The Hollywood sign originally read HOLLYWOODLAND when it was built in 1923 as a real estate advertisement for a housing development, and it was only meant to stand for 18 months, but nobody ever got around to taking it down and the city eventually adopted it as a landmark (opens in new tab)

The Hollywood sign began as a flashing 1923 billboard for a failed real estate subdivision called Hollywoodland. It was meant to come down after 18 months. A century later, here's how a temporary ad became a landmark.