Today in History: Empire State Building Opens Its Doors

By Idy Perl

On this day, May 1st, 93 years ago, the Empire State Building officially opened its doors. 

Built during a race to create the world’s tallest building, the Empire State Building was completed in a mind- blowing 410 days and opened its doors on May 1st, 1931.

It was the tallest building in the world until 1970, when the first World Trade Center tower was completed. After September 11, 2001, the Empire State Building got the title of the tallest building in New York City, only for the new One World Trade Center in 2012 to take the title away again. 

Over 4 million visitors visit the Empire State Building each year, and it is Uber’s #1 most popular destination request.  

Interestingly, the NYC Ferry shares a birthday with the Empire State Building, as it began operations on May 1st, 2017.