In
1769, a
Spanish expedition in
California came across a
river that they named "El Rio de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula: "The
River of Our
Lady the
Queen of the
Angels of
Porciuncula."
Twelve years later, 12 families settled in the
area and named their
community 'El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula', after the nearby river. In later years, the
city became known as the Ciudad de Los Angeles, "
City of Angels." Interestingly, it did not become a major city in California for quite some time - it was practically a provincial backwater at first.
Some cool things to read and watch about Los Angeles:
- The Mark of Zorro by Johnston McCulley
- The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
- Chinatown starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, directed by Roman Polanski
- Blade Runner: the Director's Cut starring Harrison Ford and Sean Young, dir. by Ridley Scott
- Repo Man starring Emilio Estevez and Harry Dean Stanton, dir. by Alex Cox
- L.A. Story starring Steve Martin
- The Big Lebowski