75-768: The Gremlin Special was a Douglas C-47 Skytrain that crashed during a sightseeing flight over the Baliem Valley (also known as Shangri-La valley) in New Guinea in the eastern part of Netherlands Indies in 1945. The recovery of the three survivors from an isolated valley surrounded by mountains, enemy troops, and native inhabitants made worldwide news at the time and is the subject of the 2011 book Lost in Shangri-La by author Mitchell Zuckoff . On Sunday, May 13, 1945, Col. Peter J. Prossen, maintenance chief of
150-480: A high rate of death , particularly among children, attributed to many factors like diseases that spread quickly in the close quarters of the mission's walls, as well as torture, malnourishment, and overworking. In 1843, Juan Temple bought Rancho Los Cerritos , having arrived in California in 1827 from New England . He built what is now known as the " Los Cerritos Ranch House ", a still-standing adobe which
225-428: A 10-mile trek down the mountain. Other eight paratroopers jumped in to establish a base camp in the valley. On June 28, the survivors and two paratrooper medics were recovered using Waco CG-4 gliders towed by a Douglas C-47 Skytrain . Three separate rescues were performed by towing a glider with single pilot into the valley. The glider was then loaded and configured for a live capture by the tow plane which recovered
300-578: A D or F grade on beach water quality during rainy periods in the Beach Report Card published by Heal the Bay . However, during dry periods the water may have an A or B rating in the same reports. The Los Angeles River discharges directly into the Long Beach side of San Pedro Bay, meaning a large portion of all the urban runoff from the entire Los Angeles metropolitan area pours directly into
375-526: A fire, and January 1991 when the factory was demolished partially due to air quality remediation efforts . Ford had earlier opened a factory in Los Angeles at 12th Street and Olive, with a later factory built at East Seventh Street and Santa Fe Avenue after 1914. Come 1938, the creation of Housing Authorities for both the City and County of Los Angeles were complete — and North Long Beach was to be home to
450-466: A household was $ 80,493, with family households having a median income of $ 96,970 and non-family households $ 56,245. The per capita income was $ 41,896. Out of the 443,634 people with a determined poverty status, 13.8% were below the poverty line . Further, 17.9% of minors and 16.2% of seniors were below the poverty line. In the survey, residents self-identified with various ethnic ancestries. People of German descent made up 6.0% of
525-448: A male householder with no partner present, and 32.5% had a female householder with no partner present. The median household size was 2.57 and the median family size was 3.34. The age distribution was 20.0% under 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.5 males. The median income for
600-468: A partially retractable tailwheel, flush rivets, and low-drag antenna. These all contributed to an increased top speed of 250 mph (400 km/h; 220 kn). With over 75% of the original DC-3/C-47 configuration changed, the modified design was virtually a new aircraft. The first DC-3S made its maiden flight on 23 June 1949. The changes fully met the new FAR 4B airworthiness requirements, with significantly improved performance. However, little interest
675-471: A people from which their lives began. In 1784, the Spanish Empire 's King Carlos III granted Rancho Los Nietos to Spanish soldier Manuel Nieto . The Rancho Los Cerritos and Rancho Los Alamitos were divided from this territory. The boundary between the two ranchos ran through the center of Signal Hill on a southwest to northeast diagonal. A portion of western Long Beach was originally part of
750-484: A popular annual event in Long Beach until the 1960s. Another Bixby cousin, John W. Bixby, was influential in the city. After first working for his cousins at Los Cerritos, J.W. Bixby leased land at Rancho Los Alamitos . He put together a group: banker I.W. Hellman , Llewellyn and Jotham Bixby, and him, to purchase the rancho. In addition to bringing innovative farming methods to the Alamitos (which under Abel Stearns in
825-658: A population of 462,257. The population density was 9,191.3 inhabitants per square mile (3,548.8/km ). The racial makeup of Long Beach was 213,066 (46.1%) White , 62,603 (13.5%) Black or African American , 3,458 (0.7%) Native American , 59,496 (12.9%) Asian (4.5% Filipino , 3.9% Cambodian , 0.9% Vietnamese , 0.6% Chinese , 0.6% Japanese , 0.4% Indian , 0.4% Korean , 0.2% Thai , 0.1% Laotian , 0.1% Hmong ), 5,253 (1.1%) Pacific Islander (0.8% Samoan , 0.1% Guamanian , 0.1% Tongan ), 93,930 (20.3%) from other races , and 24,451 (5.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 188,412 persons (40.8%). 32.9% of
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#1732780234528900-479: A variety of missions. EC-47s were also operated by the Vietnamese, Laotian, and Cambodian Air Forces. A gunship variation, using three 7.62 mm miniguns, designated AC-47 "Spooky" , often nicknamed " Puff the magic dragon ", also was deployed. Large numbers of C-47s, C-117s and other variants survive, on display in museums or as monuments; operated as warbirds ; or remaining in service. As part of
975-489: Is a Mexican American / Chicano community in Long Beach. Cambodian people and Hmong Americans also settled in Long Beach. There is a Buddhist community in Long Beach. As of the 2022 American Community Survey estimates, there were 451,319 people and 170,965 households. The population density was 8,906.7 inhabitants per square mile (3,438.9/km ). There were 181,251 housing units at an average density of 3,576.9 per square mile (1,381.0/km ). The racial makeup of
1050-613: Is a National Historic Landmark . Temple created a thriving cattle ranch and prospered, becoming the wealthiest man in Los Angeles County. Both Temple and his ranch house played important local roles in the Mexican–American War . On an island in the San Pedro Bay , Mormon pioneers made an abortive attempt to establish a colony (as part of Brigham Young 's plan to establish a continuous chain of settlements from
1125-637: Is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California , United States. It is the 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter city , Long Beach is the 7th-most populous city in California , the 2nd-most populous city in Los Angeles County, and the largest city in California that is not a county seat . Incorporated in 1897, Long Beach lies in Southern California , in
1200-756: Is known for its waterfront attractions, including the permanently docked RMS Queen Mary and the Aquarium of the Pacific . Long Beach also hosts the Grand Prix of Long Beach , an IndyCar race and the Long Beach Pride Festival and Parade . California State University, Long Beach , one of the largest universities in California by enrollment, is within the city. Indigenous people have lived in coastal Southern California for over 10,000 years, and several successive cultures have inhabited
1275-481: Is water. Long Beach completely surrounds the city of Signal Hill . Long Beach has a climate that can either be described as a hot semi-arid climate or a hot-summer Mediterranean climate . In general, the city features hot summers and mild to warm winters with occasional rainfall. Days in Long Beach are mostly sunny, as in Southern California in general. Temperatures recorded at the weather station at
1350-645: The Indo-Pakistan War of 1947 . After World War II, thousands of surplus C-47s were converted to civilian airline use, some remaining in operation in 2012 , as well as being used as private aircraft. Several C-47 variants were used in the Vietnam War by the United States Air Force, including three advanced electronic-warfare variations, which sometimes were called "electric gooneys" designated EC-47N, EC-47P, or EC-47Q depending on
1425-525: The Long Beach Airport , 4.0 miles (6.4 km) inland from the ocean, range more greatly than those along the immediate coast. During the summer months, low clouds and fog occur frequently, developing overnight and blanketing the area on many mornings. This fog usually clears by the afternoon, and a westerly sea breeze often develops, keeping temperatures mild. Heat and high humidity can sometimes coincide in summer, which may cause discomfort due to
1500-543: The Rancho San Pedro . Its boundaries were in dispute for years, due to flooding changing the Los Angeles River boundary between Rancho San Pedro and Rancho Los Nietos. By 1805, what had been the major Tongva village of Puvunga was thoroughly depleted of villagers, most of whom were brought to Mission San Gabriel for conversion and as a labor force. Many villagers died at the mission, which had
1575-594: The Westside , San Fernando Valley , or San Gabriel Valley . While overall regional pollution in the Los Angeles metropolitan area has declined in the last decade, pollution levels remain dangerously high in much of Long Beach due to the port pollution, with diesel exhaust from ships, trains, and trucks as the largest sources. Additionally, Long Beach is directly downwind of several of the South Bay oil refineries . Any refinery process or chemical upset that results in
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#17327802345281650-574: The 1950s. (see also: History of Retail in Southern California ) Oil was discovered in 1921 on Signal Hill, which split off as a separately incorporated city shortly afterward. The discovery of the Long Beach Oil Field , brought in by the gusher at the Alamitos oil well#1 , made Long Beach a major oil producer; in the 1920s the field was the most productive in the world. In 1932, the even larger Wilmington Oil Field , fourth-largest in
1725-770: The 75th-anniversary commemoration in June 2019, 14 American C-47s and another group of 'Daks' from Europe retraced the route across the English Channel to Normandy taken by roughly 850 of these aircraft on D-Day . Among them were That's All, Brother , Betsy's Biscuit Bomber , Miss Montana , Spirit of Benovia , D-Day Doll , Boogie Baby , N47E Miss Virginia , and Whiskey 7 . Data from McDonnell Douglas aircraft since 1920 : Volume I General characteristics Performance Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Long Beach, California Long Beach
1800-577: The C-47. Only 380 aircraft were produced in all because the C-47 was found to be more versatile. Large numbers of DC-3s and surplus C-47s were in commercial use in the United States in the 1940s. In response to proposed changes to the Civil Air Regulations airworthiness requirements that would limit the continuing use of these aircraft, Douglas offered a late-1940s DC-3 conversion to improve takeoff and single-engine performance. This new model,
1875-713: The County Authority's first order of business: the Carmelitos Housing Project, Southern California's first affordable housing complex. Long Beach, as a port city, had a relationship with the U.S. Navy even before the war. The city was part of the Battle of Los Angeles during World War II when observers for the United States Army Air Forces reported shells being fired from the sea. Anti-aircraft batteries fired into
1950-661: The DC-3S or "Super DC-3", was 39 in (0.99 m) longer. It allowed 30 passengers to be carried, with increased speed to compete with newer airliners. The rearward shift in the center of gravity led to larger tail surfaces and new outer, swept-back wings. More powerful engines were installed along with shorter, jet ejection-type exhaust stacks. These were either 1,475 hp (1,100 kW) Wright R-1820 Cyclones or 1,450 hp (1,081 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2000 Twin Wasps in larger engine nacelles. Minor changes included wheel-well doors,
2025-440: The Los Angeles metropolitan area coastal communities to the northwest and southeast of Long Beach, which largely have west facing coastlines. The 1200 ft Palos Verdes hills block west to east airflow and a significant amount of the coastal moisture that marks other coastal cities, such as Manhattan Beach , Santa Monica , and Newport Beach . As in most locations in Southern California, most rainfall in Long Beach occurs during
2100-796: The Pacific to Salt Lake ). Following the U.S. Conquest of California , Temple had his Rancho Los Cerritos deeded to him by the Public Land Commission . In 1866, Temple sold Rancho Los Cerritos for $ 20,000 to the Northern California sheep-raising firm of Flint, Bixby & Company , which consisted of brothers Thomas and Benjamin Flint and their cousin Llewellyn Bixby . Two years previous Flint, Bixby & Co had also purchased along with Northern California associate James Irvine , three ranchos which would later become
2175-516: The Rancho Los Cerritos to William E. Willmore , who subdivided it in hopes of creating a farm community, Willmore City . He failed and was bought out by a Los Angeles syndicate that called itself the "Long Beach Land and Water Company". They changed the name of the community to Long Beach at that time. The City of Long Beach was officially incorporated in 1897. The town grew as a seaside resort with light agricultural uses. The Pike
2250-607: The USAAF’s Far East Air Service Command in Hollandia , arranged a sightseeing flight southward over the New Guinea interior for a group of personnel. The Gremlin Special flew into the side of a mountain. Five passengers survived the initial wreck with two, Sergeant Laura Besley and Private Eleanor Hanna, succumbing to injuries the next day. The survivors were Corporal Margaret Hastings, Sergeant Kenneth Decker and Lieutenant John McCollom. The Baliem Valley
2325-642: The United States and the British Empire , President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued United States Executive Order 9066 which allowed military commanders to designate areas "from which any or all persons may be excluded". Under this order, all Japanese and Americans of Japanese ancestry were categorically removed from Western coastal regions and sent to internment camps , without regard for due process . 24,000 Jews live in Long Beach. Jews are concentrated in Rossmor, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, and Lakewood in
1945 New Guinea Gremlin Special rescue - Misplaced Pages Continue
2400-420: The United States, and which is mostly in Long Beach, was developed, contributing to the city's fame in the 1930s as an oil town. The M6.4 1933 Long Beach earthquake caused significant damage to the city and surrounding areas, killing a total of 120 people. Most of the damage occurred in unreinforced masonry buildings , especially schools. Pacific Bible Seminary (now known as Hope International University )
2475-509: The acronym "DACoTA" for Douglas Aircraft Company Transport Aircraft. The C-47 also earned the informal nickname " gooney bird " in the European theatre of operations. Other sources attribute this name to the first aircraft, a USMC R2D—the military version of the DC-2—being the first aircraft to land on Midway Island, previously home to the long-winged albatross known as the gooney bird which
2550-456: The age of 18 living in them, 61,850 (37.8%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 26,781 (16.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 10,598 (6.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 12,106 (7.4%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 3,277 (2.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships . Of the households, 46,536 (28.5%) were made up of individuals, and 11,775 (7.2%) had someone living alone who
2625-471: The atmospheric release of refinery by-products (commonly sulfur dioxide ) will usually impact air quality in Long Beach due to the west-south-westerly prevailing wind. Similarly, the water quality in the Long Beach portion of San Pedro Bay , which is enclosed by the Federal Breakwater , commonly ranks among the poorest on the entire West Coast during rainy periods. Long Beach beaches average
2700-474: The city that bears Irvine's name. To manage Rancho Los Cerritos, the company selected Llewellyn's brother Jotham Bixby, the "Father of Long Beach". Three years later, Bixby bought into the property and would later form the Bixby Land Company. In the 1870s, as many as 30,000 sheep were kept at the ranch and sheared twice yearly to provide wool for trade. In 1880, Bixby sold 4,000 acres (16 km ) of
2775-579: The city was 34.6% White, 20.1% some other race, 12.5% Asian, 11.8% Black or African American, 1.8% Native American or Alaskan Native, and 1.0% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, with 18.2% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 44.0% of the population. Of the 170,965 households, 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.9% had seniors 65 years or older living with them, 35.6% were married couples living together, 9.7% were couples cohabitating, 22.3% had
2850-493: The city's population was of Mexican heritage. Non-Hispanic Whites were 29.4% of the population in 2010, down from 86.2% in 1970. The ethnic Cambodian population of approximately 20,000 is the largest outside of Asia. The Census reported 453,980 people (98.2% of the population) lived in households, 5,321 (1.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 2,956 (0.6%) were institutionalized. There were 163,531 households, out of which 58,073 (35.5%) had children under
2925-571: The city's population, arrived during the Department of the Interior 's Bureau of Indian Affairs urban relocation programs in the 1950s. Long Beach once had a sizable Japanese American population, which largely worked in the fish canneries on Terminal Island and on small truck farms in the area. In 1942, not long after the Attack on Pearl Harbor and subsequent Japanese declaration of war on
3000-479: The city. The population density was 9,149.8 inhabitants per square mile (3,532.8 inhabitants/km ). There were 171,632 dwelling units at an average density of 3,402.6 per square mile (1,313.8/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 45.2% White , 14.9% Black or African American (U.S. Census), 0.8% Native American , 12.1% Asian , 1.2% Pacific Islander , 20.6% from other races , and 5.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 35.8% of
3075-405: The civilian DC-3 by way of numerous modifications, including being fitted with a cargo door, hoist attachment and strengthened floor - along with a shortened tail cone for glider-towing shackles, and an astrodome in the cabin roof. During World War II, the armed forces of many countries used the C-47 and modified DC-3s for the transport of troops, cargo, and wounded. The U.S. naval designation
1945 New Guinea Gremlin Special rescue - Misplaced Pages Continue
3150-551: The closure of the manufacturing facility in 2015. Long Beach also saw an instance of the Chicano(a) movement in 1968. Long Beach is about 21 miles (34 km) south of downtown Los Angeles . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 80.35 square miles (208.1 km ), of which 50.70 square miles (131.3 km ) is land and 29.64 square miles (76.8 km ) (36.8%)
3225-616: The door on December 23, 1941. The plant produced C-47 Skytrain transports, B-17 Flying Fortress bombers, and A-20 Havoc attack bombers simultaneously. Douglas merged with the McDonnell Aircraft Company in 1967 where the Douglas DC-8 and the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 were built. In 1997 McDonnell Douglas merged with Boeing , which made C-17 Globemaster transport planes in Long Beach until
3300-641: The engine used. In addition, HC-47s were used by the 9th Special Operations Squadron to conduct psychological warfare operations over South Vietnam and Laos. Miami Air International, Miami International Airport was a USAF military depot used to convert the commercial DC-3s/C-47s into military use. They came in as commercial aircraft purchased from third-world airlines and were completely stripped, rebuilt, and reconditioned. Long-range fuel tanks were installed, along with upgraded avionics and gun mounts. They left as first-rate military aircraft headed for combat in Vietnam in
3375-654: The first few days of the D-Day campaign also known as the invasion of Normandy , France, in June 1944. In the Pacific War , with careful use of the island landing strips of the Pacific Ocean, C-47s were used for ferrying soldiers serving in the Pacific theater back to the United States. About 2,000 C-47s (received under Lend-Lease ) in British and Commonwealth service took the name "Dakota" , possibly inspired by
3450-427: The ground during an air search on May 17. Two medical paratroopers were deployed to the site, followed by 10 other support troops. A journalist, Alexander Cann , was dropped into the site to document the rescue attempt, and the interactions with the native people. On May 26, two paratrooper medics from the U.S. Army’s 1st Filipino Regiment parachuted near the crash site to care for the survivors before leading them on
3525-450: The harbor water. This runoff contains most of the debris, garbage, chemical pollutants, and biological pathogens washed into storm drains in every upstream city each time it rains. Because the breakwater prevents tidal flushing and wave action , these pollutants build up in the harbor. The water enclosed by the breakwater, along most of the city's beaches, can be subject to red tides due to this stagnation as well. Because of these factors,
3600-498: The heat index. According to data analysis provided by the NWS , The annual average temperature of Long Beach is 64.9 °F (18.3 °C), of which August is the hottest month with an average temperature of 74.3 °F (23.5 °C), while December is the coldest month with an average temperature of 56.7 °F (13.7 °C). In terms of temperature, Long Beach and other California cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco have
3675-608: The hottest month of the year usually in August and the coolest month in December. Long Beach has 23 days of afternoon temperatures above 90 °F (32.2 °C) each year, and about two days a year are above 100 °F (37.8 °C). Long Beach's location directly east of the Palos Verdes Peninsula , paired with its south facing coastline, results in the city sometimes experiencing different weather patterns than
3750-553: The jungles of New Guinea and Burma , where the C-47 and its naval version, the R4D, made it possible for Allied troops to counter the mobility of the light-traveling Japanese Army. C-47s were used to airlift supplies to the encircled American forces during the Battle of Bastogne in Belgium. Possibly its most influential role in military aviation, however, was flying " The Hump " from India into China. The expertise gained flying "The Hump"
3825-527: The late 1850s and early 1860s was once the largest cattle ranch in the US), J.W. Bixby began the development of the oceanfront property near the city's picturesque bluffs. Under the name Alamitos Land Company, J.W. Bixby named the streets and laid out the parks of his new city. This area would include Belmont Heights, Belmont Shore and Naples; it soon became a thriving community of its own. J.W. Bixby died in 1888 of apparent appendicitis . The Rancho Los Alamitos property
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#17327802345283900-502: The night sky, although no planes were ever sighted. Long Beach's population grew substantially during and after the war, with workers being needed for wartime manufacturing and G.I. bill recipients seeking out homes in California. Suburbs were built by the Bixby land companies and others. Douglas Aircraft Company 's largest facility was its Long Beach plant, totaling 1,422,350 square feet (132,141 m ). The first plane rolled out
3975-448: The population of the town, followed by English at 5.2%, Irish at 5.0%, Italian at 3.1%, American at 1.8%, Polish at 1.3%, French at 1.1%, Scottish at 1.1%, Sub-Saharan African at 0.8%, Swedish at 0.7%, Greek at 0.6%, Scotch-Irish at 0.6%, Caribbean (excluding Hispanics) at 0.6%, Russian at 0.5%, Dutch at 0.5%, Danish at 0.5%, and Norwegian at 0.5%. The 2010 United States Census reported that Long Beach had
4050-421: The population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 258,726 people (56.0%) lived in rental housing units. During 2009–2013, Long Beach had a median household income of $ 52,711, with 20.2% of the population living below the federal poverty line. As of 2014, the population of Long Beach was 473,577. As of the census of 2000, there were 461,522 people, 163,088 households, and 99,646 families residing in
4125-593: The population. The city has changed since the 1950s, when its population was predominantly European-American and the city was nicknamed "Iowa by the Sea" or "Iowa under Palm Trees" as it had a slower pace than neighboring Los Angeles. In 1950, whites represented 97.4% of Long Beach's population. Since the second half of the 20th century, the city has been a major port of entry for Asian and Latin American immigrants headed to Los Angeles. The Harbor section of downtown Long Beach
4200-400: The ports, and short-haul tractor-trailer trucks ferrying cargo from the ports to inland warehousing, rail yards, and shipping centers. Long-term average levels of toxic air pollutants (and the corresponding carcinogenic risk they create) can be two to three times higher in and around Long Beach, and in downwind areas to the east, than in other parts of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, such as
4275-642: The present-day area of Long Beach. By the 16th-century arrival of Spanish explorers, the dominant group was the Tongva , who had established at least three major settlements within the present-day city. Tevaaxa'anga was an inland settlement near the Los Angeles River , while Ahwaanga and Povuu'nga were coastal villages. Povuu'nga was particularly important to the Tongva, not only as a regional trading center and hub for fishermen, but for its deep ceremonial significance, being understood as their place of emergence as
4350-683: The remaining 3,500 acres (14 km ) of Rancho Los Cerritos was subdivided into the neighborhoods of Bixby Knolls , California Heights , Los Cerritos , North Long Beach and part of the city of Signal Hill . Pine Avenue near 4th became the center of a large shopping district. Besides upscale Buffums (1912; expanded 1926), in 1929 alone Barker Brothers , the Hugh A. Marti Co. , and Wise Company and Famous department stores built large new stores, Walker's (1933), and nearby at American and 5th, Sears (1928) and Montgomery Ward (1929). It would remain popular until suburban malls sprung up starting in
4425-477: The southern part of Los Angeles County. Long Beach is approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of downtown Los Angeles , and is part of the Gateway Cities region. The Port of Long Beach is the second busiest container port in the United States and is among the world's largest shipping ports. The city is over an oilfield with minor wells both directly beneath the city as well as offshore. The city
4500-661: The survivors, towing them back to a base in Hollandia . Douglas C-47 Skytrain The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II . During the war the C-47 was used for troop transport , cargo , paratrooper , for towing gliders and military cargo parachute drops. The C-47 remained in front-line service with various military operators for many years. It
4575-479: The water in Long Beach is sometimes unsafe for swimming, up to weeks each year. The area has historically included several ecological communities, with coastal scrub dominating. The top five countries of origin for Long Beach's immigrants are Mexico , the Philippines , Cambodia , El Salvador and Vietnam . The most common foreign languages spoken in Long Beach are Spanish , Khmer and Tagalog . There
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#17327802345284650-539: The winter months. Storms can bring heavy rainfall. The annual precipitation in Long Beach is 12.02 inches (305.3 mm), of which the precipitation from December to March of the following year accounts for 81% of the whole year. June to September is usually rainless, especially August. See or edit raw graph data . Long Beach is composed of many different neighborhoods. Some neighborhoods are named after thoroughfares, while others are named for nearby parks, schools, or city features. Long Beach suffers from some of
4725-557: The worst air pollution in the entire United States . Most of the city is in proximity to the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and the prevailing westerly-to-west-south-westerly winds bring a large portion of the twin ports' air pollution directly into Long Beach before dispersing it northward then eastward. Heavy pollution sources at the ports include the ships themselves, which burn high-sulfur, high-soot-producing bunker fuel to maintain internal electrical power while docked, as well as heavy diesel pollution from drayage trucks at
4800-409: Was 33.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males. There were 176,032 dwelling units at an average density of 3,422.2 per square mile (1,321.3/km ), of which 67,949 (41.6%) were owner-occupied, and 95,582 (58.4%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%. 195,254 people (42.2% of
4875-444: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78. There were 99,229 families (60.7% of all households); the average family size was 3.52. The age distribution of the city was as follows: 115,143 people (24.9%) were under the age of 18, 54,163 people (11.7%) aged 18 to 24, 140,910 people (30.5%) aged 25 to 44, 109,206 people (23.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 42,835 people (9.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
4950-584: Was R4D. More than 10,000 aircraft were produced in Long Beach and Santa Monica, California , and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma . Between March 1943 and August 1945, the Oklahoma City plant produced 5,354 C-47s. The specialized C-53 Skytrooper troop transport started production in October 1941 at Douglas Aircraft's Santa Monica plant. It lacked the cargo door, hoist attachment, and reinforced floor of
5025-526: Was expressed by commercial operators in the DC-3S. It was too expensive for the smaller operators that were its main target; only three were sold to Capital Airlines . The U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps had 100 of their R4D aircraft modified to Super DC-3 standards as the R4D-8, later redesignated the C-117D. The C-47 was vital to the success of many Allied campaigns, in particular, those at Guadalcanal and in
5100-461: Was forced to move classes out of First Christian Church of Long Beach and into a small local home due to damage. The Ford Motor Company built a factory called Long Beach Assembly at the then address in 1929 as "700 Henry Ford Avenue, Long Beach" where the factory began building the Ford Model A . Production of Ford vehicles continued after the war until 1960, when the plant was closed due to
5175-653: Was later used in the Berlin Airlift , in which the C-47 played a major role until the aircraft were replaced by Douglas C-54 Skymasters . In Europe, the C-47 and a specialized paratroop variant, the C-53 Skytrooper, were used in vast numbers in the later stages of the war, particularly to tow gliders and drop paratroops. During the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, C-47s dropped 4,381 Allied paratroops. More than 50,000 paratroops were dropped by C-47s during
5250-561: Was native to Midway. The United States Air Force 's Strategic Air Command had Skytrains in service from 1946 to 1967. The US Air Force's 6th Special Operations Squadron was flying the C-47 until 2008. With all of their aircraft and pilots having been part of the Indian Air Force prior to independence, both the Indian Air Force and Pakistan Air Force used C-47s to transport supplies to their soldiers fighting in
5325-459: Was once home to people of Dutch , Greek , Italian , Maltese , Portuguese and Spanish ancestry, most of them employed in manufacturing and fish canneries until the 1960s. According to a report by USA Today in 2000, Long Beach is the most ethnically diverse large city in the United States. It has a relatively high proportion of Pacific Islanders (over 1% as of the 2000 Census), from Samoa and Tonga . Most American Indians , about 0.8% of
5400-518: Was previously explored in 1938 by Richard Archbold , flying in a PBY-2 . Although the press believed the survivors of the Gremlin Special crash to be the first outsiders to encounter the Yali and Dani who inhabited the area, Archbold had sent two exploration teams into the valley in 1938. Search aircraft were dispatched when the Gremlin Special never returned. Three survivors were spotted on
5475-420: Was produced in approximately triple the numbers as the larger, much heavier payload Curtiss C-46 Commando , which filled a similar role for the U.S. military. Approximately 100 countries' armed forces have operated the C-47 with over 60 variants of the aircraft produced. As with the civilian DC-3, the C-47 remains in service in the present day, over 80 years after the type's introduction. The C-47 differed from
5550-494: Was split up, with Hellman getting the southern third, Jotham and Llewellyn, the northern third, and J.W. Bixby's widow and heirs keeping the central third. The Alamitos townsite was kept as a separate entity, but at first, it was primarily run by Llewellyn and Jotham Bixby, although I.W, Hellman (who had the largest single share) had a significant veto power, an influence made even stronger as the J.W. Bixby heirs began to side with Hellman more and more. When Jotham Bixby died in 1916,
5625-599: Was the most famous beachside amusement zone on the West Coast from 1902 until 1969; it offered bathers food, games and rides, such at the Sky Wheel dual Ferris wheel and Cyclone Racer roller coaster . Gradually the oil industry, Navy shipyard and facilities and port became the mainstays of the city. In the 1950s it was referred to as "Iowa by the sea", due to a large influx of people from that and other Midwestern states. Huge picnics for migrants from each state were
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