New York City opens first subway line

On October 27, 1904, New York City inaugurated its first underground subway line. The Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) route spanned approximately 9.1 miles (14.6 kilometers) and included 28 stations, connecting City Hall in Lower Manhattan to 145th Street and Broadway in Harlem.

Mayor George B. McClellan Jr. participated in the inaugural journey, which departed shortly after 2:30 p.m. and arrived at its northern terminus in 26 minutes. Following a ceremonial opening, the system was made available to the general public at 7:00 p.m. By the end of the first day, more than 100,000 passengers had utilized the new transit system.

The project was part of a broader effort to link Manhattan's business district with rapidly expanding northern neighborhoods. While initially a privately operated system under the IRT, the network eventually expanded to include the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens, later integrating with the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit and the Independent Subway systems in 1940.