Here Are 18 Unique Facts About Disneyland

HARBOR BOULEVARD AND KATELLA AVENUE - On July 17, 1955, a place in the middle of orange groves right off the nearly new Santa Ana Freeway, which was then known as U.S. 101, would transform Orange County, and become apart of the landscape of Southern California. Just like the beaches, mountains, strip malls, freeways, Sig-Alerts, earthquakes, growing acceptance of public transportation, police pursuits and the iconic Los Angeles City Hall, Disneyland would and has become apart of Southern California. Whether you love or hate Disneyland, and there are plenty with strong feelings in both camps, you cannot deny the Mouse's influence in shaping Orange County and Southern California.


The long gone, but never forgotten Peoplemover at Tomorrowland inside Disneyland, circa 1967. Photograph used under a Creative Commons license. 

As July 17, 2015, approaches Disneyland will be celebrating its 60th Anniversary, and here are 18 unique facts about Disneyland, including some bits of information about Disneyland's creator, Walt Disney.

1 - Walt Disney Wanted To Build His Park In Burbank 

When Walt Disney had the idea to build his park he was thinking of something closer to his studios in Burbank. The park, which was originally called Mickey Mouse Park, was planned to be built along Riverside Drive.

So, why do plenty of us now have to make the drive down Interstate 5 to Anaheim rather than up the 5 to Burbank? Turns out Burbank officials really did not like the idea of a "carny atmosphere" in their city. Even though there has been some romanticizing of the early days of amusement parks many such places prior to Disneyland, and for a time after, were often seedy places run by shady people that often attracted seedy, shady people (take a look at The Pike in Long Beach). So, with carnivals and amusement parks having this kind of sordid reputation it is easy to understand why Burbank did not want this kind of place in their city.

2 - The Idea For A Place Like Disneyland Came From An Afternoon At Griffith Park

The story goes Walt Disney was spending the afternoon with his daughters at Griffith Park, and as they were riding the old Merry-Go-Round he noticed how parents had nothing to do. Mr. Disney, like the Burbank city officials, also noticed and observed just how bad these amusement parks really were. In an interview Mr. Disney once said, 

What this country really needs is an amusement park that families can take their children to. They've gotten so honky tonk [sic] with a lot of questionable characters running around, and they're not to safe. They're not well kept. I want to have a place that's as clean as anything could ever be, and all the people in [Disneyland] are first-class citizens, and treated like guests. 

Furthermore, according to a 1963 Canadian documentary Mr. Disney said, 

It came about when my daughters were very young and Saturday was always daddy’s day with the two daughters. So we’d start out and try to go someplace, you know, different things, and I’d take them to the merry-go-round and I took them different places and as I’d sit while they rode the merry-go-round and did all these things… sit on a bench, you know, eating peanuts. I felt that there should be something built, some kind of amusement enterprise built, where the parents and the children could have fun together. So that’s how Disneyland started.

Well, it took many years… it was a period of maybe 15 years developing. I started with many ideas, threw them away, started all over again. And eventually it evolved into what you see today at Disneyland. But it all started from a daddy with two daughters wondering where he could take them where he could have a little fun with them, too.

The very bench from Griffith Park is on display at Opera House on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland with a plaque that reads, “The actual park bench from the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round in Los Angeles where Walt Disney first dreamed of Disneyland."

3 - Walt Disney Did NOT Name Katella Ave. After His Daughters

Many Disneyana fans and cast members alike often pass along the story that Katella Ave. in Anaheim was named after Walt Disney's daughters, Kate and Ella. Well, it is just that, a story. The name Katella goes way back before Mr. Disney had anything to do with Anaheim, or even the Mouse in his mind.

John and Margaret Rea, and their daughters, named coincidentally Kate and Ella, moved to Anaheim in 1896, and Mr. Rea knew their walnut ranch needed a name, but he wanted a more interesting, memorable name than simply, Rea Ranch.

According to the October 1989 issue of Orange Coast Magazine, Mr. Rea came up with the name like this, 

One evening, the girls were out in the yard when their father called them to dinner. “Kate—Ella, supper!” he called. Suddenly he had an idea. “I have chosen the name,” he announced. “Katella.” The girls were delighted and a big sign went up at the entrance to the family’s land: Katella. 

It was kind of a neat name, and the Anaheim powers that be back then thought so, too. In the early 1900s a school was name Katella School, and by 1934 Katella Ave. came to be. 

4 - The Underground World Under Disneyland Does NOT Exist 

If you grew up in Southern California you probably heard a very popular legend about Disneyland, and that is under "The Happiest Place On Earth" is a complete underground world. Well, that is not true as there is no underground world under Disneyland. There are a couple small passage ways under Disneyland, and that is about it.

It is certainly possibly many people are confusing Disneyland with another Disney park. Walt Disney World, located in another Orange County across the country, does indeed have its own underground world, but only it is not underground. Rather, Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom is built atop of a building that houses its underground complex, which, according to HiddenMickeys.org, "consists of 15 foot high walkways, meeting rooms, computer rooms, etc. with all having exposed utilities (it somewhat resembled a parking garage). "The tunnel complex originates from the castle and spreads out like spokes from a wheel to the other lands. In fact, the bottom two floors of the castle consists of the tunnel complex."

The ground in Florida is not stable enough to build an entire complex literally underground. 

5 - Walt Disney Being Buried At Disneyland Is NOT True 

There are a lot of strange rumors about Walt Disney's body, such as it is being frozen and one day he will be brought back to life. One of the more common myths is Mr. Disney is buried somewhere at Disneyland, but that is not true. Mr. Disney is not buried on the grounds of his creation in Anaheim or frozen at some mysterious lab, but is buried at Forest Lawn in Glendale. 

6 - Walt Disney Was NOT An Anti-Semitic 

Oy Vey! There have been a lot of wild, and down right hilarious allegations made about Mr. Disney, but one of the more serious rumors about Mr. Disney is he was not a fan of the Jewish people. That, gladly to say, is false. As Neil Gabler notes in his 2006 book, Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination, Mr. Disney really was not Anti-Semitic, and had plenty of Jewish people working for him. People who knew him and worked with him never really noticed any hints of Mr. Disney being Anti-Semitic. Furthermore, any Jewish people who worked for Mr. Disney were given Jewish holidays off. At the time what struck people as odd was the Walt Disney Studios were the only major studios not run by Jewish People. 

7 - Disney Did Not Own The Disneyland Hotel Until 1988 

The Disneyland Hotel has been apart of the Anaheim landscape nearly since the park's opening, but Disney did not own The Disneyland Hotel until 1988, because Mr. Disney did not have the money to build it. Mr. Disney knew the little citrus city of Anaheim was some ways away from The City of Angels and other population points, and he wanted visitors to his park to have a place to stay nearby. The problem was building Disneyland caused Mr. Disney to run out of money, and so he turned to some friends in show business for some financial backing.

Mr. Disney first turned to his friend Art Linkletter, but he declined as Mr. Linkletter did not have faith in Disneyland's success. Years later Mr. Linkletter would walk around the park saying, "and that's another million I missed out on."

So, Mr. Disney turned to another well connected friend to finance The Disneyland Hotel, Jack Wrather. Mr. Wrather liked what Mr. Disney was doing and provided the finance needed, but under the agreement the producer of Lassie would own the hotel on West Street across from Disneyland. It was under Mr. Wrather that The Disneyland Hotel saw its major expansions.

Some years later when Mr. Disney had the money to buyout Mr. Wrather's ownership of The Disneyland Hotel the film producer and oil millionaire refused to sell. That would be the case until the death of Mr. Wrather's wife, Bonita Granville, in 1988. Mr. Wrather passed away in 1984, two weeks after Michael Eisner took over Walt Disney Productions, and Mr. Wrather saw to it his wife would hold ownership of the hotel until she decides otherwise or dies. 

8 - One Of Disneyland's First Financial Backers Was ABC 

Today ABC/Disney is one of the world's largest media conglomerates, but in late 1953 Roy Disney met with the then fledgling American Broadcast Company, after meeting with CBS and NBC, to help finance this place called Disneyland. In 1954 ABC agreed to invested $500,000 in Disneyland, which resulted in ABC taking a 34.49 percent ownership and guaranteeing $4.5 million in bank loan, plus $5 million a year for a weekly television program for ABC produced by Walt Disney Productions.

This, of course, explains why the infamous opening day of Disneyland was aired on ABC, with much of the equipment being provided by KABC-TV.

In June 1960 Walt Disney Productions completed the purchase of ABC's share of the company for nearly $7.5 million. It would be the summer of 1995 that Disney would buy ABC from Capital Cities, and the Mouse and Alphabet would be reunited and live happily ever after. 

9 - The Original Name For Disneyland Was, Disneylandia 

Before Mickey Mouse Park and after Disneyland came the name, Disneylandia. Why the name change? Well, in 1954 ABC urged Mr. Disney to change the name from Disneylandia to Disneyland. Mr. Disney listened to ABC's advice, and changed the name. 

10 - The Gold Trimmings Outside Of It’s a Small World Are Made Of Real 22 Karat Gold 

According to Disneyland officials, "For weather durability and un-excelled beauty, 22 karat gold leaf was used for trim throughout the facade." Gold leaf, by the way, is real gold. 

11 - Walt Disney's Second Home Was In Anaheim 

It is unclear if Mr. Disney was ever officially counted by the United States Census Bureau as being an Anaheim resident, but when he was not riding the Little Engines in his Holmby Hills backyard, or at work over at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, he was spending a lot of time at his other home. His other home was his apartment atop of the Disneyland Fire Station on Main Street, U.S.A. in Anaheim. 

12 - The Matterhorn Has Many Records 

The Matterhorn is one of Disneyland's most iconic attractions, and when the ride opened in 1959 it broke many records. The Matterhorn was the first tubular steel track roller coaster in the world, and was the first roller coaster able to have multiple cars on the same track.

When The Matterhorn was finished it was the tallest structure in Orange County standing at 147 feet. As Orange County fell to suburbanization by the mid-1960s The Matterhorn would lose the title of being the tallest structure in Orange County. 

13 - The Reason For A Basketball Court Inside The Matterhorn Is So The Attraction Could Be Built... Is False 

A popular legend told over and over again is the reason Mr. Disney had a basketball court built inside The Matterhorn is the Anaheim building code at the time did not allow structures that tall unless it was a sports facility. The story goes is that upon learning what Anaheim's building code requires Mr. Disney told his construction workers to put a basketball court inside The Matterhorn, and now, just like that, it is a sports facility that satisfies the Anaheim building code.

The reality is Anaheim never had such a building code, and the basketball court was put in for The Matterhorn cast members to help pass the time during their breaks. 

14 - Cats Keep The Mouses Out Of Disneyland 

About 200 feral cats roam the Disneyland Resort keeping rodents out of the park. Sometimes if you know where to look you can see the cats. Mickey and Minnie Mouse do not seem to be bothered by the cats, and Pluto and Goofy do not ever seem to chase the cats out of the park. 

15 - Walt Disney Spent Time With Disneyland Guests 

Mr. Disney would walk around his creation and even would stand in line with the guests talking with them. Part of this was good public relations, but much of it had to do with Mr. Disney genuinely wanting to create the best place ever. Mr. Disney would walk around looking for problems or things to improve, and Mr. Disney always welcomed suggestions by his guests. 

16 - When Disneyland Opened In 1955 It Was Just One Dollar For Admission 

With admission fees today going into three-to-four digits, depending how many tickets, excuse me, Passports you are buying, it is amazing to think it was just one dollar for admission, and only 50-cents for children. Today, once inside Disneyland, it is very difficult to find anything for just a dollar. 

17 - What Does Disneyland And Knott's Berry Farm Have In Common? 

The founders were both named Walt, or Walter to be precise. Walt Disney and Walter Knott, besides having the same first name, were actually good friends. In fact, Mr. Disney invited Mr. Knott to the opening day of Disneyland.

18 - What Was Walt Disney's Biggest Regret When It Comes To Disneyland?

Mr. Disney's biggest regret about Disneyland was never being able to buy more land. Mr. Disney was barely able to make ends meet when building Disneyland, as evident by needing financial backers such as ABC and Mr. Wrather, and so buying more land was out of the question. Mr. Disney was not too happy when tourist traps and Las Vegas style motels began building around Disneyland, not to mention the tract-housing and general suburbanization of Orange County popping up around and at the edge the park. Ideally, Mr. Disney wanted Disneyland to be isolated from "The Real World," and he was unhappy that buildings from the outside could be seen from inside Disneyland.

By the time Mr. Disney could buy up more land much of the area around Disneyland in Anaheim had been bought and built upon by other developers.

14 Random City Facts: Santa Ana

SANTA ANA - Passing south on Interstate 5, the Santa Ana Freeway, just below the Orange Crush Interchange, you come across a place that bills itself on its water-tower as, "Downtown Orange County." That is not too far fetched as Santa Ana is the Orange County seat, which is to say all the main Orange County government services are headquartered in the city. In fact, and here is a Santa Ana fact in the opening paragraph, the Orange County government is the largest employer in Santa Ana.

So, with a quick glance passing along down the I-5 Santa Ana, like much of Southern California, looks so much like one of the many same suburban cities making up the puzzle piece of the Los Angeles Basin. Getting off the freeway and spending some time in the city you will see there is much more to Santa Ana than meets the eye.

 
Postcard of 1973 downtown Santa Ana. Used under Creative Commons license.

Here are 14 random facts, in no particular order, about Santa Ana. We hope this will inspire you to learn more about the fun, interesting and sometimes not-so-happy history of Santa Ana.

1 - Santa Ana Is More Densely Populated Than L.A.

Wait! That cannot be right. L.A. has over four million people and is the second largest city in America. Yes, that is true, but the City of Angels is not quite as densely populated as Santa Ana, and so just how densely populated is Santa Ana? Well, in an answer that often surprises a lot of people is Santa Ana is the United States' fourth most densely populated city behind, New York, San Francisco and Boston, respectively, according to the 2010 United States Census.


It is Fourth Street in circa 1950 Santa Ana. Used under a Creative Commons license.

2 - Santa Ana Is a Rather Safe City

There is a perception in Orange County and around Southern California that Santa Ana is not quite safest place to be. Sure, like any large city they have their problems, from street crime to corruption in city government, and some of these problems make the rounds on local news and even international news. However, and this is another thing that surprises many people, according to a 2011 Forbes study of cities with populations of 250,000 and up, Santa Ana ranked as the nation's fourth safest city.


Downtown Santa Ana circa 1940s. Used under Creative Commons license.

3 - Who Named It Santa Ana?

The name of Santa Ana comes from the controversial Friar Junípero Serra who named the area Vallejo de Santa Ana following the 1769 expedition of Gaspar de Portolá. The original name, Vallejo de Santa Ana, translates into Santa Ana Valley, or, Valley of Saint Anne. This name did not include just where the city currently sits, but rather Vallejo de Santa Ana was the name of most of present day Orange County. Furthermore, growing up in Southern California some people have said the city was named after General Santa Anna, but that is not true.


Downtown Santa Ana in the 1930s, Used under a Creative Commons license.

4 - How Did The Present Day City of Santa Ana Come To Be?

The Santa Ana of today is a result of a guy from Kentucky named, William H. Spurgeon. The story goes, Mr. Spurgeon rode through on horseback on October 10, 1869, and he liked what he saw and paid Jacob Ross, Sr., $595 for 74.2 acres. In 1870, Mr. Spurgeon became postmaster and owned a general store and, to no real surprise, he became the city's first mayor when Santa Ana incorporated on June 1, 1886.

5 - Who Was Jacob Ross, Sr.?

Before the guy from Kentucky bought the land that would become the city of Santa Ana it was owned by Jacob Ross, Sr. After California was taken by the U.S. from Mexico Mr. Ross purchased 650 acres from the Yorba family's vast Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana. The Rancho was a Spanish land-use grant that had been awarded in 1810 to Jose Antonio Yorba, a sergeant of the Spanish army who served with Mr. Portola's 1769 expedition. For more on these land grants check out the Californio-Alta California-Spanish-Mexican-American history of California.

6 - Santa Ana Used To Be Called Hotuuk

Long before the Spanish or other Europeans came to the area the indigenous Native American Tongva inhabited the area beginning around the year 500. After the Spanish colonization the Tongva people became known by their European names, Gabrieleño, Fernandeño, and Nicoleño.

7 - Orange County's First Gay Pride Parade Was Held In Santa Ana

On September 11, 1989, Orange County LGBTQ history was made with the first Orange County Cultural Pride Festival parade held at Santa Ana’s Centennial Regional Park. According to festival organizers around 10,000 people attended the event. This event was not without incident as the Santa Ana Police riot squad had to be called out. According to the Los Angeles Times,

Six people were arrested Sunday after a fist-swinging brawl broke out among more than 50 militant gays and fundamentalist Christians at Orange County's first Gay Pride Festival.

About 50 riot-equipped Santa Ana police were called in to Centennial Regional Park to quell the disturbance, but no serious injuries were reported as the two-day gay festival concluded Sunday evening.

The six people arrested--identified by police as militant gay activists as well as fundamental Christians--were taken to the Santa Ana police station, where they were cited for interfering with police and released.

Despite the rough start this event is considered to be a milestone in Orange County LGBTQ history.

8 - Santa Ana May Be The Nation's Fourth Most Densely Populated City, But It Is Not The Most Populated City In Orange County

As first noted above Santa Ana is one of America's top five most densely populated cities ranking up there with New York and San Francisco. However, in total population numbers Santa Ana is not the largest city in Orange County with its 329,427 residents, according to the 2011 U.S. Census. Rather, the most populated city in Orange County is the home of the Mouse, Anaheim, with their 336,265 residents, according to the 2010 U.S. Census.


Owl Drug Store in Santa Ana. Used under a Creative Commons license.

9 - There Was A Lynching at Sycamore and Main

Many like to think lynchings were a thing that only happened in another part of the country, but, sadly, Southern California had more than a few of them, and one of them happened in Santa Ana on August 20, 1892. The person lynched was Francisco Torres. Mr. Torres was accused of the murder of Captain William McKelvey near the home of Madame Modjeska. According to the 1892 L.A. Times,

Pinned on the breast of the corpse was a placard on which was written: 'A CHANGE OF VENUE.' His hands were tied behind him and his feet were bound together, one foot being bare and the other with a stocking on. An undershirt and dark pair of pants were the only clothing on the body. Torres's face told the story of terrible suffering, a bungling job and a desperate struggle for life. So quietly was the lynching done that it did not even arouse the guests in the Hotel Brunswick, not fifty feet away.

10 - Santa Ana Burnt Down and Destroyed Their Chinatown

Combine xenophobia against Chinese and having that Chinese xenophobia recognized by local, state and federal officials, with things like Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, along with city officials claiming Chinatown is a hotbed for the dreaded leprosy, and you have the makings of people doing whatever they can in wanting to get rid of "undesirable" Chinese by burning down their neighborhood. That is, sadly, what happened on a May day in Santa Ana. On May 25, 1906, over 1,000 people gathered to watch Santa Ana's Chinatown be burnt to the ground. Gustavo Arellano, of Ask A Mexican fame and the incredible editor-in-chief at the OC Weekly, wrote a very important piece about this conveniently overlooked important bit of history.

11 - The 1970 Movement for a Democratic Military Peace March

Orange County back then in 1970 was not a place nationally known as being a hotbed of liberal, anti-war or left-wing political activism, and many of the powers that be, from the Chamber of Commerce to Register owner R.C. Hoiles did all they could to keep it that way. (By the way, and probably not a big surprise for those who know a little bit about Orange County history, Orange County was known for lot of right-wing activism, such as being a hot-spot for The John Birch Society, and Mr. Hoiles' Register had many editorials, many from Mr. Hoiles himself, that wanted to keep Orange County that way.) Well, in 1970 in a protest that looked like something coming out of Berkeley the Movement for a Democratic Military sponsor a four-mile peace march and rally at Santa Ana Memorial Park where around 2,000 people listened to speeches given by members of the military. The speeches, according to the Raitt Street Chronicles, included pleas stop to all alleged military censorship and intimidation; military wages commensurate with the minimum federal wage; an immediate pull out from Vietnam; and an end to the draft.

12 - The 1969 Movie Theater Riot

Much like how liberal and left-wing protests had been mostly kept under wraps in 1960s Orange County, and in many cases driven underground as being associated with any such group in Orange County could cause you to lose your job, there was not a lot of rioting happening. Orange County had been mostly spared from the racial riots and civil unrest that were occurring in many places around the nation in the 1960s.

In 1969 the racial divisions and tensions happening around the country and boiling in parts of Orange County exploded at a Santa Ana movie theater. According to the OC Weekly,

More than 400 Mexican and black youths riot in Santa Ana after a black girl was kicked out of a theater. She had complained after a white teen yelled, "Why don't you black niggers keep quiet?" Teens threw bottles and bricks at police, set fires, and even took batons away from officers and beat them with the sticks.

13 - The 1933 Long Beach Earthquake Gives Santa Ana A Whole Lot of Damage


Damage in Santa Ana following the 1933 earthquake. Used under a Creative Common license.

The deadliest earthquake in Southern California history was the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake, and this earthquake still holds the record for being Orange County's most damaging earthquake causing major damage in downtown Santa Ana. One reason Santa Ana had so much major damage was the fact that the epicenter of this earthquake was not in Long Beach, but rather in nearby Newport Beach. The Newport-Inglewood Fault was the cause of this earthquake (interestingly enough in the past few months there has been a series of minor magnitude 2-3 earthquakes in the Inglewood/West L.A. area on or around this fault).

14 - The Santa Ana Winds Are Not Named After The City

Raymond Chandler once wrote, "There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Ana's that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks. Anything can happen. You can even get a full glass of beer at a cocktail lounge."

There has been, and will continue to be, much debate on the etymology of just where the name Santa Ana Winds comes from. However, one thing is a fact, those winds that have brought much burning destruction on mountains and hills are not named after the city, and furthermore have nothing to do with Orange County.

The Highway Fire Photographs

CORONA - Little rain, a major, historic drought, very dry vegetation, a gentle wind and a spark has brought about a major brush fire where Orange County, Riverside County and San Bernardino County meet in what is the explosive start of a dreadful fire season.

Monday Update: According to the Riverside County Fire Department, the fire is holding at 1020 acres with 35% containment, and all evacuations have been lifted. No homes or structures were damaged or destroyed.


A massive brush fire has broken out in the Corona/Chino/Norco area with flames rapidly moving in a northeast direction being driven by light-to-sometimes-gusty winds, which has prompted evacuations in what is being called The Highway Fire. The fire is burning in the Prado Flood Control Basin, which has thick, tender dry brush that has not burned in many decades.

By day smoke could be seen throughout much of Southern California and by nightfall an ominous orange glow could be seen for many miles around.

At least 300 homes have been threatened by this fire. As of this update no homes have been lost. There was a rumor going around that two homes had been destroyed, but Cal-Fire says NO homes have been lost.

The American Red Cross has established an evacuation center for residents at Riley’s Gym, 3900 Acacia, in Norco, while those who have animals can evacuate them to Ingalls Park on Sixth Street in Norco. UPDATE: The evacuation center has been closed, because apparently nobody needed it and had another place to go.

By midnight the breezy and sometimes gusty winds had tampered off giving the 800 firefighters on the scene the much needed upper hand in fighting this conflagration, which at 12:20 a.m. is at 30-percent containment. Rising humidity levels and cooler temperatures are also helping.

The Riverside Freeway and Chino Hills Freeway are open.


The scope of this massive fire. This photograph was taken around 10 p.m. on Saturday on Green River Road in Corona. From this angle the fire was about five miles wide. Photograph by Jason C. Rosenthal.


The Tombstone and dead, dry palm tree still stands as the fire was being driven by on-shore winds pushing flames in the northeast direction away from this location off Serfas Club Drive in Corona. Photograph by Jason C. Rosenthal.


See if you can make out the eerie eyes in the smoke. Photograph by Jason C. Rosenthal.


The Riverside Freeway will do anything to avoid being an effective freeway. Photograph by Jason C. Rosenthal.


One of many dark smoke plumes. Photograph by Jason C. Rosenthal


Mr. Tree shaking his arms in fear seeing the danger ahead. Photograph by Jason C. Rosenthal


Taken about a half-hour after the fire started, and by this time had already put out an enormous amount of smoke that could be seen throughout much of Southern California. Photograph by Jason C. Rosenthal. 

In the past week as dry, warm weather gripped Southern California a handful of small brush fires broke out. Earlier Saturday a brush fire burnt about 12-acres in Fullerton. Earlier in the week a brush fire destroyed one home in Jurupa Valley.

As well, earlier in the week two small brush fires broke out in Malibu, but were quickly put out. Also, firefighters quickly fought a small brush fire in Whittier.

Even though it seems like every year we are told, "it is going to be a bad fire season," in an April 11 interview with the Los Angeles Times a Jet Propulsion Laboratory climatologist says this year is a particularly "incendiary situation," and we should treat every day from here on through next winter as fire season.

It seems The Highway Fire has driven home the point just how serious this fire season will be, because this fire took a lot of people by surprise on just how fast it moved and grew.

[Feel free to share these photographs. Sure, these are not the best, but still, just give credit.]

Five Odd Southern California Earthquake Facts

HOLLYWOOD - Looking up Vine Street from Hollywood Boulevard the sudden rise of the street just above Yucca St. on the hill where The Hollywood Freeway lays atop shows the not so subtle signs of The Hollywood Fault, which has been in the news lately. Recent mapping by the California Geological Survey shows the fault is what helps give Hollywood and Los Feliz its character with its hills, and while the beauty is nice some developers are none too happy with this study.

When The Hollywood Fault, or any Southern California fault, will rupture with fury again is not clear as there are no accurate ways to predict earthquakes (not to be confused with forecasting earthquakes).

Walking over and along The Hollywood Fault on Los Feliz Blvd. one wonders about earthquakes past, and thus this piece is not about unhappy developers not getting their way, or even so much The Hollywood Fault, but rather five odd, peculiar Southern California earthquake facts.


Severe freeway damage following the 1971 Sylmar Earthquake. Used under a Creative Commons license.

1 - The First Earthquake on Record

For thousands and thousands of years earthquakes, both very small and very large, have been happening in Southern California, as paleoseismology has proven, but while there were many animals and trees to feel the shaking as hills and mountains were being pushed up there were hardly many humans around. Any humans that were around never kept anything written about it, or hid their diary.

It would not be until 1769 that the first earthquake in Southern California would be recorded. Gaspar de Portola, Father Juan Crespí and a group of over 60 explorers from Spain, in the name to extend Spain's control up the Pacific Coast and establish colonies and missions (and hopefully prevent Russia and England from acquiring and taking this territory), set out from San Diego to Monterey on July 14, 1769. Maps at the time available to de Portola's group showed California extending from San Diego only to the Monterey Bay.


When California was still thought of as an island in this 1745 map of California, and so not unusual to think de Portola's group thought the soon-to-be Golden State went as far as Monterey. Used under Creative Commons license.

After about a couple weeks of walking from San Diego to current day Orange County on July 28, 1769 and setting up camp at what is now The Santa Ana River in Anaheim de Portola's group felt a very large earthquake.

This earthquake occurred around 4 p.m., and the explorers recorded many aftershocks, several of them strong, as they made their way into the San Gabriel Valley. Records kept by de Portola's group show they stopped feeling any earthquakes when they were exiting the San Fernando Valley.

Among geologists, seismologists and historians there is much debate on just how big this earthquake was and just where the epicenter was located. Given the records by the de Portola team it was believed by many in the science and historic communities this earthquake was around magnitude 6.0 and probably on The San Jacinto Fault in the Inland Empire. Part of this was based on the diaries of the de Portola team saying they felt no more earthquakes once exiting the San Fernando Valley.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) officially lists this earthquake, the very first earthquake in a long, forever growing list of Southern California earthquakes cataloged by the USGS, as M6.0 in the Los Angeles Basin. 

The when and where of this first recorded Southern California earthquake by the USGS has been challenged by University of California-Irvine geology professor Lisa Grant. Ms. Grant has proposed that the 1769 earthquake was actually M7.3 located on the relatively unknown San Joaquin Hills Fault located between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach, which resulted in the Orange County coastline being raised by almost 11 feet.


Put together by The Southern California Earthquake Center here is a scenario of a M6.7 earthquake on The San Joaquin Hills Fault.

The video above, combined with the diaries kept by the de Portola team, shows the theory by the UCI professor to be possible as strong shaking wanes in The San Fernando Valley. One thing the debate of the 1769 earthquake has brought up is the fact that Orange County has a major earthquake fault line that is not really well known, which has brought on more studies of the fault.

The when and where of this very first recorded Southern California earthquake still fascinates geologists and seismologists. Among other reasons, figuring out the mystery of this earthquake may help further understand and clarify the nature of earthquakes in Southern California (like the existence of a major earthquake fault in Orange County).

2 - Last Large Earthquake on Record

The last large earthquake in Southern California was a M7.9 in 1857, which is commonly called The Fort Tejon Earthquake. Not only was this the largest earthquake in Southern California recorded history, but this was one the largest earthquakes ever recorded in the United States.

This was also the last time The San Andreas Fault had a major rupture in Southern California. The infamous fault line is believed to have ruptured near Parkfield and continued rupturing south to just near The Cajon Pass. In fact, this was the last time "The Big One" happened in Southern California.

Southern California was nowhere near the megalopolis it is today, and so damage was limited to scars in the Earth. There were many scares in the Earth with cracks reported in the San Gabriel Valley and in the San Bernardino area.

In some areas the shaking is believed to have lasted up to, and even over three minutes. In Downtown L.A. the shaking is believed to have lasted over a minute.

Both the USGS and disaster planners fear the impact a repeat of this earthquake would have today.

The last time the lower southern segment of the San Andreas Fault between San Bernardino to the Salton Sea ruptured is believed to have been in or around 1690.

3 - Deadliest Earthquake Ever

The earthquake was only M6.4, but the deadliest earthquake in Southern California was the March 1933 Long Beach Earthquake, which killed 120 people. Much of the death was due to the brick construction of many buildings in Long Beach and Compton.


Compton in the aftermath of the 1933 earthquake. The fallen bricks are what killed many people in this earthquake. Used under a Creative Commons license.

Many schools were badly damaged, but luckily school was out when the earthquake struck at 5:55 p.m. (which should break the myth that big earthquakes only happen in the morning). Had this earthquake occurred just a few hours earlier the death toll would have been much higher with many school children killed.

This thought disturbed and worried a lot of people, and very quickly in April 1933 the state passed The Field Act that mandated earthquake resistant construction for schools.


Jefferson Junior High School in Long Beach after the quake. Damage to schools like this throughout the area and what could have been worried parents, teachers and students alike, which led to the passage of The Field Act. Used under a Creative Commons license.

In the 1971 Sylmar Earthquake schools built after The Field Act made it through with no damage while schools built before 1933 suffered major damage.


A newsreel showing the aftermath of the 1933 earthquake.

4 - The 1933 Epicenter Was NOT in Long Beach

The deadly jolt in 1933 will forever be known as The Long Beach Earthquake, but the epicenter was not in Long Beach. Rather, the epicenter was in Newport Beach on The Newport-Inglewood Fault.

While the damage was bad in Long Beach the earthquake ended up being the most damaging and deadliest earthquake in Orange County history. Most of the death and destruction was in Santa Ana. However there was also major damage in Garden Grove and Anaheim.


Very badly damaged building in Santa Ana. Used under Creative Commons license.

Damage was so bad in downtown Santa Ana that the Santa Ana Register, which was located in downtown Santa Ana, put together their newspaper working outside of their damaged building. 

Of course this would not be the first time an epicenter would be misidentified. The Sylmar Earthquake was not in Sylmar, but the hills above Sylmar. The Northridge Earthquake was not in Northridge, but in Reseda.

5 - The Christmas Day Earthquake

If you were asleep on Christmas morning in 1899 and felt the house shake you may have thought it was Santa Claus stuck in your chimney trying to wiggle his way out. It was not Santa, but Mother Nature showing that even big earthquakes do not get the holiday off.

At 4:25 a.m. a M6.5 earthquake stuck near San Jacinto on the fault of the same name, The San Jacinto Fault.

This earthquake was felt in a very wide area waking people up in Los Angeles, San Diego and as far as Santa Barbara.

Damage was greatest in San Jacinto and Hemet with many collapsed buildings. In Riverside many chimneys were knocked down and cracks in many buildings appeared. In fact, throughout much of the then sparsely populated Inland Empire the damage reports were much the same along with shattered windows.

The earthquake was deadly at the nearby Soboba Indian Reservation, where six people were killed by falling adobe walls.

In the Earth sciences community there is a little bit of debate if whether this earthquake was larger than M6.5 and just where exactly the epicenter was located. The Southern California Earthquake Center believes the epicenter may have been ten miles south of San Jacinto.

In the end, whether an earthquake hits on Christmas morning or during an imperialistic exploration journey, it is extraordinarily important to be prepared for the next big earthquake.

The JFK Assassination and The Southern California Connections

DOWNTOWN L.A. at 12th AND GRAND - It has been over 50 years since the shocking and sickening assassination of President John F. Kennedy one November afternoon on Elm Street in Dallas, Texas. Of course that assassination still remains of great interest to many people, from conspiracy types, which has spawned its own industry with many books, films and videos, among other projects, to viewing that event in light of recent problems facing The Secret Service.


Then presidential hopeful Kennedy arriving at the L.A. Memorial Sports Arena for the 1960 Democratic Convention. July 13, 1960. Public Domain photograph.

Like any major event in the United States, or the World, there always seems to be some kind of Southern California connection, and with the JFK assassination there is indeed a Southern California connection.

In fact, there are two Southern California connections surrounding the assassination of The 35th President of the United States.

In Orange County

Probably the better known connection is that the alleged assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, who, on October 24, 1956, enlisted in the Marine Corps, lived in Orange County for about a year.

Mr. Oswald was apart of Air Control Squadron Nine at the Marine Corps Air Facility Santa Ana, which is actually in Tustin.

According to military records by way of The Warren Commission Report, Mr. Oswald arrived in Orange County in late 1958 after serving a tour of duty in Japan. 

It was only about a year that Mr. Oswald lived in Orange County, and, according to records, Mr. Oswald claimed that he needed to leave the Corps in late 1959 to take care of his mother and asked for a Dependency Discharge. The claim to take care of his mother soon turned out to be false as about a year later Mr. Oswald was living in the Soviet Union, without his mother.

During his time at the Air Facility in Tustin it was discovered Mr. Oswald kept communist literature in his locker, including several copies of The Daily Worker. Much of this was discovered during a surprise inspection, according to Mr. Oswald's former Caption, Robert Block.

Mr. Block said during his time in Tustin that Mr. Oswald's left-leaning tendencies bordered on the near-comic, according to a 1993 Los Angeles Times interview.

At the time the Marines were learning all about communism and, according to Mr. Block, the communist items found in Mr. Oswald's locker were not considered to be all that unusual, and was likely brushed off as no more than Mr. Oswald brushing up on his studies.

Mr. Block, who left the Marines in 1966 with a Honorable Discharge and went on to own an insurance agency in Garden Grove, says, basically, Mr. Oswald did not stand out one way or the other under his command.
 
Much has been said of Mr. Oswald's Marine training, which may have given him an advantage in allegedly gunning down Mr. Kennedy.

Mr. Block does not believe Mr. Oswald's Marine training would have been enough to have killed the President in the way it was carried out, unless the assassin had additional training.

As Mr. Block told Dana Parsons of the L.A. Times in 1993, "You've got a moving target there, and when you're talking about hitting somebody in the head from that distance and that angle, it just boggles my mind that he would even have that capability. I don't know where he could have practiced, whether in the woods or remote areas or in Russia, but you've got to come up with some pretty good marksmanship to carry off something like that."

Evidence and investigation by The Warren Commission shows that Mr. Oswald was able to kill Mr. Kennedy in the matter that it was carried out. While it may have been an advantage there has never been a direct connection that Mr. Oswald's military training gave him an advantage in killing the President. Furthermore, the Report shows Mr. Oswald did not receive any kind of training, military or otherwise, while in Soviet Russia.

Aside from being stationed in Tustin not much is known about Mr. Oswald's time in Orange County. All evidence shows that Mr. Oswald pretty much kept to himself and did not engage in much activity outside the Air Station, and it appears he never even visited Disneyland. If Mr. Oswald's left-leaning beliefs are to be believed he would have found much of Orange County to be hostile to him as much of The Orange Curtain at this time was a hotbed of activity for The John Birch Society (not unlike parts of Dallas).

Perhaps most importantly, there has never been any evidence to suggest Mr. Oswald was involved in any sort of conspiracy with any person or group in Orange County or elsewhere in Southern California. In fact, after the assassination of Mr. Kennedy five federal investigations showed Mr. Oswald acted alone and was not involved in any sort of conspiracy with another person, group or government.

Downtown Los Angeles

There is a second Southern California connection to events related to the assassination, and it involves Downtown L.A.

Sometimes forgotten by history in the whole chaos of events on November 22 was another death allegedly at the hands of Lee Harvey Oswald, the shooting death of Dallas Police Officer J.D. Tippit.

After allegedly shooting at the presidential motorcade Mr. Oswald had gone back to his home in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas, and it is believed while there he retrieved a Smith and Wesson .38 Special caliber revolver.

Mr. Tippit, after the Mr. Kennedy's assassination, received several police radio messages describing the suspect in the assassination. Officer Tippit was driving slowly past the intersection of 10th Street and Patton Avenue, and that is where he pulled alongside a man who resembled the police description of the man seen firing shots at the presidential motorcade. 

According to the Warren Commission the man, identified was Mr. Oswald, walked over to Tippit's car and exchanged words with him through an open vent window. 

Mr. Tippit then opened his car door and as he walked toward the front of the car Mr. Oswald drew the .38 Special and fired three shots in rapid succession, and all three bullets hit Tippit in the chest. Mr. Oswald then walked up to Tippit's fallen body and fired a fourth shot directly into his right temple, fatally wounding him. Mr. Tippit died before any help could arrive, according to The Warren Commission.

Mr. Oswald shortly after went into the nearby Texas Theater without buying a ticket. A person working at the Texas Theater noticed this person "acting suspiciously" and was a bit concerned that he did not buy a ticket, and so the movie theater employee called the police.

When Dallas Police arrived, according to The Warren Commission, the lights in theater were turned up, and Mr. Oswald seemed ready to give up when he shouted, "Well, it is all over now!" Yet, according to Dallas Police Officer Nick McDonald, it was not quite over yet as Mr. Oswald pulled out a pistol tucked into the front of his pants, then pointed the pistol at Mr. McDonald, and pulled the trigger, but the pistol did not fire because the pistol's hammer came down on the webbing between the thumb and index finger of Mr. McDonald's hand when he grabbed the gun from Mr. Oswald. Then after a scuffle Mr. Oswald was arrested.

So, what does all this have to do with Downtown L.A.?

Well, turns out the Smith and Wesson .38 that killed Officer Tippit was bought in Downtown L.A., at 1221 s. Grand Avenue to be precise.

No, Mr. Oswald did not buy the weapon while he was living in Orange County, but rather he bought the gun by mail.

George Rose and Co. of L.A. was a major distributor of that type of gun. The Mail order division of George Rose and Co. was called, Seaport Traders, Inc., which is where Mr. Oswald sent in the order for the gun.

On January 3, 1963, Seaport Traders received a shipment of 99 guns in one case, according to The Warren Commission, from Empire Wholesale Sporting Goods, Ltd. in Montreal, and in that shipment was the Smith and Wesson .38 confirmed by investigators as the gun used to kill Officer Tippit.

Towards the end of January of that year Seaport Traders received through the mail a mail-order coupon and cash for a, ".38 St. W. 2'' Bbl.," and was signed in ink by, "A.J. Hidell, age 28," according to the Warren Commission. There was also a signature by "D.F. Drittal" attesting to the fact that the person ordering this gun from Downtown L.A. is a U.S. citizen and has never been convicted of a felony.

It was soon revealed the writing on the coupon was that of Mr. Oswald, and, to no real surprise, the writing of the person claiming "Mr. Hidell" was criminally and mentally clear to buy a gun was that also of Mr. Oswald, according to the Warren Commission. This was confirmed by the work of Dallas Police, the FBI and Secret Service, and Mr. Oswald's Russian born wife Marina, who confirmed to authorities the writing on the mail-order form to Downtown L.A. was that of her husband.

"A.J. Hidell" was an alias used by Mr. Oswald during his time in Dallas and New Orleans. This name was used by Mr. Oswald to rent a Post Office box at a Dallas Post Office, which is where the weapon from Downtown L.A. was sent. 

Owners and employees associated with George Rose and Co. and Seaport Traders, Inc. were never charged with any crime, as there was no crime to be charged with. Further investigation showed those in Downtown L.A. had no clue that one of their items played a part on that dark day in American history until they were visited by authorities.

The Overwhelming Evidence Against Oswald

Even though five federal investigations show and proved Lee Harvey Oswald was solely behind the assassination of John F. Kennedy with overwhelming evidence the actions of Jack Ruby forever prevented Mr. Oswald from having his day in court, and thus he was never convicted, or acquitted, of the murders of Mr. Kennedy or Officer J.D. Tippit (also why in this piece Mr. Oswald at times is referred to as the alleged murderer of Mr. Kennedy).

The weight of evidence from the five federal investigations of the murder of John F. Kennedy shows that Mr. Oswald acted alone, and no person or group from the U.S. government, Soviet Union and Cuba, nor Jack Ruby or any other group or person that may not have been a big fan of JFK, was ever involved at any time in the president's murder.

While much has been made about Mr. Oswald and conspiracies galore, if you have not yet read it then it is strongly recommended you read The Warren Commission Report. Yes, it is not exactly a quick afternoon read, but after reading it most people from the layman to any first year law student could see the overwhelming evidence shows Mr. Oswald committed the murders of John F. Kennedy and J.D. Tippit, and acted alone.

In Tustin Today

As for the Marine Corps Air Facility Santa Ana, well, by 1979 the name was changed to better reflect their location, Marine Corps Air Station Tustin. At the end of The Cold War came many military base closures around the country, and, with the Base Realignment and Closure Act of 1990, it was announced that the Tustin air station would be among those closed.

The full base closure came in July 1999, and since then much successful high-end suburban development has occurred in and around the defunct military base, which includes businesses like Whole Foods.

The old Marine air base is also home to the Orange County Sheriff's Department Academy.

In the last year there has been talk by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim baseball owner Arte Moreno of building a new stadium at the old base and moving the ball team to Tustin once the current lease in Anaheim expires. Los Angeles Angels of Tustin?

L.A. Is Where JFK's Official Journey to The White House Began

At the risk of stretching this piece thin it is worth noting that the 1960 Democratic National Convention was held at the L.A. Memorial Sports Arena, and that is where Mr. Kennedy accepted the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.


The 1960 Democratic Convention at the L.A. Memorial Sports Arena., July 1960. Public Domain photograph.

Come Election Day Mr. Kennedy's Republican competitor was Vice President Richard Nixon, who, after voting in Whittier, was suppose to go over to the Ambassador Hotel to watch the elections results, and hopefully give a victory speech, but instead made a trip to Tijuana.

A Note on The President's Brother

In 1968 at The Ambassador Hotel the president's brother, Robert F. Kennedy, was assassinated. In the aftermath of the death of RFK investigations found no links between the assassinations.

A Footnote To One of America's Darkest Days

In the end, at best Southern California's role in that whole tragedy that November day are mere, almost irrelevant footnotes of a bigger event, and, subsequently, it appears Mr. Oswald's time in Orange County did not really influence decisions he would make a few years later as, going back to his high school days in New York, he already showed signs of being a troubled man.

A L.A. Vs NYC Listicle List

THE ONLY PLACE THAT REALLY MATTERS - For way too many decades now there has been much talk in comparing Los Angeles/Southern California to New York and the Tri-State area, or, depending how you look at it, comparing New York to L.A. If you have figured out what this website attempts to be about we gladly wear our bias on our sleeve, mind and heart.


A 1931 view of L.A. City Hall. Used under a Creative Commons license.
  
So, in what is a somewhat superficial fluff, filler, and maybe slightly thought provoking clickbait piece for your passing amusing enjoyment let us compare things and places, in no particular order, between L.A. and New York.

         L.A./Southern California Vs. New York

El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula - New Amsterdam

The Library Tower/U.S. Bank Tower - Freedom Tower/One World Trade Center

Griffith Park - Central Park

Deborah Sussman - Milton Glaser

Ronald Reagan Freeway - FDR Drive

L.A. County USC Medical Center - Bellevue Hospital Center

Cedars Sinai Medical Center - Mount Sinai Hospital

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels - Saint Patrick's Cathedral

Getty House - Gracie Mansion

The Getty Center - The Metropolitan Museum of Art

MOCA - MoMA

Lakewood - Levittown

The Beach Boys - The Four Seasons

The Germs - The Ramones 

"Los Angeles" by X - "New York" by Nina Hagan

Al's Bar - CBGB's

The Masque - Max's Kansas City

Club Alabam - Cotton Club

Central Avenue - Lenox Avenue

213 - 212

Disneyland - Disney World (Yes, not in the New York area, but a lot of New Yorkers go there!)

Pacific Ocean Park - Freedomland

L.A. City Hall - Empire State Building

Hollywood - Broadway

Hollywood and Highland - Times Sqaure

West Hollywood - The Village

The Vincent Thomas Bridge - The Brooklyn Bridge

Freeways - Tollways

Arroyo Seco Parkway - Eastern Parkway

The 405 - The L-I-E

SigAlert - Traffic Delays

The Brown Family - The Cuomo Family

Charles Bukowski - Andy Warhol 

Bret Easton Ellis - Jay McInerney

1994 Northridge Earthquake - 2012 Superstorm Sandy

1992 L.A. Riots - 1863 Draft Riots

SWAT - ESU

Surrounded by hills and mountains - Surrounded by buildings

San Bernardino Mountains - The Poconos

Montecito - The Hamptons

Echo Park - Williamsburg

Boyle Heights - Red Hook

All Star Lanes Bowling Center - Brooklyn Bowl 

Central Library - The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building 

Pinks - Nathans

Canter's Deli - Katz's Deli

Pershing Square - Union Square

Richard Ramirez - David Berkowitz 

Orange County - Staten Island

Inland Empire - New Jersey

San Bernardino - Newark

San Fernando Valley - Nassau County, Long Island

Huntington Beach - Seaside Heights, New Jersey

LAX - JFK

Burbank Airport - LaGuardia Airport

Metrolink - Long Island Railroad, Metro-North and NJ Transit

Las Vegas - Atlantic City (Wait, does AC still have casinos?)

Pacific Ocean - Atlantic Ocean

Venice Beach - Coney Island

USC - NYU

Cal State L.A. - City University of New York

The Claremont Colleges - Columbia University

Scripps College - Sarah Lawrence College

Home of The Hell's Angels - Home of the fake Hell's Angels

Dodgers - Yankees

Angels - Mets

Wrigley Field - Ebbets Field

Hosted a World's Fair in 1918, known as the California Liberty Fair - Hosted two World's Fairs

Hosted two Olympics - Still trying to get the Olympics to come to town

Twin Towers - Rikers Island

Boss Radio 93/KHJ - 77/WABC

The Real Don Steele - Dan Ingram

Hunter Hancock - Alan Freed

Hal Fishman - Roger Grigsby

KCET - WNET

Staples Center - Madison Square Garden

2 a.m. - 4 a.m.

Santa Monica Bl roughly between Vine and La Brea - Off Broadway

Walt Disney - Woody Allen

East L.A. - Jackson Heights

Huell Howser - Huell Howser was briefly on New York television in the early 1980s 

In-N-Out - Lots of In-N-Out rip offs

Disneyland Measles Outbreak and What You Need To Know About Measles

ANAHEIM - Many young kids, and adults who are kids at heart, often wish they could take a piece of Disneyland home with them. Well, some people may be taking a piece of Disneyland home with them, and it is not very magical.

 

Photograph of young boy with measles rash. Author unknown. Shown for educational purposes only; no copyright infringement intended. Used under a Creative Commons license.

On Wednesday state health officials announced that a visitor to The Happiest Place on Earth had measles and likely transmitted it to 19 people, so far, who were visiting Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park between December 15 and Dec. 20.

We use the words, "so far," because state health officials expect the number of measles cases to rise. 

Officials say 16 of the cases are in California, two are in Utah, and one is in Colorado. Most of the California cases are in Southern California with nine cases in Orange County.

Disneyland officials say no employees, excuse me, "cast members," have contracted measles and they say they are working with health officials to provide any necessary information.

Wait, What Happened?

It is believed that an infected guest with measles visiting The Disneyland Resort potentially infected a significant amount of people at The Happiest Place on Earth with measles, according to health officials.

First Off, Do Not Panic! 

While it is possible thousands of people have been exposed to measles it is very important to not panic and to put this illness in perspective.

It is very important to understand that if you have been vaccinated there is a very good chance you will NOT get measles. 

Also very important to understand that measles in the majority of cases is NOT a life threatening illness. For most people it is an illness that will pass in a couple weeks.

How Can You Get Measles?

According to the Center for Disease Control, measles is very infectious because it spreads through the air.

The CDC notes that, "measles virus can live for up to two hours on a surface or in an airspace where the infected person coughed or sneezed. If other people breathe the contaminated air or touch the infected surface, then touch their eyes, noses, or mouths, they can become infected. Measles is so contagious that if one person has it, 90% of the people close to that person who are not immune will also become infected."

That time of year at Disneyland is always very crowded, and it would be very simple to catch measles by standing in line next to someone who is infected. In fact, in a very crowded line, or very crowded walkway or store, several people at once can be exposed to measles.

Can Measles Be Prevented?

Yes, if you are vaccinated there is a extraordinarily good chance you will not catch measles, but there will always be a small number of people who can get infected despite being vaccinated. That chance of not getting measles when vaccinated is over 99-percent, according to the CDC. Many of the California measles cases were people who were not vaccinated.

What Are The Signs of Measles?

Signs of measles coming on include, runny nose, red eyes, cough and a high fever. 

What About A Rash?

According to the CDC, "Three to five days after symptoms begin, a rash breaks out. It usually begins as flat red spots that appear on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs, and feet. Small raised bumps may also appear on top of the flat red spots. When the rash appears, a person’s fever may spike to more than 104° Fahrenheit."

How Long Does It Last?

Most measles cases last about two weeks.

What Medicine Treats Measles? 

Most measles can be treated by over-the-counter medication.

Bottom Line About Catching Measles

If you and/or your child have been vaccinated for measles chances are very good you will not be affected by measles.

However if you did visit The Disneyland Resort at or around this time do keep a "heads up" for symptoms.

If you do happen to catch measles it will not be very pleasant and there will be a lot of school and work missed, but in most cases it is not life threatening. Understand that most over-the-counter medications can be used to treat measles.