Mastic was the home of William Floyd, one of the signers of teh Declaration of Independence.
Long Island’s first two settlements were Southold and Southampton, in 1640.
Deep Hollow Ranch in Montauk is the site of the oldest cattle ranch in America, built in 1658, and birthplace of the American cowboy.
The Lighthouse at Montauk became New Yorks’ first coastal beacon in 1796.
The first radio transmission, by wireless inventor Gyglielmo Marconi, was in 1901 on Fire Island Avenue in Babylon.
In 1927, Charles Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field, as he embarked on the first non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
America’s first supermarket, King Kullen, started on Long Island in 1930.
Levittown, the first suburbia in the U.S., was built on Long Island in 1947.
The Lunar Module which landed men on the moon in 1969, was built on Long Island by Grumman Corp.
Long Island is the largest island among the 48 contiguous states.
The only working water mill and windmill in the U.S. are located in the Long Island community of Water Mill.
Richard Nixon’s deceased dog Checkers is buried at Long Island’s Bide-a-Wee Pet Cemetery.
When the Brooklyn Bridge was completed in 1883, it became the first land-trasport route between Long Island and mainland USA. Before that, the only way to travel between the two was by boat.
Long Island was sculpted by melted glaciers, which is why there is a clear difference between the hilly North Shore and the flat South Shore of Long Island.
Long Island is the most populated island in the United States and the 17th most populated island in the world. Interesting fact: Long Island is more populated than the entire country of Jamaica and of Ireland!
If Long Island was its own state, it would rank 12th in terms of population.
The North Shore is known for its large mansions, exclusive vacationing, and rich history of its affluent citizens and architecture. The South Shore is more laid back and hosts more entertainment and sports venues.
The largest industrial park in the U.S. is located on Long Island – the Hauppauge Industrial Park which houses 1,300 companies and employs more than 55,000 people.
Together Nassau and Suffolk countie’s nearly 180 fire agencies possess more fire trucks than New York City and Los Angeles County combined.
Suffolk County is the leading agricultural county in New York State based on the wholsale value of its farm products.
More 7-Eleven coffee is purchased on Long Island than in all of California.
George Washington commissioned the Montauk Lighthouse so that ships coming in fromEurope could identify the Atlantic Ocean from the Long Island Sound.
Fire Island got its name in the 17th century when it built fires to identify the coastline to the ships in the ocean.