Hollywood!

Have you ever wondered how that iconic sign came into being?

The Hollywood sign was erected in 1923 as an advertisement for a real estate development called Hollywoodland. In fact, that’s what the sign originally spelled — in 50-foot illuminated letters that collectively required 4,000 light bulbs. The sign wasn’t expected to last more than a year, but it quickly became a tourist attraction.

However, by the 1940s, it was so dilapidated that the neighborhood wanted it removed. Around that time, the developers sold the relevant part of their land to the City of Los Angeles, which made it part of Griffith Park.

Subsequently, in 1949, the Department of Parks and Recreation teamed up with the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to repair and rebuild the sign, minus the “land” portion.

Additional refurbishments were made over the next 30 years, often sponsored by celebrities such as Gloria Swanson, Hugh Hefner, and Andy Williams.

Then, in 1978, the sign was demolished, leaving the city without one of its most iconic landmarks for the first time in a half-century — but only temporarily.

A few months later, a new sign was erected in its place, this time with letters made of steel and enamel. Those letters still stand today, 45 feet high, on the side of Mount Lee.

Thank you Trivia Genius!

Here’s to Hollywood!