1. On March 24, 1954, the first mass vaccination of children against polio took place at New York City schools. The effort was led by Dr. Jonas Salk and marked a major milestone in the fight against the disease.

2. The first subway system in the United States began operation on March 24, 1837, in New York City. The system was called the New York and Harlem Railroad, and it initially used horse-drawn trains to transport passengers along its tracks.

3. On March 24, 1882, the Knights of Labor held a massive rally in New York City's Union Square, calling for an eight-hour workday and other labor reforms. The rally attracted tens of thousands of workers and helped to galvanize the labor movement in the United States.

4. One of the deadliest fires in New York City history occurred on March 24, 1911, when the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory caught fire. The fire killed 146 workers, most of whom were young immigrant women, and helped to spur reforms in workplace safety and labor laws.

5. On March 24, 1979, the New York Islanders set a new record for the longest unbeaten streak in NHL history, with 28 consecutive games without a loss. The streak helped to make the Islanders one of the most dominant teams in the NHL during the late 1970s and early 1980s.