- Oct 1, 1928: John D. Rockefeller leases the land from Columbia University to construct the Rockefeller Center.
- Dec 1931: The first Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is placed – a tradition that would go on to become an annual tradition from 1933.
- Mar 1932: Construction of 30 Rockefeller Plaza begins alongside the construction of Radio City Music Hall.
- Oct 1934: The 65-story restaurant Rainbow Room is inaugurated, the highest restaurant in the U.S. at the time.
- Dec 25, 1936: Construction of the skating pond inside the Rockefeller Center is eventually completed.
- Nov 1, 1939: Construction of Rockefeller Center is complete.
- 1961-1970: A shelter program was launched during the Cold War, and supplies were stocked in Rockefeller Center’s basements.
- 1985: The Rockefeller Center officially gains New York City landmark status.
- 1987: An important year in Rockefeller Center History as the attraction becomes a National Historic Landmark.
- 1996: Four well-known private investors and Tishman Speyer acquire the Rockefeller Center as it struggles with bankruptcy.
- Nov 1, 2005: Top of the Rock Observation Deck, which opened to the public in 1933, reopens after two decades.