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On May 1, 1931, the Empire State Building was dedicated during a ceremony led by President Herbert Hoover, who symbolically pressed a button in Washington at the same time the skyscraper's lights were turned on at 350 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. The 1,250-foot, 102-story Art Deco wonder was the world's tallest building at the time of its completion, and it has since been featured in countless films, photographs and artworks. Check out 10 little-known facts about one of the United States' most iconic skyscrapers.

It was constructed during a race to create the world's tallest building.

In the late-1920s, as New York's economy boomed like never before, builders were in a mad dash to erect the world's largest skyscraper. The main competition was between 40 Wall Street's Bank of Manhattan building and the Chrysler Building, an elaborate Art Deco structure conceived by car mogul Walter Chrysler as a "monument to me." Both towers tried to best each other by adding more floors to their design, and the race really heated up in August 1929, when General Motors executive John J. Raskob and former New York Governor Al Smith announced plans for the Empire State Building.

Upon learning that the Empire State would be 1,000 feet tall, Chrysler changed his plans a final time and fixed a stainless steel spire to the top of his skyscraper. The addition saw the Chrysler Building soar to a record 1,048 feet, but unfortunately for Chrysler, Raskob and Smith simply went back to the drawing board and returned with an even taller design for the Empire State Building. When completed in 1931, the colossus loomed 1,250 feet over the streets of Midtown Manhattan. It would remain the world's tallest building for nearly 40 years until the completion of the first World Trade Center tower in 1970.

It was modeled after two earlier buildings.

When he drew up its plans in 1929, architect William Lamb of the firm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon is said to have modeled the Empire State Building after Winston-Salem, North Carolina's Reynolds Building-which he had previously designed-and Carew Tower in Cincinnati. The two earlier Art Deco buildings are now often cited as the Empire State's architectural ancestors. On the Reynolds Building's 50th anniversary in 1979, the Empire State Building's general manager even sent a card that read, "Happy Anniversary, Dad."

The building was finished in record time.

Despite the colossal size of the project, the design, planning and construction of the Empire State Building took just 20 months from start to finish. After demolishing the Waldorf-Astoria hotel-the plot's previous occupant-contractors Starrett Brothers and Eken used an assembly line process to erect the new skyscraper in a brisk 410 days. Using as many as 3,400 men each day, they assembled its skeleton at a record pace of four and a half stories per week-so fast that the first 30 stories were completed before certain details of the ground floor were finalized. The Empire State Building was eventually finished ahead of schedule and under budget, but it also came with a human cost: at least five workers were killed during the construction process.

Its upper tower was originally designed as a mooring mast for airships.

By far the most unusual aspect of the Empire State Building's design concerned its 200-foot tower. Convinced that transatlantic airship travel was the wave of the future, the building's owners originally constructed the mast as a docking port for lighter-than-air dirigibles. The harebrained scheme called for the airships to maneuver alongside the building and tether themselves to a winching apparatus. Passengers would then exit via an open-air gangplank, check in at a customs office and make their way to the streets of Manhattan in a mere seven minutes. Despite early enthusiasm for the project, the high winds near the building's rooftop proved all but impossible for pilots to negotiate. The closest thing to a "landing" came in September 1931, when a small dirigible tethered itself to the spire for a few minutes. Two weeks later, a Goodyear blimp dropped a stack of newspapers on the roof a part of a publicity stunt, but the airship plan was abandoned shortly thereafter.

It was initially considered a financial flop.

The Empire State Building was primarily designed to house corporate offices, but it got off to a rocky start thanks to the 1929 stock market crash and the onset of the Great Depression. Less than 25 percent of the building's retail space was occupied upon its opening in 1931, earning it the nickname the "Empty State Building." The building's owners were reduced to engineering publicity stunts to draw renters-including hosting a 1932 séance that tried to contact the ghost of Thomas Edison from the 82nd floor-but the skyscraper's upper half remained almost entirely vacant for most of the 1930s. At times, workers were even told to turn on lights on the higher floors to create the illusion that they were occupied. It wasn't until World War II that the building finally became profitable.

B-25 bomber crashed into the Empire State Building in 1945.

On the morning of July 28, 1945, while flying an Army B-25 bomber toward New York's La Guardia Airport, Army Lt. Col. William F. Smith became disoriented in heavy fog and drifted over Midtown Manhattan. The World War II combat veteran managed to dodge several skyscrapers, but he was unable to avoid plowing into the 78th and 79th floors of the Empire State at 200 miles an hour. The crash triggered a massive explosion and sent debris careering through the building's interior. Smith and two crewmen were killed, as were 11 people inside the building. A four-alarm fire broke out on several floors-it was then the highest building fire in New York's history-but firefighters managed to extinguish it in just 40 minutes. Amazingly, the undamaged sections of the building were reopened for business just two days later.

A woman survived a 75-story plunge in one of the building's elevators.

During the 1945 bomber crash, several pieces of the B-25's engine sliced through the Empire State Building and entered an elevator shaft. The cables for two cars were severed, including one containing a 19-year-old elevator operator named Betty Lou Oliver. The elevator plummeted from the 75th floor and soon crashed into the subbasement, but luckily for Oliver, more than a thousand feet of severed elevator cable had gathered at the bottom of the shaft, cushioning the blow. The fall may have also been slowed by a pocket of compressed air generated by the car's rapid descent. Despite suffering severe injuries including a broken neck and back, Oliver survived.

There was a short-lived plan to add 11 floors to the Empire State Building.

Shortly after the World Trade Center towers were erected in the early 1970s, an architect at the firm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon concocted a scheme that would allow the Empire State Building to keep its crown as the world's tallest skyscraper. The proposed plan called for the building's 16-story tower to be demolished and replaced by a new top section that would increase its height to 113 stories and 1,495 feet. If completed, the renovation would have made the Empire Building taller than both the World Trade Center and the Sears Tower-which was then under construction-but the idea was quickly dropped due to cost concerns and complaints that it would destroy the building's iconic look.

A few daredevils have parachuted from the building's observation deck.

In April 1986, British thrill seekers Alastair Boyd and Michael McCarthy concealed parachutes under their coats, bought tickets to the Empire State Building and then hurled themselves off its 86th floor observation deck. The pair landed safely more than 1,000 feet below on 33rd Street, but while McCarthy was quickly arrested, Boyd simply hailed a cab and escaped. He soon turned himself in, however, and both men were charged with "reckless endangerment" and "unlawful parachuting." Twelve years later, Norwegian parachutist Thor Alex "The Human Fly" Kappfjell repeated the stunt by jumping off the building's 34th street side. Kappfjell managed to escape and parachute off the Chrysler Building a few days later, but he was eventually arrested after jumping off the World Trade Center.

An inflatable King Kong was attached to the Empire State Building for the film's 50th anniversary-with mixed results.

Of the more than 90 movies featuring the Empire State Building, none is more famous than 1933's "King Kong," which ends with the titular giant ape scaling the skyscraper and being attacked by swarming biplanes. The original scene was shot in a studio, but for the film's 50th anniversary in April 1983, a balloon company president tried to recreate it by attaching a inflatable King Kong to the Empire State's mooring mast. Unfortunately, the $150,000 stunt didn't go as planned. The 84-foot Kong balloon suffered a tear while being inflated, ruining a plan to have it buzzed by vintage aircraft. It was finally inflated a few days later, but it only stayed on the building for a short time before another rip forced the project to be scrapped altogether.

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10 Surprising Facts About the Empire State Building

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On May 1, 1931, the Empire State Building was dedicated during a ceremony led by President Herbert Hoover, who symbolically pressed a button in Washington at the same time the skyscraper's lights were turned on at 350 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

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The Center of New York

Run Up Announcement

2020 Run-Up Cancellation

Unfortunately, for the safety of our athletes, sponsors and staff we have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Empire State Building Run-Up.

On , the Empire State Building will be lit Heartbeat & hourly sparkle honoring NYC's Fight for COVID-19 & First Responders
Full Lighting Calendar

The Empire State Building lobby is one of the few interiors in New York to be designated a historic landmark by the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

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2020 Run-Up Cancellation Unfortunately, for the safety of our athletes, sponsors and staff we have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Empire State Building Run-Up.

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In case you wanted to put things inside of it:

1. You could fit seven Yankee Stadiums inside the Mall of America.

2. Or you could fit 32 Boeing 747s inside the Mall of America.

3. Or you could fit 258 Statues of Liberty inside the Mall of America.

4. The Mall of America has its own counterterrorism unit.

5. If you were to visit the mall and spend 10 minutes inside every store, it would take you 86 hours to complete your journey.

6. It took 13,300 tons of steel to build the Mall of America. That's almost twice the amount it took to build that Tinkertoy the Eiffel Tower.

7. It boasts having a 1.2 million-gallon aquarium.

8. Feeding these aquatic creatures requires more than 100 pounds of food, daily.

9. It cost more than $650 million to build the Mall of America in 1992.

10. And they just confirmed a $325 million expansion of the mall. By the way, a trip to the moon costs roughly $100 million per person.

11. The Mall of America generates almost $2 billion in annual revenue for the state of Minnesota.

12. On Black Friday in 2013, 29-year-old Serge Vorobyov was "cited for disorderly conduct" for throwing $1,000 off the fourth story balcony at the Mall of America. He was inspired to do so by a GEICO commercial.

13. There is a light rail that will take you straight from the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport to the Mall of America. You barely have to step outside.

14. You can get married at the Chapel of Love in the Mall of America. In fact, more than 7,000 people have gotten married at the Mall of America since it opened.

15. The Mall of America used to have a high school in it! Talk about an All-American education.

16. Ever wanted to get lost? The Mall of America has one of the largest mirror mazes on the planet!

17. The Mall of America plans to install two zip lines in the very near future.

18. It has no central heating. Despite Minnesota's hot summers and brutally cold winters, the only parts of the Mall of America that are heated are the entrances. The year-round 70 degree temperature that it averages is maintained by body heat, lighting fixtures, and solar heat from the skylights.

19. The Mall of America uses water-saving toilets. This saves 1.4 million gallons of water a year.

20. The Mall of America boasts 40 million visitors annually.

21. In lieu of pesticides, 72,000 lady bugs were released in the Mall of America to protect its tropical plant life from aphids.

22. Speaking of plant life, moving all of those trees into the Mall of America required the labor of 65 semi-trucks.

23. The Mall of America was built where Metropolitan Stadium once stood (former home of the Vikings and the Twins). There are plaques around marking where home plate was and where iconic home runs landed.

24. Allegedly, one in three visitors comes from at least 150 miles away, while 4 out of 10 visitors are tourists of some kind.

25. The Mall of America holds the world record for having the most Ninja Turtles amassed in one area. There were 836. Previous record: 786.

26. There are more than 520 stores in the Mall of America.

27. The Mall of America produces upward of 4,000 pounds of biodiesel fuel monthly from recycled fryer fat.

28. The Mall of America employs roughly 11,000 employees year round, and about 13,000 during the peak seasons.

29. Contained within two parking ramps, the Mall of America offers 12,550 on-site parking spots.

30. It's the largest mall in the United States, 4.87 million square feet.

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30 Surprising Facts About The Mall Of America

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In case you wanted to put things inside of it: 1. You could fit seven Yankee Stadiums inside the Mall of America. 2. Or you could fit 32 Boeing 747s inside the Mall of America. 3. Or you could fit 258 Statues of Liberty inside the Mall of America. 4.

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Since opening its doors in 1992, Mall of America® has revolutionized the shopping experience and become a leader in retail, entertainment and attractions. Mall of America is one of the top tourist destinations in the country as well as one of the most recognizable brands.

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Our country has beautiful lands and amazing creations made by Mother Nature alone. One such creation is Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, which has a very interesting, yet not widely promoted history. This monstrous cave system is like stepping into another world, and well worth a visit if you haven't been there.

Here are 14 unique facts you may not know about Kentucky's Mammoth Cave:

Mammoth Cave in Kentucky is a magical place to experience, filled with mystery, otherworldly formations and history. What do you find most amazing about Mammoth Cave? Is there another unique site you'd like to learn more about?

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14 Fascinating Things You Probably Didn't Know About Mammoth Cave In Kentucky

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Our country has beautiful lands and amazing creations made by Mother Nature alone. One such creation is Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, which has a very interesting, yet not widely promoted history. This monstrous cave system is like stepping into another world, and well worth a visit if you haven't been there.

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Rolling hills, deep river valleys, and the world's longest known cave system. Mammoth Cave National Park is home to thousands of years of human history and a rich diversity of plant and animal life, earning it the title of UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve.

Mammoth Cave National Park is more than just the home to the longest cave system in the world. It is a place for hiking, biking, horseback riding, canoeing, and camping on over 52,000 acres in south central Kentucky. Get inspired to plan your next vacation to Mammoth Cave National Park.
See all there is to do at Mammoth Cave!

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Mammoth Cave National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

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Rolling hills, deep river valleys, and the world's longest known cave system. Mammoth Cave National Park is home to thousands of years of human history and a rich diversity of plant and animal life, earning it the title of UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve.

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The following is a list of the most popular Grand Canyon Fun Facts for kids and adults. Included are many cool Grand Canyon science facts, such as the lizards that shoot blood from their eyes.

1. Most of the Grand Canyon consists of rock that is 1 mile deep, 18 miles wide and 277 miles long.

2. There are more than 20 layers of rocks throughout the Grand Canyon.

3. The Grand Canyon is considered to be one of the 7 wonders of the world.

4. Over the course of millions of years, the Grand Canyon was formed in four major steps.

5. Sedimentary rocks form the middle and top layers of the Grand Canyon.

6. More than 5 million people visit this large attraction every year. According to National Geographic this makes the Grand Canyon the second most visited park after the Great Smoky Mountains.

7. Major John Wesley was the first person to explore the Grand Canyon in 1869 by the way of the Colorado River.

8. Erosion is the main reason that the Grand Canyon was formed.

9. As hikers walk through the Grand Canyon, they experience different ecosystems.

10. Every plant and animal that lives in the Grand Canyon has a specialized adaptation that allows them to survive in different ecosystems.

11. On the Grand Canyon fun facts list this next fact may be the coolest. If you didn't see the picture you would think we are making this up. But it's true, the short-horned lizards that live in the Grand Canyon are known to shoot blood from their eyes to scare away predators. (To be honest, I think it would scare most humans as well.)

12. Scorpions avoid the heat of the summer by being nocturnal.

13. There are more than 1,750 plant species throughout the different ecosystem.

14. The different waters in the Grand Canyon are the home of 17 different fish species. One of the more interestingly "created" fish (seen on the right) is the Humpback Chub. The Humback Chub is a native Grand Canyon fish that can be found along the banks on Colorado River.

15. More than 2,000 people live in the Grand Canyon. (That is all year round.)

16. This large attraction is the home of 91 mammal species and 47 reptile species.

17. In order to prevent large canopy fires, wildland firefighters create small fires called prescribed burns.

18. Fires that burn low are actually good for the forest ecosystem.

19. The desert ecosystem is located 4,500 to 1,500 feet above sea level and is home to scorpions, cacti, snakes, bighorn sheep, agave and Mormon tea plants.

20. 7,300 to 4,000 feet above sea level is the Pinyon-Juniper Woodland ecosystem. This system is inhabited by pinyon pine trees and juniper.

21. The Boreal and Ponderosa Pine Forest is located 10,000 to 7,000 above sea level and consists of aspen, pine, spruce and fur trees along with deer, mountain lions and squirrels.

If you feel we may have missed something on our Grand Canyon fun facts list please let us know by contacting us.

Other Grand Canyon Fun Facts Categories that may be of Interest:

Grand Canyon Most Dangerous Places - Because there are so many trails, cliffs, mountain edges and deadly wild life, the Grand Canyon has some very dangerous places that every visitor must be aware of. If you are planning a trip on one of these dangerous excursions, you should always be aware of where the closest ranger station is along with the best course of emergency action... READ MORE

Grand Canyon Fun Facts about Hollywood Movies - As one of the 7 natural wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon has been the host of some of the biggest Blockbuster movies that have ever been filmed. With breathtaking scenic views, various hiking terrains, unpredictable weather and miles of wilderness, the enormous canyon proves to be the perfect backdrop for a wide range of movie genres...READ MORE

Grand Canyon Skywalk Fun Facts - The Skywalk was completed on March 20, 2007, costing around $31 million to build. However, the general public was not allowed to preview this masterpiece until... READ MORE

Grand Canyon South Rim Fun Facts - The first European, while searching for the seven cities of gold, viewed the Grand Canyon in 1540... READ MORE

Grand Canyon University Fun Facts - Coming Soon.

Grand canyon fun facts on best places to take pictures - Because there are so many great places to take pictures throughout the Grand Canyon, it can be extremely difficult to narrow down the best places to take pictures. For anyone who has visited the beautiful canyon, it is very apparent that some spots in the magnificent canyon provide an uninterrupted, 360-degree, view of the incredible landscape... READ MORE

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Grand Canyon Fun Facts - Grand Canyon National Park

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The following is a list of the most popular Grand Canyon Fun Facts for kids and adults. Included are many cool Grand Canyon science facts, such as the lizards that shoot blood from their eyes. Most of the Grand Canyon consists of rock that is 1 mile deep, 18 miles wide and 277 miles long.

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Grand Canyon National Park, in Northern Arizona, encompasses 278 miles (447 km) of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands. Located on ancestral homeland of 11 Associated Tribes, Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world-unmatched in the incomparable vistas it offers visitors from the rims. The South Rim is open. The North Rim is open for day use only. Read More

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Grand Canyon National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

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Grand Canyon National Park, in Northern Arizona, encompasses 278 miles (447 km) of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands. Located on ancestral homeland of 11 Associated Tribes, Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world-unmatched in the incomparable vistas it offers visitors from the rims. The South Rim is open.

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Facts on Yosemite Valley (Photo: yosemite image by Ary from Fotolia.com )

Each year, over 3.5 million people from around the globe come to northern California to Yosemite Valley, part of Yosemite National Park, to experience the grandeur and majesty of the towering sequoias, thundering waterfalls and impressive mountain peaks. The Valley, which sits on the western edge of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, has as its borders some of the world's most famous mountains and rock formations.

Location and Size

Yosemite Valley is the lowest point of Yosemite National Park, which sits approximately 95 miles north of Fresno. The Valley is seven miles long and about a mile wide. Yosemite National Park, which holds the valley and the mountains that surround it, covers 747,956 acres of land and has approximately 800 miles of groomed trails.

Natural Attractions

The park's numerous waterfalls are a primary attraction. The Valley serves as the base for seven major waterfalls, including the famous Bridalveil Falls, Vernal Falls and Ribbon Falls. North America's longest waterfall, Yosemite Falls, drops from 2,425 feet into the Valley. Both the Tuolumne and Merced rivers flow through the valley, and Yosemite Valley guests enjoy views of rock formations like Half Dome, El Capitan, Cathedral Rocks and Three Brothers. The valley also holds giant sequoia trees and four large meadow areas.

Wildlife

According to the park's website, Yosemite Valley and surrounding mountains hold more than 400 species of vertebrates, as well as an abundant insect population, including two insects that scientists recently discovered and which researchers believe do not live anywhere else. Park guests regularly spot deer, coyotes and bears while visiting Yosemite Valley. Visitors must keep any food they bring out of sight because of the bears, and campsites are equipped with food lockers for this purpose.

Camping

Yosemite Valley has four campgrounds: Upper Pines, Lower Pines, North Pines and Camp 4. Lower Pines and North Pines accept RVs up to 40 feet in length and trailers up to 35 feet in length. Upper Pines accepts RVs up to 35 feet and trailers up to 24 feet. Camp 4 offers its 35 tent sites on a first-come-first-served basis, but the other three campgrounds require reservations.

Hiking

According to Yosemite Hikes, Yosemite Valley has 12 hiking trails that originate somewhere in the valley. Each hike takes guests to popular scenic attractions, like Bridalveil Falls, Mirror Lake and Inspiration Point. The longest is the hike to Half Dome, which is 14 miles long and takes hikers to a 4,800-foot elevation. The hikes to Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls all rate high for scenery. Of the two, the longer Upper Yosemite Falls hike is less crowded.

Lodging

Guests who do not wish to camp can book lodging at one of the Valley's four accommodation options. The Ahwahnee Hotel and Yosemite Lodge offer traditional hotel rooms, with the Ahwahnee Hotel being the more luxurious of the two. In addition to 99 luxury hotel rooms, the Ahwahnee Hotel has 24 cottages on the grounds. Yosemite Lodge sits across from the Lower Yosemite Falls trailhead, offering the guests in its 249 rooms excellent views. Curry Village offers cabins and tent cabins for guests, and the Housekeeping Camp has tent-like cabins that accommodate up to six people.

Amenities

Yosemite Valley holds Yosemite Village, the park's primary retail location, which has a grocery store, restaurants and restroom facilities. The Valley also has a smaller shopping center, Curry Village, which has restaurants, a small store and showers. Both villages have Internet access available for a fee.

About the Author

Nicole Harms has been writing professionally since 2006, specializing in real estate, finance and travel. When she's not writing, she enjoys traveling and has visited several countries, including Israel, Spain, France and Guam. Harms received a Bachelor of Science in Education from Maranatha Baptist Bible College.
Images related to Yosemite Valley

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Each year, over 3.5 million people from around the globe come to northern California to Yosemite Valley, part of Yosemite National Park, to experience the grandeur and majesty of the towering sequoias, thundering waterfalls and impressive mountain peaks. The Valley, which sits on the western edge of the Sierra Nevada ...

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Yosemite National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

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Not just a great valley, but a shrine to human foresight, the strength of granite, the power of glaciers, the persistence of life, and the tranquility of the High Sierra. First protected in 1864, Yosemite National Park is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more.