History of Long Island in Timeline

Long Island is a heavily populated island in southeastern New York, a major part of the New York metropolitan area. Extending 118 miles eastward from New York Harbor into the Atlantic, it reaches a maximum width of 23 miles. With a land area of 1,401 square miles, it's the largest island in the contiguous U.S. and the 11th largest in the country.

1913: Ebbets Field Built

Ebbets Field, the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team, was built in Brooklyn in 1913.

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: Big Duck Building

In 1931, the Big Duck, a duck-shaped building, was built and later became a historic landmark and tourist attraction.

1955: Dodgers Win World Series

In 1955, the Brooklyn Dodgers won their lone championship in Brooklyn, defeating the New York Yankees in the World Series.

1957: Giants Move to 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 baseball team moved to Los Angeles to become the Los Angeles Dodgers.

1960: Ebbets Field Demolished

Ebbets Field, which stood in Brooklyn, was demolished in 1960.

1964: New York Jets at Shea Stadium

From 1964 until 1983, Shea Stadium was home for the New York Jets of the National Football League.

1966: MTA Operates LIRR

In 1966, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority began operating the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) as one of its two commuter railroads.

1972: Nets Played at Nassau Coliseum

From 1972 to 1977, the Nets franchise played at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale.

1973: Winston Airport Shuttle Established

In 1973, Winston Airport Shuttle was established and introduced door-to-door shared-ride service to and from major airports.

1977: Nets Played 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

From 1964 until 1983, Shea Stadium was home for the New York Jets of the National Football League.

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

In the 1990 census, Suffolk County's population surpassed Nassau County's as growth and development spread eastward.

1992: UFO Crash Urban Legend

It is rumored that a UFO crash in Southaven County Park was covered up in 1992.

2000: Religion Report

According to a 2000 report, Catholics were the largest religious group on Long Island, making up 52% of the population in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

2001: Long Island Lizards

In 2001, the Long Island Lizards, a Major League Lacrosse team, was established.

2002: Racial Segregation Study

In 2002, The New York Times cited a study by ERASE Racism, determining Nassau and Suffolk counties were the most racially segregated suburbs in the United States.

March 28, 2008: Proposal for Long Island to Become 51st State

On March 28, 2008, Suffolk County Comptroller Joseph Sawicki proposed a plan to make Nassau and Suffolk counties the 51st state, claiming it would keep taxpayers' money local.

2008: American Community Survey

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

In 2008, the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office had patrol duties along the Long Island Expressway, when the County Executive briefly disbanded the Suffolk County Police Highway Patrol Division.

April 2010: Mangano Supports Statehood Proposal

In April 2010, Nassau County executive Ed Mangano supported the proposal for Long Island to become the 51st state and commissioned a study on it.

2010: Immigrant Workforce

A 2010 article in The New York Times stated the expansion of the immigrant workforce on Long Island has not displaced any jobs, and half of the immigrants hold white-collar positions.

2010: Asian Population Growth in Nassau County

As of 2019, the Asian population in Nassau County had grown by 39% since 2010, with approximately 50,000 Indian Americans and 40,000 Chinese Americans.

2010: Long Island Population Increase

Since 2010, Long Island's population has increased by 6.5% to 8,063,232 in 2020.

2012: NICE Replaces Long Island Bus

In 2012, Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) replaced the former MTA's Long Island Bus, allowing Long Islanders to use MTA MetroCards as payment for bus service across Nassau County.

2012: Nets Return to Long Island

In the summer of 2012, the Brooklyn Nets moved from New Jersey, marking their return to Long Island.

2012: Stony Brook Seawolves in College World Series

The Stony Brook Seawolves reached the 2012 College World Series as an underdog after defeating the LSU Tigers.

2013: Microbreweries on Long Island

As of 2013, Long Island had 15 microbreweries across Nassau and Suffolk counties.

2013: Long Island Duck Production

As of 2013, four duck farms on Long Island continued to produce 2 million ducks a year.

2015: Islanders Split Time

From 2017 to 2021, the New York Islanders hockey team split time between Nassau Coliseum and Barclays Center, having played at Nassau Coliseum since their 1972 inception through 2015.

2015: NYC FC Established

New York City FC, a Major League Soccer (MLS) team, was established in 2015.

2016: Most Expensive Zip Code

In 2016, according to Business Insider, 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: Resident Loss

Between 2017 and 2022, Long Island lost over 111,000 residents to other states.

2017: Islanders Split Time

From 2017 to 2021, the New York Islanders hockey team split time between Nassau Coliseum and Barclays Center, having played at Nassau Coliseum since their 1972 inception through 2015.

2018: MTA Transportation Figures

As of 2018, MTA agencies moved about 8.6 million customers per day.

2018: Ronkonkoma Branch Expansion

In 2018, the expansion of the Ronkonkoma Branch of the Long Island Rail Road from one to two tracks was completed.

2019: Asian Population Growth in Nassau County

As of 2019, the Asian population in Nassau County had grown by 39% since 2010, with approximately 50,000 Indian Americans and 40,000 Chinese Americans.

2020: Population Increase During Pandemic

During the 2020 pandemic, Long Island experienced a small net increase in residents as people left New York City for more space.

2020: Islanders Last Full Season at Nassau Coliseum

During the 2020–21 NHL Season, the New York Islanders played their last full season at the Nassau Coliseum.

2020: Population of Long Island

In 2020, the total population of Long Island's four counties was 8,063,232, representing 40% of New York State's population. Additionally, 58.4% of New York City residents lived on Long Island. The population density was 5,859.5 inhabitants per square mile.

2020: New York Cosmos Soccer Club

Until 2020, Long Island's professional soccer club, the New York Cosmos, played in the Division 2 North American Soccer League at James M. Shuart Stadium in Hempstead.

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: Resident Loss

Between 2017 and 2022, Long Island lost over 111,000 residents to other states.

2022: Third Track Completed

In 2022, a $2 billion project was completed to add a third railroad track to the LIRR Main Line between the Floral Park and Hicksville stations in Nassau County.