On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson played his first game for the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the first African-American to play major league baseball since the 1800s. Though his first game was a quiet one on the field (he went 0-3, scoring one run in a Dodgers win), Robinson’s debut was a landmark moment in sports…
Before Williamsburg was a hipster paradise, before it was a Puerto-Rican/Italian enclave, before it was a Jewish refuge from LES tenements, before it was a booming industrial hub of sugar and beer, before it was a local center for Whig Party politics, Williamsburgh (The “h” was shed in 1855) was the headquarters for Hessian mercenaries hired by…
Revolution was coming. The American Continental Congress, sensing the inevitability of a break from the British Empire and the ensuing war, had called George Washington, the head of the Continental Army, to come down to New York from Boston. Even though New York’s population of 20,000 was only the seventh largest in the colonies, Washington considered…
A great feature on 99% Invisible about the “sandhogs” who build New York’s sewers, tunnels and bridge foundations. Narration by Roman Mars (?!). Rooftop daredevil Dark.Cyanide takes epic photos of the New York skyline from city rooftops. Familiar with the Curious Case of Sidd Finch, the fastest pitcher in world history? In 1985 the Mets…
Yesterday we looked at the origins of the New York public school system. Today we look at a second major crossroads in the history of New York education – the question of religious education in public schools. On April 11, 1842, Governor William Seward signed a bill authorizing local control to school boards, a messy compromise…
The future of public education in New York has been a hot topic recently. How much funding should city schools get? Is there a role for charter schools? How should teachers be evaluated? Fortunately, we have posts today and tomorrow about the history of public education in New York. During the 18th century, the only…
Times Square has become so synonymous with New York City that many visitors and residents alike don’t stop to think about where the name came from. This origin story goes back 111 years, to April 8, 1904, when Mayor George McClellan renamed Longacre Square for the proud newspaper that had just relocated to the block. The…
The British takeover of New Amsterdam in 1664 brought several changes to the growing port city, and one of them was an increased, more brutal practice of slavery. On April 7, 1712, nearly two dozen slaves rose up in defiance, torching houses and taking to the streets to foment a larger rebellion. This early American…
We all know how frustrating it is when your morning train has issues. (I’m looking at you, L line!) Now imagine eleven days without subways or buses. By 1980, the city had started to recover from the mid-70s fiscal crisis, but dealing with union contracts, many of which had been frozen or taken a hit…
New York City has sent legions of legendary players and coaches into college and professional basketball. When you kick back and watch the Final Four this weekend, however, you might wonder why you hardly ever see New York City teams play deep into March Madness, or see March Madness played in New York City. The answer…
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