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Interesting Questions, Facts and Information

  • There are a total of 45 general entries. We are selecting 30 for display.

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Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information

    New York

    Young lovers throughout the boroughs were relieved when David Berkowitz, the Son of Sam serial killer, was finally arrested on August 10, 1977. Known to have a fondness for shooting young people, especially young people in their parked cars, Berrkowitz terrorized the city for over a year. How many people did Berkowitz kill?New York's Darkest Days (rocco6557)

      6. Although the violence ceased on the day Berkowitz was arrested, several unanswered questions remain. As of 2004, these murder cases are still "Open" on the NYPD books.

    Who said of what book, it "arose out of my life in Brooklyn and Manhattan, absorbing a million people for 15 years ...?" New York City History: Part 2 (hamandeggs)

      Walt Whitman - Leaves of Grass. He was probably the only person, at that time, who loved the diversity of New York City, and saw it as something to celebrate, rather than destroy. "Leaves of Grass" was released in 1855, with Whitman's intention being to show the people what brought them together.

    Who felt that it was the image-making of New York City that got him elected the President of the United States? New York City History: Part 2 (hamandeggs)

      Abraham Lincoln. The hat he bought on Broadway, the photo taken of him at Brady's studio, and the newspapers that re-printed the photo alongside his rousing anti-slavery speech at the Cooper Institute - is what he felt rocketed him into the Presidency.

    Where was the "Five Points" neighboorhood located? Nearly Ultimate New York 4 (rootsgrrl)

      In Lower Manhattan. The Five Points were where five streets met in Lower Manhattan. Only two of the streets still exist. If you've ever watched "Law and Order" and seen the courthouse, that building stands near the center of the Five Points.

    When the English took over New Amsterdam, how many colonists took them up on the offer for a free passage home? New York City History: Part 1 (hamandeggs)

      0. Even the one man who did want to fight, Peter Stuyvesant, stayed and retired to what is now Greenich Village.

    What year was the Roshashana service held in New York, making it the first in North America?New York City History: Part 1 (hamandeggs)

      1654. Peter Stuyvesant petitioned the board directors not to allow Jews into New York. But the Dutch West India Company reminded him he was "running a business colony, not a religious establishment; and for the sake of that business no-one should be turned away." That's why I love New York.

    What was the tallest structure in New York in 1776?New York City History: Part 1 (hamandeggs)

      Trinity Church. The church is still there. Well, it was burnt down in the great fire in 1776. And was again ruined in 1839. The third one was built in 1846 stands today - and is the resting place of the quintessential New Yorker, Alexander Hamilton.

    What tough New Yorker created the stock exchange and allowed Thomas Jefferson to move the country's political capital from New York to Virginia (knowing fully New York would become the world capital of commerce, economics, culture and intellect)? New York City History: Part 1 (hamandeggs)

      Alexander Hamilton. He was the Secretary of the Treasury and started us on our path of commerce and maufacture, instead of slavery and plantations. He pushed the New York ideal on the government. Jefferson, on other hand, hated New York and urban ideals. Can you see the Civil War starting here?

    What revolution in trading by the New York shipping company "The Black Ball Line" attracted bussiness from all over the world to Manhattan?New York City History: Part 1 (hamandeggs)

      regular scheduled departures. Full or not, this company's ships sailed, and business from around the world flocked to Manhattan to trade with and invest in America.

    What proportion of the population of Ireland entered America through South Street during the potato famine in 1845-46?New York City History: Part 2 (hamandeggs)

      one eigth. This huge and sudden influx caused a range of social problems in New York. The new Irish immigrants took on the worst jobs or became beggars. It created the imbalance in New York as there were now more inhabitants of working age than jobs. And the class struggle began in America. 1.5 million entered the country. One million came through South Street. And they came to meet an already over-crowded city. The PBS New York Documentary by Burns was used in this question.

    What New Yorker became the first American to make a living only with his pen? New York City History: Part 2 (hamandeggs)

      Washington Irving. "A History of New York" was a best-selling mythical history of the city written under the false name "Knickerbocker". Wealthy New Yorkers later claimed they were decsedants of the "Knickerbocker" family, unaware that it was a fiction.

    What major corporation colonized New York in 1624 and named it New Amsterdam?New York City History: Part 1 (hamandeggs)

      The Dutch West India Company. Five years after Henry Hudson stumbled upon it, the Dutch set up a bussiness post there to get a jump on England in opening up the West. The Ducth set the tone of the city by founding it to make money. They created the first real estate deal of NY by buying it from the Indians, using it to export beaver skins, spent most of the time drinking, and didn't even get around to building a church for 17 years.

    What did the Conscription Act lead to in New York City? New York City History: Part 2 (hamandeggs)

      The Draft Riots. The first federal draft ever in America was during the Civil War. Possibly over tens of thousands rioted for 4 days until the union troops could arrive. Complete chaos. Horrible attrocities. Nothing like it has had ever happened before or since in this country. 119 people confirmed killed. Most were drowned and not counted.

    What did Fredrick Olmsted co-design in an attempt to encourage the different classes to assimilate?New York City History: Part 2 (hamandeggs)

      Central Park. Opening just before the Civil War, the park didn't fulfill this prophecy right away. But in the longer run it did - and this 843 acre man made structure still keeps the city invisible to those relaxing inside it. It really is beautiful.

    What bad-table mannered pioneer became the richest man in America by buying up all the real estate property he could in Manhattan?New York City History: Part 2 (hamandeggs)

      John Jacob Astor. he is famous for being a fur trader. But he wagered on the fact that New Yorkers would soon have to move upwards on Manhattan. He's interesting because he was the first American to make a fortune out of the city. Biggest fortune in the nation at the time.

    We all know of the terrible tragedy that occurred on September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center. However, that was not the only time lives were lost there. On February 26, 1993, something happened that killed six people and injured over 1,000 more. What happened on that day?New York's Darkest Days (rocco6557)

      Terrorists detonated a bomb in the underground parking lot.. An enormous bomb in a rented truck went off on that day. The terrorists were caught when one demanded a refund on the rented truck.

    There was a time capsule buried in 1939 at the World's Fair in Flushing. How many years after 1939 is it scheduled to be opened?Nearly Ultimate New York 4 (rootsgrrl)

      5,000. There were a few things added at the 1964 Fair. I would like to see what folks in 6939 think of Mickey Mouse and The Beatles.

    The settlers named the island after an old Indian word "Manahatta." Which was to mean "island of hills" or ...? New York City History: Part 1 (hamandeggs)

      place of inebriation. That really stands true to this day as well. If you don't belive me, then just stand on Bleeker and Sullivan and watch for 10 minutes.

    The former sites of the Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field have something in common. What is it?Nearly Ultimate New York 4 (rootsgrrl)

      They are both City Housing Projects. The Polo Grounds Houses and The Jackie Robinson Houses, respectively.

    Ruth Snyder, who, with her boyfriend Judd Gray, murdered her husband, was the subject of the most famous front page photo ever printed in the "New York Daily News". The murder took place at the Snyder home in what part of Queens?Nearly Ultimate New York 4 (rootsgrrl)

      Queens Village. On January 22 ,1928, Ruth Snyder was executed in the electric chair at Sing Sing. Thomas Howard, a "Daily News" photographer, had a camera strapped to his ankle, and as the switch was pulled, crossed his legs and snapped a picture which appeared on the front page of the News below the headline, "DEAD!"

    Over the years many jazz musicians and composers have lived in an area of Queens. What is it called?Nearly Ultimate New York 4 (rootsgrrl)

      Addisleigh Park. Milt Hinton, Lester Young, Lena Horne, and lots of other jazz folks have lived there in the past 60 years or so. The other choices are all in Queens as well.

    On March 25, 1990, 87 people perished in the Happy Land Fire. The fire started at the front entrance; however, all the other exits were locked, trapping the victims. How did the blaze start?New York's Darkest Days (rocco6557)

      An angry boyfriend started it. Julio Gonzalez argued with his girlfriend at the club and was tossed out by the bouncers. He returned to the club with a container of gasoline which he spread on the only staircase into the club. He is serving 174 twenty-five year sentences concurrently.

    On March 25, 1911, nearly 150 people--most of them immigrant teenage girls, died in what remains New York's worst industrial fire. Many of the girls were trapped on the 8th and 9th floors when the fire escape gave way and the elevators couldn't take the heat. The trapped girls either jumped to their deaths, suffocated or burned. What company did these victims work for?New York's Darkest Days (rocco6557)

      The Triangle Shirtwaist Company. The subsequent outcry forced many changes in New York's fire and safety codes. It also helped give rise to the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.

    On June 15, 1904, the pleasure ship, General Slocum, caught fire and sank just above the East River. Over 1,000 people perished in what was the worst maritime disaster during peacetime. (The Titanic disaster would happen almost a decade later.) What caused this awful loss of life?New York's Darkest Days (rocco6557)

      All of these (Faulty hoses failed to put out the fire, The life jackets were so old they actually pulled people further down into the water, Layers of paint literally glued the lifeboats to the side of the ship). The event was so shocking that it was even mentioned in James Joyce's "Ulysses". (On a side note, none of the obviously bribed inspectors nor any of the owners of the ship was convicted of any wrongdoing. The captain, however, was.)

    On December 8, 1980, John Lennon was gunned down in front of his home. Where did John Lennon live?New York's Darkest Days (rocco6557)

      The Dakota Apartments. Just across the street, in Central Park, is a memorial to Lennon called "Strawberry Fields." Every anniversary of the murder, people from all over the world gather there in his memory.

    Next, Dewitt Clinton announced plans to level the geography of Manhattan to create what in 1811?New York City History: Part 2 (hamandeggs)

      The grid. It was and still is 12 avenues wide, 155 streets long; covering 11,000 acres, creating 2000 blocks. It was an amazing act of prediction. The population that he expected to settle in to NYC (millions) seemed absurdly high at the time. It was and still is democratic, bold, easy to divide real estate wise, and simple enough for immigrants to navigate in. The Burns PBS documentary was used in this question.

    Just two months after the horrors of September 11, 2001, the city reeled from the news of another jet plane crashing onto its soil. American Airlines Flight 587 literally fell out of the sky, killing 265 people, including five on the ground. It remains the 2nd deadliest plane crash in America. Where did the plane crash?New York's Darkest Days (rocco6557)

      Queens. While New Yorkers feared that this was a terrorist attack, the NTSB deemed it an accident. Apparently, the co-pilot had overworked the rudder, rendering the jet helpless.

    In what year did the Empire State Building open?Nearly Ultimate New York 4 (rootsgrrl)

      1931. Through the hardest years of the Depression, the 102 stories were mostly vacant, and the owners could barely pay the property taxes.

    In the 1830's what New York newspaper, unfortunately, pioneered the idea to sell more copies by filling it with news of murder, rape, violence and death?New York City History: Part 2 (hamandeggs)

      The New York Herald. James Gordan Bennett made it the most popular newspaper in the world and invented modern journalism. A pretty important fact about NYC, even if not a great one.

    In August 1776, the first major confrontation between British and Colonial forces occurred in the Revolutionary War. It was a disaster from start to finish for the Americans, forcing George Washington to retreat during the night. What was this event called?New York's Darkest Days (rocco6557)

      The Battle of Brooklyn. Also known as "The Battle of Long Island", Washington's daring retreat, in total darkness across the turbulent East River, actually saved his army and kept the war going.

    In 1647, he was sent in as new Director-General to lick the island into shape? New York City History: Part 1 (hamandeggs)

      Peter Stuyvesant. He made order out of chaos and ensured the city's future. He also, reluctantly, allowed anyone from any country in, as long as they were willing to work. Before he knew it, the city had become tremendously diverse in nationality, language, and religious belief.

Frequently Asked Questions about New York

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    • Where is the widest part of Manhattan, New York? ( goto )


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    • Does the street Broadway in New York City run straight to Broadway in Albany, New York? ( goto )


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    • Which city is farther north, New York City or Tokyo? ( goto )


    • How did David Dinkins make history in New York in 1989? ( goto )


    • Who was interviewing the Beatles at the Plaza Hotel in New York City? ( goto )


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