New York City's Former World's Tallest Buildings: A Timeline

New York City has held the title of "world's tallest building" six times, each structure pushing engineering limits and defining an era.

1. Singer Building (1908–1909) – 612 ft. Headquarters of the Singer Sewing Machine Company; demolished in 1968.
2. Metropolitan Life Insurance Tower (1909–1913) – 700 ft. Modeled after St. Mark's Campanile in Venice; still stands at 1 Madison Ave.
3. Woolworth Building (1913–1930) – 792 ft. The "Cathedral of Commerce," a neo-Gothic masterpiece by Cass Gilbert.
4. Chrysler Building (1930–1931) – 1,046 ft. Art Deco icon with its famous stainless-steel crown; held the record for just 11 months.
5. Empire State Building (1931–1972) – 1,250 ft. (1,454 ft. with antenna). The definitive symbol of NYC; world's tallest for 41 years.
6. World Trade Center (1972–2001) – 1,368 ft. (North Tower). The Twin Towers reclaimed the title until their destruction on 9/11.

Today, One World Trade Center (1,776 ft.) is the tallest in the Western Hemisphere, but the global crown resides in the Middle East and Asia.