When was the Empire State Building built?

Construction of the Empire State Building in Manhattan began on 17 March 1930 during a fierce race to build the world’s tallest skyscraper. Working at astonishing speed, crews sometimes added more than four floors a week, and the building was finished in about 410 days. It opened on 1 May 1931, when President Herbert Hoover pressed a button in Washington, D.C. to switch on its lights. With 102 floors and a roof height of 381 metres, it was the world’s tallest building until the World Trade Center’s North Tower overtook it in 1970. Because it opened during the Great Depression, much of its office space stayed empty for years, earning it the nickname the “Empty State Building”.