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| Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo |
This fascinating historical timeline reveals how Los Angeles developed from an extraordinary prehistoric landscape into an important settlement by 1800.
Circa 38,000 BC: The Ancient Landscape of Los Angeles
Long before Los Angeles became a city, the region was already attracting life. The La Brea Tar Pits preserve an extraordinary record of Ice Age animals that lived in the Los Angeles Basin. Fossils discovered at the site include mammoths, mastodons, saber-toothed cats, dire wolves, birds and countless smaller organisms.
The Tar Pits preserve evidence from approximately the last 50,000 years, providing scientists with an extraordinary window into ancient Los Angeles.
Circa 8,000 BC to 500 AD: Indigenous Los Angeles
Thousands of years ago, Indigenous peoples established communities throughout the Los Angeles Basin. The Chumash occupied parts of the region, while the Tataviam later inhabited areas including the San Fernando Valley.
By around 500 AD, the Tongva had established communities in the Los Angeles Basin. Their principal village, Yang-Na, was located close to what is now Downtown Los Angeles. These Indigenous cultures developed deep connections with the area's rivers, coastline, mountains and natural resources.
1542 to 1771: European Exploration Begins
In 1542, Portuguese explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo navigated the California coast and described present-day San Pedro Bay as the "Bay of Smokes."
Spanish explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno explored the coast in 1602. More than a century later, in 1769, Gaspar de Portolá led an expedition through the region while seeking a land route to Monterey. The expedition recorded the area's famous natural asphalt seeps, now associated with the La Brea Tar Pits.
In 1771, Father Junípero Serra established Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, an important early Spanish settlement in Southern California.
1781: The Birth of Los Angeles
September 4, 1781, is one of the most important dates in Los Angeles history. Forty-four settlers of Native American, African and European heritage established a farming community near the Los Angeles River after travelling more than 1,000 miles from present-day northern Mexico.
The settlement was named El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula. This small agricultural community eventually developed into the enormous multicultural metropolis known today as Los Angeles.
Today, El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument preserves the birthplace of the city, with historic buildings, museums and the famous Olvera Street marketplace.
1797: Mission San Fernando
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| Father Fermín Francisco de Lasuén |
By 1800, Los Angeles had already passed through thousands of years of Indigenous history, Spanish exploration and settlement. Its transformation into a major American city was only beginning.
Discover the History of Los Angeles Today
For today's traveller, exploring Los Angeles means travelling through layers of history. From the ancient fossils of the La Brea Tar Pits to the historic birthplace preserved at El Pueblo, visitors can discover a Los Angeles that existed long before Hollywood.
The city's remarkable past remains one of its greatest attractions, offering travellers an opportunity to experience the cultures, people and landscapes that shaped the City of Angels.
Discover Los Angeles
Website: www.discoverlosangeles.com
Email: info@discoverlosangeles.com
Phone: 213-624-7300
Address: 333 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071, USA
For more travel inspiration read the daily online "The Holiday and Travel Magazine" https://theholidayandtravelmagazine.blogspot.com/
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