History of Los Angeles in Timeline

Los Angeles is the most populous city in California and a major hub for commerce, finance, and culture in Southern California. Home to approximately 3.88 million residents within the city limits as of 2024, it ranks as the second-most populous city in the United States. The city boasts a diverse population and serves as the central city within a metropolitan area of 12.9 million. The Greater Los Angeles combined statistical area encompasses over 18.5 million residents.

1900: Population growth in Los Angeles

By 1900, the population of Los Angeles had grown to more than 102,000, putting pressure on the city's water supply.

1900: Paris hosts Summer Olympic Games

Los Angeles will be the third city after Paris (1900, 1924 and 2024) to host the Olympic Games three times.

1903: First airplane flight

During the Second World War, more aircraft were produced in one year than in all the pre-war years since the Wright brothers flew the first airplane in 1903, combined.

September 14, 1908: Los Angeles Zoning Ordinance

On September 14, 1908, Los Angeles created the first municipal zoning ordinance in the United States, establishing residential and industrial land use zones.

1908: Pronunciation Variants of Los Angeles

In 1908, librarian Charles Fletcher Lummis reported that there were at least 12 pronunciation variants of the name Los Angeles.

1908: London hosts Summer Olympic Games

Los Angeles will be the third city after London (1908, 1948 and 2012) to host the Olympic Games three times.

1910: Hollywood merges with Los Angeles

In 1910, Hollywood merged into Los Angeles, with 10 movie companies already operating in the city.

1913: Completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct

In 1913, the Los Angeles Aqueduct was completed, delivering water from Eastern California and enabling the further growth of the city.

1915: Exceptions to Los Angeles Zoning Ordinance

Between 1908 and 1915, the Los Angeles City Council created various exceptions to the broad proscriptions that applied to the three residential zones, and as a consequence, some industrial uses emerged within them.

1916: Zoning laws in the United States

The 1908 zoning laws did not establish a comprehensive zoning map as the 1916 New York City Zoning Ordinance did.

1921: Film Industry in Los Angeles

By 1921, more than 80 percent of the world's film industry was concentrated in Los Angeles.

1923: California becomes largest oil producer

By 1923, oil discoveries had helped California become the country's largest oil producer, accounting for about one-quarter of the world's petroleum output.

1923: International Church of the Foursquare Gospel founded

In 1923, Aimee Semple McPherson founded the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel in Los Angeles.

1923: Breed Street Shul built

In 1923, the Breed Street Shul in East Los Angeles was built and became the largest synagogue west of Chicago.

1924: Paris hosts Summer Olympic Games

Los Angeles will be the third city after Paris (1900, 1924 and 2024) to host the Olympic Games three times.

1930: Population of Los Angeles surpasses one million

By 1930, the population of Los Angeles surpassed one million.

January 15, 1932: Record snowfall in downtown Los Angeles

On January 15, 1932, downtown Los Angeles experienced its greatest recorded snowfall, accumulating 2.0 inches (5 cm).

1932: Los Angeles hosted the Summer Olympics

In 1932, Los Angeles hosted the Summer Olympics.

1933: Long Beach earthquake

The Los Angeles area was hit by the 1933 Long Beach earthquake.

1934: Official pronunciation of Los Angeles

In 1934, the United States Board on Geographic Names decreed that the pronunciation /lɔːs ˈændʒələs/ be used by the federal government for Los Angeles.

1939: Opening of Union Station

In 1939, Union Station opened as the largest passenger rail terminal in the Western United States.

1946: Rams play first game in Los Angeles

From 1946 to 1979 the Rams played their home games in the Coliseum which made them the first professional sports team to play in Los Angeles.

1946: Aleutian Islands earthquake

In 1946, harbor areas of Los Angeles were damaged by waves from the Aleutian Islands earthquake.

1948: London hosts Summer Olympic Games

Los Angeles will be the third city after London (1908, 1948 and 2012) to host the Olympic Games three times.

January 4, 1949: Lowest recorded temperature at downtown station

On January 4, 1949, the official downtown Los Angeles weather station recorded its lowest temperature at 28 °F (−2 °C).

1952: Official pronunciation of Los Angeles

In 1952, a "jury" appointed by Mayor Fletcher Bowron endorsed the pronunciation /lɔːs ˈændʒələs/ as the official pronunciation of Los Angeles.

1953: Pronunciation of Los Angeles

In 1953, an article in the journal of the American Name Society asserted that the pronunciation /lɔːs ˈændʒələs/ was established following the 1850 incorporation of the city.

1960: Zoned capacity for housing in Los Angeles

In 1960, Los Angeles had a total zoned capacity for approximately 10 million people.

1960: Valdivia earthquake

In 1960, harbor areas of Los Angeles were damaged by waves from the Valdivia earthquake.

1960: Los Angeles Chargers' inaugural season

The San Diego Chargers relocated back to Los Angeles (the first since its inaugural season in 1960) and became the Los Angeles Chargers beginning in the 2017 NFL season.

1962: Previous snowfall before 2019

Prior to the snowfall in February 2019, the last snowfall in Los Angeles occurred in 1962.

1964: Alaska earthquake

In 1964, harbor areas of Los Angeles were damaged by waves from the Alaska earthquake.

1965: Watts Riots

In 1965, racial tensions led to the Watts riots, resulting in 34 deaths and over 1,000 injuries.

1969: Birthplace of the Internet

In 1969, California became the birthplace of the Internet, as the first ARPANET transmission was sent from UCLA to the Stanford Research Institute.

1971: San Fernando earthquake

The Los Angeles area was hit by the 1971 San Fernando earthquake.

1973: Tom Bradley elected mayor

In 1973, Tom Bradley was elected as Los Angeles's first African American mayor.

1974: Symbionese Liberation Army standoff

In 1974, the Symbionese Liberation Army had a standoff in South Central Los Angeles.

1977: Hillside Stranglers murder cases

In 1977 and 1978, the Hillside Stranglers murder cases occurred.

1978: Hillside Stranglers murder cases

In 1977 and 1978, the Hillside Stranglers murder cases occurred.

1978: Proposition 13 approved

In 1978, after Proposition 13 was approved, urban school districts, including LAUSD, faced considerable funding challenges.

January 29, 1979: Freezing temperatures recorded downtown

On January 29, 1979, the downtown Los Angeles station recorded a temperature of 32 °F (0 °C), marking the last time freezing temperatures were experienced in the city basin and along the coast.

1979: Rams play last game in Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

From 1946 to 1979 the Rams played their home games in the Coliseum which made them the first professional sports team to play in Los Angeles.

1980: Rams play first game in Anaheim Stadium

From 1980 until 1994, the Rams played their home games in Anaheim Stadium.

1980: Homicide rate

In 1980, the homicide rate in Los Angeles was 34.2 per 100,000 residents.

1984: Los Angeles hosts Summer Olympic Games

In 1984, Los Angeles hosted the Summer Olympic Games for the second time.

1984: Los Angeles becomes second-largest city

In early 1984, Los Angeles surpassed Chicago in population, becoming the second-largest city in the United States.

1985: Los Angeles hosts Deaflympics

Los Angeles hosted the Deaflympics in 1985.

1987: Whittier Narrows earthquake

The Los Angeles area was hit by the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake.

1990: Zoned capacity for housing in Los Angeles

By 1990, Los Angeles's zoned capacity for housing had fallen to 4.5 million as a result of policy decisions to ban housing through zoning.

1990: Opening of the A Line

In 1990, the first line of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system, the A Line, opened.

April 29, 1992: Rodney King Riots

On April 29, 1992, racial tensions erupted with the acquittal of LAPD officers in the Rodney King beating case, culminating in large-scale riots.

1992: City records 1,092 murders

In 1992, the city of Los Angeles recorded 1,092 murders.

1993: Tom Bradley retires

Tom Bradley retired from being mayor in 1993.

1994: Rams play last game in Anaheim Stadium

From 1980 until 1994, the Rams played their home games in Anaheim Stadium.

1994: Northridge Earthquake

In 1994, the magnitude 6.7 Northridge earthquake shook Los Angeles, causing significant damage and loss of life.

1994: FIFA World Cup games in Los Angeles

Los Angeles hosted eight FIFA World Cup soccer games at the Rose Bowl in 1994, including the final, where Brazil won.

1995: Rams and Raiders leave Los Angeles

In 1995, the Los Angeles area hosted two NFL teams: the Rams and the Raiders. Both left the city in 1995, with the Rams moving to St. Louis, and the Raiders moving back to their original home of Oakland.

June 8, 1999: Adoption of current city charter

On June 8, 1999, Los Angeles adopted its current city charter, which has since been amended multiple times. This charter defines the structure of the elected government, including the City Council and the mayor.

1999: Ratification of City Charter

In 1999, voters ratified the City Charter of Los Angeles, which established a system of advisory neighborhood councils. These councils represent the diverse stakeholders within the city, including those who live, work, or own property in the neighborhood.

1999: FIFA Women's World Cup matches in Los Angeles

The Rose Bowl hosted four matches in the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, including the final, where the United States won against China on penalty kicks.

September 2002: Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels opened

In September 2002, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels opened in downtown Los Angeles, under the oversight of Cardinal Roger Mahony.

2002: Defeat of Secession Efforts

In 2002, Mayor James Hahn led the campaign against secession, resulting in voters defeating efforts by the San Fernando Valley and Hollywood to secede from the city.

2005: Start of crime under-reporting by LAPD

In 2005, the LAPD began under-reporting a category of crime. This practice continued until 2012 and was revealed in 2015.

2006: Los Angeles ranked most polluted city

In 2006, the American Lung Association ranked Los Angeles as the most polluted city in the country for short-term and year-round particle pollution.

2006: Commute travel time

In 2006, the mean travel time for work commutes in Los Angeles was 29.2 minutes, which was similar to those of San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

2007: Los Angeles ranked most polluted city

In 2007, the American Lung Association ranked Los Angeles as the most polluted city in the country for short-term and year-round particle pollution.

2008: Los Angeles ranked second most polluted city

In 2008, Los Angeles was ranked as the second most polluted city in the country and still had the highest year-round particulate pollution.

2008: Trade volume of the Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor

In 2008, the combined trade volume of the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach, known as the Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor, was over 14.2 million TEU's.

2008: Murder rate prior to 2021 spike

The murder rate in Los Angeles, prior to the spike in 2021, was lower than the rate of 8.5 per 100,000 residents.

2009: 50-year low in homicides

In 2009, Los Angeles experienced a 50-year low in homicides, with 314 recorded. This translated to a rate of 7.8 per 100,000 residents.

September 27, 2010: Highest recorded temperature at downtown station

On September 27, 2010, the official downtown Los Angeles weather station recorded its highest temperature at 113 °F (45 °C).

2010: Renewable energy goal achieved

In 2010, Los Angeles achieved its goal of providing 20 percent of the city's power from renewable sources.

2010: Chile earthquake

In 2010, harbor areas of Los Angeles were damaged by waves from the Chile earthquake.

2011: Japan earthquake

In 2011, harbor areas of Los Angeles were damaged by waves from the Japan earthquake.

2011: Revival of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles procession and Mass

In 2011, the Queen of Angels Foundation revived the custom of conducting a procession and Mass in honor of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles, commemorating the founding of the City of Los Angeles in 1781.

2012: Los Angeles classified as an "alpha world city"

According to a 2012 study by Loughborough University, Los Angeles was classified as an "alpha world city".

2012: Kings' Stanley Cup title

In 2012, the Kings' Stanley Cup title marked Los Angeles as one of six North American cities to have won championships in all five of its major leagues (MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA, and MLS).

2012: End of crime under-reporting by LAPD

In 2012, the LAPD stopped under-reporting a category of crime. This practice began in 2005 and was revealed in 2015.

2012: London hosts Summer Olympic Games

Los Angeles will be the third city after London (1908, 1948 and 2012) to host the Olympic Games three times.

2013: Los Angeles ranked worst for smog

In 2013, the American Lung Association's survey ranked the Los Angeles metro area as having the nation's worst smog, and fourth in both short-term and year-round pollution amounts.

2014: Christianity in Los Angeles

According to a 2014 study by the Pew Research Center, Christianity is the most prevalently practiced religion in Los Angeles (65%).

2014: Bobcat population in Los Angeles

In 2014, Serieys et al. found selection of immune genetics at several loci in the urban bobcat population of Los Angeles.

2014: Cruise ship passengers at the Port of Los Angeles

In 2014, the Port of Los Angeles's World Cruise Center served about 590,000 passengers.

2015: LAPD crime under-reporting revealed

In 2015, it was revealed that the LAPD had under-reported a category of crime between 2005 and 2012, making the rate in the city appear lower than it actually was during that period.

2015: No NFL team in Los Angeles

Los Angeles did not host any NFL team between 1995 and 2015.

2015: Los Angeles hosts Special Olympics World Summer Games

Los Angeles hosted the Special Olympics World Summer Games in 2015.

January 12, 2016: Rams to move back to Los Angeles

On January 12, 2016, the NFL announced the Rams would be moving back to Los Angeles for the 2016 NFL season.

2016: Public transportation usage

According to the 2016 American Community Survey, 9.2% of working Los Angeles (city) residents used public transportation to commute to work.

January 12, 2017: Chargers to relocate back to Los Angeles

On January 12, 2017, the San Diego Chargers announced that they would also relocate back to Los Angeles and become the Los Angeles Chargers beginning in the 2017 NFL season.

2017: Los Angeles financial center ranking

In the 2017 Global Financial Centres Index, Los Angeles was ranked the 19th most competitive financial center in the world and sixth most competitive in the U.S.

2018: Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Los Angeles

As of 2018, Los Angeles is home to three Fortune 500 companies: AECOM, CBRE Group, and Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.

2018: Los Angeles metropolitan area gross product

As of 2018, the Los Angeles metropolitan area had a gross metropolitan product of over $1.0 trillion, making it the third-largest economic metropolitan area in the world.

February 2019: Snowfall in Los Angeles

In February 2019, Los Angeles experienced its first snowfall since 1962, with snow falling in areas adjacent to the city.

August 2019: KCET re-joins PBS

In August 2019, KCET re-joined PBS as a secondary affiliate, after spending the previous eight years as the nation's largest independent public television station.

2019: Housing statistics in Los Angeles

From 2019 to 2023, owner-occupied housing units made up 36.3% of the total Los Angeles housing units, costing $879,500 on average, with median monthly owner costs of $3,399 with a mortgage and $950 without one, and a median gross rent of $1,879.

2019: Household income in Los Angeles

From 2019 to 2023, the median household income in Los Angeles was $80,366 (2023 dollars), while the per capita income in the past 12 months was $46,270.

2019: Amtrak boardings and de-boardings

In 2019, Union Station had 1.4 million Amtrak boardings and de-boardings, making it Amtrak's fifth busiest station.

2019: Most congested roads in the U.S.

In 2019, according to the Texas Transportation Institute's Urban Mobility Report, Los Angeles area roads were ranked the most congested in the United States, with travelers experiencing an average of 119 hours of delay that year.

2019: Reasons for homelessness in Los Angeles

In 2019, almost 60 percent of the 82,955 people who became newly homeless in Los Angeles said their homelessness was because of economic hardship.

September 6, 2020: Highest temperature within City of Los Angeles

On September 6, 2020, the highest temperature ever officially recorded within the City of Los Angeles was 121 °F (49 °C) at the weather station at Pierce College in Woodland Hills.

2020: Rams and Chargers move to SoFi Stadium

During the 2020 season, the Rams and the Chargers moved to the newly built SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

2020: U.S. Census reports Los Angeles population

In 2020, the U.S. Census reported that Los Angeles had a population of 3,898,747, with a population density of 8,304.2 people per square mile.

January 2021: Snowfall near Los Angeles

In January 2021, snow fell in areas adjacent to Los Angeles.

2021: Murders rise to highest rate since 2008

In 2021, murders in Los Angeles rose to their highest rate (8.5 per 100,000 residents) since 2008.

2021: Language diversity in Los Angeles

In 2021, the American Community Survey reported that 56.8% of Los Angeles residents aged five and older spoke a language other than English at home, highlighting the city's linguistic diversity.

2022: Los Angeles County Population

As of 2022, Los Angeles County was the most populous county in the United States with an estimated 9.86 million residents.

2022: Karen Bass becomes mayor

In 2022, Karen Bass became the city's first female mayor.

2022: Total bus ridership

In 2022, the Los Angeles Metro Bus system had a total ridership of 197,950,700.

2022: Annual ridership for subway and light rail

In 2022, the Los Angeles Metro Rail system, including subway and light rail, had a total ridership of 57,299,800.

2022: Economic sectors in Los Angeles

In 2022, the accommodation and food services sector in Los Angeles made $17,366,966, the health care and social assistance sectors made $46,297,839, transportation and warehousing made $25,410,257, and the retail sector made $81,351,523.

2023: Los Angeles population demographics

According to 2023 data from the United States Census Bureau, Los Angeles's population is 47.2% Hispanic or Latino, 28.3% non-Hispanic White, 8.5% Black, 12.0% Asian, 1.2% Native American, and 0.1% Pacific Islander.

2023: Los Angeles Visitor Count

As of 2023, Los Angeles was the third-most visited city in the U.S., with over 2.7 million visitors.

2023: Number of stations in the Metro Rail system

As of 2023, there are 101 stations in the Los Angeles Metro Rail system.

2023: Bus system ridership

As of the third quarter of 2023, the Los Angeles Metro Bus system had an average weekday ridership of approximately 692,500.

2023: Subway and light rail ridership

As of the third quarter of 2023, the subway system in Los Angeles is the ninth busiest in the United States, and its light rail system is the second busiest in the country.

2023: Housing statistics in Los Angeles

2023: Household income in Los Angeles

From 2019 to 2023, the median household income in Los Angeles was $80,366 (2023 dollars), while the per capita income in the past 12 months was $46,270.

January 2024: Homeless population in Los Angeles

As of January 2024, there are 45,252 homeless people in the City of Los Angeles, which is roughly 60% of the homeless population of LA County, marking a 2.2% decrease from the previous year.

2024: Office space vacancy rate in Los Angeles

At the end of the second quarter of 2024, Los Angeles saw an office space vacancy rate of 31.5%, a 33.5% increase year-over-year. Retail vacancy stood at 8.6%, a 15% increase year-over-year.

2024: Murder rate spike recedes

By 2024, the spike in the murder rate in Los Angeles had receded to 6.1 per 100,000 residents.

2024: Los Angeles population and metropolitan area

In 2024, Los Angeles had an estimated 3.88 million residents within the city limits, making it the second-most populous city in the United States. The metropolitan area had a population of 12.9 million people.

2024: Los Angeles Metropolitan Area GDP

In 2024, the Los Angeles metropolitan area had a gross metropolitan product of over $1.295 trillion, making it the city with the third-largest GDP in the world.

2024: Paris hosts Summer Olympic Games

Los Angeles will be the third city after Paris (1900, 1924 and 2024) to host the Olympic Games three times.

January 2025: Pacific Palisades Wildfire

In January 2025, a series of devastating wildfires swept through Southern California, including the Pacific Palisades fire, which caused widespread destruction.