New York City is one of the biggest American cities with an estimated population of 8.2 million and a colorful history. It is one of the most popularly visited tourist destination, attracting millions of visitors every year. Here are 10 fascinating facts about the city which will add a historic zing to your New York Tour.

1.    When New York was under the Dutch rule in 1625, it was named as “New Amsterdam” and later renamed “New York” in 1664, after the English took control over the city.

2.    New York City once served as the first capitol of the United States from September 13, 1788 to 1790.

3.    General George Washington was inaugurated at the Federal Hall on Wall Street on April 30, 1789 to become the first President of the United States.

4.    “Central Park” was created by purchasing 768 acres of land that once contained old sheds left behind by colonists, pig farms, quarries and swamps in 1853. This land was added to the land that the city had already owned to create an 843-acre city oasis that was named “Central Park”.

5.    The French Government gifted America the Statue of Liberty to honor the centennial of American Independence in 1886. The soaring monument of freedom is 151 foot statue of a woman holding a torch in one hand and a book in the other that symbolizes the Declaration of Independence is truly is a masterpiece of the human spirit. Today it is one of Top 10 Most-Visited Sites in U.S. and an important destination as a part of any New York City Tour. The Statue of Liberty was designed by Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi and Gustave Eiffel of the Eiffel Tower fame, built the steel framework.

6.    Chinatown was established in the 1870’s by Chinese immigrants who decided to settle in New York City and brought their ancient traditions. It is one of the largest Chinatowns in the United States. It boasts thousands of shops and some historical landmarks including the statue of Lin ZeXu and The Church of the Transfiguration, the oldest Catholic Church building in New York City built in 1801.

7.    Grand Central Station was designed by the world famous architect John B. Snook in 1869. A horrific accident occurred in 1902 in the Park Avenue tunnel taking the lives of seventeen people, due to the poor visibility created by the smoke from the steam engines. In 1910, the use of steam engine trains were outlawed and replaced with electrified railway system.

8.    Ellis Island was built prior to the First World War and was used as the gateway to freedom and a new life, as 12 million people from around the world immigrated into the United States.  Today, Ellis Island is converted into an Immigration Museum and is a part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. It houses astronomic archive of documents, photos, and artifacts that tells the stories of the new beginnings of men, women, and children who passed through its gates to achieve freedom that America offered to millions of people.

9.    The Empire State Building known as one of the Seven Wonders Of The Modern World stands tall at 102 story towering a height of 1,253 ft. The tallest building in the New York City took only one year and forty-five days to build from bottom to top. Featured in dozens of classic movies, the building is  very much a part of the silver screen even today! The Empire State building is currently undergoing a $120 million renovation in an effort to transform the building into a more energy efficient and eco-friendly structure.

10.    The United Nations Headquarters located on Manhattan’s eastern border was purchased and later donated to the United Nations by billionaire John D. Rockefeller Jr.. It is actually considered an international territory that does not officially belong to the United States and is governed by the international body of the UN.