1. In 1765, the Stamp Act Congress was held in New York City. This was the first gathering of colonial representatives to protest British taxation without representation, and it marked a major milestone in the lead-up to the American Revolution.

2. On November 3, 1811, the Great Fire of New York broke out. The blaze started in a wooden building on the corner of White and Pearl Streets and quickly spread, eventually destroying more than 600 buildings and causing an estimated $20 million in damage.

3. In 1857, the Atlantic Monthly magazine was first published in New York. The magazine became known for publishing works by some of the most important American writers of the 19th and 20th centuries, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry James, and Ernest Hemingway.

4. In 1903, the New York City subway system began operation. The first line, which ran from City Hall to Harlem, was an engineering marvel that transformed transportation in the city and helped to spur the growth of neighborhoods like the Upper West Side.

5. On November 3, 1948, Thomas Dewey lost the presidential election to Harry Truman. Dewey had been widely expected to win, and his loss came as a shock to many Americans. The New York Times famously printed the headline "Dewey Defeats Truman" before the results were finalized, adding to the sense of surprise and confusion.