History of Long Island in Timeline
Long Island is a densely populated island in southeastern New York, a major part of the New York metropolitan area. Stretching 118 miles eastward into the Atlantic, it's the largest island in the contiguous United States, covering 1,401 square miles. Its maximum width is 23 miles. It constitutes a significant portion of the NYC metro area in population and land area.
1911: Queens Referred to as Long Island
In 1911, locations in Queens were still commonly referred to as being on Long Island.
1913: Ebbets Field Opening
In 1913, Ebbets Field opened in Brooklyn and became the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team.
1927: Lindbergh's Historic Flight
In 1927, Charles Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field for his historic solo flight to Europe, establishing Long Island as an early aviation center.
1930: Aerospace manufacturing center
From about 1930 to about 1990, Long Island was considered one of the aerospace manufacturing centers of the United States.
1931: The Big Duck landmark
In 1931, the Big Duck, a duck-shaped building, was constructed and later became a historic landmark and tourist attraction.
1938: The 1938 New England Hurricane
In 1938, the Category 3 New England hurricane, also known as the "Long Island Express", struck Long Island.
1938: 1938 Long Island Express
In 1938, the extent of damage from the Long Island Express was only surpassed by the damages caused by Hurricane Sandy.
1939: La Guardia Airport Opening
In 1939, La Guardia Airport opened, superseding Floyd Bennett Field as the major airport serving New York City.
1942: Northrop Grumman and U.S. Navy Aircraft Manufacturing
From 1942 to 1996, Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Navy manufactured military aircraft on Long Island, leading to chemical pollution.
1944: The Great Atlantic Hurricane
In 1944, the Great Atlantic hurricane made landfall on Long Island at hurricane intensity.
1954: Hurricane Carol
In 1954, Category 3 Hurricane Carol made landfall on Long Island.
1955: Dodgers win World Series
In 1955, the Brooklyn Dodgers won their only championship in Brooklyn in the World Series versus the Yankees.
1957: New York Giants left for California
After 1957, the New York Giants also left for California.
1957: Dodgers Move to Los Angeles
After the 1957 Major League Baseball season, the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to Los Angeles and became the Los Angeles Dodgers.
1960: Ebbets Field Demolition
In 1960, Ebbets Field, the former home of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was demolished.
1960: Hurricane Donna
In 1960, Hurricane Donna made landfall on Long Island at hurricane intensity.
January 22, 1961: Record Low Temperature
On January 22, 1961, Long Island recorded its coldest temperature ever at −23 °F (−31 °C).
1964: New York Jets at Shea Stadium
In 1964, the New York Jets of the National Football League began playing at Shea Stadium.
1966: Description of Polish Farmers on Long Island
In 1966, Kazimierz Wierzyński described Polish farmers living on Long Island in his book, "My Private America".
1966: MTA operates LIRR
Since 1966, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has operated the LIRR as one of its two commuter railroads.
1972: Nets at Nassau Coliseum
From 1972 to 1977, the Nets franchise played at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale.
1973: Winston Airport Shuttle
Since 1973, Winston Airport Shuttle was the first to introduce door-to-door shared-ride service to and from the major airports, which almost all transportation companies now use.
1976: Hurricane Belle
In 1976, Hurricane Belle made landfall on Long Island at hurricane intensity.
1977: Nets at Nassau Coliseum
From 1972 to 1977, the Nets franchise played at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale.
1983: New York Jets at Shea Stadium
In 1983, the New York Jets of the National Football League left Shea Stadium.
1985: Hurricane Gloria
In 1985, Hurricane Gloria made landfall on Long Island at hurricane intensity.
1985: U.S. Supreme Court Ruling on Long Island Sound
In 1985, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Maine that Long Island is integrally related to the mainland, defining Long Island Sound as a juridical bay.
1990: Aerospace manufacturing center
From about 1930 to about 1990, Long Island was considered one of the aerospace manufacturing centers of the United States.
1990: Suffolk County population surpasses Nassau County
In 1990, Suffolk County's population surpassed Nassau County's due to ongoing growth and development spreading eastward.
1991: Hurricane Bob
In 1991, the eyewall of Hurricane Bob brushed the eastern tip of Long Island.
1996: End of Aircraft Manufacturing by Northrop Grumman and U.S. Navy
From 1942 to 1996, Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Navy manufactured military aircraft on Long Island, leading to chemical pollution.
2000: Religion report
According to a 2000 report, Catholics represented the largest religious group on Long Island, comprising 52% of the population of Nassau and Suffolk counties.
2001: Major League Lacrosse Team
In 2001, Long Island established a Major League Lacrosse team, the Long Island Lizards.
2002: Racial Segregation Study
In 2002, a New York Times article cited a study by ERASE Racism which determined that Nassau and Suffolk counties were the most racially segregated suburbs in the United States.
March 28, 2008: Secession Proposal
On March 28, 2008, Suffolk County Comptroller Joseph Sawicki proposed a plan to make Nassau and Suffolk counties the 51st state of the United States.
2008: Median household incomes
According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2008 American Community Survey, Nassau and Suffolk counties had the 10th and 26th highest median household incomes in the nation, respectively.
2008: Suffolk County Police Highway Patrol Division
In 2008, the Suffolk County Executive briefly disbanded the Suffolk County Police Highway Patrol Division; the Suffolk County Sheriff then had patrol duties along the Long Island Expressway.
April 2010: Nassau County executive supports secession
In April 2010, Nassau County executive Ed Mangano came out in support of the secession proposal and commissioned a study on it.
2010: Immigrant workforce on Long Island
According to a 2010 article in The New York Times, the expansion of the immigrant workforce on Long Island has not displaced any jobs from other Long Island residents, and half of the immigrants on Long Island hold white-collar positions.
2010: Asian population growth
As of 2010, the Asian population in Nassau County began to increase significantly.
2010: Population Increase
Since 2010, Long Island's population has increased by 6.5%.
August 2011: Evacuations for Hurricane Irene
In August 2011, portions of Long Island were evacuated in preparation for Hurricane Irene, which weakened to a tropical storm before reaching Long Island.
October 29, 2012: Hurricane Sandy Damage
On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused extensive damage to low-lying coastal areas of Long Island, resulting in power outages and an estimated $18 billion in damages.
2012: Hurricane Sandy
In 2012, Long Islanders had to deal with more catastrophic storms like Hurricane Sandy, which caused extreme damage on the island.
2012: NICE replaced MTA's Long Island Bus
In 2012, NICE replaced the former MTA's Long Island Bus in transporting Long Islanders across Nassau County, allowing them to use MTA MetroCards as payment.
2012: Stony Brook Seawolves reach College World Series
In 2012, the Stony Brook Seawolves reached the College World Series after defeating the LSU Tigers.
2012: Nets return to Long Island
In the summer of 2012, the Nets franchise moved from New Jersey to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, marking their return to Long Island.
2013: Long Island Duck production
As of 2013, Long Island duck farming continues to produce 2 million ducks a year from four duck farms.
2013: Craft beer production
As of 2013, Long Island had 15 microbreweries across Nassau and Suffolk counties.
August 13, 2014: Flash Flooding in Suffolk County
On August 13, 2014, western-central Suffolk County experienced flash flooding due to record-setting rainfall.
2015: Islanders leave Nassau Coliseum
In 2015, the New York Islanders hockey team left the Nassau Coliseum.
2016: Most Expensive Zip Code
In 2016, the 11962 zip code encompassing Sagaponack, within Southampton, was listed as the most expensive in the U.S., with a median home sale price of $8.5 million.
2017: Population Decline
Between 2017 and 2022, Long Island experienced a decline, losing over 111,000 residents to other states.
2017: Islanders split time between Nassau Coliseum and Barclays Center
From 2017 to 2021, the New York Islanders hockey team split time between Nassau Coliseum and Barclays Center.
2018: MTA Statistics
As of 2018, MTA agencies moved about 8.6 million customers per day.
2018: Ronkonkoma Branch Expansion Completed
In 2018, an expansion of the Ronkonkoma Branch from one to two tracks was completed.
2019: Asian population growth
As of 2019, the Asian population in Nassau County had grown by 39% since 2010 to an estimated 145,191 individuals.
2019: Restoration Efforts Begin
Restoration efforts have been ongoing since 2019 to address the plume of VOCs contaminating groundwater from past aircraft manufacturing practices.
2020: Islanders play full season at Nassau Coliseum
During the 2020-2021 NHL Season, the New York Islanders played their last full season at the Nassau Coliseum.
2020: Long Island population increase during pandemic
In 2020, Long Island experienced a small net increase in population as city residents moved to the area seeking more space during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020: Population Statistics
In 2020, Long Island had a population of 8,063,232 residents, constituting 40% of New York State's population.
2020: 2020 Population
In 2020, the total population of Long Island was 8,063,232.
November 2021: Islanders Move to UBS Arena
In November 2021, the New York Islanders moved full-time to UBS Arena at Belmont Park, in Elmont, New York.
2022: Population Decline Continues
Between 2017 and 2022, Long Island experienced a decline, losing over 111,000 residents to other states.
2022: Economic Indicators
In 2022, Kings, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk counties collectively had a gross domestic product of approximately $600 billion.
2022: LIRR Main Line Third Track Completed
In 2022, a $2 billion plan to add a third railroad track to the LIRR Main Line between the Floral Park and Hicksville stations in Nassau County was completed.
