George Moscone

George Moscone (November 24, 1929 - November 27, 1978) was Mayor of San Francisco from 1976 to his assassination in 1978.

Born in San Francisco, California Moscone attended University of the Pacific and then Hastings College of the Law, where he got his law degree.

In the early 1960s he ran unsuccessfully as a Democrat for the California State Assembly. He then ran and won a seat in the State Senate. Moscone was a close ally of many of California's leading progressives, including Governor Jerry Brown and Assembly Speaker Willie Brown.

In 1976 he was elected mayor. Controversially, he supported a housing bill barring discrimnation against homosexuals, written by openly gay Supervisor Harvey Milk. Strongly anti-gay Supervisor Dan White resigned in protest. Two days later, on Monday, November 27, 1978 he shot and killed both Moscone and Milk inside the city hall.

Dianne Feinstein, President of the Board of Supervisors, was sworn in as the city's new mayor and in the following years would emerge as one of California's most prominent politicians.

Today, both Moscone and Milk are mourned as martyrs of the gay rights movement.