This Day In New York History

There are a lot places to find information on New York history. Plenty of organizations do a great job telling in depth stories about specific battles, famous people, and even small town tales. All of that history comes with important dates in our past.

This page is an evolving attempt to try and capture the important dates in the Empire State’s past. The database includes historic events, births, and deaths that took place on this day in history. Each one in some way directly relates to Upstate.

This database is a work in progress and is updated regularly with historic dates. Some will be wide reaching and recognizable across Upstate. Others will be noteworthy only to those who live right in the region.

Regardless of the relation, all of the dates and events included in this database have had an impact in some way to the history of Upstate New York.

Today’s Events

1703 New York Governor Lord Cornbury meets with the Iroquois Five Nation tribes in Albany

1777 Fort Ticonderoga is evacuated by forces led by American Major General Arthur St. Clair.

1852 Frederick Douglass gives his famous "What To A Slave Is 4th of July" speech at Rochester's Corinthian Hall.

1911 Rochester's temperature reaches 101 degrees. Though this day was the hottest, it was among a five-day heat wave spanning the northeast U.S. that claimed an estimated 500 lives.

1978 Salvatore's Pizza opens to the public at their first location on E. Main Street in Rochester.

Looking for more? You’ll find a whole bunch of Upstate history in the facts section.

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Whether it’s the closing an iconic restaurant, the birth of a well known Upstater, or a news event that made waves, it’s an important piece of our past. It may seem inconsequential, but preserving the past is an integral part of our local storytelling.

If you have a piece of history related to New York that you feel should be included, please submit using this contact form.