Empire State Building
Empire State Building was the world's tallest building from 1931 to 1972. *
Preceded by	Chrysler Building
Surpassed by	World Trade Center (1972)
Information
Location	350 Fifth Avenue New York, New York 10118 USA[1]
Coordinates	40°44′54.36″N 73°59′08.50″W / 40.7484333, -73.985694 (Empire State Building)Coordinates: 40°44′54.36″N 73°59′08.50″W / 40.7484333, -73.985694 (Empire State Building)
Status	Complete
Constructed	1929–1931[2]
Height
Antenna/Spire	1,472 ft (448. The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco Skyscraper in New York City, located on the east side of Manhattan at the intersection of 42nd The World Trade Center in New York City, United States (sometimes informally the WTC or Twin Towers) was a complex of seven buildings in Lower Manhattan Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. 7 m)[3]
Roof	1,250 ft (381. 0 m)
Top floor	1,224 ft (373. 2 m)[3]
Technical details
Floor count	102
Floor area	2,768,591 sq ft (257,000 m²) rentable (2007) External: 2 acres (0. 8 ha)[2]
Cost	$40,948,900
Companies
Architect	Shreve, Lamb and Harmon
Contractor	Starrett Brothers and Eken
Management	W&H Properties
*Fully habitable, self-supported, from main entrance to highest structural or architectural top; see the list of tallest buildings in the world for other listings. Shreve Lamb and Harmon was the architectural firm best known for the 1931 Empire State Building, the tallest building in New York, at that time These are lists of Skyscrapers, ranked by structural height (vertical elevation from the base to the highest architectural or integral structural element of the

Empire State Building
(U.S. National Historic Landmark)
Designated as NHL:	June 24, 1986 [4]
Added to NRHP:	November 17, 1982 [5]
NRHP Reference#:	82001192

The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A National Historic Landmark (NHL is a Building, site, Structure, Object, or District, that is officially recognized by the A National Historic Landmark (NHL is a Building, site, Structure, Object, or District, that is officially recognized by the Events 972 - Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces takes place Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of Events 284 - Diocletian is proclaimed emperor by his soldiers Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) Art Deco was a popular international design movement from 1925 until 1939 affecting the decorative arts such as Architecture, Interior design, and Industrial A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable Building. There is no official definition or a precise cutoff height above which a building may clearly be classified as a skyscraper The City of New York 34th Street is a major cross-town street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, connecting the Lincoln Tunnel and Queens-Midtown Its name is derived from the nickname for the state of New York. This is a list of US state nicknames, including officially adopted Nicknames and other traditional nicknames for individual states of the United States. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous It stood as the world's tallest building for more than forty years, from its completion in 1931 until construction of the World Trade Center's North Tower was completed in 1972. While determining the world's tallest structure has generally been straightforward the definition of the world's tallest building or the The World Trade Center in New York City, United States (sometimes informally the WTC or Twin Towers) was a complex of seven buildings in Lower Manhattan Following the destruction of the World Trade Center in 2001, the Empire State Building again became the tallest building in New York City.

The Empire State Building has been named by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. The building and its street floor interior are designated landmarks of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, and confirmed by the New York City Board of Estimate. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The New York City Board of Estimate was a governmental body in New York City, responsible for budget and land-use decisions ^[6] It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1986. A National Historic Landmark (NHL is a Building, site, Structure, Object, or District, that is officially recognized by the ^[4][7][8] In 2007, it was ranked number one on the List of America's Favorite Architecture according to the AIA. In 2007 the American Institute of Architects asked Harris Interactive to survey 2000 people who were shown 247 photographs of buildings and other structures in different categories The building is owned and managed by W&H Properties. ^[9]

History of the building

The present site of the Empire State Building was first developed as the John Thomson Farm in the late 18th century. At the time, a stream ran across the site, emptying into Sunfish Pond, located a block away. The block was occupied by the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in the late 19th century, and was frequented by The Four Hundred, the social elite of New York. The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel is a famously luxurious hotel in New York

Design and Construction

The Empire State Building was designed by Gregory Johnson and his architectural firm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon, which produced the building drawings in just two weeks, using its earlier design for the Reynolds Building in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, as a basis. Shreve Lamb and Harmon was the architectural firm best known for the 1931 Empire State Building, the tallest building in New York, at that time The Reynolds Building is a 314ft (96m skyscraper in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Winston-Salem is a city in the US state of North Carolina. As of the 2000 census the city population was 185776 in 2004 the city annexed an additional 17483 ^[10] The building was actually designed from the top down. ^[11] The general contractors were Starrett Brothers and Eken, and the project was financed by John J. Raskob. John Jakob Raskob KCSG ( 19 March 1879 - 15 October 1950 was a financial executive and businessman for DuPont and General Motors, The construction company was chaired by Alfred E. Smith, a former Governor of New York. Alfred Emanuel Smith Jr, known in private and public life as Al Smith, ( December 30, 1873 - October 4, 1944) was elected Governor The Governor of New York is the head of the Executive branch of New York 's government and the Commander-in-chief of the state's military ^[2]

Excavation of the site began on January 22, 1930, and construction on the building itself started symbolically on March 17—St. Events 565 - Eutychius is deposed as Patriarch of Constantinople by John Scholasticus. Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger Patrick's Day—per Al Smith's influence as Empire State, Inc. president. The project involved 3,400 workers, mostly immigrants from Europe, along with hundreds of Mohawk iron workers, mainly from the Kahnawake reserve near Montreal. Mohawk ( Kanienkeh, Kanienkehaka or Kanien’Kahake, meaning "People of the Flint" are an indigenous people of North America The Kahnawake Mohawk Territory (Gah'nah'wah'gay in Mohawk, Kahnawáˀkye in Tuscarora) is an Indian Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec According to official accounts, five workers died during the construction. ^[12] Governor Smith's grandchildren cut the ribbon on May 1, 1931. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

The construction was part of an intense competition in New York for the title of the world's tallest building. Two other projects fighting for the title, 40 Wall Street and the Chrysler Building, were still under construction when work began on the Empire State Building. 40 Wall Street is a 70-story Skyscraper originally known as the Bank of Manhattan Trust building, but then became known by the numerical address when its founding The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco Skyscraper in New York City, located on the east side of Manhattan at the intersection of 42nd Each would hold the title for less than a year, as the Empire State Building would surpass them upon its completion, just 410 days after construction commenced. The building was officially opened on May 1, 1931 in dramatic fashion, when United States President Herbert Hoover turned on the building's lights with the push of a button from Washington, D.C. Ironically, the first use of tower lights atop the Empire State Building, the following year, was for the purpose of signalling the victory of Franklin D. Roosevelt over Hoover in the presidential election of November 1932. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10 1874 &ndash October 20 1964 was the thirty-first President of the United States (1929–1933 Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D ^[13]

Empty State Building

The building's opening coincided with the Great Depression in the United States, and as a result much of its office space went unrented. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the In its first year of operation, the observation deck took in approximately 2 million dollars, as much money as its owners made in rent that year. The lack of renters led New Yorkers to deride the building as the "Empty State Building". ^[14] The building would not become profitable until 1950. The famous 1951 sale of The Empire State Building to Roger L. Stevens and his business partners was brokered by the prominent upper Manhattan real-estate firm Charles F. Noyes & Company for a record $51 million. At the time, that was the highest price ever paid for a single structure in real-estate history. ^[15]

Dirigible Terminal

The building's distinctive Art Deco spire was originally designed to be a mooring mast and depot for dirigibles. Art Deco was a popular international design movement from 1925 until 1939 affecting the decorative arts such as Architecture, Interior design, and Industrial A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building particularly a church Tower. Terminology In some countries airships are also known as dirigibles from the French (fr ''diriger'' to direct plus -ible) meaning "directable" The 102nd floor was originally a landing platform with a dirigible gangplank. A particular elevator, traveling between the 86th and 102nd floors, was supposed to transport passengers after they checked in at the observation deck on the 86th floor. ^[2] However, the idea proved to be impractical and dangerous after a few attempts with airships, due to the powerful updrafts caused by the size of the building itself. A large broadcast tower was added to the top of the spire in 1952.

1945 Plane Crash

A worker bolts beams during construction; the Chrysler Building can be seen in the background. The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco Skyscraper in New York City, located on the east side of Manhattan at the intersection of 42nd

At 9:40 a. m. on Saturday, July 28, 1945, a B-25 Mitchell bomber, piloted in thick fog by Lieutenant Colonel William F. Events 1540 - Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of Treason. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar A bomber is a Military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets primarily by dropping Bombs on them Smith, Jr. , accidentally crashed into the north side of the Empire State Building, between the 79th and 80th floors, where the offices of the National Catholic Welfare Council were located. One engine shot through the side opposite the impact and fell on a nearby building; the other plummeted down an elevator shaft. The resulting fire was extinguished in 40 minutes. Fourteen people were killed in the incident. ^[16][17] Elevator operator Betty Lou Oliver survived a plunge of 75 stories inside an elevator, which still stands as the Guinness World Record for the longest survived elevator fall recorded. Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records (and in previous U ^[18] Despite the damage and loss of life, the building was open for business on many floors on the following Monday.

Tallest skyscraper for 41 years

The Empire State Building remained the tallest skyscraper in the world for 41 years, and stood as the world's tallest man-made structure for 23 years. While determining the world's tallest structure has generally been straightforward the definition of the world's tallest building or the It was surpassed as tallest building by the North Tower of the World Trade Center in 1972. The World Trade Center in New York City, United States (sometimes informally the WTC or Twin Towers) was a complex of seven buildings in Lower Manhattan With the destruction of the World Trade Center in the September 11, 2001 attacks, the Empire State Building again became the tallest building in New York City, and the second-tallest building in the United States. This list of tallest buildings in New York City ranks Skyscrapers in the U This list of tallest buildings in the United States ranks Skyscrapers in the United States based on official height

Suicides

Over the years, more than thirty people have committed suicide from the top of the building. ^[19] The first suicide occurred even before its completion, by a worker after being laid off. The fence around the observatory terrace was put up in 1947 after five people tried to jump during a three-week span. ^[20] In 1979, Elvita Adams jumped from the 86th floor, only to be blown back onto the 85th floor and left with only a broken hip. ^[21] The building was also the site of suicides in 2004 and 2006. The last suicide was by a lawyer who leapt from the 69th floor on Friday, April 13, 2007. Events 1111 - Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 1204 - The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[22]

Features

Architectural

The Empire State Building rises to 1,250 feet (381. 0 m) at the 102nd floor, and including the 203-foot (62 m) pinnacle, its full height reaches 1453 feet and 8 9/16th inches (443 m). The building has 85 stories of commercial and office space (2,158,000 sq ft/200,000 m) and an indoor and outdoor observation deck on the 86th floor. The remaining 16 stories represent the Art Deco tower, which is capped by a 102nd-floor observatory. Atop the tower is the 203-foot (62 m) pinnacle, much of which is covered by broadcast antennas, with a lightning rod at the very top.

The Empire State Building was the first building to have more than 100 floors. It has 6,500 windows and 73 elevators, and there are 1,860 steps from street level to the 102nd floor. An elevator or lift is a Transport device used to move people or goods vertically from one floor to another It has a total floor area of approximately 2,768,591 square feet (257,000 m²); the base of the Empire State Building is about 2 acres (0. 8 ha). The building houses 1,000 businesses, and has its own zip code, 10118. As of 2007, approximately 21,000 employees work in the building each day, making the Empire State Building the second-largest single office complex in America, after the Pentagon. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Pentagon is the Headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. The building was completed in one year and 45 days. Its original 64 elevators are located in a central core; today, the Empire State Building has 73 elevators in all, including service elevators. It takes less than one minute by elevator to get to the 86th floor, where an observation deck is located. The building has 70 miles (113 km) of pipe and 2,500,000 feet (760,000 m) of electrical wire. ^[23] It is heated by low-pressure steam; despite its height, the building only requires between two and three pounds per square inch (0. 14 to 0. 21 kg. per cm²) of steam pressure for heating. It weighs approximately 370,000 short tons (336,000 M/T).

The Empire State Building cost $40,948,900 to build.

A series of setbacks causes the building to taper with height. A setback, sometimes called step-back is a step-like recession in a Wall.

Unlike most of today's high-rise buildings, the Empire State Building features a classic façade. The modernistic stainless steel canopies of the entrances on 33rd and 34th Streets lead to two story-high corridors around the elevator core, crossed by stainless steel and glass-enclosed bridges at the second-floor level. The elevator core contains 67 elevators. ^[6]

The lobby is three stories high and features an aluminum relief of the skyscraper without the antenna, which was not added to the spire until 1952. The north corridor contains eight illuminated panels, created by Roy Sparkia and Renée Nemorov in 1963, depicting the building as the Eighth Wonder of the World, alongside the traditional seven. Eighth Wonder of the World is a term sometimes used to describe things in comparison to the Seven Wonders of the World, the widely-known list of seven remarkable constructions

Long-term forecasting of the life cycle of the structure was implemented at the design phase to ensure that the building's future intended uses were not restricted by the requirements of previous generations. This is particularly evident in the over-design of the building's electrical system.

Floodlights

Empire State Building - A Night View from GE Building with red and green lights for Christmas

Normal white lighting

In 1964, floodlights were added to illuminate the top of the building at night, in colors chosen to match seasonal and other events, such as St. Patrick's Day and Christmas. The GE Building is an Art Deco Skyscraper that forms the centerpiece of the Rockefeller Center in Midtown Manhattan. Stage lighting instruments are used in Stage lighting to illuminate theatrical productions rock Concerts Saint Patrick's Day (Lá ’le Pádraig or Lá Fhéile Pádraig) colloquially St ^[24] After the eightieth birthday and subsequent death of Frank Sinatra, for example, the building was bathed in blue light to represent the singer's nickname "Ol' Blue Eyes". Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra (December 12 1915 &ndash May 14 1998 was an American singer and actor After the death of actress Fay Wray (King Kong) in late 2004, the building stood in complete darkness for 15 minutes. Vina Fay Wray ( September 15, 1907 &ndash August 8, 2004) was a Canadian &ndash American actress and the first King Kong is a landmark Black-and-white Adventure film about a gigantic Gorilla named " Kong " and how he is captured from ^[25]

The floodlights bathed the building in red, white, and blue for several months after the destruction of the World Trade Center, then reverted to the standard schedule. The World Trade Center in New York City, United States (sometimes informally the WTC or Twin Towers) was a complex of seven buildings in Lower Manhattan ^[26] Traditionally, in addition to the standard schedule, the building will be lit in the colors of New York's sports teams on the nights they have home games (orange, blue and white for the New York Knicks, red, white and blue for the New York Rangers, and so on). The New York Rangers are a professional Ice hockey team based in New York, New York, United States. The building is illuminated in tennis-ball yellow during the US Open tennis tournament in late August and early September. The US Open Tennis tournament is one of the oldest tennis championships in the world first contested in 1881 It was even lit scarlet red twice for Rutgers University, once for a football game on November 9, 2006, when they played the University of Louisville in what would result in the biggest win in university history, and again on April 3, 2007 when the women's basketball team played Tennessee in the national championship game. Rutgers The State University of New Jersey (also known as Rutgers University) is the largest institution for higher education in the state of New Jersey American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with Events 694 - Egica, a king of the Visigoths of Hispania, accuses Jews of aiding Muslims sentencing all Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The University of Louisville (also known as U of L) is a public University in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. Events 1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[27]

In June 2002, during the Golden Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, New York City illuminated the Empire State Building in purple and gold (the monarchical colors of the Royal House of Windsor). The Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II marked the fiftieth anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II 's accession to the throne The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The House of Windsor is the current Royal House of the United Kingdom and each of the other Commonwealth realms The older part is a branch of the Saxe-Coburg New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that it was a sign of saying thank you to HM The Queen for having the National Anthem of the United States played at Buckingham Palace after the September 11, 2001 attacks, as well as the support the United Kingdom provided afterwards. The Mayor of New York City is the head of the executive branch of the Government of New York City. Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman and the Mayor of New York City. Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

In 1995, the building was lit up in blue, red, green and yellow due to the launch of Microsoft's Windows 95 operating system. Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational Computer technology Corporation, which rose to dominate the Home computer Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented Graphical user interface -based Operating system. This was considered a breakthrough in home computing, and the launch was met with great fanfare.

The building has also been known to be illuminated in purple and white in honor of graduating students from New York University. New York University ( NYU) is a private, Nonsectarian, Coeducational Research University in New York City.

When the New York Mets beat the New York Yankees in the May 2007 Subway Series, the building was bathed in the winner's colors, orange and blue, the following night. "Mets" redirects here For the medical term see Metastasis. The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. The Subway Series is a series of Major League Baseball games played between teams based in New York City.

The building was lit green for three days in honor of the Islamic holiday of Eid ul-Fitr in October 2007. Eid ul-Fitr or Id-ul-Fitr (عيد الفطر ‘Īdu l-Fiṭr) often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim Holiday that marks the end of The lighting, the first for a Muslim holiday, is intended to be an annual event. ^[28]

On April 25–27, 2008, the building was lit "pink-yet-lavender" for the release of Mariah Carey's E=MC². E=MC² is the eleventh Studio album by American pop / R&B singer Mariah Carey.

Observation decks

The Empire State Building has one of the most popular outdoor observatories in the world, having been visited by over 110 million people. The 86th-floor observation deck offers impressive 360-degree views of the city. There is a second observation deck on the 102nd floor that is open to the public. It was closed in 1999, but reopened in November 2005. It is completely enclosed and much smaller than the first one; it may be closed on high-traffic days.

A panoramic view of New York City from the 86th-floor observation deck of the Empire State Building, spring 2005

New York Skyride

The Empire State Building also has a motion simulator attraction, located on the 2nd floor. A motion simulator or motion platform is a mechanism that encapsulates riders and creates the effect/feelings of being in a moving object Opened in 1994 as a complement to the observation deck, the New York Skyride (or NY Skyride) is a simulated aerial tour over the city. The theatrical presentation lasts approximately 25 minutes.

Since its opening, the ride has gone through two incarnations. The original version, which ran from 1994 until around 2002, featured James Doohan, Star Trek's Scotty, as the airplane's pilot, who humorously tried to keep the flight under control during a storm, with the tour taking an unexpected route through the subway, Coney Island, and FAO Schwartz, among other places. James Montgomery Doohan ( March 3, 1920 &ndash July 20, 2005) was a Canadian character and voice Actor Star Trek is a Science fiction Television series created by Gene Roddenberry that aired from September 8, 1966 through Montgomery Scott, or "Scotty", is a character in the original Star Trek series and the films which followed After September 11th, however, the ride was closed, and an updated version debuted in mid-2002. Whereas the updated film was largely the same, shots of the World Trade Center were removed, and actor Kevin Bacon replaced Doohan as the pilot. The World Trade Center in New York City, United States (sometimes informally the WTC or Twin Towers) was a complex of seven buildings in Lower Manhattan Kevin Norwood Bacon (born July 8 1958 is a Golden Globe - and Screen Actors Guild Award -nominated American Film and Theater The new version of the narration attempted to make the attraction more educational, and included some minor post-9/11 patriotic undertones. The new flight does still go haywire, but this segment is much shorter than in the original.

Broadcast stations

New York City is the largest media market in the United States. Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, nearly all of the city's commercial broadcast stations (both television and FM radio) have transmitted from the top of the Empire State Building, although a few FM stations are located at the nearby Condé Nast Building. The Condé Nast Building, officially 4 Times Square, is a modern Skyscraper in Times Square in Midtown Manhattan. Most New York City AM stations broadcast from just across the Hudson River in New Jersey. The Hudson River, called Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk, the Great Mohegan by the Iroquois, or as the Lenape Native Americans called it in Unami New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States.

Communications devices for broadcast stations are located at the top of the Empire State Building.

Broadcasting began at Empire on December 22, 1931, when RCA began transmitting experimental television broadcasts from a small antenna erected atop the spire. Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. RCA Corporation, founded as Radio Corporation of America, was an electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986 They leased the 85th floor and built a laboratory there, and—in 1934—RCA was joined by Edwin Howard Armstrong in a cooperative venture to test his FM system from the Empire antenna. Edwin Howard Armstrong ( December 18, 1890 &ndash January 31, 1954) was an American Electrical engineer and Inventor When Armstrong and RCA fell out in 1935 and his FM equipment was removed, the 85th floor became the home of RCA's New York television operations, first as experimental station W2XBS channel 1, which eventually became (on July 1, 1941) commercial station WNBT, channel 1 (now WNBC-TV channel 4). WNBC Channel 4 is the flagship station of the NBC television network located in New York City. NBC's FM station (WEAF-FM, now WQHT) began transmitting from the antenna in 1940. NBC retained exclusive use of the top of the Empire until 1950, when the FCC ordered the exclusive deal broken, based on consumer complaints that a common location was necessary for the (now) seven New York television stations to transmit from so that receiving antennas would not have to be constantly adjusted. Construction on a giant tower began. Other television broadcasters then joined RCA at Empire, on the 83rd, 82nd, and 81st floors, frequently bringing sister FM stations along for the ride. Multiple transmissions of TV and FM began from the new tower in 1951. In 1965, a separate set of FM antennas were constructed ringing the 102nd floor observation area. When the World Trade Center was being constructed, it caused serious problems for the television stations, most of which then moved to the World Trade Center as soon as it was completed. The World Trade Center in New York City, United States (sometimes informally the WTC or Twin Towers) was a complex of seven buildings in Lower Manhattan This made it possible to renovate the antenna structure and the transmitter facilities for the benefit of the FM stations remaining there, which were soon joined by other FMs and UHF TVs moving in from elsewhere in the metropolitan area. The destruction of the World Trade Center necessitated a great deal of shuffling of antennas and transmitter rooms in order to accommodate the stations moving back uptown.

As of 2007, the Empire State Building is home to the following stations:

• TV: WCBS-TV 2, WNBC-TV 4, WNYW 5, WABC-TV 7, WWOR-TV 9 Secaucus, WPIX-TV 11, WNET 13 Newark, WNYE-TV 25, WPXN-TV 31, WXTV 41 Paterson, WNJU 47 Linden, and WFUT-TV 68 Newark
• FM: WXRK 92. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. WCBS-TV, channel 2 is the flagship station of the CBS television network located in New York City. WNBC Channel 4 is the flagship station of the NBC television network located in New York City. WABC-TV, channel 7 is the flagship station of the Walt Disney Company -owned American Broadcasting Company, located in New York City. WWOR-TV, channel 9 is a MyNetworkTV -affiliated television station licensed to Secaucus New Jersey, and serving the New York City metropolitan area Secaucus is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, USA. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town population was 15931 WPIX, channel 11 is a television station in New York City. It has been owned by the Tribune Company since its inception and is currently an affiliate of the WNET, channel 13 is a television station licensed to Newark New Jersey. Newark is the largest city in New Jersey, United States and the County seat of Essex County. WNYE-TV, channel 25 is an independent non-commercial television station located in New York City. WPXN-TV, which broadcasts on channel 31 in New York City, is the flagship station of the ION Television network formerly known as Pax TV and i WXTV, channel 41 is a Univisión owned-and-operated television station licensed to Paterson New Jersey and serving the New York metropolitan area WNJU, channel 47 is the flagship station of the Spanish-language Telemundo Television network, licensed to Linden New Jersey and serving the Linden is a city in southeastern Union County, New Jersey, United States. WFUT-TV, channel 68 is a Spanish-language television station licensed to Newark New Jersey, which serves as an affiliate of the Telefutura network for the New WXRK (923 MHz known on-air as " 92-3 K-Rock " is a Radio station in New York City. 3, WPAT-FM 93. WPAT-FM, known on-air as " 931 Amor ", is a Radio station with a Spanish-language Adult contemporary format 1 Paterson, WNYC-FM 93. 9, WPLJ 95. WPLJ (955 FM) is a Radio station in New York City. WPLJ is the flagship FM station of Citadel Broadcasting Corporation. 5, WQXR-FM 96. WQXR-FM (963 FM) is a Radio station in New York City, licensed to The New York Times. 3, WQHT-FM 97. WQHT, more commonly known as "Hot 97", is a high-profile Rhythmic Radio station in New York City under the corporate ownership of 1, WSKQ-FM 97. WSKQ-FM, known on-air as Mega 979, is a radio station in New York City owned by Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS 9, WRKS-FM 98. WRKS (987 MHz better known as 987 Kiss FM, is an Urban Adult Contemporary radio station in New York City, owned by Emmis Communications 7, WBAI 99. WBAI, a part of the Pacifica Radio Network, is a Non-commercial, listener-supported Radio station, broadcasting at 99 5, WHTZ 100. WHTZ, also known as Z100, is a Radio station that serves New York City metropolitan area, broadcasting on the FM band at a Frequency 3 Newark, WCBS-FM 101. WCBS-FM (1011 MHz is a radio station in New York City owned by CBS Radio. 1, WRXP 101. WRXP is a New York City Radio station located at 1019 FM. The station has an Adult Album Alternative format 9, WWFS 102. WWFS (1027 FM) is a New York City Radio station owned and operated by CBS Radio. 7, WKTU 103. WKTU (1035 FM, "KTU" is a radio station based in New York City. 5 Lake Success, WAXQ 104. Lake Success is a Village in Nassau County, New York in the United States. WAXQ (1043 FM, "Q-1043" is a Radio station with a Classic rock format in New York City. 3, WWPR-FM 105. WWPR-FM, also known as "Power 1051", is a Mainstream Urban Radio station that features hip-hop and R&B licensed 1, WCAA 105. WCAA, known on-air as 1059 La Kalle, is a Radio station licensed to Newark New Jersey that airs in the New York City metropolitan area. 9 Newark, WLTW 106. WLTW (1067 FM, "1067 Lite FM" is a Radio station with an Adult contemporary format in New York City. 7, and WBLS 107. WBLS is an Urban Adult Contemporary FM Radio station that is licensed to New York City, operating on 107 5

Empire State Building Run-Up

The Empire State Building Run-Up is a foot race from ground level to the 86th-floor observation deck that has been held annually since 1978. Its participants are referred to both as runners and as climbers. The race covers a vertical distance of 1,050 feet (320 m) and takes in 1,576 steps. The record time is 9 minutes and 33 seconds, achieved by Australian professional cyclist Paul Crake in 2003,^[29][30] a climbing rate of 6,593 feet (2,010 m) per hour. Paul Crake (born 6 December 1976 in Canberra) is an Australian professional Racing cyclist.

In popular culture

Depiction of the Empire State Building from the 1964 film Empire, directed by Andy Warhol

View from Macy's

• Perhaps the most famous popular culture representation of the building is in the 1933 film King Kong, in which the title character, a giant ape, climbs to the top to escape his captors but falls to his death. Empire ( 1964) is a silent black and white film made by Andy Warhol. For the song by David Bowie, see Andy Warhol (song. Andrew Warhola (August 6 1928 &ndash February 22 1987 known as Andy Warhol Macy's is a chain of mid-range American Department stores Its Flagship store in Herald Square, New York City has been billed Events British Film Institute founded March 2 - King Kong premieres in New York City. King Kong is a landmark Black-and-white Adventure film about a gigantic Gorilla named " Kong " and how he is captured from In 1983, for the 50th anniversary of the film, an inflatable King Kong was placed on the real Empire State Building. However, a mouse chewed through it one day, partially deflating the ape. It also needed a constant supply of air, and was never fully inflated. In 2005, a new version of King Kong was released, set in a re-creation of 1930s New York City, including a final showdown between Kong and the bi-planes atop a greatly detailed Empire State Building. King Kong is a 2005 Remake of the 1933 film of the same name about a fictional giant ape called Kong. (The retro-dating of this remake stands in contrast to the 1976 remake of King Kong, which was set in then-modern times and held its climactic scene on both towers of the (now-destroyed) World Trade Center instead of the Empire State Building. King Kong is a 1976 American motion picture produced by Dino De Laurentiis and directed by John Guillermin. )
• Andy Warhol's 1964 silent film Empire is one continuous, eight-hour shot of the Empire State Building at night, shot in black-and-white. For the song by David Bowie, see Andy Warhol (song. Andrew Warhola (August 6 1928 &ndash February 22 1987 known as Andy Warhol Empire ( 1964) is a silent black and white film made by Andy Warhol. Black-and-white is a number of Monochrome forms in Visual arts. In 2004, the National Film Registry deemed its cultural significance worthy of preservation in the Library of Congress. The National Film Registry is the registry of Films selected by the United States National Film Preservation Board for preservation in the Library of The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress
• The film Independence Day features the Empire State Building as ground zero for an alien attack; it is devastated by the aliens' primary weapon which incinerates most of New York City. Independence Day (also known by its promotional abbreviation ID4) is a 1996 Science fiction film about a hostile Alien invasion
• English progressive rock band Pink Floyd launched the U. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Progressive rock (often shortened to " progressive " " prog " or " prog rock " is a form of Rock music that evolved Pink Floyd are S. release of their double live album, P*U*L*S*E*, with a laser light show beaming from the top of the Empire State Building in June 1995.

Street level view of the Empire State Building

• In the Latin American literary classic "Empire of Dreams (Yale, 1994)" by Giannina Braschi, the top of the Empire State Building is taken over by shephards who dance and sing, "Now we do whatever we please. Empire of Dreams The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy is a documentary about the making of the original three classic Star Wars films Poet and novelist Giannina Braschi (b San Juan Puerto Rico, February 5 1953 is credited with writing the first Spanglish novel YO-YO BOING! (1998 and Whatever we please. Whatever we damn well please. "
• The Empire State Building featured in the 1966 Doctor Who serial The Chase, in which the TARDIS lands on the roof of the building; The Doctor and his companions leave quite quickly, however, because The Daleks are close behind them. Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The Chase is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly The TARDIS ( T ime A nd R elative D imension(s I n S pace is a time machine and Spacecraft in the The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and also features in A Dalek (, ˈdɑːlεk is a member of a Fictional extraterrestrial race of Mutants from the British science fiction television A Dalek is also seen on the roof of the building while it interrogated a human. In 2007, Doctor Who episodes "Daleks in Manhattan" and "Evolution of the Daleks" also featured the building, which the Daleks are constructing to use as a lightning conductor. "Daleks in Manhattan" is an episode of the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who. "Evolution of the Daleks" is an episode of the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who. A Dalek (, ˈdɑːlεk is a member of a Fictional extraterrestrial race of Mutants from the British science fiction television Russell T Davies said in an article that "in his mind", the Daleks remembered the building from their last visit. Russell T Davies, OBE (born Stephen Russell Davies, 27 April, 1963) is a critically acclaimed British Television producer
• The Discovery Channel show MythBusters tested the "urban myth" which claims that if one drops a penny off the top of the Empire State Building, it could kill someone or put a crater in the pavement. MythBusters is a Popular science Television program produced by Australian firm Beyond Television Productions originally for the An urban legend or urban myth is a form of modern Folklore consisting of stories thought to be factual by those circulating them The outcome was that, by the time the penny hits the ground, it is going roughly 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) (terminal velocity for an object of its mass and shape), which is not fast enough to inflict lethal injury or put a crater into the pavement. A free falling object achieves its terminal velocity when the downward force of gravity ( Fg)equals the upward force of drag ( Fd) The urban legend is a joke in the 2003 musical Avenue Q, where a character waiting atop the building for a rendezvous tosses a penny over the side—only to hit her rival. Musical theatre is a form of Theatre combining Music, Songs spoken Dialogue and Dance. Avenue Q is a musical conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics and directed by Jason Moore.
• Many other movies that feature the Empire State Building are listed on the building's own website. ^[31]
• A replica of the Empire State Building appears in Grand Theft Auto IV as the "Rotterdam Tower".

Gallery

The Empire State Building

A view upward of the Empire State Building from Broadway

The top of the Empire State Building

Looking up

References

Further reading

• Aaseng, Nathan. (1999). Construction: Building the Impossible. Minneapolis, MN: Oliver Press. ISBN 1-881-50859-5.
• Bascomb, Neal. (2003). Higher: A Historic Race to the Sky and the Making of a City. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-50660-0.
• Goldman, Jonathan. (1980). The Empire State Building Book. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-24455-X.
• James, Theodore, Jr. (1975). The Empire State Building. New York: Harper & Row. ISBN 0-060-12172-6.
• Kingwell, Mark. (2006). Nearest Thing to Heaven: The Empire State Building and American Dreams. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-10622-X.
• Macaulay, David. (1980). Unbuilding. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-395-29457-6.
• Pacelle, Mitchell. (2001). Empire: A Tale of Obsession, Betrayal, and the Battle for an American Icon. New York: Wiley. ISBN 0-471-40394-6.
• Tauranac, John. (1995). The Empire State Building: The Making of a Landmark. New York: Scribner. ISBN 0-684-19678-6.
• Wagner, Geraldine B. (2003). Thirteen Months to Go: The Creation of the Empire State Building. San Diego, CA: Thunder Bay Press. ISBN 1-592-23105-5.
• Willis, Carol (ed). (1998). Building the Empire State. New York: W. W. Norton. ISBN 0-393-73030-1.

See also

• World's tallest free standing structure on land
• History of tallest skyscrapers
• List of skyscrapers
• List of tallest buildings by U.S. state

External links

• Empire State Building, official Web site
• Lighting Schedule
• Empire State Building Trivia
• The Construction of the Empire State Building, 1930-1931, New York Public Library
• 3D model of the building for use in Google Earth
• Panoramic virtual tour of the Empire State Building at night
• VIVA2, The Skyscraper Museum's online archive of over 500 construction photographs of the Empire State Building. This is a list of tallest freestanding structures in the world past and present A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable Building. There is no official definition or a precise cutoff height above which a building may clearly be classified as a skyscraper These are lists of Skyscrapers, ranked by structural height (vertical elevation from the base to the highest architectural or integral structural element of the The following is a list of the tallest buildings by US state, including the District of Columbia. The New York Public Library ( NYPL) is one of the leading public libraries of the world and is one of America's most significant Research libraries.
• Empire State Building in the Structurae database
• Pictures of Empire State Building and its observatory deck