Home to celebrities, artists and free spirits, Los Angeles never stops attracting people from every corner of the globe. It is not only the most populous city in California, but the second most populous city in America.

California grows more avocados than any other state in the U.S., and 60% of those avocados are grown in San Diego.

In 1867, San Francisco instituted America's first "ugly law," which prohibited "any person who is diseased, maimed, mutilated or deformed in any way, so as to be an unsightly or disgusting object, to expose himself or herself to public view." Violators were hit with a $25 fine (about $460 today), 25 days in jail or both.

In 1850 and again in 1861, floods overwhelmed Sacramento. Governor Stanford had to attend his inauguration, which was not too far from his house on N Street, in a rowboat. The flood waters were so bad that, according to legend, he had to enter through a second floor window when he returned to his house.

The first recorded stadium wave occurred in Oakland at an Athletics' playoff game against the New York Yankees on Oct. 15, 1981. It was organized and led by professional cheerleader Krazy George Henderson and was seen by a national TV audience and captured on film. Sixteen days later on Halloween at the University of Washington in Seattle, former UW cheerleader Robb Weller--back for a game as guest yell leader--led fans in a Wave at Husky Stadium during the school's 42-31 victory over Stanford. Krazy George and the University of Washington feuded for years over who started The Wave, but The Wave of evidence is in George's favor.

The Great Bakersfield Dust Storm of 1977 started in the late evening on December 19. By the next morning, the wind was blowing so hard that it sounded like a loud roar, and enough dust was in the air that it blocked out the sun. Roads into and out of the southern valley were closed. Wind was measured at 192 miles per hour (309 km/h). Over 25 million cubic feet of topsoil from grazing land alone was moved. Freeways were buried. The storm finally subsided on December 21, but it had resulted in 5 deaths and $40 million in damages.

Mount Whitney is the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States and the Sierra Nevada, with an elevation of 14,505 feet (4,421 m).

The California quail is a highly sociable bird that often gathers in small flocks known as "coveys". It was named the official state bird in 1931.

The 930-square foot game board that opened in San Jose's Discovery Meadow in 2002 is the only officially licensed life-sized Monopoly board in the world. Families can rent out the board to play for a $300 fee, which includes a game referee "specially trained to run a giant-sized Monopoly game."

In 1919, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford bought land on Summit Drive and built a legendary 56-acre estate, finished in 1921, which was dubbed "Pickfair" by the press. The glamour associated with Fairbanks and Pickford, as well as other movie stars who built mansions in the city, contributed to its growing appeal.