f{"id":50346,"date":"2026-09-16T12:02:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T19:02:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=50346"},"modified":"2026-09-16T12:02:49","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T19:02:49","slug":"all-the-times-berkeley-got-there-first-from-inventions-to-transformations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2026\/09\/16\/all-the-times-berkeley-got-there-first-from-inventions-to-transformations\/","title":{"rendered":"All the times Berkeley got there first \u2014 from inventions to transformations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The jacuzzi. The dog park. The polygraph machine. Single-family zoning. The term \u201cAsian American.\u201d Indigenous Peoples\u2019 Day. And much, much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

by Zac Farber<\/a> Sept. 15, 2026 (Berkeleyside.org)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Berkeley is famous for being a hotbed of innovative ideas and the sort of way-out-there utopian schemes that, every once in a while, change the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

READ MORE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
$\"Our$ <\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Our big list of famous Berkeley people<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
From J. Robert Oppenheimer to Chiura Obata. Alice Waters to Alice Walker. Rita Moreno to the Unabomber. Athletes, activists, architects, artists. Here\u2019s our roundup of over 150 major figures from the city\u2019s past and present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You likely won\u2019t be shocked by the protest-era social movements that are included in this list of the city\u2019s famous firsts, innovations and inventions. But Berkeley\u2019s history of groundbreaking thinking is not limited to any one time period. From wetsuits to the canned fruit cocktail, a surprising array of phenomena trace their origins to our fair city. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This list is not meant to be comprehensive, and in some cases, of course, the concept of \u201cfirst\u201d is a bit squishy and up for debate. But the list is intended as an entry point into the rich history of Berkeley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If there\u2019s another famous first you think we missed, please email editors@berkeleyside.org.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Invented (more or less) in Berkeley<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n
The Free Speech Movement<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
The farm-to-table dining movement<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
The cyclotron and the nuclear age<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
The sanctuary city movement<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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Mario Savio, leader of the Berkeley Free Speech Movement, is restrained by police at the Greek Theater on Dec. 7, 1964. Credit: AP\/Robert W. Klein<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Curb cuts in sidewalks for wheelchairs<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
The disability rights movement<\/a>.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
The term \u201cAsian American<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Ethnic studies<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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Students from Students Together Opposing Prejudice (STOP), a group that helped establish an ethnic studies requirement at Berkeley High, pose for a yearbook photo in 1991. Credit: Berkeley High<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The jacuzzi<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
The dog park<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Curbside recycling<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Peet\u2019s Coffee, where Starbucks\u2019 founders learned their craft<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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Inside the original Peet\u2019s during the pandemic. Credit: Pete Rosos for Berkeleyside<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Clif Bar<\/a> and PowerBar<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Noah\u2019s Bagels<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
The canned fruit cocktail<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
The polygraph machine<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Modern policing<\/a> (first police officers on bikes, first police officers on motorcycles, first police officers in patrol cars, first radio communications between police officers, first blood and fiber analysis for crime solving, first police school on laws of evidence).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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Berkeley\u2019s first police chief, August Vollmer, instituted a series of reforms<\/a> credited with transforming policing into a modern profession. He was also a member of the American Eugenics Society<\/a>. Courtesy: BPD<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Single-family zoning<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Voluntarily integrating schools<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Indigenous Peoples Day<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Bisexual Pride Day<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Domestic partnership benefits for same-sex couples<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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The first Indigenous Peoples Day on Oct. 10, 1992. People from around the country came to celebrate. Credit: AP\/Paul Sakuma<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Students for Justice in Palestine<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Competitive high school mountain biking<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
CRISPR, allowing scientists to rewrite DNA<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
The test to detect cancer-causing chemicals<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
The lawnmower grass-catching pan<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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Henry Peterson, a Black Berkeley town father who co-founded the city\u2019s first church, invented the lawnmower grass-catching pan in 1889<\/a>. Credit: U.S. Patent Office<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Taxing soda<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Banning styrofoam<\/a>, smoking in restaurants<\/a>, disposable plastic foodware in restaurants<\/a>, natural gas in new buildings<\/a>, junk food at checkout aisles<\/a>, and livestock farming<\/a>.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
The coin-operated newspaper vending machine<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Bullwinkle<\/a> (moose friend of Rocky).\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
The website Hot or Not<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
The Sims<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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Will Wright, creator of \u201cThe Sims\u201d video game, poses with a computer image of the game at Maxis Studios in Walnut Creek in 2004. He was inspired to make the game after his home burned in the Oakland-Berkeley Firestorm Credit: AP\/Marcio Jose Sanchez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The AT-AT Imperial Walker from the original \u201cStar Wars\u201d movies<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Listener-supported radio<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Vitamin E<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Wetsuits<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Related stories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
$\"How$ <\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
How Berkeley started the modern sanctuary movement<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
February 23, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"Jacuzzi$ <\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Jacuzzi brothers\u2019 whirlpool invention bubbled up from their Berkeley machine shop in early 1900s<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
September 4, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$\"Berkeley\u2019s$ <\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Berkeley\u2019s Center for Independent Living, which launched the disability rights movement, turns 50<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
October 24, 2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n
…We rely on your support<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
We know that most readers don’t get to the end of the article. But you did! To support our in-depth, rock-solid reporting, please consider making a donation to our nonprofit newsroom today. We rely on our readers \u2014 particularly the ones who read the whole story!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The jacuzzi. The dog park. The polygraph machine. Single-family zoning. The term \u201cAsian American.\u201d Indigenous Peoples\u2019 Day. And much, much more. by Zac Farber Sept. 15, 2026 (Berkeleyside.org) Berkeley is famous for being a hotbed of innovative ideas and the sort of way-out-there utopian schemes that, every once in a… Continue reading → <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2506],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-berkeley"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50346","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50346"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50346\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}