Month: February 2017

February 13

1258 – Baghdad falls to the Mongols, and the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed. 1566 – St Augustine, Florida founded 1633 – Galileo Galilei arrived in Rome for trial before Inquisition for professing belief that earth revolves around the Sun 1693 – College of William & Mary opens in Virginia 1832 – First appearance of cholera...
Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier and did not endorse Donald Trump, but was a victim of fake news

Terminal Tragedy

A 29-year-old athlete and educator was killed in the World Trade Center Oculus on Saturday morning when she fell 30 feet from an escalator and landed on the main concourse floor. At approximately 5:30 am on Saturday, Jennifer Santos, of Kearny, New Jersey, entered to Oculus from street level, on the east side of the...
The stairs shown were where a 29-year-old teacher and athlete lost her footing and plunged 30 feet to the marble floor below on Saturday morning.

February 10

1098 – Crusaders defeat Prince Redwan of Aleppo at Antioch 1355 – The St. Scholastica’s Day riot breaks out in Oxford, England, leaving 63 scholars and perhaps 30 locals dead in two days. 1749 – 10th (final) volume of Fielding’s “Tom Jones” is published 1774 – Andrew Becker demonstrates diving suit 1798 – Louis Alexandre...
On this day in 1978, 28 skiers performed a backflip

New York City Proclaims China Institute Day on Lunar New Year

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer proclaimed Saturday, January 28, 2017 ‘China Institute Lunar New Year Day’ at a celebration dinner with China Institute members, patrons and dignitaries that included Chinese and American leaders in art, business, culture, and education. The City of New York recognized China Institute for its contribution to enhancing the city’s status...
China Institute President James Heimowitz,  Matthew Washington from the office of Manhattan Borough President and China Institute Chair Board of Trustees Chien Chung Pei

How Toddlers Helped to Build Battery Park City

Three decades ago, a milestone — little noticed at the time — began an unexpected transformation in Battery Park City. In the mid-1980s, a teacher recently laid off when a daycare center on the Upper East Side closed, reported to an office at the World Trade Center to file a claim for back pay. When...
Denise Cordivano, Head of School

February 8

1238 – The Mongols burn the Russian city of Vladimir. 1250 – Seventh Crusade: Crusaders engage Ayyubid forces in the Battle of Al Mansurah. 1575 – Leiden University is founded, and given the motto Praesidium Libertatis Protection of Freedom 1587 – Mary, Queen of Scots, is executed on suspicion of having been involved in the...
Mary, Queen of Scots, also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, reigned over Scotland from December 14 1542 to July 24 1567