Empire State Building

Empire State Building

Two Friends Think Big Two friends, John Raskob and Al Smith, wanted to build the tallest skyscraper in the world. As children, they were poor. Both had to quit school and go to work. Years later, Raskob was rich and Smith was famous. Together, the two friends made a good team and built the Empire State Building. Their building was the tallest in the world for forty-one years.

Stars and States Take an elevator to the top of this building and you can see parts of five states. Look around and you might see stars, even in the daytime. Famous movie stars visit to see the view, too.

Making Room for Greatness The place Raskob and Smith chose for their building was a busy one. A grand hotel was already standing there. The hotel had to go. Men worked day and night to tear down the hotel quickly. The two friends needed to construct their building fast.

A skyscraper as big and heavy as the one they planned needed to sit on solid rock. Workers dug down 40 feet (12. 2 m) to reach solid rock. Huge trucks carried tons of dirt and rock away. It took five months to tear down the hotel and make the hole. Then, on April 7, 1930, construction of the Empire State Building began.

Sky Boys Strong metal beams rose. Beams support the skyscraper much as your bones support your body. As the steel beams went higher and higher, crowds gathered on the streets below. They looked up in wonder as men walked the narrow beams high above. People called the men “ sky boys. "