An island located off the coast of San Francisco, Alcatraz is an extremely popular tourist destination with a long and storied history. Nicknamed "The Rock", it was opened to the public by the National Park Service in 1973 and may only be visited by using a ferry service.
First mapped in 1775 by the Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala, Alcatraz Island gets its name from a word loosely translated to mean "pelican" or "strange bird". Initially Mexican territory, it was ceded to the United States in 1848, becoming a military reservation in 1850. Although it was at first used as a fort, after the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, prisoners were transferred to the island and it served as a military prison from 1917 to 1933.
Alcatraz served as a United States Federal penitentiary from 1934 to 1963. The idea was to create a maximum-security prison for the very worst offenders, those who were thought to be dangerous, and inmates considered flight risks. Once there, men were faced with a dull routine, receiving only food, shelter, medical care, and clothing, while everything else was considered a privilege. Eventually the prison was closed due to the expense of operation, at approximately three times the cost of other penitentiaries.
During its time as a prison, there were 36 inmates who tried to escape in 14 separate incidents. Although most were caught or killed during these attempts, there were five men who probably drowned, but are still officially considered missing. It is possible to swim from Alcatraz to the mainland, but very cold water and currents would make it difficult for those not in good physical shape.
The island has been featured in a number of films such as "The Birdman of Alcatraz", the story of inmate Robert Stroud, and "Escape from Alcatraz", starring Clint Eastwood. Additionally, Alcatraz had several famous inmates during its short tenure as a prison, including Al Capone, Mickey Cohen and George "Machine-Gun" Kelly, lending it a sense of notoriety.
When the prison closed, a group of Native Americans announced Alcatraz was an Indian land, expressing hopes of creating a cultural center on the island. Unfortunately, what began as a peaceful movement turned into an occupation, lasting from November 1969 to June 1971. Tensions mounted as the occupiers refused to heed the government's request and leave Alcatraz, eventually leading to graffiti, alleged violence and a fire which destroyed some buildings. The occupation finally ended when federal marshals removed people from the island.
