The Rock — The History of a Maximum Security Prison on Alcatraz
March 21, 2024, marks the 61st anniversary of its closing
There are many myths surrounding the infamous maximum security prison Alcatraz, also known as “The Rock”, in San Francisco. In its time, it was considered the most secure prison in the world, and famous criminals such as Al Capone and Robert Stroud served their sentences there.
The prison closed on March 21, 1963. Reason enough to take a closer look at its history.
The origins of Alcatraz
Alcatraz is a small rocky island about 2 km from San Francisco Bay. The island is about 500 meters long and has an area of 8.5 hectares.
It was discovered by the Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala. He sailed into San Francisco Bay in 1775 to map the area. He gave names to the various islands he found there.
“Isla de Alcatraces” was the name he gave to the island with the most pelicans. Today it is known as Alcatraz.
After its discovery, the isle remained largely untouched. This changed in the second half of the 19th century.
