Beverly Hills owes its prosperity to the accident of geography. Back when California was still part of Spain, the area that would become Beverly Hills was surrounded on two sides by cascading waterfalls through canyons, and had fertile soil perfect for grazing and farming. Even after the streams dried up and the drilling for oil under the ground brought up nothing, the area continued to thrive.On this day, January 28, in 1914, the city of Beverly Hills was incorporated. Its name was reportedly inspired by a town called Beverly Farms in Massachusetts. The head of the development company in charge of carving out streets and residential areas over the land thought the Massachusetts town sounded very pretty, and proposed a similar one for his new venture.

Beverly Hills remained independent long after its founding. It also continued to attract the creme de la creme of society. Actress Mary Pickford moved in, building a house for herself and husband, actor Douglas Fairbanks. Harold Lloyd built a 44-room mansion on a golf course, called Greenacres, in what today is Benedict Canyon. Movie stars continued to settle in to the city over the years, a trend that continues to this day.