NEW YORK, NY.- The Empire State Building (ESB), the world’s most famous office building, will celebrate its 80th anniversary on Sunday, May 1, 2011. Soaring 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan, ESB has served as one of the most recognizable and beloved attractions. The building has accomplished many milestones over the last 80 years, and today it stands tall as a 21st Century icon.

Anthony E. Malkin, Empire State Building Company, stated, “On this significant anniversary, the Empire State Building celebrates 80 years of being an international symbol of innovation and ingenuity.” He added, “Through an award-winning renovations and modernization project, the world’s most famous office building offers unmatched experiences for both its tenants and the millions who visit the Observatories each year.”

The Empire State Building: Through the Years
• January 2011: ESB became New York City’s largest commercial purchaser of 100% renewable energy.

• December 2010: Launched a newly designed www.esbnyc.com to provide global, instant digital access, as well as new social media channels with the creation of ESB Facebook and Twitter pages.

• July 2010: An interactive, multi-media Sustainability Exhibit was unveiled at the 2nd floor Visitor’s Center to educate visitors about ESB’s energy-efficiency program.

• April 2009: Alongside President Bill Clinton and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, ESB announced details of a groundbreaking retrofit aimed at reducing the building’s carbon emissions by more than 38 percent while creating a replicable process for retrofitting existing commercial structures worldwide. It will save an estimated $4.4 million on energy costs per year. www.esbsustainability.com.

• 2009: Completed a more than $550 million “Empire State ReBuilding” program to renovate, reinvent and modernize the iconic landmark by restoring its 1931 Art Deco grandeur and adding state-of-the-art enhancements to improve the tenant and visitor experiences.

• February 1994: The first Valentine's Day wedding event was held. To date, over 230 couples have been officially married at ESB as part of this annual program.

• May 1981: The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission declared ESB a landmark.

• February 1978: The first ESB Run-Up took place. At this annual event, hundreds of athletes from around the world race a total of 1,576 steps to the 86th Floor Observatory.

• 1966: The manually operated high-speed elevators on the first 80 floors of the building were replaced with automatic elevators.

• June 1951: WNBT became the first media outlet to begin regular broadcasts from the new transmitting tower atop ESB.

• May 1, 1931: President Herbert Hoover pressed a button in Washington, D.C. to officially open ESB.