Five persons perished during the construction of the Empire State Building, according to official records. One died after being hit by a truck, another after falling down an elevator shaft, a third after being killed by explosives, a fourth after being hit by a hoist, and a fifth after falling off scaffolding.
From the base of the Empire State Building to the end of the lightning rod, it is 1,454 feet tall. It has 102 stories and was the highest skyscraper in the world when it was built in 1931. Prior to the construction of the World Trade Center’s north tower in 1972, it held that distinction for more than 40 years.
