12 Things We Bet You Didn't Know About Anaheim

Most people think of Anaheim as the city of Disneyland. But, there's much more to this Orange County city than just Disneyland.

1.) Carl's Jr's First Full Service Restaurant Opened In Anaheim

In 1941, Carl's Jr was started as a hot dog cart in Los Angeles, but in 1945, owners Carl and Margaret Karcher, opened the first full-service Carl's Jr restaurant in Anaheim. Named Carl's Drive-In Barbeque, the restaurant became successful and eventually expanded to the nearby Orange County city of Brea. The restaurant was renamed Carl's Jr in 1956 as well.

2.) Disneyland Only Took 365 Days To Open

Disneyland is a pretty great place that is visited by millions each year. But, did you know that from the day construction began to its opening, it only took 1 year to build? Opening day was technically on July 17, 1955, but it opened to the public the next day with twenty attractions. It was also a pretty big catastrophe, with rides and attractions breaking down. It's definitely not the start you'd think for one of the world's most legendary theme parks of today.

The city of Anaheim was named after the nearby Santa Ana River and "heim," a German term for home, thereby making "Ana-heim."

4.) The Creator Of SpongeBob SquarePants Is From Anaheim

You know that famed TV series SpongeBob SquarePants? Well, it turns out that the show which generated over $8 billion in merchandising for Nikelodeon and countless other revenue was created by Stephen Hillenburg who grew up in Anaheim.

It turns out that Anaheim was Orange County's first city. It was incorporated in 1870 when the region was still part of Los Angeles County.

Disneyland's location was created on 160 acres of orange and walnut trees. Walt Disney eventually turned that into the world's most recognized theme park. Some of the trees still stand on the property today.

Throughout the years The City National Grove of Anaheim has served as the venue for some big events. The indoor live music venue, which a capacity of around 1,700 and sits next to Angel Stadium, has hosted the likes of Bob Dylan, B.B. King, Seal, Jamie Foxx, Merle Haggard, Julio Iglesias and many others.

7.) Angel Stadium Is the 4th Oldest Active Baseball Stadium

Behind Fenway Park in Boston, Wrigley Field in Chicago, and Dodger Stadium in L.A., Angel Stadium is the 4th oldest active stadium. It opened in 1966.

Jeff Buckley, the American singer/songwriter and musician, was born in Orange County and called Anaheim home for a period.

Close to many major league sports teams, the master-planned community of Anaheim Hills has many sports and entertainment stars living within its boundaries, including Courtney Mathewson, an Olympic Gold Medalist, Rod Carew from the MLB, actress Danielle Fishel and many others. Other executives, musicians and politicians also live here.

10.) Disneyland Is Anaheim's Top Employer

By far Disneyland is Anaheim's top provider of jobs for the city. With around 23,000 employees, Disneyland Resort is the largest-single site employer in Orange County.

11.) Gwen Stefani Went To High School In Anaheim

One of the biggest celebrities and musicians in the world, Gwen Stefani, attended high school at Anaheim's Loara High School. With her beginnings in the band No Doubt, Stefani has gone on to create a big solo career for herself, and has become a TV celebrity.

The Anaheim Convention Center is the largest exhibit facility on the West Coast. Home to events like VidCon, competitions, the Anime Expo and many other events, its total space is 1,600,000 square feet.