Results tagged “birthday”

According to the little information out there on Billy the Kid, today would have been his 150th birthday. Did you know the Wild West outlaw may have hailed from 70 Allen Street on the Lower East Side? Depending on who you believe, he was either born "William Henry McCarty" or "William H. Bonney," and either left the LES at age 16, after murdering a man in a street fight, or moved with his family at age 3. Inside the Apple delves into the history of 70 Allen Street, noting that it housed a dyer, but could have also housed residents; "anything would have been possible in the burgeoning Irish neighborhood."

Yesterday, former mayor Ed Koch celebrated his 85th birthday a little early (it's December 12), with a party at the St. Regis Hotel. Guests included Mayor Bloomberg, former Gov. Mario Cuomo, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, former Senator Alfonse D'Amato and Dr. Henry Kissinger—check out this picture of Koch in a crown-like chair! He reflected on his time as mayor—"I thank the people of the city of New York for having given me their confidence and their trust and the opportunity to do what I loved so much"—and discussed his post-quadruple bypass diet (he needs to gain weight), "Ice cream, Peking duck, Peter Luger's steaks -- I'm doing it under doctor's orders! I'm doing terrific. I'm enjoying my life."

       

The Bronx Zoo opened on November 8th, 1899 with 843 animals (there are now over 4,000). Upon its 110th birthday, the Daily News lists off 110 other things you should know about the place (leaving out the time they caged a Congolese pygmy for a "Human Exhibit").

As mentioned in our newsletter this morning, the Guggenheim turns 50 today (and is celebrating with free admission). The Daily News looks back on the museum's past, with 50 facts about the building, which Robert Moses once described as "an inverted oatmeal dish." A few of our favorites:
• To design the museum, Wright created more than 700 sketches.
• As for the unusual look of the building, Wright proclaimed, "It's going to make the Metropolitan look like a Protestant barn."
• The building was named a landmark in 1990, one of the youngest ever to earn the distinction.

Today would have marked John Lennon's 69th birthday, and surely the Strawberry Fields section of Central Park is seeing a lot of action for the occasion. However, one reader says that while the mosaic "is typically covered in flowers, adorned with trinkets and messages, and surrounded by people gathering to sing songs and pay tribute to the late Beatle. Early this morning, I found a lone salutation and a small army of the NYPD preparing for the onslaught of fans and tourists alike."

Who doesn't love a good old dog story on a gloomy Friday? We may have just lost 21-year-old Chanel (the world's oldest dog), but this past week New York City's oldest canine turned 20, with a cake-filled celebration in midtown. NY1 reports that the dachshund is named Paco Sosa, and his master is Bernadine Santistevan—who credits his longevity to a combination of exercise and diet (he eats organic and takes holistic remedies). His favorite hobbies include eating (!) and walking around Central Park (though we'd guess any park would do). Daily Intel is suspect of Paco's sudden press, saying "Chanel was barely in the grave ten days before Paco seized the opportunity to start hogging the limelight."

The King of Pop's posthumous birthday celebration will go on as planned tomorrow in Prospect Park (after being moved from Fort Greene). We talked to the Parks Department and they're currently putting up some fencing for the event, which will run from noon to 5 p.m. They say on top of deejays, a jumbotron and Marty Markowitz declaring it Michael Jackson Day in the borough, organizer Spike Lee will be overseeing the day. According to Bloomberg News, around 10,000 people are expected, and Lee put down $11,000 for a permit. And as for the weather, "it's rain or shine—though if there was severe weather, like heavy winds and constant lightning—then the Parks Dept. and/or NYPD could cancel or postpone the event." If you make it over there, be sure to send us your pics or tag them "gothamist" on Flickr! Elsewhere in town there will be a Michael Jackson Tribute show by Rent musical performers at Sullivan Hall, which will take place at 7:30 p.m.; and as pointed out in our newsletter, there will be another birthday bash at (Le) Poisson Rouge at 10 p.m.

The Michael Jackson birthday celebration in Brooklyn that was accused on the New York Times blogs as being "Spike and Marty’s big ego trip" just got bigger—eighteen times bigger. The event in honor of what would have been the singer's 51st birthday is being thrown next weekend by filmmaker Spike Lee and was originally set to be a block party taking place at Fort Greene Park. But now it has been moved to the much roomier Prospect Park after the city became involved when concerns arose over the celebration's growing publicity. The event that the Post uncomfortably refers to as "JACKOFEST" will now take place next Saturday at noon in Nethermead at the center of Prospect Park, with organizers saying they expect a crowd that could reach over 10,000. A Parks official succinctly told the Brooklyn Paper, “There were concerns about the size of the event.” This month also marks the fifteenth anniversary of the HIStory teaser video being shot in Budapest—maybe it's time for an update to Prospect's James S.T. Stranahan Statue.

Did anyone actually think a Michael Jackson birthday celebration hosted by Spike Lee wasn't going to be publicized? The free event was set to be held on August 29th in Brooklyn, but The Local reports they're looking to move it after “The mayor’s office has conceded that now that this has been publicized, Fort Greene Park is just not big enough to accommodate the kind of crowds that are foreseeable." The date may also be changed, and incidentally, Jackson's funeral date was also pushed back (originally the 29th and now the 31st).

Plans for Michael Jackson's burial have finally been set for August 29th, the same day the King of Pop entered the world, and would have been celebrating his 51st birthday. While the private ceremony takes place at 10 a.m. on the West Coast (in the Great Mausoleum at Glendale Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California), the East Coast will be celebrating his life in a different way.

      

Yesterday the legendary Pete Seeger celebrated 90 years on this earth with an intimate gathering of friends at Madison Square Garden. You know, just the typical birthday party with a guest list that included Arlo Guthrie, Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews, Emmylou Harris, Joan Baez, Kris Kristofferson, John Mellencamp, Oscar the Grouch, Tim Robbins, his son, and many many more (51 all in all). Even Barack Obama sent a greeting to the singer, praising him for voicing "the hopes and dreams of everyday people," reports the NY Times. The grand finale included “This Land Is Your Land,” a song he sang at the President's inauguration, with everyone (including his 95-year-old brother) on stage to sing along.

      

While you were smashing your Bernard Madoff doll, another famous figurine was busy celebrating the big 5-0. That's right, Barbie is officially a cougar! (On March 9th, to be exact.) To commemorate the occasion, 50 designers came together for a real-size Barbie showcase at Bloomingdale's and a runway show under the tents at Fashion Week.

The NY Times reports on a very original birthday gift. On his 40th birthday, Michael Chambers received a visit from Richard Kiplagat, former star Iona runner. Chambers, an investor, is an avid runner inspired by Kenyan runners. His family, who already planned a gift of a trip to Kenya, called up the New York Road Runners Club, asking if there was a Kenyan runner who could run with Chambers: "Sam Grotewold, manager of professional athletes for the Road Runners, made the connection with Kiplagat’s manager. Kiplagat was game. Not having a precedent for such a gift, they decided on the rather arbitrary figure of $400." Kiplagat, who used to run five miles to and from school (barefoot) as a child in Kenya, ran with Chambers in Hudson River Park and told the Times, "When it comes to running, I’m always ready to do it."

      

Bright n' early this morning Britney Spears continued her "comeback kid" routine with an appearance on Good Morning America. Not only is today her 27th birthday, but it's also the release of her 6th album, titled Circus. As part of the promotional package, on Sunday MTV aired a no-holds-barred infomercial documentary about the singer, where even Madonna made a cameo to talk up the pop starlet's new lease on life. Here she is performing on GMA at the Big Apple Circus, y'all:

Oh, NYC Subway, you don't act a day over 75! Some key dates and events: On October 27, 1904, the Interborough Rapid Transit Company opened its subway (cost: 5 cents), with the slogan, "City Hall to Harlem in 15 minutes!" Then came Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BMT) opening in 1915 and City Owner Rapid Transit Railroad (IND) in 1931. In 1940, the city took over all the lines, and in 1953--the year the token was introduced-- the State Legislature created the NYC Transit Authority to oversee the management of the subway system (the NYCTA joined the newly created MTA in 1968). The MTA started five-year capital programs to rehab the system in1982, as the subways had declined with rising crime; by 1990, it was back to a state of good repair. The Metrocard arrived in 1997 and the token said good-bye in 2003. Ridership is now at record highs (over 5 million on a weekday) and the future of numerous renovation projects is unclear as the MTA's budget looks scary.

A street artist named Ry (aka Olympia) emails in asking for a little help with his girlfriend's birthday present, seems he needs the community's participation to yield successful results.

Here's the story: My girlfriend moved to Connecticut from Greenpoint last year. She misses it terribly, and constantly pines for the days spent with friends in the neighborhood. So, for her birthday this weekend, on Sunday night I installed a life-sized cutout of her at the southeast corner of Franklin and Noble Streets in Greenpoint. I am asking anyone who can to go to Greenpoint and photograph themselves with the Birthday Girl, and then, email or pix message the photo to birthdaygirl08 (at) gmail (dot) com. Soon she will have an entire album of images of herself and many, many friends partying in Greenpoint!

Tonight, the skyline over the Brooklyn Bridge was lit up with fireworks to celebrate the iconic crossing's 125th birthday. Festivities for the bridge include: the Telectroscope which bridges NYC and London; new pedestrian entrance signage; lectures, readings and guided tours; a film series; and the Tour de Brooklyn on Sunday. More details after the jump:

      

The festivities commemorating the 125th birthday of the Brooklyn Bridge got underway full swing today with the unveiling of the mysterious Telectroscope at the Fulton Ferry Landing, just south of the bridge at 1 Water Street. The installation's creator, Paul St George, claims to have just completed a forgotten tunnel connecting New York to London and, using giant parabolic mirrors, has reconstructed a Victorian-era optical device enabling people on either end of the tube to wave at each other.

The most intriguing part of the Brooklyn Bridge 125th birthday party announced last week is the mysterious Telectroscope, located at Brooklyn’s Fulton Ferry Landing near the bridge. In this case the mystery is quite deliberate; the installation’s creator Paul St George has crafted a whimsical back story for the device, which purports to connect New Yorkers with Londoners using giant parabolic mirrors installed in a forgotten Trans-Atlantic tunnel. UPDATE: More photos here.

The 125th birthday of the Brooklyn Bridge will be observed this month with a five day celebration from May 22nd through May 26th, Mayor Bloomberg and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz announced earlier this week. Completed in 1883, the bridge opened with a “People’s Day” celebration; for a penny toll the general public was permitted to traverse its span. (A few days later, on Memorial Day, 12 pedestrians were trampled to death when the crowd believed the bridge was collapsing and panicked.)

Born on this day in 1932, and dying 71 years later in 2003, Johnny Cash made a lot of fans and friends during his lifetime. Today would have been his 76th birthday, so with that here are some videos of him performing in New York City.

As we mentioned last week, Gothamist is turning 5 years old next month! Come celebrate with us at a special show at Union Hall. Here are the details:

Today Lego celebrates the big 5-0, even getting some Google-love for hitting the half century mark.

Gothamist is turning 5 years old next month, and to celebrate, we're throwing a little party at Union Hall! We wanted to give you plenty of time to think of creative cakes you can bake us (pictured is one a reader whipped up for us on our 3rd birthday). Here are the details:

Jim Leyritz, who played with the Yankees, from 1990-1996 and then again in 1999 and 2000, was arrested early Friday morning after getting in a car accident in Broward County, Florida. Thursday was Leyritz's 44th birthday and he was presumably driving his Ford Expedition home early Friday morning when witnesses said they saw him run a red light. His car hit a Mitsubishi Montero driven by 30-year-old Fredia Ann Veitch. The woman was ejected from her car during the accident and died of her injuries after being taken to a hospital. Leyritz is being charged with DUI manslaughter and DUI property damage. He was released after posting an $11,000 bond.

Former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey and his ex-wife Dina Matos McGreevey are making sure they're not letting the best interests of their six-year-old daughter get in the way of their bitter divorce. The publicly feuding pair were back in court yesterday, where they were excoriated by a judge. The McGreeveys split when the governor resigned amidst a sex harassment scandal in which he famously announced that he was "a gay-American.""The hatred you have for...