NYC’s Empire State Building Lit For Elections

Did you know that the Empire State Building will be illuminated several different ways for the next several days’ worth of American Election events?

Neither did I!

There are several events that will be cause for the lighting of the exterior of the Empire State Building:

Monday 11/3:
The Empire State Building will shine red, white and blue as a reminder to vote in the 2008 presidential election

Tuesday 11/4:
The building will split its lights to acknowledge the race for the presidency as the ESB’s north and south sides will be lit in Democratic blue, and the building’s east and west sides will be lit Republican red

Wednesday 11/5:
The Empire State Building will shine either blue for Barack Obama or red for John McCain as the winner of the 2008 presidential election is announced

Thursday 11/6:
The building will be lit in red, white and blue once again on to celebrate democracy in the U.S. This is the first time the Empire State Building will celebrate the presidential election by lighting up for four nights and the first time the building has split its lights for an election

I had no idea about these events.  There is a history with all of this as well:

In 1932, a searchlight beacon alerting people for 50 miles that Franklin D. Roosevelt had been elected president of the United States was the first light to shine on top of the Empire State Building.

In 1976, colored lighting was first introduced and the tower was lit in red, white and blue to celebrate the American Bicentennial.

The Empire State Building’s tower lights are internationally recognized and are illuminated to commemorate holidays, events and causes that are of importance to New Yorkers, Americans and citizens of the world. An ESB lighting celebrates remarkable events, iconic traditions or significant anniversaries, such as E.U. Day, Lunar New Year, Earth Day, Veteran’s Day and many more.