The Empire State Building, the world's tallest skyscraper at the time and perhaps still the most famous in the world, opened on this day in history, May 1, 1931.
The majestic Empire State Building, now the Grand Old Lady of the New York City skyline, opened amid great civic fanfare just 14 months after construction on it began on this day in history, May 1, 1931. The skyscraper 'must long remain one of the outstanding glories of a great city,' President Herbert Hoover said, flipping a ceremonial switch in Washington, D.C., as the 102-story tower in the heart of New York City was illuminated for the first time.
Three miles out, and so past the Prohibition boundary, he poured two martinis from a chrome shaker, pointed at the building visible in the distance, and said to his wife, ‘Isn’t this marvelous? Here we are and we don’t have to go the party and listen to all those speeches,’' Kingwell wrote. 'He poured two martinis from a chrome shaker pointed at the building visible in the distance …' The Empire State Building is widely and pervasively cited as an example of art deco design.
There are six buildings in New York City alone now taller. But the Grand Old Lady has never lost her luster in the eye of the world. 'She is a global symbol of risks taken and dreams fulfilled.' — Empire State Realty Trust chairman Anthony Malkin She's visited by 4 million people per year, and was named the No. 1 attraction in the United States last year by the Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards.
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