Los Angeles is one of the elite cities of with a wide cultural and social diversity, glamorous neighborhoods that have been locations for major Hollywood productions, exclusive areas that accommodate the biggest movie stars and high-end beaches on the coasts of Malibu and Santa Monica.
Within its more than 500 square miles, the city is also home to dozens of world-renowned film and television production studios, artistic and architectural works such as theGetty Center , one of the most eclectic cuisines in the country with hundreds of critically acclaimed restaurants and an attractive night scene with bars and clubs for all tastes.
Among its main attractions are the Griffith Observatory, the Santa Monica Pier, the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Chinese Theater and Sunset Boulevard.
Find out about 15 interesting facts about Los Angeles that you didn’t know before:
Here we leave you with 15 interesting facts to know about the City of Angels:
1. The city was founded with another name
When the city was founded, back in 1781, it received the name of “El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora Reina de Los Ángeles sobre el Rio Porciúncula“. This, when translated from Spanish, reveals a beautiful meaning, “The town of our Lady Queen of the angels on the Porciuncula River.”
2. Once Part Of Mexico
Los Angeles was actually part of Mexico under the Spanish Empire before it was annexed by the U.S. in 1848 during the Mexican-American War.
3. It is one of the largest oil fields in the US.
In 1892 oil wells were discovered in what is now Dodger Stadium, by 1923 LA was producing a quarter of the world’s oil. Currently it is the third largest field in the country with an average production of 400 barrels per day.
4. Over 200 different languages spoken in the city
The City of Angels is so diverse that it is home to people from more than 140 countries who speak over 200 different languages. One can experience different cultures and languages by visiting nearby towns such as Chinatown, Korea Town, Little Tokyo, Little Ethiopia, Thai Town, and Little Armenia, etc.
5. Here the internet was born
With the first ARPANET transmission, which was sent from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to SRI in Menlo Park in 1969, Los Angeles became the birthplace of the Internet.
6. Official Tree
The Coral Tree (Erythrina caffra) is the official tree of Los Angeles. The tree is native to Southeastern Africa and is often cultivated in India.
7. Official Flower
The official flower of Los Angeles is the Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae). The plant is indigenous to South Africa.
8. The Largest number of museums
With more than 841 museum and art galleries, Los Angeles has more museums per capita than any other
city in the world.
9. The film industry moved to LA to flee Thomas Edison’s patents
It is said that Thomas Alva Edison held numerous film-related patents registered in New Jersey, which prompted filmmakers to move to Los Angeles to avoid intellectual property claims and make use of the inventor’s innovations.
10. Beverly Hills was nothing to what it is now
Although it is now an exclusive area, surrounded by mansions and celebrities from the cinema, music and even businessmen, Beverly Hills began as a small bean farm.
11. Its economy is stronger than entire nations
Los Angeles boasts an economy superior to that of developed countries such as Sweden, Saudi Arabia and Switzerland.
12. The Hollywood Sign Didn’t Always Represent the Movie Industry
When it was placed on the hills of Mount Lee in 1923, the Hollywood Sign advertised a Tinseltown real estate development and read Hollywoodland .
13. Santa Monica Pier was not designed as a tourist center
The colorful and noisy Santa Monica waterfront attraction was placed to protect pipes that discharged the city’s treated wastewater into the ocean. Today it is a world-class meeting point.
14. LA prohibits the use of baggy suits
Although it seems strange, the city has prohibited its citizens from wearing baggy suits since the Zoot Suit riot in 1943. The Zoot Suit Riots were a series of racist attacks in which White servicemen and civilians attacked and stripped youths who wore Zoot Suits because the outfits were considered unpatriotic and extravagant during wartime.
15. The Getty Museum Has Some Quirky Gardeners
Every spring the cultural complex brings hundreds of goats into the bushes surrounding its gardens to keep them in good condition.
Los Angeles is a city with a rich history and diverse culture, and there are many intriguing facts to discover about this iconic metropolis. So next time you find yourself in LA, take some time to delve deeper into its fascinating past and present – who knows what other interesting facts you might uncover?
