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Anaheim, California

"The Happiest Place on Earth"
From a German winemaking colony to the home of Disneyland and the Anaheim Ducks, this Orange County city became synonymous with American entertainment and the Southern California dream.
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Founded 1857 | Population 343,509 | Peak 350,742 (2016) | County Orange County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Anaheim, California

1
1955Disneyland Opens: Walt Disney opened his revolutionary theme park on July 17, 1955, on 160 acres of Anaheim orange groves. Disneyland became the world's most famous amusement park and transformed Anaheim's economy forever.
2
1857German Wine Colony Established: Fifty German immigrant families from San Francisco purchased 1,165 acres to establish a cooperative winemaking colony. They named it Anaheim and planted 400,000 grapevines.
3
1966Angels Stadium Opens: The California Angels moved from Los Angeles to their new Anaheim Stadium, establishing the city as a major league sports destination. The stadium later became known as Angel Stadium.
4
2001Disney California Adventure Opens: Disney's second theme park opened adjacent to Disneyland, part of a massive expansion that created the Disneyland Resort complex. The Anaheim Resort District now generates billions in annual revenue.
5
1884Grape Blight Destroys Wine Industry: A mysterious disease — later identified as Pierce's disease — wiped out virtually every grapevine in Anaheim, ending the wine era. Farmers pivoted to citrus, launching Orange County's orange grove identity.
6
1993Mighty Ducks NHL Franchise: The Walt Disney Company brought NHL hockey to Anaheim with the Mighty Ducks, later renamed the Anaheim Ducks. The team won the Stanley Cup in 2007.
7
2002Angels Win World Series: The Anaheim Angels won their first and only World Series, defeating the San Francisco Giants in seven games. The rally monkey became a national sensation.
8
1924KKK Briefly Controls Anaheim: The Ku Klux Klan secretly took over Anaheim's city government, winning four of five city council seats. Outraged residents organized a recall election and ousted the Klan members within a year.
9
1970Anaheim Convention Center Opens: The Anaheim Convention Center opened as one of the largest on the West Coast, hosting major events from trade shows to concerts and complementing the Disneyland tourism economy.
10
2007Anaheim Ducks Win Stanley Cup: The Anaheim Ducks won the Stanley Cup, defeating the Ottawa Senators. It was the first championship for a Southern California hockey team and validated the NHL's expansion into non-traditional markets.
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Population Over Time

0 87,747 175,493 263,240 350,986 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024

Latest News in Anaheim

News articles will appear here as they're published.

Complete Historical Timeline

1857 Culture
German colonists establish Anaheim as a wine colony
1870 Government
Anaheim incorporated as second city in Los Angeles County
1884 Disaster
Pierce's disease wipes out all grapevines
1888 Business
Orange groves replace vineyards across the area
1924 Politics
KKK takes over city council; recalled by voters
1938 Disaster
Flood devastates downtown Anaheim
1955 Business
Disneyland opens on former orange grove land
1966 Sports
California Angels move to new Anaheim Stadium
1967 Architecture
Anaheim Convention Center opens
1978 Architecture
Anaheim Hills community development expands city east
1993 Sports
Mighty Ducks NHL franchise launched by Disney
1998 Business
Disneyland Resort expansion announced
2001 Business
Disney California Adventure theme park opens
2002 Sports
Anaheim Angels win World Series
2007 Sports
Anaheim Ducks win Stanley Cup
2012 Business
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge announced for Disneyland
2019 Business
Star Wars land opens at Disneyland Resort
2024 Business
DisneylandForward expansion plan approved by city

Did You Know?

1
Anaheim's founding German colonists dug a massive irrigation ditch and planted 400,000 grapevines, making their tiny colony one of the largest wine producers in California before disease wiped them out.
2
The Disneyland Resort generates more than $8 billion annually in economic activity for the Anaheim area, making it the single largest employer in Orange County.
3
In 1924, the Ku Klux Klan secretly infiltrated Anaheim politics and won control of the city council — but citizens organized so quickly that they recalled the Klan members within months, one of the earliest successful anti-Klan political actions in the country.
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