When people think of Los Angeles, they love that it is filled with all types of great scenery, from beaches to its fantastic city with mountains too. They also know that it is a land that is filled with things to do and see and they love to visit it regularly. Located in the southern part of California, it is the largest city in the state.

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The Landscape Paved The Way

The downtown area of the city is built on a fault line so it is prone to earthquakes which makes it have very few large buildings or skyscrapers. That doesn’t matter to the people that live there because they love that it is known for having the most famous rock bands in the nation.

All different cultures of people make it their home and it has a population of over 18 million but few people know much about the beginnings of their city. However, they do know that it is referred to as the “City of Angels”.

The Beginnings of The City Of Los Angeles

There are fascinating things about Los Angeles and one of them is where it received its name from. Since it is the second-largest city in the United States of America, it is known for its excitement and entertainment.

The city was named El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles which translates to, “The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels” on September 4, 1781. The name comes from the Spanish language about a river called – El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles de Porciúncula.

la reyna de los angeles is the origin of the name

El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Ángeles was the second pueblo (town) created during the Spanish colonization of California. The Spanish settlement began around 1769 when explorer Gaspar de Portolà reached the San Diego area and then made his way north.

As they came through today’s Elysian Park, they were awed by a river that flowed from the northwest, past their point, and on southward. This would later be known as the Los Angeles River.

Crespí named the river El Río de Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Angeles de la Porciúncula, meaning, in Spanish, “the River of Our Lady Queen of the Angels of Porciuncula”, or el pueblo de Nuestra Senora de Los Angeles which translates to simply “the town of our lady the queen of angels”, and even simpler, “lady of the angels.” Also, referred to as “the town of the queen of the city of angels.” Various forms of the original name would be used during this time including a long version, El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Angeles del Rio Porciúncula.

town of the queen of the angels also known as pueblo de la reyna de los angeles

Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo

The first European to sail and explore the California coast was named Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo. Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo was most likely of Portuguese descent and he was an explorer and a soldier from Spain.

As he explored down the Southern California coast, he was a person that looked for riches and ways to make more money wherever he went. Between the years 1542 and 1543, he was best known for all expeditions that he took along the California coast in search of more and more, as he was a very ruthless type of soldier.

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The Modern History Of Los Angeles

In 1781, the modern history of Los Angeles began. There were a total of 44 soldiers that decided to make the area their permanent site and the Spanish Governor of Las Californias Felipe de Neve instructed them to make it their permanent settlement. This was also authorized by Viceroy Antonio María de Bucareli in downtown Los Angeles.

Neve was truly responsible for giving the new town the name, “El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Ángeles.” Because the new town, “el pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles was now labeled a pueblo, Los Angeles was granted a cabildo (town council).

El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles de Porciúncula

When California Became A State Of The USA

California first became a state of the USA on April 4, 1850. In the 1870s, the City of Los Angles had half a century of extreme growth as the railroads arrived in the area. Twice, the city was the home of the Olympic Games. Once in 1932 and once in 1984. Since the city is prone to earthquakes, there were 72 people killed in 1994.

Because of being earthquake-prone, the city has very stringent rules on how the buildings are built. This allows the people in them and the actual structures themselves safe when the next earthquake hits the area. This goes for both the residential and professional buildings in the city of Los Angeles and the surrounding areas.

el pueblo de la reyna de los angeles was first inspired by a the los angeles river

The Present And Future Of Los Angeles

The city of Los Angeles looks vastly different now than when it was first being discovered. So much of the land and supporting industries have changed, but the history is certainly permanent.

Los Angeles continues to be an entertainment hub and a favorite destination for travelers as well as newcomers moving to Los Angeles. When they want to visit the area, they find that there are a plethora of options. There are resorts, hotels, motels, and numerous other ways that they can stay and take in all the sites of the area.

Studying the history of Los Angeles is something that they love to do and talking to the locals is a way that they do this. With the various nationalities that live in the area, LA is a place that offers quite a bit of culture for those that want to take it in.

In the future, it will continue to attract the young and the old for visiting and for becoming famous if they have the talent. They try their best at breaking into acting or music and many of them succeed.

Keep Reading: The Top 5 Places To Live In Los Angeles County 2020

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