Feb. 2nd in New York City History
Groundhog bites Mayor, Nieuw Amsterdam, Guggenheim, Rand, National League, Barry and Boris, Aaron Douglas, Sid Vicious.

1653:  Nieuw Amsterdam incorporated. "New Amsterdam" received a municipal charter, transforming the colony into North America's first city. 

The charter curbed the powers of the former colonial CEO/Governor/Mayor Peter Stuyvesant.  He led a parade down
"Broadway" to celebrate the reform anyway.


1861:  Solomon R. Guggenheim, businessperson and philanthropist, born.


1876: The National League was established.  It is the oldest professional sports league.


1905:  Ayn Rand born in Russia.  She died 1982 in her NYC apartment.

Fred Cookingham does Ayn Rand's NYC Tours.


1913:  150,000 visit Grand Central Terminal on its opening day. 

I plan to be there at least four times today.


1942:  Media mogul and High Line benefactor Barry Diller of Paramount Pictures and IAC (expedia, ask.com, QVC, HSN, and TicketMaster) born.


1968:  Sanitation workers to strike for eight days while garbage piled.


1969:  Horror Actor Boris Karloff died.

He lived in the Dakota, which we see on Upper West Side tours and John Lennon tours.


1979:  Painter and Harlem Renaissance luminary Aaron Douglas died.


1979:  Sex Pistols punk bassist and singer Sid Vicious o.d.'d in NYC at 21.  This fatal heroin binge happened hours after being freed on bail in the stabbing death of his girlfriend at the Chelsea Hotel.

We visit the Chelsea Hotel on NYC Literary tours.


2009:  Groundhog Staten Island Chuck tussled with and bit Mayor Bloomberg at the SI Zoo.  Video reveals the struggle.






This is hilarious.  He's in a cuffed shirt.


In subsequent Ground Hog's Days, the Mayor was outfitted with heavier gloves.



Enmity and bitter struggle breeds respect between man and rodent.