New York can be described as having one of the shortest and most intense histories of any city in the world. It was discovered in 1524 by the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verranazo, although the area was already inhabited by Native Americans. From that period until today, many important episodes and events have formed the evolution of this city.

When the first chapter in the modern history of New York was written, in the year 1524, the city's discoverer, Giovanni da Verrazzano, could never have imagined how much the city would have developed 500 years later. In later years settlers from France, England and Holland arrived and began to install themselves against a backdrop of fierce disputes and feuding, especially between the two latter groups.

After American Independence was declared in 1776, New York began to achieve an incredible rate of development, an example of which was the construction of the city's port. Under the mandate of George Washington, during the War of Independence, New York began to be built up as the capital of the USA.

The city underwent a great period of change in the nineteenth century. Waves of immigrants arrived, attracted by the potential offered by the city and its land. Immigration came from many different countries, but above all England, Italy, France and Ireland. By the mid-nineteenth century New York was already the most populated city of the United States, and was already beginning to develop the profile that it has today. The creation of Central Park, and the abolition of slavery are important factors in the progress of this city.

1898 saw the unification of Brooklyn with Manhattan, and a few years later the city's subway system was inaugurated. By now New York was an important industrial and commercial urban centre.

At the beginning of the twentieth century New York saw an influx of Afro-Americans from the South, and Harlem underwent a renaissance. There was a spurt in economic growth, accompanied by the construction of many of the city's distinctive tall buildings, putting New York on the path to becoming one of the most densely populated cities in the world.

New York's upward trajectory continues in the second half of the twentieth century, with the construction of important international buildings such as the UN headquarters, and the emergence of new industrial sectors such as the internet. New York enters the twenty first century as the most important city in the world.