May 1, 1931 –
The Empire State Building in New York City was dedicated by President Hoover from the White House in Washington DC where he pressed a button that switched on the lights. The 102 story skyscraper, at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street in New York City, was the first higher than 1,250 feet. (I can see it just down the street from my apartment.)
Excavation had begun in January 1930, construction commenced in two months later, and its cornerstone was laid in September 1930. The steel framework rose at a rate of 4-1/2 stories per week. The building’s construction was completed in a phenomenal one year and 45 days.
It reigned as the world’s tallest skyscraper until 1954, but it still remains an icon for all things New York.
The Haus of Dcaligari 