| Have you ever wondered what historical events made | | | | Although New York City is known as a vibrant city of |
| NYC the fascinating city it is today? Over the last few | | | | immigrants, this was not the case during the early 19th |
| centuries, numerous groups have had an impact on the | | | | century, when fully 95% of the population had been |
| city, from its original inhabitants (the Lenape) to the | | | | born in the United States. The event that changed this |
| early Dutch and British colonists, followed by numerous | | | | for NYC happened overseas, though: after the Irish |
| immigrants from Ireland, Germany, Italy, Poland, and | | | | Potato Famine, millions of Irish people left, often coming |
| more recently Puerto Rico, Russia, and China. Because | | | | to the US. This began the trend towards immigration |
| there has been such a diverse cast of characters in | | | | into NYC, which has fluctuated but not abated since. |
| New York's history, some NYC events are disputed | | | | The stock market crash of 1929 was one of the |
| and even widely misunderstood. | | | | defining NYC events of the 20th century. Although the |
| Although the original colonists in New York were Dutch, | | | | crash marked the end of the booming 1920's and the |
| and they did buy the right to settle on the island for a | | | | beginning of the Great Depression, it also signaled the |
| nominal fee, the "$24" story is one of many fictitious | | | | rise of a new NYC landmark: skyscrapers became |
| NYC events that is only well-known because the | | | | much more popular well into the 1930's, meaning that |
| fictional version is so entertaining. The likely price of the | | | | one of the symbols of New York's wealth became |
| island was closer to $1000, and it was a nominal fee | | | | ubiquitous after one of the NYC events most |
| that was part of a larger exchange of promises. | | | | associated with poverty. |
| The last Dutch governor of the New York colony was | | | | In 1938, the city finally abolished the term 'ward', in one |
| Peter Stuyvesant, which should satisfy the curiosity of | | | | of several NYC events that instantly rendered several |
| anyone who wonders why such an unusual name has | | | | cliches obsolete. A 'ward heeler' is still a term of |
| ended up on a neighborhood, a street, a school | | | | reproach, even though the ward itself is long gone. |
| (Governor Stuyvesant was a big believer in education) | | | | Similarly, the Big Apple remains the Big Apple, even |
| and a minor brand of cigarettes. Oddly, the NYC event | | | | though jazz musicians no longer refer to major |
| through which Stuyvesant most impacted NYC does | | | | performances (including NYC events) as the Big Apple. |
| not bear his name -- he's credited with introducing tea | | | | Much has changed in the city's history, but one thing |
| to the colony, and tea taxes decades later were, of | | | | remains constant: there are always new NYC Events |
| course, a major catalyst in transforming the colonies | | | | to shake things up and keep things interesting. |
| into a nation. | | | | |