1. The New York Stock Exchange was founded on December 17, 1792. Known as the "Buttonwood Agreement," 24 brokers signed an agreement under a buttonwood tree on Wall Street to create securities trading in New York City.

2. On December 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright conducted the first successful flight of a powered aircraft in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The Wright brothers had a significant impact on New York history, as their innovations helped pave the way for modern aviation, including commercial flights that connected New York to the rest of the world.

3. The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 17, 1948. The Declaration was a significant milestone in the global struggle for human rights and equality, and New York City played a key role in shaping the document's creation and adoption.

4. On December 17, 1989, the Loma Prieta earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area. Although the earthquake occurred on the other side of the country, it had a ripple effect on New York City, causing a six-week delay in the opening of the Broadway musical "Miss Saigon" due to equipment delays and safety concerns.

5. In 2014, New York City commuters were delighted to hear that the Second Avenue Subway line finally opened on December 17 to great fanfare. The new line, which included three new stations, connected residents of the Upper East Side to the rest of the city and provided a much-needed relief to the overcrowded Lexington Avenue line.