The Week Ahead

A look at upcoming events:

Today

Pets: A ribbon-cutting ceremony in Hollywood will be held for Petco Place, a program that provides emergency shelter and support services for the homeless and their pets.

Tuesday

Big jet: Emirates Airlines will unveil its first commercial A380 aircraft, which will offer nonstop service from Los Angeles to Dubai beginning in late October.

Solar: The Orange County Board of Supervisors will consider a proposed ordinance to remove “solar energy photovoltaic” permit fees.

Oil talk: T. Boone Pickens, chairman and chief executive of BP Capitol, will discuss “An Energy Plan to End America’s Dependence on Foreign Oil,” at a dinner sponsored by the Los Angeles World Affairs Council.

Wednesday

Heroes: A Los Angeles County Superior Court clerk in Compton who stopped an armed defendant’s attack on a bailiff will be among those honored by Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley at a Courageous Citizen Awards Ceremony luncheon.

Thursday

Tribute: The Old Courthouse Museum in Santa Ana will open its exhibit of artifacts representing the professional and personal dimensions of Helena Modjeska, a 19th century actress who lived in the Santa Ana Mountains.

Saturday

Birthday: The 50th birthday of the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium will be celebrated with food, music and an outdoor screening of surf film “The Endless Summer.”

Ask a Reporter

What were the strongest earthquakes to hit California?

According to the United States Geological Survey, these are the top 12 (quakes of equal magnitude are listed chronologically):

* 1857 -- Fort Tejon, 7.9

* 1892 -- Imperial Valley, 7.8

* 1906 -- San Francisco, 7.8

* 1872 -- Owens Valley, 7.4

* 1873 -- California-Oregon coast, 7.3

* 1922 -- West of Eureka, 7.3

* 1952 -- Kern County, 7.3

* 1992 -- Landers, 7.3

* 1923 -- Cape Mendocino, 7.2

* 1980 -- West of Eureka, 7.2

* 1992 -- Cape Mendocino, 7.2

* 2005 -- Northern California coast, 7.2

The tip

For more details on how to prepare your house for an earthquake, including an interactive graphic and other resources, go to latimes.com/chinoquake.