1. In 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned Emperor of France in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. This event was widely reported in the New York newspapers, as France was a major world power at the time.

2. On December 2, 1939, the Ford Motor Company opened its Lincoln Building showroom in New York City. The 23-story building, located at 1700 Broadway in Manhattan, featured a prominent neon sign and streamlined Art Deco design.

3. In 1954, the first American edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" was published by Houghton Mifflin. The epic fantasy novel would go on to become a bestseller and a cultural phenomenon, inspiring a multitude of adaptations and fan communities.

4. The New York Mets hired their first manager, Casey Stengel, on December 2, 1961. Stengel would go on to lead the team to a World Series championship in 1969, cementing his place in New York sports history.

5. On December 2, 1975, the New York City government announced a plan to restore the dilapidated South Street Seaport neighborhood as a tourist attraction and cultural center. The project involved renovating historic buildings and creating new retail and entertainment spaces, and is credited with revitalizing the area and preserving its maritime heritage.