New York has a pretty strange history as far as states go -- from the earliest European settlers who bought it from natives who didn't really live there, to the series of larger-than-life artists, politicians, and business people who make it unique to this day, the city's history is full of interesting characters and incidents. Some New York events are so strange that they almost sound fictional -- for example:

In 1789, George Washington took the first Presidential oath at Federal Hall. This is one of the stranger New York events because the city itself had been New Amsterdam in the previous century, and had been repeatedly occupied by the British -- it had also been the site of many battles.

In 1792, a group of stock brokers met beneath a buttonwood tree to sign a contract specifying that they would trade amongst each other. This New York event was a pivotal part of the state's history, since it launched the financial market now known as the New York Stock Exchange, the largest such market in the world. This New York event was a crucial turning point in the city's history, forever defining it as a center of finance and commerce worldwide.

In 1823, a brilliant pair of hucksters convinced hundreds of laborers to try to saw the city in half: a butcher and a contractor named De Voe and Lozier claimed that the population of New York put too much weight on the south side of the island. The only solution was to saw it in half, turn lower Manhattan around, and attach it again. Among New York events, this is surely one of the strangest: on the appointed day, hundreds of volunteers marched off to two camps where the sawing was to begin. And waited. And waited. De Voe and Lozier had perpetrated a massive hoax. Many contemporary historians believe that these New York events are too good to be true, and that the hoax is itself a hoax. But since the prank's victims would likely be too embarrassed to admit their complicity, the truth about this New York event will never be known for sure.

In the late 19th century the road currently known as Broadway -- originally a trail used by the natives and called "Wickquasgeck" -- was paved. This is one of the many New York events to inaugurate both a record and a cultural icon. At 150 miles, Broadway is one of the longest streets in the world, and one stretch of it (also known as "Broadway") is the site many plays, musicals, and other New York events.

In the 1920's many Jazz musicians considering where to perform referred to New York events as "The Big Apple", or the best and most desirable prize.

In 1965, a major blackout struck the city. Coming in the midst of a major crime wave, this New York event was rather disturbing to some people. But others managed to pass the time: nine months later, local hospitals reported a spike in the birth rate.

Byrne Hobart is a New Yorker with ridiculously varied interests. He's a history buff with a taste for weird trivia, and he's also a dedicated attendee at numerous New York events http://www.metro212.com/