Alcatraz Island, San Francisco

Alcatraz Island is a small island located 1.25 miles off the coast of San Francisco, California, famous for housing a notorious maximum-security federal penitentiary. Used as a military fort and military prison in the mid-19th century. Converted into a high-security federal penitentiary in 1934 to hold incorrigible inmates, closing on March 21, 1963. Famous inmates: Held notorious criminals like Al Capone and George "Machine Gun" Kelly Occupied by Native Americans (Indians of All Tribes) for 19 months starting in 1969 for civil rights.