October 27th in NYC History - Happy 108th Birthday Subways! Great quotes today
Posted: Oct 27, 2012 | 6:24 PM
draft below the subway entry
"I'm Running This Train!" - Mayor McClellan
Mayor McClellan conducting the first subway,
The World (evening edition), front page.
1904: The first NYC Subway line opens connecting City Hall to 145th St in Harlem. It was developed by financier August Belmont.
150,000 rode that day, paying a fare of 5c, which was not cheap. Check out the gorgeous pictures of the first station.
That evening the subway's first crime was committed: a $500 diamond pin was stolen. There were other firsts as well, such as the first man, who was from Philadelphia, to give up his seat for a woman. (go almost halfway down the page.)
Mayor McClellan conducted the first run of the subway in 26 minutes non-stop for nearly ten miles. This was about ten minutes ahead of schedule. He was only supposed to ceremoniously turn the handle, but he stayed on. The chief engineer asked to take over, to which the Mayor replied: "I'm running this train!" At some points the train, carrying dignitaries in an open car, reached express speed 40 mph.
The Mayor attributed his skill to his automobile driving experience.
Mayor McClellan presided over a great deal of impressive infrastructure initiations. I would like to learn more about him. Certainly his quotation and gunning the subway's first ride is one of my favorite things.
1787The first
of the Federalist Papers, a series of essays calling for ratification of
the U.S. Constitution, was published in a New York newspaper.
1787...New York's Independent Journal begins publishing
the Federalist Papers, a series of articles calling for the
ratification of the Constitution.
Theodore Roosevelt 10/27/1858 - 1/6/1919
26th president of the United States (1901-9)
1858...Teddy Roosevelt – the only native New Yorker to become President of the United States – is born on East 20th Street.
1878...The Manhattan Savings Institution at Broadway
and Bleecker Street is the site of the greatest bank robbery of the 19th
century. Thieves break in, crack the safe and make off with almost $3
million.
1880Theodore Roosevelt married Alice Lee. Nice birthday present.
1884...The Dakota apartments open on West 72nd Street – so far uptown that skeptics say it might as well be in the Dakota Territory.
1914Author-poet Dylan Thomas was born in Swansea, Wales.
1922: Homerun leader and longtime broadcaster Ralph Kiner born. After seven years of leading the National League's homeruns (1946-52), he was the first Mets announcer in 1962, continuing for 35 years. 1922Ralph Kiner, Baseball Hall of Famer, turns 90
73 Roy Lichtenstein 10/27/1923 - 9/29/1997
American artist
1924: College football great (Harvard) and Columbia coach, Percy Haughton died at age 48 after a Lions practice. His last words: "Tell the squad I am proud of them."
Oct. 27, 1932, Sylvia Plath, the American poet known for an intense, confessional quality of writing, was born
Mafia boss John Gotti is born,
1940
1947"You Bet Your Life," starring Groucho Marx, premiered on ABC Radio.
1949Garry Tallent, Rock musician (The E Street Band), turns 63
1950Fran Lebowitz, Author, turns 62
Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber release Jesus Christ Superstar,
1970
1986: The Mets beat Boston 8-5 to win the World Series for the second time in their 25 season history. This was the seventh game of the series . Ray Knight and Darryl Strawberry knocked homers, and pitchers Roger McDowell, Jesse Orosco, and Sid Fernandez were heroic.
x at Shea Stadium
..Two days after staving off elimination with an extra-innings victory for the ages,
1989...Jane Pauley announces she is leaving NBC's iconic "Today Show" after 13 years as host
1997The Dow
Jones industrial average tumbled 554.26 points, forcing the stock market
to shut down for the first time since the 1981 assassination attempt on
President Ronald Reagan.
2000
Requiem for a Dream opens in theaters, starring Ellen Burstyn as a mother who becomes addicted to amphetamines. She receives an Oscar nomination for her performance.