The Empire State Building: An Icon of New York
For almost a century, the Empire State Building has been synonymous with New York.
And from 1931 to 1971, it wasn't just the biggest thing in "The Big Apple" — it was the tallest building in the world.
Work on the building started in 1930, just after the Great Depression — a global economic crisis — had begun.
But this came at a good time for the city — it brought jobs for New Yorkers.
They worked fast. An average of four and a half floors were built every week, and after just 410 days, US President Herbert Hoover opened the 381-meter-tall building.
There was one problem — with the Depression still affecting the country, many floors of office space weren't used. Some called it "The Empty State Building."
Things got worse in 1945 when a plane crashed into the 79th and 80th floors, killing 14 people.
But the Empire State Building recovered.
Designed by William Lamb, it is an excellent example of art deco architecture — and has now attracted many businesses and millions of visitors.
It has been popular in the movies, too. King Kong fell from its top in the 1933 film, and again in 2005.
There's even a running race to the 86th floor each year, while tourists can visit the 102nd floor to look out from the top.
Well, not quite the top — the total height is now 443 meters if you include an antenna that was added in 1985.
It's no longer the tallest building in New York — that's now One World Trade Center, at 541 meters — but it's still one of the most iconic.
