On this day, April30th, 1939, NBC kicks off regularly scheduled television service in New York City! NBC broadcasted President Franklin D. Roosevelt's opening day ceremonial address at the New York World's Fair. In 1926, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) was formed by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) and was the first major broadcast network in the United States. Although ownership has diversified over time you can still visit NBC Studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in NYC.

NBC's decision to being programming that day coincided with the opening of the New York World's Fair. Organized in response to raise spirits during the height of the Great Depression, New York World's Fair drew in crowds of 44 million over its two seasons. An estimated 1,000 people viewed Roosevelt's speech from only 200 television sets in the city. 
 

On this day, April 29th, 1863 William Randolph Hearst was born. Hearst was a businessman and leading newspaper publisher. Although born in California Hearst moved to NYC and acquired The New York Journal which competed with Joseph Pulitzer's New York World creating what was referred to as Yellow Journalism.

Hearst ran for Mayor of New York City in 1905 and 1909, Governor of New York in 1906 and Lieutenant Governor of New York in 1910 although his attempts were unsuccessful. Hearst was also the inspiration for the lead character in Orson Welles' Citizen Kane. 

On this day, April 28th, 1892 Joseph Dunninger was born in New York City. Dunninger was one of the most famous Mentalists of his day. Mentalism is a performance art where individuals demonstrate highly developed mental or intuitive abilities. Those who are clairvoyant or psychic as well as mediums are considered Mentalists. Dunninger was in demand for private entertainment and by the time he was 17 he was invited to perform at the home of Theodore Roosevelt in Oyster Bay.

Dunninger traveled in notable circles and was friends with Harry Houdidni, Francis Martinka and The Shadow author, Walter B. Gibson. It has been said that Dunninger was a model for The Shadow, a popular character in the 1930's who used his psychic abilities to fight crime. The Shadow appeared on radio dramas, in pulp magazines and later on comic books. Dunninger was also a pioneer of performers who practiced magic on radio and television shows. His radio career began in 1943 and he was frequently on television during the 1950s and 1960s. 

On this day, April 27th, 1947 Babe Ruth Day was celebrated at Yankee Stadium.
Although Babe Ruth was not in good health he did attend the ceremony and gave a speech.
Throughout his 22 season career in Major League Baseball the "Babe" became known for his hitting abilities in particular. Also known as, "The Bambino" and "The Sultan of Swat", Ruth's prolific career included winning seven pendents and four World Series titles with the New York Yankees and Boston Braves.

In September of 1947 another Babe Ruth Day was held at Yankee Stadium in order to raise money for The Babe Ruth Foundation. Started by Ruth himself, the organization benefitted disadvantaged children. 

On this day, April 26th, 1822 Frederick Law Olmstead was born. 
While you might not recognize the name you would certainly recognize his work. 
Olmstead was the co-designer of many public parks, parkways, community developments and academic campuses throughout the country. 


Here in New York, Olmstead's most salient work would be helping to design Central Park in Manhattan and Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Olmstead was chosen by Calvert Vaux as his partner despite Olmstead's inexperience. The team entered into a design competition for Central Park and were announced as the winners in July of 1858. At this time, Olmstead had not actually completed a landscape design. After their success, they didn't "park it" there. The pair would go on to design Prospect Park in 1865. 



 

On this day, April 25th, 1901, New York State became the first state in the US to require license plates on cars. 

Interestingly, Massachusetts was the first state, in 1903, to produce license plates.  From passage, until sometime after 1903, New Yorkers had to obtain or create their own license plates.  Initially the plates did not have numbers, but rather had the owner’s initials (pun intended).  In addition, New York did not recognize out of state plates, nor did New Jersey, requiring drivers to register their cars in each jurisdiction they wished to drive in.

On this day, April 24th, 1913 after three years of construction the Woolworth building opened.
Designed by Cass Gilbert the Woolworth Building is one of the oldest skyscrapers in the country and was modeled after European Gothic Cathedrals. 

 

On this day, April 23th, 1789, George Washington moved into 1 Cherry Street, making it the first Presidential Mansion, and initial seat of the executive branch of the US Federal Government.

The house, known as the Samuel Osgood House, or alternatively as the Walter Franklin House.  was Built in 1770 by Walter Franklin.  At the time that Washington moved in, the house was owned by Samuel Osgood, who had married Franklin's widow, Maria Bowne Franklin.

Washington, his family, and his staff occupied the house until February 23, 1890.  Washington then moved to the larger Alexander Macomb House at 39-41 Broadway.  Washington stayed there until August 30, 1890, when the US Capital was moved to Philadelphia pursuant to the Residence Act, which was passed in July of 1890.

The house, was demolished in 1856.  It had stood near where the base of the Brooklyn Bridge is now.

On this day, April 22nd, 1964, the 1964/1965 New York World's Fair opened.

The fair was run during two consecutive years from April 22-October 18, 1964, and April 21-October 17, 1965.  It was held in the Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, which had also held the 1939/1940 New York World's Fair.  

While called a World's Fair, the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE), an international body based in Paris France that sanctions worlds fairs did not sanction this event.  There were a few reasons:
-Fairs were only permitted to run for one 6 month period
-No rent could be charged to exhibitors
-Only one exposition in any given country within a 10 year period.

Robert Moses, who had been hired by the organizers to head the corporation that organized the event, saw the opportunity to complete  the vast park in that location that he had started with the 1939-1940 World's Fair.  As such, he needed to ensure a profit.  It was decided to charge site rental fees to all exhibitors.  This was the last point to irritate the BIE (the two year running period being the first, and the fact that the 1962 Seattle World's Fair had already been sanctioned).

The US was not a member of the BIE, and as such, the sanction of the organization was not required, but such sanction would assure that the 40 or so member nations would participate.  Moses, not caring about BIE rules, went to Paris to seek approval, and Moses publicly stated his disdain for the BIE and its rules.  In return, the BIE formally requested its member nations to not participate in the fair.  This meant that members, Canada, Australia, most major European nations and the USSR were not participants.  Many other nations also opted to not participate, as they were already scheduled to participate in the Seattle World's Fair and the Montreal World's Fair.

In spite of all of this, smaller nations, and third world nations participated, including a highly popular exhibit from Vatican City, including Michelangelo's Pietà.

The fair also gave Walt Disney an opportunity to design and perfect his "Audio-Animatronics," which would form the basis of many of the attractions in Disneyland and Walt Disney World, with some of the attractions, including "It's a Small World," "Great Moment's with Mr. Lincoln." and the Carousel of Progress moving to Disneyland after the fair (with the last eventually making its way to Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.

From a financial perspective the fair teetered on bankruptcy, returning only 19.2 cents on the dollar.  

While not financially successful, it is well remembered by New York-area Baby Boomers, who visited the fair, with themes of "Peace Through Understanding," and "Man's Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe," before the turbulent years of the Vietnam Era, cultural changes, and the Civil Rights movement.

On this day, April 21st, in 1951, Anthony Salvatore Danza was born in Brooklyn, NY.

His family relocated to Malverne, NY when Danza was 14.  He graduated in 1968 from Malverne High School. and attended the University of Dubuque, graduating with a degree in history.  He attended college at least in part on a wrestling scholarship.

Upon graduation, Danza met and married his first wife, and was a Professional Boxer for a time.  He was discovered in a NY Boxing gym by a producer, and was cast in his first role, Tony Banta on the television series Taxi, appearing in all five seasons.  He then had additional success starring in the eight season, Who's the Boss?