1. On December 18, 1783, New York City was officially declared the capital of the United States. This designation only lasted for a little over a year, with the capital moving to Philadelphia in 1790 and eventually to Washington D.C. in 1800.

2. The first official police force in New York City, the Metropolitan Police Department, was organized on December 18, 1844. The department was formed in response to rising crime rates and disorder in the city, and the initial force was made up of a mere 800 officers.

3. December 18, 1957 saw the opening of the Throgs Neck Bridge, which spans the East River and connects the boroughs of the Bronx and Queens. Prior to its construction, the only way to travel between these two areas was by ferry.

4. One of the worst fires in New York City history occurred on December 18, 1910, when the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in Greenwich Village caught fire, killing 146 workers, most of whom were young women. The tragedy brought new attention to the need for better working conditions and workers' rights.

5. On December 18, 1975, John Lennon and Yoko Ono celebrated the birth of their son Sean at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City. The couple had moved to the city in the early 1970s, and Lennon was tragically assassinated on the city's Upper West Side in 1980.