1609
Henry Hudson arrived in New York harbor.
1624
Town of New Amsterdam founded by Dutch settlers.
1626
Peter Minuit bought Manhattan Island from Native Americans for beads worth 60 guilders.
1653
Dutch settlers built a fortification wall as defense against British invaders along what is today known as Wall Street.
1664
New Amsterdam seized by the English and renamed New York.
1725
The New York Gazette, the city's first newspaper, was established.
1754
King's College, New York's first institute of higher learning was founded. Today it is called Columbia University.
1776
American Revolutionary war. In the Battle of Long Island Americans battled British soldiers on Brooklyn soil.
1790
New York attained status of largest city in the US - a title it still holds today. Population at this time was 33,000. New York Stock Exchange opened.
1825
Erie Canal opened, bringing unprecedented expansion to the city. Gas lighting available.
1859
Central Park built.
1870
Metropolitan Museum of Art founded.
1880
Electric lights came into use.
1883
Brooklyn Bridge completed, at that time the longest suspension bridge in the world.
1898
Three cities and 40 municipalities merge to form today's New York City, comprising five boroughs.
1902
The city's first skyscraper built, the 21-story Flatiron building at 23rd Street and 5th Avenue
1904
First subway line, called the IRT, opened.
1929
The Stock Market crash signaled the beginning of the Great Depression.
1931
Empire State Building and Chrysler buildings competed for tallest building in New York, adding to the city's burgeoning skyline. George Washington Bridge built.
1939
New York World's Fair took place in Corona Park, in Flushing, Queens.
1956
New York hosted a Subway Series championship between the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
1973
World Trade Center completed. Each tower measures 1,368 feet in height.
1982
The musical "Cats" opened on Broadway, beginning a run of nearly 20 years.
1986
Legendary nightlcub Studio 54 is closed down.
1993
Rudy Giuliani elected as the 107th Mayor of New York. Among other things, he set about to reinvent the Times Square area as a family-friendly tourist destination.
2000
The first Subway Series in 44 years took place, between the New York Yankees and New York Mets. Hillary Clinton elected Senator of New York; the first First Lady to hold elected office.
2001 Explocity New York launched, making New York City easier to navigate than ever before.
