HOLLYWOOD, CA — The town’s most famous star looks pretty good for 100.
Civic leaders gathered Tuesday to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Hollywood Sign. The occasion comes as crews began working on a six-week painting project to refresh the sign earlier this month, which is set to wrap up in early November.
Councilmember Nithya Raman, whose district includes the sign, moved for the Los Angeles City Council to declare Oct. 31 as Hollywood Sign Day.
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“It is a feat to turn 100, no matter who or what you are. The Hollywood Sign, however, has achieved that rare fame that comes from being synonymous with an entire industry, an entire city and a way of life,” Raman said. “To imagine our city without it is truly impossible.”
Here’s a timeline of the sign’s life, with information from city documents and the Hollywood Sign Trust:
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1923: The sign — which originally spelled out “Hollywoodland” — was erected to promote the namesake residential development that was being built in the hills below.
The sign was lit up for the first time on Dec. 8 by 3,700 light bulbs as part of its originally planned 18-month life. The lights were shut off within the next decade.
Some of the development’s Storybook style homes remain standing today; many of them have been restored.
1944: As the sign became a landmark, the Hollywoodland developers donated a remaining undeveloped 425 acres near the sign to the city. The city added the acreage to Griffith Park the following year.
1949: A plan to repair the blown-down “H” came with the stipulation that the “land” section of the sign would be demolished to spell out “Hollywood,” according to reports at the time.
1973: The city gave official landmark status to the sign as it fell in disrepair — in the ’70s, the top of the “D” and an “O” fell down Mt. Lee, and an arsonist set fire to the bottom of an “L.”
1978: The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce launched a campaign to completely rebuild the sign, with a goal of raising $250,000.
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Hugh Hefner hosted a fundraiser at the Playboy mansion to “sell” individual letters for $27,700. Among the benefactors were Alice Cooper and Gene Autry.
The original sign was torn down in August to make way for the new sign’s construction, leaving a three-month period with no sign.
1984: The sign was lit up between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m. during the Olympic Games being held in the city, the Los Angeles Times reported.
1992: The state granted distinct rights and responsibilities for the sign’s care to the city (which owns the land it stands on), the Hollywood Chamber (which owns the licensing rights for the sign’s image) and the Hollywood Sign Trust (formed to maintain and improve the sign for public benefit).
1999: The sign, lit up with lights and lasers, was the site of a celebration of the new millennium.
2000: A security system was installed at the sign, featuring an array of CCTV cameras that are monitored round the clock. The move was meant to prevent trespassers and curb the threat of fire. It was upgraded in 2005.
2012: The sign was refreshed with new paint as Hefner offered the final funds needed to purchase and protect 138 acres behind the sign.
2022: The sign was temporarily modified to read “Rams House” to celebrate the Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl victory.
Later that year, the sign was lit up with projections for the BET Awards.
On his last day on the job, outgoing mayor Eric Garcetti ordered the creation of a program that would allow the sign to be illuminated on a more regular basis. Mayor Karen Bass quickly reversed course out of concerns about the plan’s legality, the LA Times reported.
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