Today In History: NYC Blackout

On July 13, 1977, New York City went dark.

At 8:37 p.m., a lightning strike crippled a power station in Westchester County, north of New York City. Two more lightning strikes followed, knocking out the back-up lines, and the crisis was set in motion.

By 9:34 p.m., the blackout had affected all of New York City.

At its worst, the power failure left 10 million people without electricity and led to looting, violence, and arson in what Mayor Abraham Beame called "a night of terror."

During the day, temperatures rose to the 90s. Those accustomed to air conditioning had to do without cool air.

Commuter trains and subways came to a halt until evening. Airports were closed, and most people stayed close to home. The normally frantic pace of midtown Manhattan slowed to a crawl and stores, stock exchanges, and other businesses were closed.

Even the game between the New York Mets and the Chicago Cubs was interrupted; they stopped their game in the sixth inning.

Relief came 25 hours later, when power was finally restored to millions of New Yorkers.