Tom Bradley (December 29, 1917 - September 29, 1998) made history in 1973 by being the first black mayor of a major American city, following the Civil Rights Movement, by being elected to the mayorship in Los Angeles. He won the mayoral election four more times, serving from 1973 to 1993 (five terms), until he retired. He twice ran for governor, in 1982 and 1986. In 1982 he was narrowly defeated by then California Attorney General George Deukmejian. On election night, in fact, a number of news organizations made early projections that Bradley had won. In the final tally, however, Deukmejian carried the day by fewer than 53,000 votes. Bradley ran against Deukmejian again in 1986, but the governor won that election comfortably.

During his tenure, L.A. hosted the 1984 Summer Olympic Games and passed Chicago to become the second most populous city in the country. LA began to emerge as a true world-class city under his guidance. This period also contained the 1992 Los Angeles riots and the formation of the Christopher Commission. The Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX is named in his honor.