New York City is the largest city in the United States, a dense metropolis of five boroughs at the mouth of the Hudson River. It is home to the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Broadway, world-class museums, the Brooklyn Bridge, and one of the most diverse food scenes on earth. The city runs day and night on an extensive subway system.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped New York City.
-
1
Dutch Settlement of New Netherland
The Dutch West India Company sends the first families to the Hudson estuary; in 1626 Peter Minuit is credited with acquiring Manhattan and the settlement of New Amsterdam is founded at the southern tip of the island
-
2
English Capture New Amsterdam
An English fleet takes the town without a battle and renames it New York after the Duke of York, later confirmed by the Treaty of Breda in 1667
-
3
Battle of Long Island
The largest battle of the American Revolution is fought in Brooklyn; the Continental Army escapes across the East River and the British hold New York City until 1783
-
4
Washington Inaugurated at Federal Hall
New York is the first capital of the United States and George Washington takes the presidential oath on the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street on April 30
-
5
Commissioners' Plan Grid
The street grid of 12 numbered avenues and 155 cross streets is adopted for Manhattan above Houston Street, shaping the city's layout
-
6
Erie Canal Opens
The canal links the Hudson River to the Great Lakes and makes New York the country's leading port and commercial city
-
7
Brooklyn Bridge Opens
The first steel-wire suspension bridge over the East River opens on May 24, joining Manhattan and Brooklyn
-
8
Statue of Liberty Dedicated
The gift from France is unveiled on Bedloe's Island (now Liberty Island) on October 28, 1886, becoming a symbol of welcome to arriving immigrants
-
9
Ellis Island Opens
The federal immigration station receives its first arrivals on January 1, 1892 and processes more than 12 million people before closing in 1954
-
10
Consolidation of Greater New York
Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island merge into a single city of the five boroughs on January 1
-
11
First Subway Line Opens
The Interborough Rapid Transit line opens on October 27, 1904, running from City Hall to 145th Street
-
12
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
A fire near Washington Square kills 146 garment workers on March 25, leading to landmark fire-safety and labor laws
-
13
Empire State Building Completed
The 102-story tower is finished in about 13 months and becomes the world's tallest building until 1970
-
14
Stonewall Uprising
Patrons of the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street resist a police raid in June 1969, a turning point for the LGBTQ rights movement
-
15
September 11 Attacks
Terrorists destroy the World Trade Center's Twin Towers on September 11, killing 2,977 people; the National 9/11 Memorial opens in 2011 and the museum in 2014
-
16
One World Trade Center Opens
The 1,776-foot tower opens in November on the World Trade Center site as the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere
Historical sites
Places where New York City's past comes alive.
Federal Hall National Memorial
The Greek Revival building on the site where George Washington took the presidential oath in 1789 and where the first US Congress met; a statue of Washington stands on the steps. Run by the National Park Service.
Where: 26 Wall St, Financial District, Manhattan
Admission: Free
Trinity Church and Churchyard
The Gothic Revival Episcopal church at the head of Wall Street, once the tallest building in the city, with a historic churchyard holding the graves of Alexander Hamilton and Robert Fulton.
Where: 75 Broadway at Wall St, Financial District, Manhattan
Admission: Free
St. Paul's Chapel
Manhattan's oldest surviving church building in continuous use, where George Washington worshipped after his 1789 inauguration. The chapel became a relief center for rescue workers after 9/11.
Where: 209 Broadway at Fulton St, Financial District, Manhattan
Admission: Free
African Burial Ground National Monument
A National Monument marking the site of a burial ground used for people of African descent during the 17th and 18th centuries, rediscovered in 1991 during construction. The visitor center has an exhibit; the memorial outside contains the reinterred remains.
Where: 290 Broadway, Lower Manhattan
Admission: Free
Castle Clinton National Monument
A circular sandstone fort built to defend the harbor, later used as Castle Garden, the nation's first immigration processing center from 1855 to 1890 before Ellis Island opened.
Where: Battery Park, Lower Manhattan
Admission: Free entry; ferry tickets to the Statue of Liberty are checked here
Fraunces Tavern Museum
A colonial-era building where George Washington bade farewell to his officers in 1783. Now a museum of American Revolution history above a working tavern.
Where: 54 Pearl St, Financial District, Manhattan
Admission: Museum admission fee applies; check frauncestavernmuseum.org
Ellis Island Immigration Station
The Great Hall registry and the immigrant records of more than 12 million people, now the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. Family-history researchers can search the free passenger database.
Where: Ellis Island, New York Harbor
Admission: Included in the $25.50 Statue City Cruises ferry ticket
Lower East Side Tenement Museum
A National Historic Site preserving restored apartments at 97 Orchard Street where immigrant families lived. Visited on guided tours only.
Where: 103 Orchard St, Lower East Side, Manhattan
Admission: $30 per person per guided tour
Stonewall National Monument
The first US National Monument dedicated to LGBTQ rights, centered on the Stonewall Inn where the 1969 uprising began, with Christopher Park across the street. The Stonewall Inn is still an operating bar.
Where: 53 Christopher St, Greenwich Village, Manhattan
Admission: Free
Morris-Jumel Mansion
Manhattan's oldest surviving house, built in 1765, used as George Washington's headquarters in fall 1776 and later home to Eliza Jumel. Set in Roger Morris Park.
Where: 65 Jumel Terrace, Washington Heights, Manhattan
Admission: Museum admission fee applies; check morrisjumel.org
Merchant's House Museum
A preserved 1832 rowhouse where the Tredwell family lived until 1933, with original furniture and clothing, a rare intact 19th-century New York home interior.
Where: 29 E 4th St, NoHo, Manhattan
Admission: Museum admission fee applies; check merchantshouse.org
General Grant National Memorial (Grant's Tomb)
The largest mausoleum in North America, holding the tombs of President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia. Run by the National Park Service and surrounded by mosaic benches.
Where: Riverside Dr at W 122nd St, Morningside Heights, Manhattan
Admission: Free
Hamilton Grange National Memorial
The only home Alexander Hamilton ever owned, completed in 1802 and relocated to St. Nicholas Park. Managed by the National Park Service.
Where: 414 W 141st St, Hamilton Heights, Manhattan
Admission: Free