Alcatraz Island Lighthouse island (they collected eggs from the large flock of birds that regularly gathered there), Alcatraz got its name in 1775 only when Juan de Ayala, a Spaniard was engaged to survey the harbor and the San Francisco Bay. Since he observed pelicans in large numbers on the island he named the island as "Isla de los Alcatraces" meaning the "Island of Pelicans". The island is separated from the main land by more than . The gold rush and the inherent risk of the choppy waters of the west coast prompted the urgent need for establishing lighthouses. Congress recognized the need
Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story is a 1980 American miniseries about Clarence Carnes, the youngest ever inmate of Alcatraz Prison. It screened over two nights on NBC. It was written and co-produced by Ernest Tidyman. Part one details the early life and imprisonment of Clarence Carnes, climaxing with the Battle of Alcatraz. Part two focuses on Carnes as a veteran prisoner, his friendship with Robert Stroud, and his involvement in the escape attempt of Frank Morris. The production was partly shot on location in Alcatraz. The "Los Angeles Times" called it "the prison story to