By Roy Morlidge / Beat Staff Writer

On November 27th, 1978, the city of San Francisco changed forever.

By the day’s end, two of the city’s leading politicians were dead, another forever disgraced, and a fourth starting her way up to national prominence.

George Moscone was no stranger to politics. Previously a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, he had served in the California State Senate from 1967 until 1976, when he was elected mayor of San Francisco. Harvey Milk was a Korean War veteran from New York. A strong activist in the gay rights movement, he was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 1977.
Daniel James White was a Vietnam veteran, former San Francisco police officer, and San Francisco firefighter. Elected to the Board of Supervisors in 1977, he stood out as a core supporter of the city’s conservative movement often finding himself on opposite political ends of liberal-leaning George Moscone and Harvey Milk.

The events which led to the shooting can probably best be said to have started on November 10, 1978, when White resigned from the Board of Supervisors citing that his salary was not enough to pay for his family. Several days later, he asked the mayor to be reinstated and was eventually turned down. On November 27, 1978, White entered city hall through a basement window, went up to Moscone’s office and shot him to death. He then proceeded to Harvey Milk’s office where he would kill him as well.

What many people often forget was that there were two other names on White’s list, Supervisor Carol Ruth Silver and State Assemblyman William Brown. Interestingly, in his book “Basic Brown,” Willie Brown recalled being with Mayor Moscone a few minutes before the mayor was killed.

Dan White, who surrendered shortly afterwards, was convicted of voluntary manslaughter after claiming that he had been suffering from depression caused by eating junk food, to be forever remembered as the ‘Twinkie Defense.’ The community was outraged by the light verdict and in what became known as the White Night Riots, the entrance to City Hall was trashed and several police cars destroyed. White would only serve five years in person before being paroled. Never fully recovering from that day in 1978, he committed suicide at his home in San Francisco on October 21, 1985 and was buried at the Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno.

Harvey Milk’s body was cremated and his ashes scattered at sea. However one can still visit a memorial cenotaph located just inside of the San Francisco Columbarium. George Moscone was taken to Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Colma for burial in the St. Michael Section where a simple flat marker can be found today.

What most people remember about the shootings was the footage of Board of Supervisors president Dianne Feinstein’s announcement of the deaths. Because of her position, she would be appointed Mayor of San Francisco and as such until 1983. In 1992 she was elected to the United States Senate where she sits today.

Carol Ruth Silver remained on the Board of Supervisors until 1989. Willie Brown continued to serve with the California State Assembly until 1995. He would return to San Francisco and serve as mayor from 1996 until 2004.

What might have happened if neither Milk nor Moscone were assassinated is uncertain. Both men perhaps would have gone on to much higher political posts. Perhaps today’s issue over gay marriage could have long been decided.  What is certain is that San Francisco, and perhaps the rest of the nation, were robbed of two pioneering figures.

Learn More:

On ABC7News.com: Watch ABC7’s Wayne Freedman’s report as he goes through the old KGO-TV video vault on the Milk/ Moscone Killings.

On SFGate.com: Former San Francisco Chronicle Reporter Duffy Jennings vividly recalls being in City Hall when the chaos erupted around him.