33 things you didn’t know about Oakland

The Mai Tai was invented in Oakland

The Polynesian-themed drink was first served in 1944 by Victor Bergeron in his legendary Bay Area restaurant Trader Vic's (more on Vic's later), when it was located in its original Oakland location. Mai Tai, which is spelled in Maita'i in its native Tahitian, translates to "good." less The Mai Tai was invented in Oakland

The Polynesian-themed drink was first served in 1944 by Victor Bergeron in his legendary Bay Area restaurant Trader Vic's (more on Vic's later), when it was located in its ... more Photo: John Storey, Special To The Chronicle Photo: John Storey, Special To The Chronicle Image 1 of / 42 Caption Close 33 things you didn’t know about Oakland 1 / 42 Back to Gallery

Instead of saying goodbye to the Raiders, Oakland could be saying adios to the Señors. That was the winning entry in a 1960 naming contest for the American Football League team. But after much jeering from the team's burgeoning fanbase, the franchise owners chose Raiders, which was actually the third-placed entry in the Oakland Tribune's naming contest.

There are a ton of other cool stories — like Oakland's first mayor being chased out of office (and eventually the town), Frank Oz working at Children's Fairyland, and Oakland's various contributions to the culinary world — about Oakland that have gone mostly untold.

Why don't more people know these stories?

Drew Johnson, an Oakland native and curator of photography and visual culture at the Oakland Museum of California, has one theory. Overlooking Oakland, and its incredible past, is only natural given its proximity to San Francisco.

"It's the classic story of the second city," Johnson said. "It's kind of hard not to be overshadowed with San Francisco right there. From where I see it, it's less a matter of being ignored than in many ways being misinterpreted or misjudged."

Another great example of a little-known Oakland tidbit is the origin of the UC system.

The Town has a rich intellectual history. Most people might guess the university system started in Berkeley, where its most prestigious institution is located, but it actually started in Oakland.

More specifically, the University of California held its first classes in Oakland in 1869 and then moved to Berkeley in 1873, a few years after it was founded, only taking on its current name after it moved.

But that's not all. There's hella Oakland history that's been overlooked. Check out the slideshow above to discover little-known facts about The Town.