1399 – Henry IV is proclaimed King of England. 1791 – The first performance of The Magic Flute, the last opera by Mozart, took place at Freihaus-Theater auf der Wieden in Vienna. 1882 – Thomas Edison’s first commercial hydroelectric power plant begins operation on the Fox River in Appleton, Wisconsin. 1888 – Jack the Ripper…
Month: September 2016
Unaccompanied Minors
A heptad of undergrad vocal ensembles will harmonize beside the Hudson tomorrow (Saturday, October 1), in Wagner Park, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. The free Dockapella music festival will feature voices that fly without instruments from Columbia, Princeton, Yale, and Brown Universities and Vassar College, as well as ensembles from New York University and the…
Today in History
1227 – Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, is excommunicated by Pope Gregory IX for his failure to participate in the Crusades. 1717 – An earthquake strikes Antigua Guatemala, destroying much of the city’s architecture and making authorities consider moving the capital to a different city. 1789 – The United States Department of War first establishes…
Turning the Corner
A neglected local landmark is about to change hands: the former J.P. Morgan & Company headquarters at 23 Wall Street (on the corner with Broad Street) is in contract to be acquired by Manhattan real estate developer Jack Terzi, who specializes in trophy retail properties. Mr. Terzi will purchase the 1913 structure (for an undisclosed…
Today in History
48 BC – Pompey the Great is assassinated on the orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. 235 – Pope Pontian resigns. He and Hippolytus, church leader of Rome, are exiled to the mines of Sardinia. 1066 – William the Conqueror invades England beginning the Norman conquest of England. 1538 – Ottoman-Venetian…
Here We Go Again…
The City’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is planning to redevelop a publicly owned site in Lower Manhattan, and has pledged to include in the project benefits such as affordable housing and a pre-kindergarten facility. But a close examination of EDC’s approach indicates that both of these bonuses may accrue to communities far removed from the…