Happy 350th birthday, New York!

New York City celebrates its 350th birthday on Sept. 8 after being 
officially renamed from New Amsterdam. Here's a list of wacky...
weird and wonderful facts about one of the greatest places in the world.

1. The Interborough Rapid Transit Subway was the first subway company in New York City. On Oct. 27, 1904, the first subway line opened.

Some facts: 10,000 men were employed to construct the subway. More than 71,000 tons of steel and nearly 10,000 tons of cast iron were used as well as more than half a million yards of concrete and nearly a million square yards of waterproofing.

2. The longest-running show on Broadway is Phantom of the Opera. It officially opened on Jan. 26, 1988.

The "Phantom of the Opera" cast performs onstage at Radio City Music Hall on June 9, 2013, in New York City.(Photo: Courtesy of Andrew H. Walker)

People visit the Imagine mosaic in the Strawberry Fields section of New York's Central Park in 2010 on the 30th anniversary of the death of John Lennon.(Photo: Richard Drew, AP)

3. Strawberry Fields, a living memorial to John Lennon, is designated as a quiet zone in Central Park, meaning dogs, running, rollerblading and bike riding are prohibited.

Historical photos of New York...[....] http://www.usatoday.com