Today on the fifieth anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King in Memphis, Tennessee we reflect on the legacy of this important American. We are all familiar with his connections to many Southern cities but few realize that New York City played an important role in Dr. King’s work. It was here on … More Dr. King and New York
Today marks the day that Abraham Lincoln was nominated for the 1860 presidential election for the newly formed Republican party in Chicago. Harper’s Weekly May 12, 1860 There were eleven candidates going into Chicago with the front runner being former Governor of New York, William Seward. Of course, Lincoln was the favored son candidate for … More Mr. Lincoln
1809 would turn out to be quite a year. Not only was it the year Lincoln was born but also one of the great American writers, Edgar Allen Poe, was born. Although he is most closely associated with the cities of Richmond and Baltimore, like many writers, Poe spent time in New York where … More Edgar Allan Poe – A New York Writer
This weekend, in 2017, much of the country was quite chilly with many areas experiencing significant snowfalls. The winter of 1887 brought cold winds off the Hudson to New York and severe cold and hardship to much of the Great Plains as well. January of 1887 saw record temperatures of 60 below zero across the … More A Cold January 1887
Hey Ho – Let’s Go! Today August 16 is a big day in music history. It’s the day Elvis left the building, Madonna was born and the Ramones stepped out of Queens onto the stage of CBGB’s. CBGB’s was the legendary hole in the wall dive bar that played music. All through the 1970s … More The Ramones!!!!
Today would have been the 87th birthday of one of the most iconic First Ladies in American history and a quintessential Upper East Side Girl. We think of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis as a world traveller which of course she was both in and out of the White House. But it is very interesting that … More Jackie!
Thomas Dongan, first Royal Governor of New York Lately, I have been thinking about the connections between New York and the Glorious Revolution of 1688. This may be because I am fascinated by the incompetence of James Stuart on the throne of England and Scotland. This July there are two anniversaries one celebrated; one not … More 1688 and New York
If a bomb went off today in Grand Central Station, we would immediately think of some world wide terrorist organization. On March 29, 1951, when a homemade bomb went off at Grand Central it was a “He’s Back. . .” moment. The Mad Bomber, as the criminal was called by the New York media had … More The Mad Bomber
Few Americans register the fact that New York City was once the capitol of the United States. Frequently, on my walking tours, when we get to Federal Hall and we gaze on the magnificent statue of George Washington by John Quincy Adams Ward, someone is surprised to hear George took the oath in New York … More Books: The First Congress
President’s Day was created in 1885 to celebrate the birthday of George Washington. Since 1971, it has been on a Monday so that Americans would have a three day weekend in the gloom of February. For New Yorkers, it is a special day since many of our nation’s presidents have hailed from the Empire State … More President’s Day
Bowery & Canal 