiary from 1934 to 1963. In 1986, the facilities became a National Historic Landmark governed by the US National Park Service.

Achievement of Alcatraz Island

The prison was once home to notable criminals such as Al Capone and Mickey Cohen. During its operation, no prisoner had ever successfully escaped the island's confines. 

Top Facts You Did Not Know About Alcatraz Island

Alcatraz Island Category.. Asinara - Asinara is an Italian island of 52 km² in area. The name is Italian for"donkey-inhabited", but it is thought to derive from the Latin"sinuaria", and meaning sinus-shaped. The island is virtually uninhabited. The census of population of 2001 lists one man.. Cellular Jail - The Cellular Jail, also known as Kālā Pānī, was a colonial prison in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. The prison was used by the British government for the purpose of exiling political prisoners to the remote archipelago.. Château d'If - The Château d'If is a fortress and former prison located on the Île d'If, the smallest island in the Frioul archipelago, situated about 1.5 kilometres offshore from Marseille in southeastern France.. Devil's Island - The penal colony of Cayenne, commonly known as Devil's Island, was a famous prison of the 19th and 20th century. It operated at several locations in French Guiana.. Fort Denison - Fort Denison, part of the Sydney Harbour National Park, is a protected national park that is a heritage-listed former penal site and defensive facility occupying a small island located north-east of the Royal Botanic Gardens and approximately 1 kilometre east of the Opera House in Sydney Harbour.... Robben Island - Robben Island is an island in Table Bay, 6.9 kilometres west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, north of Cape Town, South Africa. It takes its name from the Dutch word for seals, hence the Dutch/Afrikaans name Robbeneiland, which translates to Seal Island.. Islands of San Francisco.. National Park Service areas in California.. Islands of San Francisco Bay.. National Historic Landmarks in the San Francisco Bay Area.. Forts in California.. Golden Gate National Recreation Area.. Parks in San Francisco.. National Register of Historic Places in San Francisco.. Islands of Northern California.. Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in California.

Latest information about Alcatraz Island updated on July 28 2021.