On This Day In New York City History...

[NYC4Life]

NY1

October 25th:

1929...Mayor Jimmy Walker breaks ground for the Triborough Bridge in Astoria Park. The span opens for traffic seven years later.

1931...The $60 million George Washington Bridge - in its day the world's largest suspension span - opens for traffic across the Hudson River.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

October 26th:

1656...A new law in New Amsterdam forbids any work or amusement – including drinking, dancing and bowling – on Sunday. On the same day, Governor Peter Stuyvesant orders the first price-fixing law, setting the price of white bread at about 8 cents a loaf.

1825...New York becomes the nation's major port when the Erie Canal opens, linking the city with the Great Lakes and the Midwest.

1996...With a fly-out to Charlie Hayes, the Yankees win the World Series, beating the Atlanta Braves in Game 6 at Yankee Stadium. Yankee fans are ecstatic, reveling in the team's first world championship in 18 years.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

October 27th:

1787...New York's Independent Journal begins publishing the Federalist Papers, a series of articles calling for the ratification of the Constitution.

1858...Teddy Roosevelt – the only native New Yorker to become President of the United States – is born on East 20th Street.

1878...The Manhattan Savings Institution at Broadway and Bleecker Street is the site of the greatest bank robbery of the 19th century. Thieves break in, crack the safe and make off with almost $3 million.

1884...The Dakota apartments open on West 72nd Street – so far uptown skeptics say it might as well be in the Dakota Territory.

1904...The New York City subway opens, as the first IRT train heads from City Hall up to 145th Street.

1989...Jane Pauley announces she is leaving "The Today Show" after 13 years.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

October 28th:

1886...The Statue of Liberty is dedicated in New York harbor by President Grover Cleveland.

1981...George Steinbrenner apologizes to fans after the Yankees lose the World Series to the Dodgers.

Today's New Yorker birthdays include actress and former National Endowment for the Arts chair Jane Alexander, born in 1939.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

October 29th:

1929..."Black Tuesday" hits Wall Street. The stock market collapses, wiping out thousands and signaling the start of The Great Depression.

1967...The musical "Hair" opens Off-Broadway at Joseph Papp's public theater.

1992...Lemrick Nelson is acquitted of Yankel Rosenbaum's murder during the Crown Heights riots.

1996...Lower Manhattan is a sea of confetti and people as tens of thousands line the Canyon of Heroes to honor the World Champion Yankees.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

October 30th:

1975...New Yorkers react to President Gerald Ford's announcement he would veto a federal bailout of New York City.

1992...The Transit Authority begins installing automated fare collection turnstiles to prepare for the MetroCard's debut in 1994.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

October 31st:

1891...The Episcopal Church purchases 11 acres in Morningside Heights to build the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

1926...Harry Houdini dies from a ruptured appendix and is buried in Cypress Hills, Queens. Fans have flocked there ever since to see if the magician will ever live up to his greatest challenge – escaping death.

1956...The Transit Authority shuts down the last two trolley lines on McDonald and Church Avenues in Brooklyn.

1991...Joseph Papp, the producer and founder of the New York Shakespeare Festival, dies of cancer at age 70.

Today's New Yorker birthdays include former CBS newsman Dan Rather, born in 1931; and former NBC newswoman Jane Pauley, born in 1950.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 1st:

1683...The British form Kings and Queens Counties, naming the regions in honor of England's King Charles II and his wife, Catherine of Braganza.

1918...The worst subway accident in city history. 97 passengers are killed, and more than 200 hurt, when a train smashes into a tunnel wall along the old Brighton Beach line. An untrained motorman who had crossed a picket line to fill in for striking train workers lost control of the train near the Malbone

Street station - now the Prospect Place station on the D and Q lines.

1946...The Knicks down the Toronto Huskies in the debut of the National Basketball Association.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 2nd:

1935...The Auto Show opens at Grand Central Palace, featuring the Cord 810. At $3,000, it is three times the cost of an average new car.

1965...Republican-Liberal John Lindsay is elected mayor, beating Democrat Abe Beame in the closest election in a quarter century.

1993...In a tight race, Rudolph Giuliani squeeks by David Dinkins to become New York's first Republican mayor in a generation.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 3rd:

1900...The nation's first Auto Show is held in Madison Square Garden on East 26th Street.

1925...Jimmy Walker wins the race for mayor in an election which features a new contraption – the voting machine.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 4th:

1928...Gangster Arnold Rothstein is murdered in the Park Central Hotel on Seventh Avenue. No one is convicted, but the murder probe reveals corruption leading to the downfall of Mayor Jimmy Walker.

1958...Nelson Rockefeller wins the first of his four terms as governor.

1961...Bob Dylan plays Carnegie Hall in his first major appearance outside Greenwich Village.

1987...Little Lisa Steinberg dies at St. Vincent's Hospital. Later, her adoptive father Joel Steinberg is charged with beating her to death.

Today's New Yorker birthdays include former CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite, born in 1916.

[lofter1]

You forgot November 4, 2008:

Barack Obama carries NY State and is elected President of the United States :D

[NYC4Life]

I will post that in exactly one year from now ;)

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 5th:

1990...Radical Rabbi Meir Kahane, founder of the Jewish Defense League, is assassinated after a speech in a Manhattan hotel. Kahane preached racial hatred and violence against Arabs both while he lived in New York and later in Israel. El Sahid Nosair, apprehended at the scene of the crime, was acquitted of Kahane's murder, but sent to prison for weapons possession.

1991...The body of Daily News owner Robert Maxwell is found in the Atlantic Ocean. Maxwell's empire was about to crumble.

Today's New Yorker birthdays include singer Art Garfunkel, born in 1941.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 6th:

1894...Voters approve the consolidation of Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island into the Greater City of New York. It barely passes, especially in Brooklyn, where opposition runs high. Four years later, the merger becomes official.

1928...The first news is flashed along the zipper of the old New York Times building in Times Square. Five-foot letters lit by 15,000 lightbulbs announce Herbert Hoover's victory over New York Governor Al Smith for president.

2001...Billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg pulls out a last-minute victory to beat Democrat Mark Green in the race for mayor.

Today's New Yorker birthdays include director Mike Nichols, born in 1931.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 7th:

1929...The Museum of Modern Art opens in Midtown with exhibitions of works by Cezanne, Gaugin, Seurat and Van Gogh.

1961...Mayor Robert Wagner is re-elected for a third term, defeating Republican Louis Lefkowitz.

1989...David Dinkins becomes the first African-American mayor of New York City, narrowly defeating Republican Rudolph Giuliani.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 8th:

1880...Actress Sarah Bernhardt makes her American debut at a packed Booth's Theater on 23rd Street. Tickets go for as much as $15.

1977...Democrat Congressman Ed Koch defeats Liberal Mario Cuomo and Republican Roy Goodman to win the first of his three three terms as mayor.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 9th:

1953...Poet Dylan Thomas can "rage against the dying of the light" no more. He dies one week after collapsing in his room at the Chelsea Hotel.

1965...A massive power failure blacks out the city at the height of the evening rush. For hours New Yorkers are stranded in the dark, but they remain calm and pull through by helping one another.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 10th:

1902...The cornerstone is laid for the New York Public Library at 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue – the former site of the Croton Reservoir. The building is actually the melding of the Astor, Lennox and Tilden libraries into one of the world's great research centers. It opens in 1911.

2007...Most of Broadway goes dark when the stagehands' union goes on strike. The strike lasts for 19 days, leaving most shows closed during the always-busy Thanksgiving weekend.

2007...Legendary writer Normal Mailer dies in Manhattan at age 84.

[stache]

And I reach post# 3,000! ;)

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 11th:

1918...New Yorkers jam the streets to celebrate the end of World War I. Revelers parade from City Hall to Columbus Circle, and the Kaiser is hanged in effigy in front of the Public Library.

1921...November 11th is declared Armistice Day, a national holiday. It is now called Veterans Day.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 12th:


1927...The Holland Tunnel opens. But before cars can enter, the city allows pedestrians to cross under the Hudson River for one day. Full use by cars comes the following day.

1954...Ellis Island closes its doors. The immigration station in New York Harbor had processed some 20 million new Americans since 1892.

1995...It's long lines and short tempers, as straphangers deal with the first day of an increased mass transit fare. The hike is a whopping 20 percent, boosting the fare 25 cents to $1.50. But if it's any consolation, the Transit Authority promised no further increase for the rest of the century.

2001...American Airlines Flight 587 crashes into the Belle Harbor neighborhood of Queens shortly after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport. The crash kills all 260 Passangers and crew onboard, as well as 5 on the ground. To date, it remains the 2nd deadliest aviation disaster in U.S. History.*


*Info was not included in the original NY1 article and was added by me.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 13th:

In 1677...Stephen Van Cortland is elected the first native-born mayor of New York. Today he is best remembered as the namesake of a park in the Bronx.

In 1992...Brooklyn's own Riddick Bowe wins the world heavyweight crown, defeating Evander Holyfield in Las Vegas

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 14th:

In 1832...Public transportation arrives when the first streetcar begins running from Prince Street to 14th Street.

In 1889...New York World reporter Nellie Bly sets sail to travel around the world in 80 days – hoping to beat the fictional record of Jules Verne's "Phileas Fogg." Bly returns in triumph 72 days later.

In 1905...Genaro Lombardi receives the first city license to operate a pizzeria. His original parlor at 53 Spring Street is an instant hit – and the restaurant still operates today, one block from the original location.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 15th:

In 1926...The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) debuts on radio with a network of 24 stations. Its premiere program features Will Rogers and the New York Symphony Orchestra.

In 1993...Robert Wagner Jr., son of former Mayor Wagner and heir to a New York political dynasty, dies suddenly while on a business trip in Texas. He was 49.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 16th:

1801...Alexander Hamilton and his political allies publish the first edition of The New York Evening Post to present the Federalist point of view. Today, the Post survives as New York's oldest newspaper.

1959..."The Sound of Music," starring Mary Martin, debuts on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 17th:

1961...Governor Nelson Rockefeller and his wife Mary announce they are divorcing after 31 years of marriage. The shocking news casts a shadow on the governor's possible run for the presidency in 1964.

Today's New Yorker birthdays include director Martin Scorcese, born in Flushing, Queens in 1942; and former Met Tom Seaver, born in 1944.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 18th:

1946...Flamboyant former mayor Jimmy Walker dies in Manhattan at age 65. Walker had resigned amid scandal years earlier, but remained popular until his death.

1959...The blockbuster epic "Ben Hur" has its world premiere at Loew's State Theater in Manhattan.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 19th:

1957...Leonard Bernstein is named musical director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. He becomes the first American born conductor to hold the post.

Today's New Yorkers birthdays include talk show host Larry King, born in Brooklyn in 1933; and fashion designer Calvin Klein, born in the Bronx in 1942.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 20th:

1775...The Continental Congress authorizes sending the militia to disarm loyalists in Queens who refuse to support the colonies against the British.

1804...John Pintard founds the New York Historical Society in City Hall. Now located on Central Park West, it's the city's oldest museum.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 21th:

1964...It's opening day for the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge – the nation's longest suspension bridge. For 50 cents, drivers can travel between Brooklyn and Staten Island. The bridge marks the end of New York's golden age of bridge-building, but its biggest impact is in turning sleepy Staten Island into a suburban development.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 22th:

1880...Actress Lillian Russell makes her New York debut at Tony Pastor's 14th Street Theater. She goes on to become a star and an activist for women's rights.

1950...79 people are killed, and hundreds more are injured when two Long Island Railroad trains collide in Richmond Hill, Queens.

1963...New Yorkers join the nation in mourning the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, shot and killed this day in Dallas. Schools, courts, theaters and stores close as the city is silenced in sorrow.

In 1966...The city announces plans for a Civilian Review Board to monitor the Police Department.

1995...Police discover the badly beaten body of a six-year-old girl in her mother's apartment in Lower Manhattan. The shock of Elisa Izquierdo's death is made worse when her mother tells authorities that she killed the child to rid her of evil spirits. The case prompts reform of the child welfare bureaucracy.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 23th:

1642...The city's first tavern opens, on Pearl Street in Lower Manhattan.

1903...Italian tenor Enrico Caruso makes his American debut, appearing in "Rigoletto" at the Metropolitan Opera House on Manhattan's 39th Street.

1936...The first edition of Life Magazine hits the stands.

1959...The musical "Fiorello!," starring Tom Bosley, opens on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theater. The Pulitzer Prize-winning show is based on the life of New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia.

1971...A delegation from The People's Republic of China is seated at the United Nations for the first time.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 24th:

1674...Two men from Flushing are reprimanded for working on Thanksgiving Day and for using disrespectful language before a judge.

1950..."Guys and Dolls," the classic New York musical based on tales by Damon Runyon, opens on Broadway at the 46th Street Theater.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 25th:

1783...New York celebrates Evacuation Day. George Washington and his victorious troops re-enter the city as the defeated British evacuate New York – their last military stronghold during the Revolutionary War.

1864...Confederates set fire to hotels, theaters and stores around Manhattan in a desperate act of terrorism. But most fires are quickly put out and little damage is done.

1949...Hoofer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson dies in Manhattan at age 71. Crowds later line the streets from Harlem to Times Square to view his funeral procession.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 26th:

1942...The movie classic "Casablanca," starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, has its world premiere at the Hollywood Theater in Manhattan.

1975...President Gerald Ford ends his opposition to federal aid to New York, and proposes a $2 billion bailout to prevent the city's bankruptcy.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 27th:

1646...The Dutch West India Company grants the village of Brooklyn a municipal form of government. The area is named for Breuklen, or "broken land," a village in Holland with similar hilly terrain.

1969...The Rolling Stones open their United States tour at Madison Square Garden.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

November 28th:

1951...Reflecting the chilling mood of the Cold War, the city holds its first air-raid drill. For ten minutes, an unnatural silence fills the air as New Yorkers huddle in bomb shelters.

1974...John Lennon makes his first concert appearance in years, performing at Madison Square Garden with Elton John.

[NYC4Life]

Here's what took place since the last posting a few days ago:

NY1

November 29th:

1825...Grand Opera comes to America when an Italian troupe performs "The Barber of Seville" at the Ornate Park Theater on Park Row.

1976...The Yankees sign free agent Reggie Jackson to a five-year, $3 million contract. The slugger goes on to become the 14th Yankee to have his number retired.




November 30th:

1960...U Thant of Burma is elected Secretary General of the United Nations, succeeding the late Dag Hammarskjold who was killed in a plane crash a year earlier.




December 1st:

1955...Commuting becomes a little easier for straphangers in Queens when a tunnel opens linking the IND and BMT lines just west of the Queens Plaza Station.

Today's New Yorker birthdays include director/actor/writer Woody Allen...born in Brooklyn in 1935.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

December 2nd:

1657...After receiving numerous complaints from angry housewives whose possessions keep disappearing, the City Council forbids tavernkeepers from selling liquor to patrons in exchange for household goods.

[Ed007Toronto]

^ That's a good one.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

December 3rd:

1639...Danish farmer Jonas Bronck purchases 50 acres of land just north of Manhattan. Years later, the Broncks' farm becomes a favorite place for people to get away for a picnic or go touring on horseback. An outing to the area soon becomes known as "going to the Bronx" – and eventually The Bronx becomes the name of the whole county.

1732...The city's first two fire engines arrive from London. The elaborate vehicles fascinate spectators, but at their first fire the house burns down.

1947..."A Streetcar Named Desire" opens on Broadway, starring Marlon Brando and Jessica Tandy.

1960...It's opening night for "Camelot," starring Julie Andrews and Richard Burton.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

December 4th:

1783...After leading his troops to victory in the American Revolution, General George Washington bids an emotional farewell to officers at Fraunces Tavern. The tavern, which has survived two centuries of change, still stands on Pearl and Broad streets in Downtown Manhattan, and has been designated a national landmark.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

December 5th:

1933...New Yorkers raise their glass to the end of Prohibition, speakeasies and bootleg whiskey.

1955...At a meeting in Manhattan, the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merge to form the AFL/CIO. The group is headed by George Meany of the Bronx, and with 15 million members, it's the world's largest labor federation.

1973..."Serpico," starring Al Pacino, opens in Manhattan. The film tracks real-life detective Frank Serpico's struggle to expose corruption in the NYPD in the late 1960s and early 1970s

[NYC4Life]

NY1

December 6th:

1970...On the first anniversary of their tragic Altamont Speedway concert, the Rolling Stones documentary "Gimme Shelter" debuts in Manhattan.

1988...Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev arrives in New York for a two-day visit – the last by a leader of America's greatest rival before the Soviet Union dissolves in 1991.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

December 7th:

1842...The New York Philharmonic gives its first concert in The Apollo Room on Lower Broadway. Today, the Philharmonic is America's oldest orchestra.

1941...The city swings into wartime alert, hours after the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. Japanese nationals living in New York are rounded up by FBI agents and held on Ellis Island. Later, they are transferred to holding camps for the remainder of the war.

1993...A massacre on the rails as Colin Ferguson of Brooklyn opens fire on a Long Island Rail Road train, killing six passengers.

Today's New Yorker birthdays include actor Eli Wallach, born in Brooklyn in 1915.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

December 8th:

1783...American troops gather at what is now Parson Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue in Queens to celebrate their victory over the British in the Revolutionary War.

1962...A printers union dispute shuts down the city's daily newspapers. It leads to a 114-day strike, and several papers do not survive.

1980...Rock music icon John Lennon is shot and killed by Mark David Chapman outside Lennon's Dakota apartment on the Upper West Side. The former Beatle called New York his home in his final years, and the city returns the tribute by naming his favorite section of Central Park after one of his songs: Strawberry Fields. The site continues to draw visitors from around the world.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

December 9th:

1934...The New York Giants capture the Professional Football Championship, trouncing the Chicago Bears 30-13 on a cold and icy day at the Polo Grounds. The showdown is famous as the "Sneaker Game," for Giants coach Steve Owen's halftime order to wear sneakers for better footing on the slick turf.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

December 10th:

1905...O Henry's famed Christmas story "The Gift of the Magi" is first published in The New York World. O Henry had written the tale in just a few hours in a booth in Pete's Tavern at 18th Street and Irving Place. The tavern – and the famous booth – are still open to customers today.

1906...U.S. President and New York native Teddy Roosevelt becomes the first American to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his mediation in the Russo-Japanese War.

1950...Another New Yorker, Doctor Ralph Bunche, becomes the first African-American to win the Peace Prize for his work as a United Nations mediator during the Palestine War.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

December 11th:

1809...New York City Mayor Dewitt Clinton opens the city's first public school, on the site of today's P.S. 2 on Henry Street.

1929...New York Governor Al Smith announces that a mooring mast for blimps will be built atop the Empire State Building. After the mast is constructed, the first blimp to land on the building is blown over by the wind and nearly sweeps away bystanders. A television tower later replaces the mast.

1992...A state of emergency is declared when a furious Nor'easter blows into the Big Apple, destroying homes, flooding streets, and halting transportation.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

December 12th:

1658...Stone Street becomes the first paved street in New Amsterdam when cobblestones are laid after residents complain about horses kicking up dust and dirtying windows.

1895...The Police Department establishes a bicycle squad to protect pedestrians from careless cyclists.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

December 13th:

1928..."An American in Paris," by native New Yorker George Gerswhin, makes its debut at Carnegie Hall to rave reviews.

1930...Albert Einstein is honored at City Hall by Mayor Jimmy Walker. Columbia University president Nicholas Butler dubs the German scientist the "ruling monarch of the mind."

[NYC4Life]

NY1

December 14th:

1928...Mayor LaGuardia opens the Sixth Avenue subway in a ceremony at the 34th Street station. The new line includes the F, B and D trains, and runs from West Fourth to 50th Streets.

1946...The United Nations votes to establish its world headquarters on land along First Avenue donated by the Rockefeller family.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

December 15th:

1928...Political boss William Tweed is indicted on more than 100 counts of fraud for pocketing millions of dollars of taxpayers money.

1980...K-9 policing begins in the subways as 12 German Shepherds and their officers go on patrol underground. And in the sports world, the Yankees sign free-agent Dave Winfield to a 10-year contract worth $25 million.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

December 16th:

1835...The worst fire in New York City history starts in a textile warehouse near Pearl Street. The fire rages out of control for more than 16 hours, destroying nearly 700 buildings, many of them dating back to Dutch Colonial days. Firefighters are hampered by cold winds and frozen hoses, and smoke and flames can be seen as far away as Philadelphia. Incredibly, not a single life is lost.

1905...Variety – the newspaper for showbiz – puts out its first edition. Over the decades, Variety becomes as famous as the people it covers. The paper is celebrated for its "slanguage," making words like "boffo," "whammo," "sitcom" and "deejay" part of everyone's vocabulary.

1949...It's "Dry Friday," as New Yorkers skip baths and shaving to conserve water in the midst of a severe drought.

1960...Two airliners collide in heavy fog over the city. A United Airlines DC-8 falls onto Park Slope, setting fire to 11 buildings and killing 9 people on the ground. Pieces of a TWA plane also fall into New York Harbor and on Staten Island. Altogether, 134 people die. The planes were heading to LaGuardia and Idlewild Airports in Queens; human error and inadequate equipment are blamed for the crash.

1985...In true gangland style, mafia chieftain Paul Costellano is cut down in a hail of bullets on busy East 46th Street outside Sparks Steakhouse. Costellano is succeeded by John Gotti, who is later convicted of the hit.

2002...Straphangers breath a sigh of relief when a transit strike is averted. After 72 hours of 'round the clock negotiations that continue well beyond the original strike deadline, the Transport Workers Union and the MTA reach a deal that keeps the city's subways and busses running.

[NYC4Life]

Timeline from the past 4 days -

NY1

December 17th:

1900...The new Immigration Processing Center on Ellis Island opens. Over the next several decades, millions of new Americans will pass through these buildings on their way to a new life.




December 18th:

1956...Phil Rizzuto comes out of retirement to rejoin the Yankees as a broadcaster.

1987...Wall Street whiz Ivan Boesky gets three years in prison for his role in an insider trading scandal. Then-U.S. Attorney Rudolph Giuliani says the sentence will deter white-collar crime.




December 19th:

1825...Church bell ringers – who are also used to sound fire alarms – refuse to ring their bells until they are paid an annual fee of $25.

1903...The city celebrates the opening of the Williamsburg Bridge – the second span to link Brooklyn and Manhattan.

In 1974...Former New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller is sworn in as Vice President of the United States.

In 2000...Former Mayor John V. Lindsay dies at the age of 79. Lindsay was a Congressman from the Upper East Side when he was elected mayor in 1965. He went on to serve two terms. Lindsay began his career as a Republican, but crossed over to the Democratic Party and in 1972 launched an unsuccessful bid for the presidency.




December 20th:

1880...Electric lamps replace gas lights on Broadway from 14th to 26th streets. But women complain the bright lights make them look too pale.

1946...The classic Christmas movie "It's a Wonderful Life" premieres at the Globe Theater in Manhattan. At first the movie is neither a critical nor financial success. But over the years, Frank Capra's tale of family, community and eternal hope becomes a celluloid standard of the holiday season.

1968...Nobel-winning author John Steinbeck dies at his Upper East Side apartment at age 66.

1973...Pop singer Bobby Darin, a native of the Bronx, dies during open heart surgery at age 37.

1993...Wedding bells finally ring for Donald and Marla Trump. A crush of paparazzi and high society guests turn out at his Plaza Hotel to witness the much-hyped nuptuals.

[NYC4Life]

NY1

December 21st:

1987...Three white teenagers from Howard Beach are convicted of manslaughter in the death of Michael Griffith. Griffith was a young black man who the teens chased onto the Belt Parkway, where he was hit by a car.

1988...All aboard a Pan Am 747 jet bound for New York are killed when a terrorist bomb blows up the plane over Lockerbie, Scotland.

1994...A firebomb explodes on a southbound 4 train at the Fulton Street station in lower Manhattan. More than 40 passengers are hurt, some of them critically burned. Edward Leary, an unemployed computer technician from New Jersey, is quickly arrested and later convicted. He's now serving a nearly 100-year sentence in prison.

[brianac]

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City) on March 25, 1911, was the deadliest industrial (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industry) disaster (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disaster) in the history of the city of New York and resulted in the fourth highest loss of life from an industrial accident in U.S. history. The fire caused the deaths of 146 garment workers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garment_worker), most of them women, who either died from the fire or jumped to their deaths. Most of the workers could not escape the burning building because the managers had locked the doors to the stairwells and exits to keep them from leaving early. Fire truck ladders only reached the sixth floor. People jumped from the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors.

The fire led to legislation requiring improved factory safety standards (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupational_safety_and_health) and helped spur the growth of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Ladies%27_Garment_Workers%27_Union), which fought for better working conditions for sweatshop (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweatshop) workers. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory) was located in the Asch Building, now known as the Brown Building of Science (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Building_of_Science). It has been designated as a National Historic Landmark (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Historic_Landmark) and a New York City landmark (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landmark).[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire#cite_note-0)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/TriangleFireengine.jpg/800px-TriangleFireengine.jpg (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/TriangleFireengine.jpg)
A horse-drawn fire engine en route to the burning factory.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire)

http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/story/introduction.html (http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/story/introduction.html)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf9GVbzf7Q4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf9GVbzf7Q4)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/TriangleTradeParade.jpg/800px-TriangleTradeParade.jpg (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/TriangleTradeParade.jpg)
People and horses draped in black walk in procession in memory of the victims.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Triangle_Fire_Grave.jpg/450px-Triangle_Fire_Grave.jpg (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Triangle_Fire_Grave.jpg)
Tombstone of fire victim at the Hebrew Free Burial Association's Mount Richmond Cemetery.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/Asch-brown-triangle-shirtwaist-fire-building.JPG/800px-Asch-brown-triangle-shirtwaist-fire-building.JPG (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Asch-brown-triangle-shirtwaist-fire-building.JPG)
The building today.