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New York facts
New York facts
The man who popularised the nickname "Big Apple" was a 1920s racing journalist called Jack FitzGerald, who frequently used the term in his columns. But FitzGerald himself admitted he got the phrase from black stable boys who worked at the racecourses, and there is some evidence that it was originally African-American slang for any big city.
The area that became New York City was originally named New Angouleme in 1524 by Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano. It was later renamed New Amsterdam by Dutch settlers before it was conquered by the English in 1664 and given the name we know today.
The Statue of Liberty's real name is "Liberty Enlightening the World". Created in France as a gift for America, its internal structure was designed by Gustav Eiffel – the man who gave the world a certain other iconic landmark.
New York was once America's capital city – but only for a bit. It was given the title in 1788, and was the setting for George Washington's inauguration as the first President of the United States. It was two years later, in 1790, that Washington DC became the permanent capital.
Wall Street used to be an actual wall. The area was once a boundary of the original New Amsterdam settlement, and the wall was created by Dutch settlers as a defence against attacks by British invaders and Native Americans.
In an eerie foreshadowing of 9/11, a plane crashed into the Empire State Building in 1945. Fourteen people died in the accident (caused by fog) but one person survived despite plummeting 75 floors in an elevator. This remains the record for the longest survived elevator fall.
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