Empire State Building

Historical eventMay 11931

Empire State Building

New York City's Empire State Building (pictured), at the time the tallest building in the world, opened.

Everything on May 1Original source

In context

When
Friday, May 1 193195 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1930s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1931.

What happened

The Empire State Building is a 102-story, supertall skyscraper in the Midtown South neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States. The building was designed in the Art Deco style by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and constructed between 1930 and 1931. Its name is derived from "Empire State", the nickname of New York state. The building has a roof height of 1,250 feet (380 m) and stands a total of 1,454 feet (443.2 m) tall including its antenna.

May 1 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1931Empire State Building
  2. 2004Cyprus
  3. 2009Same-sex marriage in Sweden
  4. 2010Faisal Shahzad
  5. 2011Beatification of Pope John Paul II
  6. 20162016 Fort McMurray wildfire
  7. 2018Syrian civil war
  8. 2019Naxalism
  9. 2019Naruhito
  10. 2024Loblaw Companies
  11. 20262026 Canvas data breach

Also in 1931

  • March 14Alam AraAlam Ara, the first Indian sound film, premiered at the Majestic Cinema in Bombay.
  • January 7Guy MenziesAustralian aviator Guy Menzies (pictured) flew from Sydney to New Zealand's West Coast, making the first solo trans-Tasman flight.
  • October 24George Washington BridgeThe George Washington Bridge (pictured), connecting New York City to Fort Lee, New Jersey, and today the world's busiest motor-vehicle br…
  • April 14Alfonso XIIIAfter King Alfonso XIII left Spain, the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed by a provisional government led by Niceto Alcalá-Zamora.
  • May 14ÅdalenFive people were killed in Ådalen, Sweden, as soldiers opened fire on an unarmed trade union demonstration.
  • October 17Al CaponeAmerican gangster Al Capone was convicted on five counts of income-tax evasion.
  • March 23Bhagat SinghBhagat Singh, one of the most influential revolutionaries of the Indian independence movement, and two others were executed by the Britis…
  • March 7Parliament House, HelsinkiThe Parliament House of Finland is officially inaugurated in Helsinki, Finland.

Everything we record for 1931 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Empire State Building”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/empire-state-building-1931-may-1, accessed October 27, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Empire State Building happen?

May 1 1931 — 95 years ago, on a Friday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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