A Timeline of Los Angeles

By Tim Lambert

1781

A settlement is founded in Los Angeles

1822

The Plaza Catholic Church is built

1848

Gold is discovered in California

1850

Los Angeles is incorporated

1851

Los Angeles gains its first newspaper

1861-62

Los Angeles suffers floods

1870

Los Angeles is a thriving town with a population of 5,614

1874

The first streetcars run in Los Angeles

1876

Los Angeles is connected to San Francisco by railroad

1880

The University of South California opens.

1892

Oil is discovered in Los Angeles

1893

The Bradbury Building is built

1900

Los Angeles has a population of over 100,000

1904

Venice is built

1913

Los Angeles aqueduct is built. Hollywood is founded.

1923

The Biltmore Hotel is built

1927

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel is built

1928

Los Angeles City Hall is built

1939

Los Angeles has a population of over 1.5 million

1943

Zoot Suit riots take place in Los Angeles

1954

Watts Towers is built

1961

Theme Building is built

1964

Westfield Century City opens

1965

Riots take place in Los Angeles

1967

South Coast Plaza opens

1979

The Museum of Contemporary Art is founded

1989

US Banks building is built

1990

The first Los Angeles light rail line opens

1992

More riots take place in Los Angeles

1993

The Museum of Tolerance opens

1994

Los Angeles is struck by an earthquake

2003

Disney Concert Hall is built

2017

Los Angeles has a population of 4 million

2021 Academy Museum of Motion Pictures opens