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The name Los Angeles is Spanish for The Angels and originated from Father Juan Crespi. The priest accompanied the first European expedition through California and coined a river Nuestra Senora de los Angeles e la Porciuncula. When a small settlement was established on this river, it became known as The Town of the Queen of the Angels.

Humble Beginnings: The city has humble beginnings. Between the years 200-500 A.D. the Tongva Indians arrived in Southern California from the Mojave Desert area. Around 1500, about 25 Tongva villages existed in what will become Los Angeles County. The population was about 300-500 people. California was ruled by Spain until 1822 when Mexico assumed jurisdiction. By 1835, Los Angeles was given the status of a city by the Mexican Congress. This congress replaced Monterey as the capital of California. The United States declared war on Mexico in 1846. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American War and California is ceded over the United States. The first Los Angeles public school system was established in 1852 and a former slave Peter Biggs opened the first barbershop. By 1881 the Los Angeles Daily Times begins publication and Los Angeles is linked to the east coast by the completion of the Southern Pacific transcontinental rail line. The population climbed to 50,000 people by 1890. The land that was later deemed Griffith Park (the largest urban park in the nation), was donated in 1896 by Griffith J. Griffith. By 1904, Los Angeles had outgrown local sources of water and the number of automobiles in LA reached 1,600. During the 1920’s, the motion picture and aviation industries became prominent in LA. The Summer Olympics in 1932 and 1984 was hosted the City of LA.

Present: Today Los Angeles is a bustling city and is the most important city in southern California. The economy of Los Angeles is fueled by many different industries and is the largest manufacturing center in the United States. It is the place to be seen and heard if you are in the entertainment business. Los Angeles is home to Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount Pictures and The Jim Henson Company. Many, many companies have their corporate headquarters in LA including Guess, Inc., Herbalife, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Sunkist and Fox Sports Net and many more. The median income for a household is around $36,687. Males have a median income of $31,880 and females make around $30,197. This information was gathered from the 2000 census of Los Angeles. This city has some of the most densely-populated urban land in the Unites States. In other words, LA is crowded. Los Angeles ranks second only to New York in population. One of the most diverse populations in the United States live in LA. Immigrants enter into the country in route from the Los Angeles Airport. Great restaurants, great nightlife, cultural and Hollywood-type entertainment abound in this diverse and interesting city.

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