You’re now walking along more than two kilometers of pink terrazzo stars, right in the heart of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street, where the dream factory pays tribute to its legends. The Walk of Fame was born in the 50s, created by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce with a simple idea: to celebrate artists who have made their mark in film, music, television, radio, and live performance. The first permanent star was placed in 1960, and since then, more than 2,700 names have joined this open-air pantheon. Each star is pink terrazzo edged with brass and features a small symbol indicating its category: a camera for film, a TV for television, a record for music, a microphone for radio, and comedy/tragedy masks for theater. Contrary to popular belief, stars aren’t awarded for free: nominees must be selected and pay a fee, which today exceeds $50,000, usually covered by a studio or sponsor. Among the unusual records, Gene Autry is the only person to have five stars, one in each category. Autry, known as The Singing Cowboy, was born in 1907 in Texas and rose to fame in the 30s and 40s with a series of musical westerns. He appeared in over 90 films and became one of the era’s biggest box-office stars, while also recording iconic songs like the Christmas classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Other artists with multiple stars include Michael Jackson and the Beatles. The Walk of Fame even honors fictional characters like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and The Simpsons, as well as famous canine stars such as Lassie and Rin Tin Tin. One unique star belongs to Muhammad Ali. When he accepted his star in 2002, he requested it be placed vertically on the Dolby Theatre façade so people wouldn’t walk on it, out of respect for his name, which is also one of the Prophet’s in Islam. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce honored this request, making it the only vertical star on the Walk. Over the decades, the sidewalks have seen their fair share of stories: stars stolen, vandalized, repaired, or lost forever. One of the most famous mysteries involves Gregory Peck. In 2005, during renovations on Hollywood Boulevard, his star near Hollywood & Highland disappeared. Unlike other thefts, no cameras captured the culprit, and the original star was never recovered. Months later, a replacement was installed so Peck remains officially on the Walk of Fame, but the original is considered permanently lost. Drawing nearly ten million visitors each year, the Walk of Fame is today a historic landmark, a major tourist attraction, and a vast album of memories, where legends of the past, today’s stars, and fictional heroes all come together.