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

1764 King George III establishes the boundary between New Hampshire and New York along the west bank of the Connecticut River, north of Massachusetts and south of the parallel of 45 degrees north latitude. Albany County implicitly gains present-day Vermont.

1848 William Pitkin, Rochester's 12th mayor, and Louisa Lucinda Rochester, daughter of Nathaniel Rochester, are married in St. Luke's Church (now, Two Saints Church).

1964 After numerous moves, the Rochester Elks Lodge #24 dedicates its new home at the corner of South Avenue and Gregory Street.

2001 Bob Keegan, right-handed MLB pitcher for the Chicago White Sox from 1953 to 1958, dies in Rochester at the age of 80.

2018 It is announced that General Electric, originally founded in Schenectady, would be removed from the Dow Jones Industrial Average. G.E. was one of the first twelve companies to be listed on the market index.

2018 John Wood becomes the first person in New York State to leave the hospital and return home the same day after undergoing heart valve replacement surgery. The surgery took place at Rochester Regional Health.

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.