1. In 1783, the last British troops departed from New York City, officially ending the American Revolutionary War. This day has since become known as Evacuation Day and was a public holiday in New York until the mid-19th century.
2. In 1926, on November 25th, a massive fire broke out at the Famous Players-Lasky film studio in Manhattan. The blaze destroyed several buildings and resulted in the deaths of four firefighters.
3. On November 25th, 1952, the world-famous ice-skating rink at Rockefeller Center officially opened for the season. The rink has since become an iconic symbol of winter in New York City and is visited by millions of tourists and locals each year.
4. In 1986, the first annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon inflation took place on November 25th. This event, which takes place the night before the parade, allows spectators to watch the massive balloons being filled with helium before the big day.
5. On November 25th, 1996, the musical "Rent" had its first preview performance at the New York Theatre Workshop in the East Village. The show, which went on to win numerous awards and become a Broadway sensation, explored themes of love, loss, and the AIDS epidemic in 1980s New York City.