Birthday parties were in full swing at Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour on Hawthorne Blvd. in Torrance at 12:39 p.m. on Friday, April 9, 1982. At that moment, diners looked on in shock and disbelief as a small plane crashed and exploded into flames just in front of the popular restaurant. Bob Farrell and Ken McCarthyContinue reading “Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour diners watch as small plane narrowly misses them in 1982”
Author Archives: Sam Gnerre
Elon Musk’s SpaceX revitalizes the space program — and Hawthorne’s business profile
For a brief time in January 2021, Elon Musk inched ahead of Amazon’s Jeff Bezos as the richest man in the world, with a net worth of $185 billion. Bezos reclaimed the title a month later, but Musk’s flagship ventures — SpaceX and Tesla Motors — continue to prosper. Musk’s pioneering rocket manufacturing company SpaceXContinue reading “Elon Musk’s SpaceX revitalizes the space program — and Hawthorne’s business profile”
Lunada Bay coast retains its natural beauty thanks in part to a $10 agreement made in 1924
Even after nearly a century of residential development encroaching upon it, the view from the Lunada Bay cliffs in Palos Verdes Estates remains breathtaking. The cliff edges are unsullied by any manmade structures, leaving nothing to impede the sight of the gently curving arc of shoreline and the crescent-moon shaped bay which inspired the area’sContinue reading “Lunada Bay coast retains its natural beauty thanks in part to a $10 agreement made in 1924”
Republican candidate Barry Goldwater brings 1964 campaign to the South Bay
Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1964 decisive presidential election victory over Republican Sen. Barry Goldwater always comes up when the subject of landslide elections arises. Johnson had been vice president under President John F. Kennedy, and became president after the Nov. 22, 1963 assassination of Kennedy. LBJ had only been in office a couple of months whenContinue reading “Republican candidate Barry Goldwater brings 1964 campaign to the South Bay”
Development of San Pedro’s Deane Dana Friendship Park a lengthy process
Deane Dana Friendship Park’s hilltop location offers some of the most spectacular views of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in the entire Harbor Area. The park also offers sports facilities, hiking trails and a nature center, all of which have been added in recent years. In 1960, Los Angeles County purchased theContinue reading “Development of San Pedro’s Deane Dana Friendship Park a lengthy process”
Residents have lived with giant electrical towers in Redondo and Torrance for decades
The 100-foot high electric towers dominate the skyline along the Redondo-Hermosa Beach border. They stretch east from the AES power plant near the shoreline, down Herondo and Anita streets, which become 190th St. in west Torrance. From there, their path follows the 190th St. corridor, eventually veering north to terminate at the Southern California EdisonContinue reading “Residents have lived with giant electrical towers in Redondo and Torrance for decades”
Stephen M. White’s sterling reputation tainted by stand on Chinese Exclusion Act
Stephen M. White excelled at everything he did. His stints as a successful lawyer and supremely effective politician brought him wide recognition in the late 1800s. He was so highly regarded by colleagues, the public and the press that, within five days of his death in 1901, a fund to erect a statue of himContinue reading “Stephen M. White’s sterling reputation tainted by stand on Chinese Exclusion Act”
Preventing the corruption of young minds by banning horror comics in the 1950s
Threats to the American way of life seemed to lurk around every corner in the 1950s. Just a few weeks ago, I wrote about the war on pinball machines being used for illicit gambling during the era. Today’s topic posed a deeper, more pernicious danger: the corruption of America’s youth via crime and horror-based comicContinue reading “Preventing the corruption of young minds by banning horror comics in the 1950s”
L.A. Steamship Company hit its stride in 1920s with Hawaii-bound ocean liners
So how did one go about starting up a major Pacific Coast passenger steamship line from scratch in 1920 offering passenger service from Los Angeles to Hawaii? It looked like no easy task, with a crowded field of competitors seemingly having the business sewed up. Three companies already in operation — Matson Navigation, Oceanic SteamshipContinue reading “L.A. Steamship Company hit its stride in 1920s with Hawaii-bound ocean liners”
Marilyn Monroe’s early childhood days in Hawthorne
It sounds like a cliche to say that the quintessential glamorous movie star came from the humblest of beginnings, but, in Marilyn Monroe’s case, it’s true. She was born Norma Jeane Mortenson at Los Angeles County General Hospital (now known as County/USC Medical Center) on June 1, 1926, in the charity ward. Her mother, GladysContinue reading “Marilyn Monroe’s early childhood days in Hawthorne”
