Did you know? · Los Angeles
Los Angeles fun facts
Things you might not know about Los Angeles. Every fact comes from an official or primary source, named alongside it.
Updated October 2026
Hollywood
The Hollywood Roosevelt was built in 1927 by Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and Louis B. Mayer, and it hosted the first Academy Awards. David Hockney painted the bottom of its pool in 1988 (the hotel’s own history).
The 99th Academy Awards are scheduled for Sunday 14 March 2027 at the Dolby Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard.
An observatory for everyone
Griffith J. Griffith gave the land for Griffith Park in 1896, and his 1919 will paid for an observatory to be run for the public with no admission charge. It opened in 1935 and has welcomed more than 85 million visitors (griffithobservatory.org).
At the table
Musso & Frank Grill has served Hollywood since 1919. In the 2026 MICHELIN Guide, two Los Angeles restaurants, Providence and Somni, hold three stars.
New in 2026
LACMA’s David Geffen Galleries opened on 19 April 2026, the Metro D Line reached Wilshire/La Cienega on 8 May 2026, and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opened in Exposition Park on 22 September 2026.
The 2028 Games
Los Angeles hosts the Olympic Games from 14 to 30 July 2028 and the Paralympic Games from 15 to 27 August 2028 (la28.org).
Questions and answers
Where were the first Oscars held?
At The Hollywood Roosevelt hotel on Hollywood Boulevard, according to the hotel’s own history.
When did Griffith Observatory open?
In 1935 (griffithobservatory.org).