New York is the 27th-largest U.S. state by area—yet it’s also the country’s fourth most populous state. Among its nearly 19.7 million residents are thousands of historic buildings, districts, objects, sites, and structures that tell the story of New York and even the country as a whole.

However, there are only 296 National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) in New York. These landmarks are officially recognized by the U.S. government for their outstanding historical significance, and we’re highlighting them on the map below.

View New York Landmarks in a full screen map

The Types of Landmarks in New York

New York’s 296 state landmarks are more than five times that of Washington state’s. So let’s make them easier to digest by going over their five categories (“Type” on the map).

• Current National Historic Landmarks outside New York City (160 landmarks)
• Current NHLs in New York City (118)
• Historic areas in the United States National Park System (13)
• NHLs formerly located in New York (3)
• Former NHLs in New York (2)

The majority of current New York landmarks are located outside of the Big Apple (54%). Among these are the New York State Capitol in Albany and Rochester’s Susan B. Anthony House. Meanwhile, 40% reside within New York’s largest city’s limits, including Central Park and the Empire State Building.

Yet neither of these types includes any of the five former landmarks of New York. The three national historic landmarks formerly located in New York are all boats or ships, which have been relocated to Michigan, California, and Massachusetts. The USS Edson, one of two surviving Forrest Sherman-class destroyers that saw action from World War II to Vietnam was located in NYC from 1989 to 2004. However, it was relocated to Michigan in 2013.

The Fir was a lighthouse tender that served on the West Coast. Originally, the Fir was to be a museum ship in New York, but it’s unclear if that ever happened. It did receive the NHL designation, which still puts it on our map. This lighthouse tender was the last of its fleet, from the United States Lighthouse Service, the predecessor of the United States Coast Guard. The Fir and its brethren maintained buoys around lighthouses. It was transferred to Sacramento’s Liberty Maritime Museum in 2002.

Finally, the largest lightship ever built, Nantucket was a vessel that acted as a lighthouse. Originally listed to the NHL while primarily in Maine, she was temporarily stationed in Oyster Bay, New York. The Nantucket later arrived in Boston on May 11, 2010. The last two former NHLs in New York remain in the state, yet they’re no longer designated as such.

With their types in mind, let’s dive more into where most of these landmarks are located in The Empire State.

N.Y.C.’s Landmarks

​New York’s capital city may be Albany, but not too many landmarks are located there compared to another Empire State city. Of course, the city where you can get the most bang for your sight-seeing buck is none other than The Big Apple. Here, you’ll find 118 current National Historic Landmarks, some of the most famous of which include:

• Brooklyn Bridge
• Central Park
• Chrysler Building
• Empire State Building
• Grand Central Terminal
• Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
• Metropolitan Museum of Art
• New York Public Library
• Rockefeller Center
• St. Patrick’s Cathedral

The oldest designated NHL of these is the Brooklyn Bridge, which was designated as an NHL in 1954. Yet it’s certainly not the oldest when you take into account all of the cities in New York.

The Oldest Landmarks in New York

New York was established as a state in 1788. Yet The Empire State’s oldest national historic landmark wasn’t designated as such until 1897 (the General Grant National Memorial). The most recent addition was in 2021 (the West Point Foundry Archeological Site). So let’s take a look at some of the the oldest New York state landmarks.

Landmark	Year designated
General Grant National Memorial	1897
Statue of Liberty National Monument	1924
Saratoga National Historical Park	1938
Federal Hall National Memorial	1939
Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site	1940
Saint Paul’s Church National Historic Site	1943
Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site	1944
Castle Clinton National Monument	1946
Brooklyn Bridge	1954

The list above shows the state’s nine oldest landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty National Monument, home of perhaps the most famous statue in the U.S. Both Liberty (New York) and Ellis Island (New York and New Jersey) make up the Statue of Liberty National Monument. On Liberty Island, is, you guessed it, the Statue of Liberty, along with its museum.

You can also view the ten newest landmarks in The Empire State when you group by “Year designated.” Or, celebrate another state’s birthday with a map of Washington state landmarks, or those in Hawaii.

A country’s capital can hold a lot of symbolism. Yet depending on the size of the country, the population of these capital cities varies significantly. The largest world capital is home to more than 21.5 million people, while no one resides permanently in a couple of the smallest capitals.

And while even the smallest capital is typically the most well-known and populous in the country, that’s not the case in 36 countries where their capital is far from their largest city.

View World Capitals in a full screen map

National capitals data from Wikipedia. Countries whose capital is not their largest city data also from Wikipedia

10 Most Populous Capitals in the World

Nearly 119 million people altogether live in 10 of the world’s largest capitals. Can you guess which one is home to the most?

• Beijing – population of 21,542,000
• Tokyo – 14,094,034
• Moscow – 13,104,177
• Kinshasa – 12,691,000
• Jakarta – 10,562,088
• Cairo – 10,107,125
• Seoul – 9,508,451
• Mexico City – 9,209,944
• London – 9,002,488
• Dhaka – 8,906,039

Among the 10 most populous world capitals listed above, Beijing, the capital of China, stands out with a staggering population of 21,542,000. Even though it’s the largest capital, Beijing’s population represents just 1.5% of the rest of the country. Moreover, this large capital is only China’s third largest city, after Chongqing and Shanghai.

Asia is home to the majority of the most populous capitals. In addition to Beijing, Tokyo, Jakarta, Seoul, and Dhaka all rank within the top 10 for population. Of these, the highest percentage of the entire country’s population lives in Seoul (18.3%).

Check out the rest of the most populous capitals on the map before moving on to the opposite… least populous.

Smallest World Capitals

On the other hand, less than 600 people reside in each of the 10 smallest capitals, the smallest of which house zero people.

• Ngerulmud – population of 0
• Plymouth – 0
• King Edward Point – 22
• Adamstown – 40
• West Island – 134
• Kingston – 341
• Brades – 449
• Vatican City – 453
• Atafu – 541
• Alofi – 597

Two of the world’s capitals have no permanent residents. Ngerulmud, the capital of island country Palau, became the capital in 2006, but has no residents. As for Plymouth, Montserrat, volcanic eruptions caused evacuation starting in 1995, but it has not been replaced as the official capital.

Shockingly, the remaining small capitals (the ones with people living in them) are the largest city in each country. That’s not the case for the countries in the next section.

36 Countries Whose Capital Is Not Their Largest City

A country’s capital is typically the most well-known and populous. Yet in 36 countries, the capital is not the largest city. Of these, the largest discrepancy between the population of a country’s capital city and their largest city is over than 19,750,00 people. Let’s go over that and others with big gaps now.

Country (or territory)	Capital	Population	Largest city	Population	Ratio
India	New Delhi	249,998	Mumbai	20,000,000	80
Palau	Ngerulmud	0	Koror	11,200	41.32
Burundi	Gitega	135,467	Bujumbura	1,092,859	26.06
Ivory Coast	Yamoussoukro	361,893	Abidjan	4,348,000	21.7
Pakistan	Islamabad	1,014,825	Karachi	14,910,352	14.69
United States	Washington, D.C.	670,050	New York City	8,398,748	12.72
Australia	Canberra	431,380	Melbourne	5,312,163	12.6
Nigeria	Abuja	1,235,880	Lagos	7,937,932	10.2
Tanzania	Dodoma	410,956	Dar es Salaam	2,497,940	7.7
Bolivia	Sucre	360,544	Santa Cruz de la Sierra	1,453,549	7.1

India’s capital, New Delhi, is home to 249,998 people. Yet you’ll have to travel across the country to get to the largest city in India. Mumbai is where 20,000,000 people live, 80 times more than the country’s capital.

Another interesting discrepancy is Palau, mentioned in the previous section. It has the second-largest difference in population between the capital and another city, due to Ngerulmud’s zero residents. Previously, Koror was the capital until 2006 and it remains the largest city in the country with 11,200 people.

Even though Koror is home to the most people in Palau, it’s far from one of the Biggest Boomtowns of Every U.S. State.

Exactly 100 years ago, in 1924, a crop of famous people were born that would make great impacts on the world. From politicians to actors, athletes to musicians, they made their mark on history, and their paths were as diverse as the reasons for their fame. Most have passed away, though a rare few could still hit the century mark.

So let’s delve into the lives of some of the most celebrated figures of that remarkable cohort, including Shirley Chisholm, Daniel Inouye, and George H. W. Bush. We’ll take a look at the most common occupations of famous Americans born in 1924, where they were born, and the exciting centennial celebrations that lie ahead.

And it all starts with this map built from a list of names, birthdates, and birthplaces:

View American Celebrities Born 100 Years Ago in a full screen map

Most Common Occupations of Famous Americans Born in 1924

The American celebrities born 100 years ago all shared the same birth year. But the reasons for their celebrity varied significantly, though some were more common than others.

• American politician – 22 American celebrities born in 1924
• American actress – 17
• American actor – 17
• American musician – 5
• American basketball player – 5
• American singer – 4
• American female baseball player – 4
• Actress – 4
• American judge – 3
• American female professional baseball player – 3
• American baseball player – 3

The majority of 280+ celebrities born in 1924 were famous for their jobs as politicians, actors, or athletes. Famous politicians born in the year included Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to the U.S. Congress and the first woman to seek the Democratic Party’s nomination for President. Also among this group are Daniel Inouye, Frank Church, and Ed Koch.

However, politicians with more than one occupation are not included among these, such as George H. W. Bush, the 41st President of the U.S.

As for athletes, among the five American basketball players is Bob Kurland. Kurland played for the Phillips 66ers and was a two-time Olympic gold medalist.

American’s pastime is also well-represented by the likes of Gil Hodges, Al Rosen, and Pepper Paire, a member of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL), which was featured in the movie “A League of Their Own.” Check out the rest of the occupations on the map before moving on to birthplaces.

Where Were They Born?

The map highlights the 281 famous Americans born in 1924, which is certainly the case for the majority (97.5%). Yet several people were born in countries other than the U.S. before moving and making a name for themselves.

The two German-born celebs were German-American physicist and astrophysicist Gerson Goldhaber, born in February and actress Maria Riva, born in December. There are also two Canadians (artist Buddy MacMaster and politician Weston E. Vivian). Additionally, there is one person from Austria, China, and Italy each.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., New York (51), Texas (21), and Illinois (18) are the top three homestates, with N.Y.C. (20), Chicago (11), and Brooklyn (10) being the most popular cities.

Celebs Celebrating Their 100th Birthdays in 2024

Enough about occupations and birthplaces… it’s time for even more personal details about these famous folks born 100 years ago: their ages. Here are the 19 people who may celebrate their 100th birthday in 2024.

Birth Month	Name
January	Charlie Munger
March	William H. Webster, Herbert Gold
May	Priscilla Pointer
June	Leonard Everett Fisher, Charles Norman Shay
July	Charley Winner, Eva Marie Saint, Charles C. Droz, Gloria Stroock, Oscar Wyatt, James L. Greenfield
August	Ella Jenkins, Frank Joseph Guarini, Robert Solow
September	Russell M. Nelson, J. William Middendorf, Merwin Coad
October	Jimmy Carter

July 2024 is gearing up to be the most popular month for centennial birthdays. Turning 100 at the beginning of the month may be football player Charley Winner (2nd), actress Eva Marie Saint (4th), and politician Charles C. Droz (8th). In mid-July, actress Gloria Stroock (10th), businessman, self-made millionaire Oscar Wyatt (11th), and administrator James L. Greenfield (16th) may also celebrate this big birthday.

Looking for another blast from the past? Check out this map of the most impactful 1924 events.