202 BC – Coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place, initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty’s rule over China 1692 – Salem witch hunt begins 1704 – Indians attack Deerfield, Mass, kill 40, kidnap 100 1708 – Slave revolt, Newton, Long Island New York, 11 die 1749 – First […]
Archives for February 2017
Local Bridges Falling Down, Falling Down…
Multiple bridges and at least one tunnel that carry thousands of vehicles each day in Lower Manhattan are classified as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete by the federal government’s Department of Transportation (DOT). Among these are one leading into the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, two ramps serving the Brooklyn Bridge, and the viaduct that carries the FDR […]
February 27
1557 – First Russian Embassy established in London 1594 – Henri IV crowned king of France 1814 – Ludwig von Beethoven’s 8th Symphony in F, premieres 1827 – First Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans 1854 – Composer Robert Schumann saved from suicide attempt in Rhine 1860 – Abraham Lincoln makes a speech at Cooper […]
Reach for the Skies
Just under half of all the super-tall buildings completed in the United States in 2016 were erected in Lower Manhattan, according to a new report from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). The non-profit organization, which is the leading expert on tall structures, defines “super-tall” as any building that reaches a height […]
February 24
303 – First official Roman edict for persecution of Christians issued 1510 – Pope Julius II excommunicates the Republic of Venice 1839 – Steam shovel patented by William Otis, Philadelphia 1909 – The Hudson Motor Car Company is founded. Beginning in 1909, the Hudson Motor Car Company made Hudson and other brand automobiles in Detroit. […]
The Newest Place to Get High
An engineering marvel is nearing completion outside the windows of Lower Manhattan residents. The Bayonne Bridge, the longest steel-arch span in the world at the time of its 1931 opening (and now holder of the fifth-place title), just got a lot loftier. This is the result of developments half a world away — specifically, in […]
February 23
303 – Roman emperor Diocletian orders the destruction of the Christian church in Nicomedia, beginning eight years of Diocletianic Persecution. 532 – Byzantine emperor Justinian I orders the building of a new Orthodox Christian basilica in Constantinople – the Hagia Sophia. 1455 – Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western […]
Next Stop, Canada…
In the next three years, a multitude of hikers and long-distance cyclists may join the throngs that already crowd Lower Manhattan. The administration of Governor Andrew Cuomo plans to create a statewide, 750-mile network of bicycling and walking trails that will begin in Battery Park City and reach the Canadian border. More than 300 miles […]
Of the People, By the People, for the People…
Three State lawmakers representing Lower Manhattan have introduced bills in both houses of the Albany legislature that would require the governor to appoint Lower Manhattan residents to a majority of seats on the board of the Battery Park City Authority (BPCA). State Senator Daniel Squadron and Assembly members Deborah Glick and Yuh-Line Niou are sponsoring […]
February 22
705 – Empress Wu Zetian abdicates the throne, restoring the Tang dynasty. 1632 – Galileo’s Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems is published. 1847 – Mexican-American War: The Battle of Buena Vista: Five thousand American troops defeat 15,000 Mexicans troops. 1853 – Washington University in St. Louis is founded as Eliot Seminary in St. […]