Father Junípero Serra was born Miguel José Serra in 1713 on the small Spanish island of Mallorca. As a priest, Father Serra traveled to the New Spain colonial territory of Mexico in 1749 to devote himself to missionary work. Appointed head of the Spanish missions in 1767, he established his first mission in what is now the state of California at San Diego in 1769.
Before his death in 1784, Father Junípero Serra helped to establish nine Spanish missions in California:
- Mission of San Diego
July 16, 1769
- Mission San Carlos Borromeo
June 3, 1770
- Mission San Antonio de Padua
July 14, 1771
- Mission San Gabriel
September 8, 1771
- Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
September 1, 1772
- Mission San Francisco de Asis
June 29, 1776
- Mission San Juan Capistrano
November 1, 1776
- Mission Santa Clara de Asis
January 12, 1777
- Mission San Buenaventura
March 31, 1782