The Hollywood Sign celebrates its 100th anniversary today when it was officially dedicated on July 13, 1923, over the Hollywood Hills on Mount Lee in Los Angeles.
The iconic landmark has become a shining beacon of hope for those who venture to seek fame and wealth in the entertainment mecca of the world. Originally erected as “Hollywoodland,” as an advertisement to lure real estate investors in 1923 has now become a major symbol of Los Angeles that has seen tragedy, many facelifts, and even pranks over the decades.
Scroll through the gallery to read about its historic beginnings and regeneration as it celebrates its centenary in 2023.
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1923
The Hollywood sign was erected to promote the real estatedevelopment called “Hollywoodland”
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1924
Entrance to Hollywoodland Development
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1920’s
Close up of the Hollwoodland sign circa 1920’s
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1924
The Hollywoodland sign in Los Angeles marking the centre of America’s film and television industries. It was later changed to read ‘Hollywood’
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1924
Hollywoodland sign
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1925
A view of the Hollywoodland sign from the brand new homes built as part of the development
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1928
Hollywood Sign, Original sign lit at night
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1930’s
Humphrey Bogart’s home with a view of the Hollywoodland sign in the distance
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1932
Actress Lillian Millicent “Peg” Entwistle jumped from the letter “H” of the Hollywoodland sign to end her life after failure to star in the movies
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1940
Les Tremayne, of CBS Radio’s First Nighter program, and wife Eileen Palmer, with their bicycles in the Hollywood Hills, with the Hollywoodland sign in the background
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1940
The Hollywoodland sign before it is torn down
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1953
1950s Austin Car Driving Up Road In The Hollywood Hills With Hollywood Sign In Distance
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1960’s
The Hollywood sign in the 1960s
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1972
The Hollywood sign starting to show wear and tear
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1973
Director Reza Badiyi, (center, pointing) filming ‘African’ locations in Hollywood for the film Trader Horn
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1974
(L-R) John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Bob Welch and Christine McVie of the rock group “Fleetwood Mac” pose for a portrait under the Hollywood Sign
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1976
Angelenos awoke to the image of “HOLLYWEED” blazing in the skyline
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1977
Rock group Blondie (L-R) Chris Stein, Clem Burke, James Destri and Nigel Harrison with Debbie Harry
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1978
Save The Sign Campaign was launched in 1978 by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce with a goal to raise $250,000 to build a new Hollywood Sig
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1978
Hugh Hefner hosted a gala fundraiser at the Playboy Mansion, where individual sign letters were auctioned off at $27,700 per letter to celebrity sponsors including Alice Cooper and Gene Autry
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1978
Manager Shep Gordon and musician Alice Cooper hold a check made out to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to buy the “O” in the Hollywood sign
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1978
The sign prior to restoration
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1978
Pacific Outdoor Advertising Company, assisted by Hughes Helicopter and Heath Company, was awarded the contract to tear down and rebuild the Sign
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1978
The project took eight painters over 700 hours to prepare and paint the sign, which used 300 gallons of primer and paint
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1978
Raiden Peterson was project manager of the 1978 reconstruction, and helicopter pilot Greg Ashe flew 20 steel beams to the construction site. The beams were secured in deep holes filled with 194 tons of concrete
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1978
Construction crew at work
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1978
The sign mid progess
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1978
It was the third such makeover for the 72-year-old sign
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1979
A promotional photo with Miss Piggy for the film The Muppet Movie
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1992
Seinfeld filming a scene from Season 4
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1992
As part of the film promotion for Cool World, starring Brad Pitt and Kim Basinger, the Hollywood Sign was altered to include a 75-foot-tall cutout of Basingers’ character Holli Would. The alteration angered local residents, who were “appalled” by the city’s approval of the alterations.”
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1995
Black tarps are removed from the famous Hollywood sign as it is unveiled after a facelift 18 May above Hollywood, CA
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1996
A still from the animated film Beavis and Butt-Head Do America
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1997
Actress Michelle Yeoh in mid-air over the famous Hollywood sign in November 1997 for a National Geographic cover story.
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1996
The Hollywood sign displays a set of colors during the celebration of the new millennium in Los Angeles 31 December 1999
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 1999
A still from the film The Day After Tomorrow of the Hollywood sign being destroyed by a twister
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 2003
Esther Williams attends the 80th birthday celebration for the Hollywood Sign at the Cinerama Dome Complex during the opening night of the AFI Film Festival
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 2005
The 45-foot high letters of the famous sign, last painted in 1995, received a coat of primer and specially formulated paint called Hollywood White
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 2005
A portion of the refurbished Hollywood Sign to which Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa added a finishing touch of paint
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 2007
Smoke rises from a brush fire near the Hollywood sign in Hollywood
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 2007
A man stands among the letters of the famous landmark Hollywood sign
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 2008
General view of the Hollywood sign from the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 2010
(L-R) Trust for Public Land President Will Rogers, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Los Angeles councillor Tom LeBonge and Chairman of the Hollywood Sign Trust Chris Baumgart celebrate after the governor made the announcement that sufficient money had been raised to purchase and protect the land around the historic Hollywood sign
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 2010
Tom LaBonge, Hugh Hefner & The Hollywood Sign Trust Celebrate The Expansion Of Griffith Park
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 2012
A women stops with her horse to photograph the famous Hollywood Sign over looking the Hollywood Hills
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 2012
A scene from Seven Psychopaths starring Michael Pitt & Michael Stuhlbarg
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 2012
The space shuttle Endeavor passes the Hollywood sign as the retired space shuttle makes the rounds of the Los Angeles and Orange County areas before landing at LAX
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 2016
Hollywood Sign and Mount Lee, Griffith Park at the sunset.
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 2016
A still from the Netflix animated show The Bojack Horseman Show with Bojack Horseman and Princess Carolyn
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 2017
Hollywood sign changed to Hollyweed
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 2022
The Hollywood Sign changes to honor the Los Angeles Rams winning Super Bowl LVI
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 2022
The Hollywood Sign changes to honor the Los Angeles Rams winning Super Bowl LVI
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 2022
General view of The Hollywood Sign
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 2022
The Hollywood Sign gets repainted ahead of its 100th Anniversary
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 2022
The Hollywood Sign gets repainted ahead of its 100th Anniversary
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 2022
The Hollywood Sign gets repainted ahead of its 100th Anniversary
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 2022
The Hollywood Sign gets repainted ahead of its 100th Anniversary
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 2023
The Hollywood sign stands in front of snow-covered mountains after another winter storm hit Southern California on March 01, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
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HOLLYWOOD SIGN, 2023
Buddhist monks from Thailand gather and take photos beneath the Hollywood sign as the WGA (Writers Guild of America) strike continues on July 12, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
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