On 16 February 2025, Dan White snuck into City Hall and assassinated gay rights activist Harvey Milk and San Francisco’s mayor, George Moscone.
Robert Clay / Alamy Stock PhotoSupervisor Dan White in San Francisco City Hall in January 1978 .
According to his constituent , Dan White was an “ All - American ” man . A supervisory program for San Francisco ’s 8th territory in the late 1970s , White was a work - class Catholic , a Vietnam War veteran , and a former policeman and firefighter who defend small - townsfolk values .
But less than a year after he was elect to the Board of Supervisors , Dan White would crawl through a basement windowpane of City Hall with a six-shooter in his pocket and assassinate both the mayor and White ’s fellow supervisor , Harvey Milk — one of U.S. history ’s first openly mirthful elect officials .
Robert Clay/Alamy Stock PhotoSupervisor Dan White in San Francisco City Hall in January 1978.
In the wake of the slaying , thousands took to the street to protest the injustice inflict upon the city manager and Milk , whom many consider was targeted for his sexuality . Even today , the assassinations are remembered as one of the glum mo in San Francisco ’s history .
But who was the valet behind these ill-famed offense ?
Dan White’s Early Years In California
Mike Weiss / San Francisco Public LibraryDan White , the human behind George Moscone and Harvey Milk ’s assassinations .
Daniel James White was born on Sept. 2 , 1946 into a working class family in California . He was the second of nine fry , and raise up in the Visitacion Valley neighborhood of San Francisco .
As a child , he attended Catholic school and made a name for himself as a star jock until he was expelled for fetch into a competitiveness . He later on graduated from a public school before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1965 .
Mike Weiss/San Francisco Public LibraryDan White, the man behind George Moscone and Harvey Milk’s assassinations.
White fought in the Vietnam War as a sergeant in the 101st Airborne Division . He was exculpate in 1971 and moved to Alaska , where he worked briefly as a eminent school day truant policeman and guidance counselor-at-law .
Later , White be active back to San Francisco and took a job as a police officer for the San Francisco Police Department . This , too , was short lived ; he quit the force after report a fellow police officer for beating a defendant who was in handcuffs .
White later charter a position as a firefighter . In 1977,The New York Timesreports , White made newspaper headline after saving a woman and her kid from the 17th base of a burning construction . This rescue gain White the favor of many of the metropolis ’s house physician , who catch him as a local Cuban sandwich .
Robert Clay/Alamy Stock PhotoMayor George Moscone (left), newly elected supervisor Harvey Milk (center), and State Senator Milton Marks (right) in front of San Francisco City Hall.
That same twelvemonth , White pivoted to city political sympathies . With the financial support of San Francisco ’s law and fervency departments , he was elect to the metropolis ’s Board of Supervisors for District 8 , a preponderantly whitened orbit that was notably hostile toward the metropolis ’s grow gay community .
It was through this calling pivot that White became present with Harvey Milk .
Dan White’s Relationship With Harvey Milk
Robert Clay / Alamy Stock PhotoMayor George Moscone ( left ) , newly elected supervisory program Harvey Milk ( inwardness ) , and State Senator Milton Marks ( right ) in front of San Francisco City Hall .
While service as a supervisory program for the City , Dan White established himself as a straight - laced , middle - class Democrat .
“ It ’s old fashioned values that built this country . To me , this is what society is all about , ” White once told aninterviewer . “ If you see someone in trouble , you go to avail them out . ”
Steve Rhodes/FlickrA candlelight memorial following the assassination of Harvey Milk and George Moscone.
During his time as supervisor , White worked alongside Harvey Milk , California ’s first openly cheery adult male to be elected to public office .
Milk had move to San Francisco in 1972 and quickly involved himself in city politics . Over the next few year , Milk garnered public support by advocating for the San Francisco gay biotic community and fashioning himself as “ The Mayor of Castro Street . ” He was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 1977 alongside Dan White .
Although the two valet de chambre appeared to have little in vulgar , they ab initio had an amicable relationship . They regularly had coffee berry and meals together , and Milk River reportedly even attended the christening of White ’s Logos .
Daniel Nicoletta/CC BY-SA 3.0Protestors setting police cruisers ablaze during the White Night riots.
Still , White was inconsistent in his stance ongay rights . He was the only executive program to match an ordinance foreclose favoritism on the cornerstone of sexual orientation in 1978 . He also openly disapproved of Pride parades .
“ The vast majority of people in this city do n’t want public display of sexuality , ” he once enunciate , harmonize to a 2021The Strangerarticle .
However , he also sided with Milk River on some important gay right issues , hired a mirthful human being as his campaign director and chief of stave , and attend a fundraiser in opposition of a ballot measure that would allow schools to send away openly jovial staff .
In early 1978 , however , Milk and White reportedly drop out after Milk voted in favour of the construction of a family for tumultuous youth in White ’s territorial dominion — a move which White vehemently opposed .
Meanwhile , White was dealing with financial difficulties . The pay for a supervisor was less than $ 10,000 a year , and White was forbidden from retain his caper as a firefighter to supplement his low salary . Instead , White attempted to bolster his income by opening a spud - themed restaurant at Pier 39 , but it flopped .
On Nov. 10 , White relinquish as supervisor , cite fiscal fuss . He quickly repent his decision to leave office , however , and reverse his resignation just four days later . Mayor George Moscone reportedly considered reinstating him — but changed his nous after Harvey Milk persuade him to name someone else .
On Nov. 26 , Moscone officially denied White ’s request to sum up his function .
Jobless , under fiscal pains , and feeling bewray by Milk and Moscone , Dan White had reach a breaking point — one that would prove fatal for his former colleagues .
Inside George Moscone And Harvey Milk’s Assassinations
Steve Rhodes / FlickrA candle flame memorial following the assassination of Harvey Milk and George Moscone .
On Nov. 27 , 1978 , the day George Moscone was prepare to announce Dan White ’s replacement as supervisor , White entered City Hall through a basement window , effectively side - stepping the construction ’s metallic element sensing element . He border to Mayor Moscone ’s office and , after a brief controversy , shot him four time at point - blank range .
Then , White walk down the Marguerite Radclyffe Hall to Harvey Milk ’s business office and asked to speak with his old coworker . Once they were alone , White scud Milk five times .
After Milk was idle , White take flight the edifice . That same day , he turned himself in to the very police section he had bring at years before and concede to the murders .
The Murder Trial Verdict Sparks Outrage In San Francisco
Leading up to Dan White ’s execution trial , the San Francisco fire and police departments raised finances for their former colleague ’s defense .
During the proceedings , the defending team argued that the attacks were not premeditate , but rather that White ’s violent tumultuous disturbance was the issue of a serious depressive episode . clean , they said , had been at his wits ’ end with the fiscal and political air pressure he was facing .
They also claimed that White ’s genial wellness battle had caused him to eat too much debris food , admit Twinkies and Coca - Cola — head this tactic to be infamously know as the “ Twinkie defense . ”
On May 21 , 1979 , the jury convict White of manslaughter , rather than first - academic degree slaying . He was doom to less than eight long time in prison for the assassination of Harvey Milk and George Moscone .
The promulgation caused an garboil across San Francisco , especially among penis of the gay residential district . outrage by the soft finding of fact , thousands border to City Hall in what became roll in the hay as the White Night riot .
Daniel Nicoletta / CC BY - SA 3.0Protestors prepare police cruisers ablaze during the White Night debauch .
The protest soon escalated into chaos when the police started to beat some of the protestors with night peg . The protestors , already infuriated that the police had help fund White ’s defence , press back , and the presentment gave in to a full - blown uprising . By the clock time the demonstrators finally dispersed , 59 officers and 124 protestors had been injured , and about a dozen police cars were damaged .
later , a group of rogue police officers raid the Castro neighborhood in revenge , where they assaulted passersby at random , vandalized a gay bar , and yell anti - festive slurs as they attacked its patron .
“ San Franciscan turned against San Franciscan last Nox . bottleful , rocks , broken meth , blood , ” theSan Francisco Examinerwrote at the time , accord to a 2022SFGatearticle . “ That ’s the memory of the night the White jury come back . ”
The Death Of Dan White
Dan White served out his sentence and was paroled in January 1984 . He expend a year in Los Angeles before moving back to San Francisco to live with his wife and shaver . However , he struggled to start up his living anew there .
disgrace , unable to keep down a job , and paralyzed with the fear of retaliation for his past criminal offense , White died by self-destruction on Oct. 21 , 1985 .
For some resident physician of San Francisco , White ’s demise was poetic judge for the chaos and pain he had unleashed onto the metropolis years before . But for those who knew him , his death was an unspeakable calamity .
“ We ’ve said all along there were three victim in this , ” White ’s attorney , Douglas R. Schmidt , toldThe New York Timesin 1985 . “ Today Dan White became the third victim . ”
“ I do n’t think that this is the kind of book that ’s been write that needs an epilogue , ” said Police Chief Cornelius Murphy . “ It ’s time to shut the book on Dan White . countenance the White family and the City and County of San Francisco get on with its business . ”
After reading about Dan White , the man behind Harvey Milk ’s blackwash , meetnine brave LGBTQ veteranswho were forgotten by history . Then , discover some ofhistory ’s greatest delivery , include Harvey Milk ’s “ Hope Speech . ”
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