Today, New York is a city that moves writers to eloquence and drivers to mayhem. But its bright lights, made familiar to the rest of the world by the many movies filmed here, disguise a city rich with the nation’s history. George Washington, for example, was inaugurated as first president of the United States in 1788 in Federal Hall, which was located on what is now New York’s Wall Street.

Employing innovative engineering techniques masterminded by John Augustus Roebling, the Brooklyn Bridge was completed in 1883 after 14 years of hazardous labour, multiple disasters, and many injuries. The suspension bridge links Manhattan Island to Brooklyn and was the longest of its kind at the time of its construction.

The landmark buildings of the United Nations (UN) stand alongside the East River in New York City. The tall Secretariat Building and the white General Assembly Building are two of three main structures that make up the UN’s centre of operations. Established in 1945, the UN moved into its New York headquarters in the autumn of 1952, and the majority of the world’s nations are now members. The organization’s goal is the preservation of peace and human dignity. Each country displays its flag near the entryway.