1. The UCI mascot Peter the Anteater has undergone at least eight makeovers since his debut in 1980.
2. Irvine was ranked seventh in the country as a city (with a population of at least 100,000) with residents 25 years or older with doctoral degrees.
3. It might be known for its UC school, but the city is in fact home to eight universities and colleges, including Concordia University and the Orange County Center of the University of Southern California (USC) among them.
4. Richard Ford is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the book-turned-summer-blockbuster “Independence Day,” and received his master’s degree from UCI in 1970.
5. Dry comedian and actor Jon Lovitz majored in theater at UCI, and graduated in 1979.
6. The recent Mark Wahlberg movie "The Lovely Bones" was based on the bestselling novel by Alice Sebold. She received her master’s degree from UCI in 1998.
7. The Great Park Balloon in Orange County Great Park can carry 25 to 30 passengers 400 feet overhead and offers a view that spans 40 miles on a clear day.
8. Lead singer for the popular 90s rap-metal band Rage Against The Machine, Zach de la Rocha, is an Irvine native. His mother moved him to the city when he was one year old while was working on obtaining her PhD in anthropology from UCI.
9. Although “The Hangover III” takes place in Las Vegas, one of the most memorable scenes of the film was shot in Irvine. Let’s just say it involved a very tall giraffe in a convertible on the freeway next to UCI and an overpass that’s just not high enough.
10. Then-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger hiked through Bommer Canyon in 2008, before officially declaring the 40,000 acres of land as California’s first natural landmark.
11. California is known for horrible traffic, but not in Irvine. Thanks to their state-of-the-art traffic system, including wider streets and ground sensors which monitor the flow and automatically adjust lights accordingly, Irvine’s traffic is known for being among the best in the state.
12. Irvine has been listed as America’s Safest Big City by the FBI every year since 2005. And in June 2010, the FBI reported that Irvine had the lowest violent crime rate among cities with a population over 100,000.
13. The intersection of the Irvine Spectrum Center and El Toro Y is one of the busiest freeway junctions in the world.
14. At the center of Orange County and the 28th largest city in the state of California, Irvine is one of the largest planned urban communities in the country.
15. Marked by its stellar public schools, low crime rates, and proximity to cultural events, entertainment, and activities, MyLife named Irvine as one of the 10 Best Cities to Raise Children in 2014.
16. The pop-punk-ska band No Doubt is famously from Orange County. But guitarist Tom Dumont was born and raised directly in Irvine.
17. Like tacos? Irvine is home to the headquarters of the Mexican chain giant Taco Bell.
18. Irvine is a paradise on Earth for gamers for being home to Blizzard Entertainment. Along with acting as the largest employer of the city, it also produced some of the most popular video games in recent years including World of Warcraft, Diablo, and StarCraft.
19. Irvine is home to numerous Fortune 1000 companies. Among them are tech giants like Gateway, Inc.; Vizio; Broadcom; and eMachines.
20. Saturday Night Live comedian turned actor, Will Ferrell, is an Irvine native who moved through the ranks of Turtle Rock Elementary and Rancho San Joaquin Middle School before he graduated from University High School.
21. The scenes in "Ocean's Eleven" where the crew steal the device that caused the electromagnetic pulse were filmed at the Gillespie Neuroscience Research Facility on campus at UCI. After filming, Clooney and the other actors on set grabbed a bite to eat at the Anteatery.
22. Mega gym LA Fitness is headquartered in Irvine. The health club chain has over 600 centers across the U.S. and Canada.
23. Everyone’s favorite West Coast burger chain, In-N-Out Burger, is also headquartered in Irvine.
24. Guitarist from the glam metal 80s band Warrant hails from Irvine where he grew up.
25. Famed Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard is an Irvine native. Among her many career accomplishments, Beard is a seven-time Olympic medalist as well as a former world record holder in the 200-meter breaststroke. She also earned the American Swimmer of the Year award twice.
26. Other Olympians who are either from Irvine or lived here for a length of time include Olympic volleyball players Beverly, Elaina, and Kim Oden; Olympic swimmers Jason Lezak and Aaron Peirsol; Olympic triathlete and water polo player Julie Ertel; cyclist Dotsie Bausch; and softball player Natash Watley.
27. Scenes from the Steven Spielberg 80s horror film "Poltergeist" were filmed at the UC Irvine Main Library.
28. Most of Orange County’s residents are registered with the Republican Party, Irvine included. But the residents in Irvine swung heavily to the blue side for the 2008 election in which President Barack Obama beat out Senator John McCain with over 57 percent of the vote.
29. Irvine was honored by Livability.com as one of the Top 100 Best Places to Live in 2013, which is no news to the locals. But they do like the recognition.
30. The San Joaquin Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary is home to 100 different species of birds.
31. Irvine ranked number five on WalletHub’s list of Best And Worst Cities For Families in 2014, landing on the best side, of course.
32. Forbes put Irvine at sixth on their list of Top 10 Cities with the Happiest Young Professionals in 2012.
33. As of 2008, the Census Bureau listed Irvine as having the seventh-highest median income among American cities that have a population over 65,000.
34. Headquartered in Irvine, St. John Knits is a high-end apparel company which have used such famous faces as Angelina Jolie and Gisele Bundchen as their spokesmodels for their brand.
35. The Daily Beast honored Irvine as one of America’s Thriving Cities, From Seattle to Boston in 2013.
36. The people all agree with the media and the stats. Irvine won the “Best City to Live In” award at the Best of Orange County’s 19th Annual People’s Choice Awards in 2012.
37. Irvine isn’t just well-liked for its low crime and good school. It was also listed as the best-run city by 24/7 Wall Street in 2014 for its excellent economy, government, and high median income.
38. But it’s definitely not cheap. In 2006, the average rent paid for housing was $1,600 a month, which was the highest rent in the country for a city population over 100,000. That number is sure to have increased since.
39. The Global Village Festival brings more than 20,000 visitors to the city to celebrate Irvine’s love of cultural diversity with more than 50 different cultures represented.
40. Irvine landed on Money magazine’s 100 Best Places to Live in America in 2012.
41. In 2014, the same award was presented on a smaller scale when Irvine was
listed as one of the 10 Best Places To Live In California by none other than Movoto Realty.
What’s your favorite fun fact about Irvine? Tell us in the comments below!
