1. In 1866, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) was founded in New York City. It was the first animal welfare organization in theUnited States.

2. In 1912, the Titanic set sail on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City. The ship hit an iceberg and sank on April 15, 1912, killing 1,517 of the 2,223 people aboard.

3. In 1925, the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was published in New York City. The novel is now considered a classic of American literature and is often taught in schools.

4. In 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball. He played his first game for the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York.

5. In 1953, the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction was awarded to Ernest Hemingway for his novel The Old Man and the Sea. Hemingway wrote the novel while living in Cuba, but it was published in New York City by Charles Scribner's Sons.