Long Island is a region rich in history and culture, home to many firsts that have made an impact on the world. From aviation to science, Long Island has played a crucial role in shaping our modern society. Here are five firsts that happened right here on Long Island.
Charles Lindbergh makes first nonstop solo flight to Paris
In 1927 aviator Charles Lindberg took off from Roosevelt Field in Garden City in his plane the Spirit of St. Louis for the first solo transatlantic flight to Paris. It took Lindberg over 33 hours to complete the flight. He was 25-years-old at the time. Read: Five times Long Island made aviation history.
First U.S. submarine base
John Philip Holland created the first workable submarine purchased by the United States Navy in 1900 for $150,000. He demonstrated the design on Long Island in New Suffolk. In 1900, his submarine became the U.S.S. Holland, the first American submarine. His company received an order for six more. His craft combined electric batteries for submerged travel and combustion engine power above the surface, according to the Cutchogue-New Suffolk Historical Council.
A monument in New Suffolk marks the site of the first submarine base in the United States. It read, "Be it known by all that this monument marks the location of the first United States Submarine Base and commemorates the 100th Anniversary of the United States Submarine Service which had its birthplace here on this point of land in the hamlet of New Suffolk, Long Island on 11 April 1900.”
Discovery of the muon neutrino at BNL
From the Brookhaven National Lab website: The 1988 Nobel Prize in physics was awarded to a trio of researchers for their 1962 discovery of the muon-neutrino, based on work conducted at Brookhaven. Leon Lederman, Melvin Schwartz and Jack Steinberger, at the time all of Columbia University, made their discovery at the brand-new Alternating Gradient Synchrotron (AGS). At the time, only the electron-neutrino was known, and the scientists wondered if they could find more types of these ghostlike particles that pass through everything. The AGS, then the most powerful accelerator in the world, was capable of producing the beam needed. Read our story Crazy Facts About BNL.
Montauk Lighthouse was the first in New York State
From the Army Corp of Engineers website: The Montauk Point Lighthouse is the first lighthouse built in New York State. The lighthouse was authorized by the Second Congress, under President George Washington, in 1792. Construction was completed November 1796, and it still serves as an aid to navigation. The Montauk Point Lighthouse was designated a National Historic Landmark on March 5, 2012, by the Secretary of the Interior, in recognition of the property’s national significance in the history of the United States. The lighthouse is on the Federal and State’s Register of Historic Places. Read: Old Time Photos of Montauk.
Shinnecock Hills was the country’s first organized golf club
The first golf course in the United States was built on Long Island in 1891 in Southampton. According to the New York Times, “Shinnecock Hills, the country's first golf course, was built in Southampton with the help of 150 residents of the Shinnecock reservation in 1891.” The paper went on to say that the “first golf clubhouse in America was built by Stanford White in 1892 for the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, and many of the major golf tournaments of those early decades were held on the Island.” While the title of oldest golf course in the United States is sometimes debated, Shinnecock Hills is generally considered to be the oldest.
Long Island has played an important role in many historic firsts that have shaped our modern world. From the first organized golf club to the first transatlantic solo flight, these achievements have had a lasting impact on society. Long Island's contributions to science, aviation, and technology continue to be felt today and will be remembered for years to come.