The Empire State Building is a legend. Built in the midst of the Depression, it was, and still remains a testament to American fortitude and ingenuity.

An international icon, it has been visited by more than 117 million people, who come to marvel at the 80-mile view into New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Built in 1930 to be the tallest structure on earth, the Empire State Building was then considered the largest commercial venture and investment ever.

The façade is composed of more than 200,000 cubic feet of Indiana limestone and granite, and utilizes several setbacks to offset the optical distortion of its 102-story height.

Construction took just over 18 months.

On a Saturday morning in July 1945, a US B-25 Bomber crashed into the 79th floor offices of the Catholic War Relief Services. Fourteen people died. Despite suffering some fire damage and a 20-foot gash, the Empire State building opened back up for business on Monday.

Decorated with enormous bronze medallions celebrating the craftsmen responsible for the building, and a metal mosaic featuring the building as the center of the universe, the lobby is without peer.

The lobby is a five-story Art Deco masterpiece crafted in rich granite and marble, and highlighted by brushed stainless steel.

Tallest building in the world from 1931 - 1972; surpassed by One World Trade Center.

The Empire State Building was constructed on the site of the former Astoria Hotel.

Excavation began on January 22, 1930.

Construction started on March 17, 1930.

Cornerstone was laid on September 17, 1930 by former New York governor Alfred E. Smith.

Framework rose at the rate of 4 1/2 floors per week.

The masonry was completed on November 13, 1930.

President Herbert Hoover officially opened the building on May 1, 1931 by pressing a button from the White House that turned on the building's lights.

Declared Landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission on May 18, 1981.

Listed on State & National Register of Historic Places on December 20, 1982.

Regained city's "tallest" title September 11, 2001.

Houses over 1,000 businesses with its own ZIP Code.

Declared a National Historic Landmark on October 23, 1986.

Initially the building was intended to have a flat roof until a "hat" or metal-plated tower on top of the building was designed. It initially served double duty as a zeppelin mooring mast and an observatory.

The metal-plated tower on top of the building was planned as a zeppelin port. Yet it was used for only one zeppelin landing because the winds were too strong at such heights making mooring dangerous and also because the golden age of zeppelins was quickly slipping into the past.

A broadcasting antenna was added to the building in 1951 putting the almost vacant metallic tower at the top to use as a storage area for broadcasting equipment.

During planning stages the construction death toll was estimated to be one worker per floor, or over 100 workers overall. However, only a handful of workers lost their lives during construction.

During construction of the steel frame, eating facilities were set up on appropriate floors to cater for the workers.

The building incorporates 10 million bricks, 1,886 kilometres (1,172 miles) of elevator cables, 6,400 windows and weighs 331,000 tonnes.

The tower was one of the first to employ the then new fast-track construction technique.

At least 32 people jumped to their deaths off the observation deck on the top during the deck's operation.

Soon after opening it became a major tourist attraction, attracting many famous people, including the French Prime Minister, Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill, Pope Pius XII, Fidel Castro and Queen Elisabeth II, to name a few. The only one known to have refused Alfred E. Smith's invitation was Walter P. Chrysler.

As a popular symbol of the city and its spirit, the building has been featured on countless artistic impressions of the city; for instance, the building has been featured on album covers of music of nearly every genre, from jazz of the thirties to hip hop of the '00s.

There are 1,575 steps from the lobby to the 86th floor.

The building was completed about a month and half ahead of schedule and about $5 million under budget.

The Empire State Building is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers.

Hear the radio interview (21MB, MP3) about the Empire State Building held by the BBC with Marshall Gerometta, Emporis senior editor from Chicago.

Constructed with 60,000 tons of structural steel.