The Hollister motorcycle riot occurred in 1947.
The event took place during the July Fourth weekend of 1947 at an American Motorcyclist Association-sanctioned Gypsy Tour rally in Hollister, California. The town was overwhelmed by an unexpectedly large motorcycle crowd, and some participants caused disorder through drinking, street riding, racing, and property damage.
Newspaper coverage, followed by a dramatic photograph published in Life magazine, portrayed the incident as a larger “invasion” or takeover than the relatively limited damage and arrests suggested. The episode nevertheless helped establish the postwar American image of the rebellious outlaw motorcyclist.
The riot later inspired Frank Rooney’s 1951 short story “Cyclists’ Raid,” which became the basis for the 1953 film The Wild One. Starring Marlon Brando, the movie fictionalized the incident heavily, so its rival gangs and plot should not be treated as a literal reconstruction. Hollister later revived the motorcycle-rally tradition, including a 50th-anniversary event in 1997.