1) On May 4, 1626, Dutch explorer Peter Minuit landed on the island of Manhattan and famously purchased it from the Lenape Native Americans for 60 guilders (about $24).
2) On May 4, 1927, the first long-distance television broadcast was transmitted from London, England to New York City.
3) On May 4, 1970, protests erupted at Kent State University in Ohio, against the Vietnam War. Four students were killed and nine others were injured when the National Guard opened fire on the protesters. This event sparked protests across the country, including in New York City.
4) On May 4, 2005, the New York Times published an article revealing that the FBI had been conducting surveillance on Muslim communities in the New York City metropolitan area, without any evidence of criminal activity.
5) On May 4, 2015, New York City's One World Trade Center was officially opened and dedicated, 13 years after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.