Almanac: The Empire State Building
And now a page from our "Sunday Morning" Almanac: May 1st, 1931, 85 years ago today ... the day things started to look up during the Depression's deepest depths.
For that was the day the Empire State Building opened for business in New York City.
Construction had begun the year before, on St. Patrick's Day.
In contrast to the economic stagnation all around it, the Empire State project was a model of productivity. The tower rose at a phenomenal rate of four-and-a-half stories per week.
On dedication day, ribbon-cutting honors went to the grand-daughters of former New York Governor Al Smith, the new building's top executive.
The tallest building in the world at the time, the Empire State checked in at 1,250 feet ... 102 stories in all.
Its profile got a further boost in 1933 when King Kong memorably climbed to the top.
- Almanac: Fay Wray ("Sunday Morning," 09/15/13)
In 1945 the building made headlines again when a B-25 bomber lost in morning fog crashed into the 79th floor, killing 14 people.
The building survived the blow, and five years later it grew some 200 feet taller with the addition of a broadcasting antenna.
The Empire State Building reigned unchallenged as the world's tallest for some 40 years, until New York's original World Trade Center surpassed it in 1972.
Since then, many other skyscrapers around the world (including the newest World Trade Center) have soared past the Empire State.
- Almanac: The world's tallest building ("Sunday Morning," 01/04/15)
Still, with its recently-outfitted system of LED lights, it remains one of the world's most beloved skyscrapers, visited since its opening by well over 100 million tourists ... not to mention that one very large ape!
For more info:
- Empire State Building, New York City
- Empire State Building on Instagram