History of the world's tallest buildings
The tallest building in the world, as of 2022, is Burj Khalifa. The title of "world's tallest building" has been borne by various buildings, such as the Rouen Cathedral and the Empire State Building.
Woolworth Building
The building opened on April 24, 1913. Woolworth held a grand dinner for over 900 guests, and at exactly 7:30 p.m. EST, President Woodrow Wilson pushed a button in Washington, D.C., to officially turn on the building's lights. Attendants included Francis Hopkinson Smith, who served as toastmaster, author William Winter, and businessman Patrick Francis Murphy. On completion, the Woolworth Building topped the record set by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower as the world's tallest building, a distinction it held until 1930.