ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — This week in New York history features the death of artist Edward Hopper, the founding of the New York Stock Exchange, and P. T. Barnum leading a parade of 21 elephants over the Brooklyn Bridge. All information has been provided by the New York State Museum History Department.
May 15
- 1756: The British declare the French and Indian War an official war, and the Lake George area (Fort William Henry, Fort George, and Fort Edward) are at its center.
- 1856: L. Frank Baum, author of “The Wizard of Oz” is born in Chittenango.
- 1967: Artist Edward Hopper dies.
- 2009: General Electric Company begins its long-delayed clean-up of PCBs in the Hudson River.
May 16
- 1951: The first regularly scheduled transatlantic flights begin between John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City and Heathrow Airport in London, operated by El Al Israel Airlines.
May 17
- 1691: Execution by hanging of Jacob Leisler, Lieutenant Governor of New York, in New York City after leading an insurrection and seizing control of the New York colony.
- 1792: New York Stock Exchange founded when 24 brokers and merchants signed the Buttonwood Agreement.
- 1884: P. T. Barnum helped to squelch doubts about the Brooklyn Bridge’s stability—while publicizing his famous circus—when one of his most famous attractions, Jumbo, led a parade of 21 elephants over the Brooklyn Bridge.
- 1969: Founded by Pete Seeger, the sloop Clearwater is launched.
May 18
- 1942: New York ends night baseball games for the duration of World War II.
- 1951: The United Nations moves its headquarters to New York City.
- 1970: Governor Nelson Rockefeller signs legislation declaring the bluebird to be the official New York State bird.
May 19
- 1882: Tuscarora Chief Clinton Rickard is born in Niagara County
- 1911: The first American criminal conviction based on fingerprint evidence occurred in New York City.
- 1966: Author Jodi Picoult is born in Nesconset on Long Island.
- 1992: In Massapequa, Mary Jo Buttafuoco was shot and seriously wounded by Amy Fisher. Fisher was her husband Joey’s teenage lover.
May 20
- 1927: Charles Lindbergh leaves Long Island’s Roosevelt Field on the world’s first transatlantic flight.
- 1955: The 55th New York Governor David Paterson, the first African-American New York State Governor, was born in Brooklyn.
May 21
- 1951: The opening of the Ninth Street Show, otherwise known as the 9th Street Art Exhibition, a gathering of a number of notable artists, and the stepping, out of the post-war New York avant-garde, collectively known as the New York School.