Los Angeles, California

Demographics:

• The population of Los Angeles is estimated at 3,833,995
• There are 1,337,706 households within the city limits
• The average income per household is $47,781
• People who live in Los Angeles use the area codes 310, 213 and 323 (Find a phone number in Los Angeles here)

Many famous people have lived in Los Angeles, including:
Marilyn Monroe, Jodie Foster, Ban Affleck, Jennifer Anniston, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz Jr., Drew Barrymore, Dustin Hoffman, Will Rogers, Angelina Jolie, America Ferrera, Leonardo DiCaprio, Carrie Fisher, Diane Keaton, Gwyneth Paltrow, Harry Shearer, Helen Hunt, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jason Schwartzman, Kate Hudson, Liza Manelli, Paula Abdul, Ritchie Valens, Snoop Dog, Dr. Dre, Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Howard Hughes, Darryl Strawberry, Jack Kemp, Fernando Valenzuela, Steve Sax, Tommy Lasorda

Historical Notes:
The Olympics, traditionally a money loser, was hosted in Los Angeles twice, and the event made a profit both times.

In 2002 a measure was put on the ballots that would allow for Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley to secede from Los Angeles. It was promptly voted down.

The aviation industry was huge in Los Angeles, primarily because the area offers fair weather conditions for much of the year.

Los Angeles derived its name from a river that was given the title "El Rio de Nuestra Senora la Reyna de Los Angeles de Porciuncula" by a Spanish explorer in 1769. Early settlers who knew about this were known to refer the land as the "City of Angels". All of California was under Spanish control until 1848 when it became a U.S. territory following a war with Mexico, and on April 4th, 1850 the area was officially incorporated as the City of Los Angeles.

In the late 1800's a series of railways helped Los Angeles grow into a large city of industry. The population grew even faster after a massive oil field was discovered in 1892. As more people moved in, the water supply began to diminish quickly. Residents voted to approve construction of an aqueduct in 1905 to bring water from the Sierra Nevada Mountains directly in to Los Angeles. Years later a second aqueduct was built to transport larger amounts of water to the city.

The early years of Los Angeles were known for a wide variety of industries, but the entertainment world is what the city is most recognized for by people all over the world. Southern California's pleasant climate is one of the big factors that brought so many movie makers to the area in the early 1900's. Back then the tremendous soundstages that are so often used now didn't exist, so film crews were forced to wait for proper weather to shoot a movie. People who hoped to get into show business flocked to the area as cinemas across the nation enjoyed packed houses and the movie business skyrocketed. Later, the television industry also brought in wave after wave of hopeful actors, directors and other entertainers seeking to make their mark. Southern California is still recognized as the hub of the movie making world today.