Born 1924

Born in New York, Ed Koch became Mayor of the city in 1977. He inherited a city that was suffering from terrible crime, high debt, and a decaying infrastructure; one of his most important accomplishments was restoring financial stability to the Big Apple. As mayor, he was somewhat rough–spoken; he had a New Yorker’s disrespect for suburbs and upstate communities, and he consistently alienated special interest groups. But he was loud and friendly, and was generally loved by the city and the press. “How’m I doing, New York?” he’d yell out anytime he found himself in a crowd, his round face beaming in a smile. “How’m I doing!?”

“Water, water everywhere
Atlantic and Pacific
But NYC’s got them beat
Our aqua is terrific!”
–Ed Koch, former mayor of NYC