Founded in 1919, UCLA is the second oldest of the University of California system. Primarily a public research institution noted for its diversity of PhD programs, UCLA faculty, researchers, or alumni have been awarded 14 Nobel Prizes.

UCLA is equally renowned for its excellence in athletic programs. Since 1920, the university has had at least one competitor in the Olympics, with the exception of two (1924 and the 1980 boycott.) UCLA student-athletes have won a total of 214 Olympic medals and has brought home at least one gold medal in every games since 1932.

As a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, the UCLA Bruins have won 125 NCAA championships, more than any other university.

UCLA’s earliest mascots were live bears, which entertained the home crowd at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The bears were given a variety of names, but Joe Bruin stood the test of time. Students donned the mascot costume in the mid-sixties.

1956: The first open-heart surgery in the western United States is performed at UCLA Medical Center.
1969: UCLA is the first node on ARPANET, which later becomes the Internet.