1) In 1931, construction on the Empire State Building began. At the time, it was the tallest building in the world and remained so for nearly 40 years.

2) On April 2, 1968, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his final speech at the Mason Temple in Memphis, Tennessee. He famously said, "I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land."

3) In 1987, the New York Islanders achieved a NHL record by winning their 28th consecutive game at home. They eventually went on to win their fourth straight Stanley Cup that year.

4) On this day in 1963, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Gideon v. Wainwright that anyone accused of a crime has the right to an attorney, even if they cannot afford one. This ruling was a landmark decision in the protection of individuals' rights.

5) April 2, 1892, marked the debut of the first electric streetcar in New York City. The streetcar line ran from Greenwich Village to 59th Street and was welcomed as a significant improvement to the existing horse-drawn streetcars.