Empire State Building is 75 years old today

By Aussiegirl

Although the Empire State Building is no longer the tallest building in the world, and perhaps not the most elegant of skyscrapers -- I prefer the Art Deco beauty of the Chrysler Building -- as a symbol of America, the Empire State Building is certainly one of our best ambassadors of power and freedom. Here's a very interesting article from a recent American Thinker on the history of the skyscraper -- "skyscraper", what a marvelous name, a building that's so tall that it "scrapes the sky"! And here's the concluding paragraph of this short history: Unquestionably, the skyscraper is America’s gift to the world. Let a million towers bloom, from Sydney to Shanghai to Sao Paulo to Seattle. They only do so because of American inventors, applying their genius in the characteristically American way. As Rome gave the world the concept of the oval stadium, so America has given the world the skyscraper. They are all monuments to our civilization, no matter where they may be built.

Empire State Building shine on at 75 | Chicago Tribune

BY MATT FRIEDMAN

The top of the Empire State Building was dark last night, as it has been for the last three evenings. But tonight it will be bathed in white light to commemorate the day the building opened for business 75 years ago.

It's a birthday without a lot of fanfare. There are no special events or photo opportunities planned beyond the lights, meant to recall the all-white lights that first shone atop the building on May 1, 1931.

The lights were turned off beginning Friday in a nod to the New York City skyline before the building opened. [....]

But the Empire State Building isn't just an office building or a place to get a nice view, said Lydia Ruth, the building's spokeswoman. It's a cherished symbol of the city, a structure deeply ingrained in the New York psyche, she added.

"I think the building represents to a lot of people their hopes and dreams and a testament to what people can do in hard times, since it was built at the height of the Depression," Ruth said.

"We look forward to the next 75 , and the next 75 after that."