By the early 1640s, New Amsterdam had found its identity as a cosmopolitan trade capital, but it was almost wiped out after launching a foolhardy war against neighboring Algonquin tribes. On February 25, 1643, Governor-Director Willem Kieft led a raiding party against helpless Lenape Algonquins seeking refuge from rival Iroquois invaders. The mass killing was called the “Pavonia massacre,” and…
As we explored two weeks ago, the battle for Times Square was long and messy. On February 24, 1998, the Giuliani administration won a major legal battle when the New York Court of Appeals ruled that the City had legally re-zoned Times Square, a seeming death knell for the local adult entertainment industry. One of…
How do you get to Carnegie Hall? For Dr. King, it was the 100th Birthday of W.E.B. Du Bois, a pioneer in the African-American community. The event, held on February 23, 1968, was King’s final major public address, and his last appearance in New York City. W.E.B. Du Bois was a titan of his time, a…
Gotham’s most historic murder was the shooting of El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, formerly known as Malcolm X. Malcolm X’s career was inextricably bound to New York City, the place that brought him fame and saw his demise on February 21, 1965. Born in Detroit in 1925, Malcolm Little converted to the Nation of Islam while in prison, and upon…
Abe Lincoln and New York City will always be linked by Lincoln’s legendary speech at Cooper Union in 1860 (which we will cover on February 27), but on February 19, 1861, Lincoln set foot in New York City for the first time as President-elect. In doing so, he entered the lion’s den, one of the most…
When New York’s all-black 369th Infantry Regiment set off to fight in World War I, they were men without rights at home or in the military, sent on a mission to “make the world safe for democracy.” One could have forgiven them for serving with cynicism. Instead, they were some of the most decorated and accomplished American soldiers…
This year Presidents’ Day comes on the heels of the coldest night of the winter, a fitting time to remember that one of our favorite president’s, Teddy Roosevelt, once kicked thousands of homeless people into the streets. The story begins with Jacob Riis and his puppy. Riis is best known for his photo essay, How…
“This is the most gloomy period which New York has ever known. The number of failures is so great daily that I do not keep a record of them, even in my mind.” – Philip Hone New York City was on rough times in the 1830s, visited in succession by plague, fire and famine. In 1832, nearly…
How would New York look if no one picked up the trash for nine days? New Yorker found the answer to that grisly question during a dramatic 1968 strike by the City’s sanitation workers. The nastiest strike in City history wasn’t really supposed to happen. The Uniform Sanitationmen’s Association (“USA”) had been working for six months without a…
Photo courtesy of BlackTopXChange. Happy Black Fives Day! On February 10, 2013, Mayor Bloomberg issued a proclamation celebrating the legendary black basketball teams that paved the way for today’s stars, even as they faced terrible segregation in their own time. Though black fives (so named for the number of players on the teams) abounded throughout…
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