Today in 1960, the Hollywood Walk of Fame was inaugurated, a sidewalk between Wayne Street and Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California, USA, with more than 2,500 stars, with each star the name of a celebrity who has made a significant contribution to the entertainment industry.
The initiative to dedicate the avenue to people who have contributed to the culture comes from the Hollywood City Council, which hired artist Oliver Weissmuller for this purpose. In 1958 he created it, with 2,500 blank stars. In the first six months, the names of entertainers were stamped on 1,558 stars. The stars were divided into five categories according to achievements in film, theater, radio, television and music and were entertainers whose names were imprinted on several stars.
In recent decades the trend has been to give single stars to cultural figures who have not yet received a star.
The official launch ceremony of the boulevard took place on February 8, 1960 due to legal complications that delayed its inauguration.
Actress Joan Woodward is considered the first to win a star on the avenue, but she may have been among the first and simply the first to be photographed with her star.
Gene Otter, a well-known celebrity in the field of acting, singing, songwriting and rodeo is the only one to receive 5 stars in the five categories.
Every year on May 31, the Avenue of the Stars Council announces the candidates for new stars. In June, celebrities will be selected to receive a star and a star-studded ceremony hosted by the Honorable Mayor of Hollywood, Johnny Grant, open to the general public.
There is complete secrecy regarding the identities of the members of the Avenue of the Stars Council and many attempts by the media to find out who they were unsuccessful.
The youngest celebrities to receive a star are twins Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, who received the star at the age of 17.
Starring fictional characters: Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Snow White, Woody Woodpecker, Bugs Bunny, Donald Duck, Godzilla, Kermit the Frog, Lassie the Bitch, The Simpsons, Phi Wei Herman, Regrets, C-3PO, Shrek, Tinker Bell , Snoopy and more.
The first character from an animated film to receive a star was Mickey Mouse, who received the star in 1978 in honor of his 50th birthday.
If you want to get to the Avenue of the Stars, it stretches from east to west on Hollywood Avenue, from Gower Street to La Rode Avenue and north to south on Wayne Street, between Yuka Street and Sunset Avenue.
Inside each star is the name of the celebrity and under its name a symbol of the category in which he contributed to the entertainment industry: film camera for the film industry, TV for the TV industry, record for the music industry, radio for the radio industry and a pair of tragedy and comedy masks for the theater industry.
February 8 is also Laugh and Get Rich Day and Opera Day