April 20th in New York City History
Posted: Apr 20, 2013 | 1:27 AM
1777: New York adopts its constitution as an independent state, and it elects George Clinton as its first Governor.
1812: George Clinton --
War hero, New York's Governor 1777-1795 and 1801-1804, third Vice-President of the United States, and Chancellor of Columbia University -- died at 73.
1850: Sculptor of the Lincoln Memorial, Daniel Chester French, born in New Hampshire. He had a residence and
studio in NYC from the 1880s through his death in 1931. He was active in local arts organizations, including serving as a Trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
We touch upon French's work on Downtown tours and Financial District tours when we see his
"The Four Continents" sculptures
in front of the US Customs House. Their symbolisms are ironic on several levels, but their beauty is constant.
We also touch upon Daniel Chester French on Greenwich Village tours and
Columbia University tours where we see his "Alma Mater."
1860: Steam turbine inventor Charles G. Curtis born in Boston. He died in 1953.
1903: The New York Highlanders,
predecessors to the 1913 Yankees, played their first game, losing to Washington 3-1.
1939: New York World's Fair opened
with
Grover Whalen as greeter.
1951: General Douglas MacArthur was honored by 7.5 million with a ticker-tape parade shortly after Truman fired him from leading the Korean War; he was also a World War II Pacific theater hero.
Grover Whalen was his greeter.
1964: Happy Birthday to New York born actor, Crispin Glover.
1977: Woody Allen's "Annie Hall" premiered.
1988: The Yankees scored their 10,000th home run by Claudell Washington. Dave Winfield scored the penultimate run, and Jack Carter's subsequent homer garnered victory 7-6 over the Minnesota Twins in ten innings.