TimeLineNY TM When Europeans arrived in NY a tribe of Native Americans known as the LENAPES had been living here for over fifteen hundred years. In 1500 five thousand Lenapes lived in NYC, by 1700 only 200 survived. 1524 - The first European arrives in America. Giovanni da Verrazano, an Italian in service to France sails into NY Harbor 1525 - Esteban Gomez, a black Portuguese explorer working for the Spanish sails the Hudson River. 1609 - Henry Hudson an English explorer working for the Dutch sails up the Hudson to Albany 1621 – Dutch West India Company begins trading from NYC 1624 - The 260-ton Nieu Nederland arrives in NY Harbor with 30 Dutch families 1626 - The Dutch pay 60 Guilders to the Lenape Tribe. The Indians believe it is for temporary hunting rights 1628 - 3 African women are brought to the colony as slaves 1639 - A Dane, Jonas Bronck, purchases 500 acres in what is know known as the Bronx 1664 - An English fleet of 4 ships and 300 marines arrives in NY Harbor. The Dutch are given 48 hours to pledge allegiance to the English. No shots are fired. New Amsterdam is renamed New York after the brother of King Charles ll, The Duke of York. The Dutch continue to do business as usual 1673 - The first postal service in America begins 1696 - Captain Kidd who lives on Pearl Street in Manhattan makes an "arrangement" with the Queen of England. He becomes a privateer for the crown. Five years later he is hanged for not handing over the proper share of the loot 1708 - Lord Cornbury is sent to the colony by his cousin Queen Anne. As the new Governor he shocks colonists with his unusual habit of dressing in women's clothing and strolling the streets 1742 - The first volunteer fire department is formed 1754 - Kings College (now Columbia University) is chartered by the British 1765 - In response to The Stamp Act, The Sons Of Liberty burn the British Governor in effigy 1774 - A rebellious college student, Alexander Hamilton calls for a congress of thirteen colonies to "Deal" with English aggression 1775 - Patriots begin to fortify the city against British attack 1776 - Independence from England is declared. After forcing the British from Boston, George Washington arrives in NY. Patriots tear down the statue of King George lll at Bowling Green, they melt down the lead, make cannonballs and fire it back at the British. A huge fleet of 45, 000 British soldiers and Hessian mercenaries arrives. Revolution is a reality 1778 - Fires burn down almost a third of NY City, It is believed to be arson 1781 - The revolution is over 1783 - The treaty of Paris recognizes the United States as a nation. The British leave NY 1784 - Twenty year old John Jacob Astor, a German Immigrant arrives in NY as a baker’s assistant 1785 - NY is named the first capital of the United States 1789 - The first congress is held at Federal Hall on Wall Street, at this time, George Washington is inaugurated; James Madison proposes the first ten amendments to the Constitution 1792 - The first stock exchange is established on Wall Street 1797 - Yellow fever kills over 2000 people, Washington Sq Park becomes a burial ground 1807 - Robert Fulton builds the first commercial steamboat, The Claremont, and sails it up the Hudson River 1808 - The British are at it again, over the next several years’ fortifications are built in NY Harbor 1813 - The British blockade NY. However they do not have the firepower to overcome harbor forts. Some of the fleet travels South to Washington DC, troops burn down the White House 1820 - New York City is the nations largest city, population 124, 000 1823 - Gas lighting starts to appear in NYC homes 1827 - NYC abolishes slavery 1836 - Inflation rises 66% 1837 - The financial panic causes a run on the banks. Foreclosures make John Jacob Astor very rich 1850 - New York's population hits 515, 547 1860 - Slavery is the subject of Abraham Lincoln's address at Cooper Union in the East Village. In November he is elected president. One month later South Carolina secedes from the Union 1861 - The Civil War begins. The people of NY pledge loyalty to The Union in a massive rally in Union Square Park. NY provides more volunteer soldiers than any other city in the US. The ironclad Monitor is built in Brooklyn 1863 - The draft riots devastate parts of NYC. 125 people die, mostly blacks who are lynched by mobs of Irish working poor. Five union army regiments are called in from Gettysburg to quell the insurrection 1870 - The first pneumatic subway operates under Broadway 1874 - Macy's fills its Christmas windows with dolls 1882 - Thomas Edison lights Wall Street 1883 - The Brooklyn Bridge opens 1886 -The Statue Of Liberty is completed 1888 - Pastrami on Rye is first served on the Lower East Side 1892 - Ellis Island opens processing over a million immigrants yearly 1898 - Five separate boros are consolidated into the City Of NY 1904 - The first IRT Subway departs from City Hall 1909 - The NAACP is founded in NYC 1911 - The Triangle Shirt Waist fire kills 145 immigrant women. Modern fire regulations are established 1917 - The US enters WW l, German ships are impounded, and a huge anti- submarine net spans NY Harbor 1918 - Influenza kills 12,000 New Yorker's 1920 - Babe Ruth joins the NY Yankees. 32, 000 speakeasies operate in prohibition-era NY 1929 - The Stock Market crashes 1931 - The George Washington Bridge, The Art Deco Chrysler Building, Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center symbolize the resurgence of a new era and economy 1933 - King Kong is shot 1939 - NY World's Fair opens in Flushing Meadow Queens 1941 - WW ll. The Brooklyn Navy Yard builds and repairs warships like the Missouri, Columbia University work on splitting the atom, the public Library intelligence office breaks military codes, Ocean Liners and liberty ships leave from the port of NY to transport troops to Europe 1947 - The Dodgers hire Jackie Robinson, the first Black American to break the color barrier in the major leagues 1950 - NYC is declared the largest metropolitan area in the world with a population of over 12 million 1957 - Elvis performs on the Ed Sullivan Show, broadcast live from Broadway studios 1965 - First major power blackout to hit NY. Population takes it in stride. Crime rate actually went down that night, however 9 months later birthrate went up. One of the alleged causes…UFO's 1968 - NYC is the first city in the world to use the 911 emergency phone system 1969 - The Gay Rights movement begins at Stone Wall in Greenwich Village 1970 - Once exclusively a male-only bar, McSorley's in the East Village must admit female patrons 1976 - The Nations bicentennial is celebrated in NY Harbor with Operation Sail, one of the first and largest peacetime flotillas of international sail and military ships ever assembled 1977 - The second blackout in the history of NY. Stores looted, buildings burned, hundreds arrested 1980 - Peregrine Falcons are reintroduced to NYC. They are thriving at the tops of our bridges and skyscrapers 1987 - NY Stock Exchange falls 508 points on "Black Monday" 1990 - David Dinkins elected first black mayor of NYC 1993 -Terrorists set off bomb at World Trade Center 1994 -Rudolph Giuliani elected as the first Republican mayor in 28 years 1998 - The hundredth anniversary of the consolidation of NYC 2000 - New York City and the World survive Y2K |
| NYC Sightseeing Tours |
Joe
Mauriello's
Mauriello's
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |