The Empire State Building, the tallest skyscraper in New York City, is dark this weekend. For native New Yorkers, the darkness may seem startling because the Empire State Building is usually lit up for one occasion or another. A few days ago, the building glowed pink and yellow to celebrate the Tribeca Film Festival. Before that, green and blue lights, in honor of Earth Day, illuminated the Empire State Building. And before that, the Empire State Building had yellow and white lights for Easter.

The unexpected darkness is a reminder of how the sky over New York looked before the Empire State Building opened on May 1, 1931. For some, the darkness may also be a sad reminder of the World Trade Center Towers, destroyed in the 2001 terrorist attack.

New York will be brighter tomorrow night. All next week, May 1 through May 8, 2006, a pure white light will shine on the Empire State Building, announcing that New York's tallest skyscraper is now 75 years old.