Which New York City landmark was inaugurated in 1931 as the world's tallest building?

The Empire State Building was inaugurated in 1931 as the world's tallest building.

The Art Deco skyscraper stands in Midtown Manhattan at 350 Fifth Avenue. Its construction began in 1930 during the Great Depression, and the building officially opened on 1 May 1931, when President Herbert Hoover switched on its lights remotely from Washington, D.C. The project was completed in about one year and 45 days, an unusually rapid schedule for a structure of its scale.

The Empire State Building became the world's tallest building after surpassing the Chrysler Building, which had briefly held the title. It retained the record until 1970, when the North Tower of the original World Trade Center became taller. The building's distinctive spire was originally intended to serve as a mooring mast for airships, although that plan was never practical.

Visitors often confuse the Empire State Building's opening with the completion of the Chrysler Building in 1930. The Chrysler Building was taller for only a short period; the Empire State Building reclaimed the record in 1931 and held it for nearly four decades.