EARLY HISTORY
1860: Henry Hancock Acquires Rancho La Brea
Today's West Hollywood is located in what was the far northwestern corner of the 4,400-acre Rancho La Brea land grant. The Hancocks' home still stands near the Original Farmer's Market.
1864: Hancock Kept Camels Near Present-Day Melrose Place
The first known residents of West Hollywood were "Greek George" Caralambo and a half dozen camels owned by Henry Hancock. They lived near today's Melrose Place.
1874: Capture of Desperado Vasquez Makes National News
After a spree of robbery and murder in Central California, Vasquez was the West's most-wanted man. His capture at Greek George's adobe made news nationwide.
1896: Village of Sherman Founded around Trolley Yards
Moses Sherman's trolley yard at Santa Monica and San Vincente became the industrial hub of the village of Sherman, which later changed its name to West Hollywood.
1890s: Victor Ponet's Estate Includes Future Sunset Plaza
Ponet, a financier, built an estate on 280 acres north of Sherman, where, in the 1920s, his descendants established Sunset Plaza and still operate it today.
1906: Hacienda Park, the Strip's First Neighborhood
The Sunset Strip originated when Sunset Boulevard was extended westward from Laurel Canyon Boulevard through the new Hacienda Park neighborhood.
1934: The Man Who Invented the Sunset Strip
Billy Wilkerson, founder of The Hollywood Reporter, was also a trendsetting nightclub impresario who brought his unique style of Hollywood glamour to the Strip.
1934: Cafe Trocadero Sets the Tone for Hollywood Glamour
The first of Billy Wilkerson's celebriy-focused nightspots on the Strip, Cafe Trodcadero was the place to see and be seen in the 1930s.
1935: Humphrey Bogart's First Home in Hollywood was the Garden of Allah
Bogart made his mark on Broadway in "The Petrified Forest." In Hollywood to film the movie version, he moved to the Sunset Strip and would live there for the next decade.
1935: Bruz Fletcher's Brings Early "Camp" Style to the Strip
Society singer-songwriter Bruz Fletcher's lyrics were laced with "Camp"-style gay subtext. He packed the house at Club Bali on the Strip in a remarkable five-year run.
1937: Cock 'n Bull: Birthplace of the Moscow Mule
A British tavern, the CnB was a fixture at the west end of the Strp for 50 years. Its rosters of celebrity diners and imbibers includes just about every star you can think of.
1940: Ciro's, the Stars' Favorite Nightclub
At Ciro's, stars like like Ava Gardner and Howard Duff (above) enjyoed fine dining, endless cocktails and stellar musical acts.
1941: Mocambo Was an Elegant Venue for Top Entertainers
With its colorful Mexican-themed interior, a star-studded clientele and a reputation for booking big-name musical acts, Mocambo was one of Hollwywood's most popular nightspots.
1941: There were Drag Shows Seven Nights a week at Club Flamingo
Club Flamingo was the rarest of birds in mid-century West Hollywood – a drag bar that operated so openly that it advertised in the Los Angeles Times.
1944: Bugsy Siegel and the Mother of All Celebrity Brawls
Two months after Bugsy was arrested for bookmaking at the Sunset Tower, the "Battle of the Balcony" broke out on a balcony down the street. He wasn't there, so why did he fight to keep it under wraps?
1947: Vanished Venues: West Hollywood's Forgotten Theatre District
Around mid-century, a dozen or so professional theatre companies operated in central West Hollywood. Many future stars appeared on the stages, notably including 16-year-old Jack Nicholson.
1948: After Bugsy's Death, Mickey Cohen Ran Vice Operations from the Strip
After Siegel's death in 1947, Cohen, his primary aide, moved the headquarters of his illegal gambling business to the Strip. He ruled his vice operations from there for the next five years.
1948: Arrest of Hollywood Madamn Topples LAPD Chief
The arrest of Brenda Allen, Hollywood's top madam, uncovered a protection racket that implicated the LAPD's top brass. Facing charges in 1949, Chief C.B. Horralll ressigned claiming poor health.
1951: 'Artistic' Stripper Arrested at Ciro's
Hoping for headlines, Ciro's booked an "artistic" striptease by Lili St. Cyr. Cops arrested her during the show, but Lili sensational trial gave the club the headlines it wanted.
1954: Ex's 'Wrong Door Raid’ Puts Marilyn Monroe on Scandal Mag Cover
A misguided raid on Marilyn Monroe by her ex-husband Joe DiMaggio and Frank Sinatra put them all on the cover of scandal rag Confidential Magazine.
1955: Videotape Recording Invented on the Strip
Singer/actor Bing Crosby commissioned experts at his 9028 Sunset HQ to develop a TV taping system similar to audiotape. Their success has given the building historic status.
1958: Billionaire Cracks up on the Strip
Howard Hughes was immensely rich and universally famous. Privately, he suffered from mental illness. An early episode played itself out in private screening room on the Strip.
1959: Garden’s Raucous Closing Party
The Garden of Allah threw itself a farewell party just days before demolition started. The all-night revelries would have pleased the hotel's founder, Alla Nazimova.
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