Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941, was not an isolated act of war. Instead, it was just one part of a series of coordinated military attacks on Western colonies and outposts in the Far East on that day. Japanese forces also attacked Indochina as Southeast Asia then was known.Continue reading “The wartime race to produce synthetic rubber left a toxic legacy in the South Bay”
Tag Archives: south bay
How and when did the South Bay come to be known by that name?
Geography tells us why the chunk of coastal Los Angeles County land south of Ballona Creek became known as the “South Bay.” The area from Playa del Rey down to the Palos Verdes Peninsula forms the lower half of Santa Monica Bay, hence the “South Bay” sobriquet. The South Bay’s boundaries are less well-defined thanContinue reading “How and when did the South Bay come to be known by that name?”
Battles of the bands thrived in the South Bay during the 1960s garage band era
The “battle of the bands” concept wasn’t invented during the 1960s, when hundreds of teen bands began springing up in suburban garages in the wake of the rise of surf music and, a bit later, the Beatles-led British Invasion. But the shifts in pop music tastes definitely sparked a renaissance in the band contests. PopContinue reading “Battles of the bands thrived in the South Bay during the 1960s garage band era”
Major 1953 North American Aviation strike was disruptive, but not that productive
When workers at North American Aviation went on strike on June 5, 1941, just months before the Pearl Harbor attack brought the U.S. into World War II, alarm bells went off in Washington, D.C. The company, founded in 1928 and headquartered at 5701 W. Imperial Blvd. at the southeastern edge of Los Angeles International Airport,Continue reading “Major 1953 North American Aviation strike was disruptive, but not that productive”
Eye-catching brick buildings near Torrance High School have had multiple uses
Every day, thousands of cars pass by the southwest corner of Carson St. and Plaza Del Amo near where three distinctive brick buildings have stood for many decades. If, like me, you were curious about their origins, read on. The city of Torrance and Los Angeles County owned the land on which they were erected.Continue reading “Eye-catching brick buildings near Torrance High School have had multiple uses”
