Rodney King Riots (April 29-May 4, 1992)
The spark: After Rodney King led police on a high-speed chase through Los Angeles and his beating by four police officers was caught on tape, the officers were acquitted of excessive force. The verdict set off a riot in the Black and Hispanic communities. Death toll: 53 people, with 2,000 injuries.
Watts Riots (August 11-15, 1965)
The spark: With race relations already tense, a crowd of witnesses watched a white California Highway Patrol officer pull a Black man over and arrest him for drunk driving. The crowd exploded in ager, leading to days of rioting. Death toll: 34 people, more than 2,000 were injured.

