History of Los Angeles in Timeline

Los Angeles (L.A.) is the most populous city in California and the second-most populous in the U.S., with an estimated 3.8 million residents within the city limits as of 2023. It serves as the commercial, financial, and cultural hub of Southern California. Known for its ethnic and cultural diversity, L.A. is the central city of a metropolitan area encompassing 12.9 million people (2024). The Greater Los Angeles area, including Riverside-San Bernardino, forms a vast metropolis of over 18.5 million residents.

1900: Population Growth Puts Pressure on Water Supply

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

1900: Paris Olympics

Paris hosted the Olympic Games in 1900.

1903: First Airplane

During World War II, 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, the Los Angeles City Council promulgated residential and industrial land use zones.

1908: Pronunciation variants of Los Angeles name

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

1908: London Olympics

London hosted the Olympic Games in 1908.

1910: Hollywood merges into Los Angeles

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

1913: Completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct

In 1913, the Los Angeles Aqueduct was completed, delivering water from Eastern California.

1915: Exceptions to the Los Angeles Zoning Ordinance

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

1916: New York City Zoning Ordinance

In 1916, the New York City Zoning Ordinance established a comprehensive zoning map, unlike the 1908 Los Angeles zoning laws.

1921: Film Industry Concentrated in LA

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

1923: California becomes the largest oil producer

By 1923, petroleum discoveries in Los Angeles and surrounding areas had helped California become the country's largest oil producer.

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 in its early decades.

1924: Paris Olympics

Paris hosted the Olympic Games in 1924.

1930: Los Angeles Population Surpasses One Million

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

January 15, 1932: Greatest snowfall recorded in downtown Los Angeles

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

1932: Los Angeles Hosted Summer Olympics

In 1932, Los Angeles hosted Summer Olympics.

1933: Long Beach earthquake

In 1933, the Long Beach earthquake hit the Los Angeles area.

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: Union Station opened

In 1939, Union Station opened and is the largest passenger rail terminal in the Western United States. The station is a major regional train station for Amtrak, Metrolink and Metro Rail.

1946: Rams first professional sports team

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 were damaged by waves from Aleutian Islands earthquake.

1948: London Olympics

London hosted the Olympic Games in 1948.

January 4, 1949: Lowest recorded temperature at the official downtown station

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

1952: Official pronunciation of Los Angeles

In 1952, Mayor Fletcher Bowron appointed a jury that endorsed the pronunciation /lɔːs ˈændʒələs/ for Los Angeles.

1953: Pronunciation of Los Angeles name

A 1953 article in the journal of the American Name Society asserts that the pronunciation /lɔːs ˈændʒələs/ lawss AN-jəl-əs was established following the 1850 incorporation of the city.

1960: Inaugural season of Chargers

In 1960 the Chargers had their inaugural season.

1960: Valdivia earthquake

In 1960, harbor areas were damaged by waves from Valdivia earthquake.

1960: Zoned capacity in Los Angeles

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

1962: Time since snowfall occurred

February 2019 was the first time it had snowed since 1962.

1964: Alaska earthquake

In 1964, harbor areas were damaged by waves from Alaska earthquake.

1965: Watts Riots

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

1969: First ARPANET Transmission

In 1969, California became the birthplace of the Internet, as the first ARPANET transmission was sent from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to the Stanford Research Institute in Menlo Park.

1971: San Fernando earthquake

In 1971, the San Fernando earthquake hit the Los Angeles area.

1973: Tom Bradley Elected Mayor

In 1973, Tom Bradley was elected as the city's first African American mayor.

1974: Symbionese Liberation Army Standoff

In 1974, the Symbionese Liberation Army's South Central standoff occurred in Los Angeles.

1977: Hillside Stranglers Murder Cases

In 1977, the Hillside Stranglers murder cases began.

1978: Proposition 13 approved

In 1978, after Proposition 13 was approved, urban school districts including LAUSD had considerable trouble with funding.

1978: Hillside Stranglers Murder Cases

In 1978, the Hillside Stranglers murder cases continued.

January 29, 1979: Last 32 °F reading at downtown station

On January 29, 1979, the downtown Los Angeles station recorded its last temperature of 32 °F (0 °C), which is an extremely rare occurrence in the city basin and along the coast.

1979: Rams first professional sports team

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 move to Anaheim

From 1980 to 1994, the Los Angeles Rams moved to Anaheim Stadium.

1980: Homicide rate reported

In 1980, Los Angeles reported a homicide rate of 34.2 per 100,000 population.

1984: Los Angeles Hosted the Summer Olympics

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

1984: Los Angeles Becomes Second Largest City

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

1985: Los Angeles hosts the Deaflympics

Los Angeles hosted the Deaflympics in 1985.

1987: Whittier Narrows earthquake

In 1987, the Whittier Narrows earthquake hit the Los Angeles area.

1990: Zoned capacity in Los Angeles

By 1990, the city of Los Angeles total zoned capacity had fallen to 4.5 million as a result of policy decisions to ban housing through zoning.

1990: Opening of the first 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 after the acquittal of LAPD officers in the Rodney King beating case, culminating in large-scale riots.

1992: Murders recorded

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

1993: Tom Bradley Retires

In 1993, Mayor Tom Bradley retired after serving for five terms.

1994: Rams move to Anaheim

From 1980 to 1994, the Los Angeles Rams moved to Anaheim Stadium.

1994: Northridge earthquake

In 1994, the Northridge earthquake hit the Los Angeles area.

1994: FIFA World Cup at the Rose Bowl

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

1995: Departure of the Rams and Raiders

In 1995, both the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Raiders left the city; the Rams moved to St. Louis, and the Raiders moved back to Oakland.

June 8, 1999: Adoption of the current charter

On June 8, 1999, the current city charter for Los Angeles was adopted. This charter serves as the foundation for the city's government structure and operations.

1999: Ratification of the City of Los Angeles charter

In 1999, voters ratified the City of Los Angeles charter, creating a system of advisory neighborhood councils. These councils represent stakeholders who live, work, or own property in the neighborhood, and operate relatively autonomously.

1999: FIFA Women's World Cup at the Rose Bowl

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 opens

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

2002: Secession Efforts Defeated

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.

2006: Mean travel time for work commutes

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

2006: Most polluted city in the country

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

2007: Most polluted city in the country

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

2008: Second most polluted city

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

2008: Murders at highest level since

In 2008, murders rose to one of the highest levels recorded in the city since previous years. In 2021, murders rose to the highest level since 2008.

2008: Trade volume

In 2008, the combined trade volume of the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach was over 14.2 million TEUs, making them the fifth busiest container port in the world.

2009: 50-year low in homicides

In 2009, Los Angeles experienced a 50-year low in homicides, with 314 reported, a rate of 7.85 per 100,000 population. This total included 15 officer-involved shootings, one of which resulted in the death of SWAT team member Randal Simmons.

September 27, 2010: Highest recorded temperature at the official downtown station

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

2010: Chile earthquake

In 2010, harbor areas were damaged by waves from Chile earthquake.

2010: Renewable energy goal

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

2011: Japan earthquake

In 2011, harbor areas were damaged by waves from Japan earthquake.

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

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 Los Angeles in 1781.

2012: Classification as an "alpha world city"

According to a 2012 study by a group at Loughborough University, Los Angeles has been classified as an "alpha world city".

2012: London Olympics

London hosted the Olympic Games in 2012.

2012: Kings' Stanley Cup title

Los Angeles is one of six North American cities to have won championships in all five of its major leagues, having completed the feat with the Kings' 2012 Stanley Cup title.

2013: Murders decreased

In 2013, Los Angeles totaled 251 murders, a 16 percent decrease from the previous year.

2013: Worst smog in the nation

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

2014: Most prevalently practiced religion 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 genetics

In 2014, Serieys et al. published a study about bobcat genetics.

2014: Passengers served

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 been under-reporting crime for eight years, leading to a misrepresentation of the actual crime rate in the city.

2015: Los Angeles without an NFL team

Los Angeles hosted no NFL team between 1995 and 2015.

2015: Los Angeles hosts the Special Olympics World Summer Games

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

January 12, 2016: Rams return 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: Residents using public transportation

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

2016: Legalization of cannabis

In 2016, the sale and distribution of cannabis was legalized in Los Angeles.

January 12, 2017: Chargers relocate back to Los Angeles

On January 12, 2017, the San Diego Chargers announced their relocation back to Los Angeles and became the Los Angeles Chargers beginning in the 2017 NFL season.

2017: Global Financial Centres Index

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: Gross metropolitan product of Los Angeles

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.

2018: Los Angeles Metropolitan Area Gross Product

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

February 2019: Most recent snowfall

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 the network

In August 2019, KCET re-joined the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) network as a secondary affiliate, after spending eight years as an independent public television station.

October 2019: Cannabis businesses granted approval

As of October 2019, more than 300 existing cannabis businesses have been granted approval to operate in Los Angeles.

2019: Median households income

From 2019 to 2023, the median households 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 was Amtrak's fifth busiest station, with 1.4 million Amtrak boardings and de-boardings.

2019: Economic hardship leading to homelessness

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.

2019: Los Angeles area roads most congested

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

2019: Owner-occupied housing units

In Los Angeles from 2019 to 2023, owner-occupied housing units made up 36.3% of the total and cost an average of $879,500.

January 2020: Homeless population in Los Angeles

As of January 2020, there were 41,290 homeless people in the City of Los Angeles, representing roughly 62% of the homeless population of LA County, an increase of 14.2% over the previous year.

September 6, 2020: Highest temperature officially recorded within the 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

In 2020 the Rams and the Chargers would move to SoFi Stadium.

2020: U.S. Census Population

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

January 2021: Recent snowfall in areas adjacent to Los Angeles

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

2021: Murders rise

In 2021, murders in Los Angeles rose to the highest level since 2008, totaling 348.

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: Michelin Guide recognition

As of 2022, the Michelin Guide recognized 10 restaurants in Los Angeles, granting 2 restaurants two stars and eight restaurants one star.

2022: Karen Bass Elected Mayor

In 2022, Karen Bass became the city's first female mayor, making Los Angeles the largest U.S. city to have ever had a woman as mayor.

2022: Accommodation and food services

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

2022: Total riders in 2022

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

2023: Population data

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

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: Stations in the Metro Rail system

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

2023: Subway system ranking

As of the third quarter of 2023, Los Angeles's subway system is the ninth busiest in the United States, with the light rail system being the second busiest.

2023: Average weekday ridership

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

2023: Median households income

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

2023: Owner-occupied housing units

In Los Angeles from 2019 to 2023, owner-occupied housing units made up 36.3% of the total and cost an average of $879,500.

2024: Office space and retail vacancy rates

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: Greater Los Angeles Population

In 2024, Greater Los Angeles, a combined statistical area, had a population of over 18.5 million residents.

2024: Paris Olympics

Paris will host the Olympic Games in 2024.

January 2025: Pacific Palisades Wildfire

In January 2025, a series of devastating wildfires swept through Southern California, with the Pacific Palisades fire causing widespread destruction in Los Angeles' northwestern community of Pacific Palisades.