Voting Station

Staten Island

Please vote to see the next celebrity.

New York City Borough

The Resume

    (September 3, 1609- )
    102.5 square miles
    Population: 4 million (2000)
    Named for the Duke of Richmond
    Staten Island colonized by Captain David Pietersen De Vries (January 5, 1639)
    Dutch colonized (1661)
    British colonized (1670)
    Governor Francis Lovelace purchases Staten Island from the Native Americans (1670)
    Named by Henry Hudson, for the Dutch parliament, Staaten Generaal der Vereenigde Nederlanden (September 3, 1609)
    English King Charles II renames Staten Island as Richmond County to honor James the Duke of Richmond (November 1, 1683).
    Richmond County was one of the twelve original counties of New York State (1683).
    Divides into four towns Northfield, Southfield, Westfield and Castleton (1788)
    Also known as Richmond until 1975
    Along with The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens, forms New York City

Why Staten Island might be annoying:

    It has the highest ratio of male to females of the five boroughs, 9.4 males for every 10 females.
    It is the only borough where its residents can not go to another borough without paying a toll.
    It is the only borough not connected to Manhattan and is reached by ferry board.
    It is the forgotten borough.
    They are the most conservative of the five boroughs.
    Every so often, Staten Island threatens to secede from New York City and even New York State. 65% of the voters approve a charter to secede from New York City (November 1993). New York State refuses the request.
    After a number of skirmishes with native americans, the first European colony on Staten Island was abandoned after the pig war (1641).
    A second European colonization attempt, in 1642, also failed for the same reason, ended by the whiskey rebellion (1643).
    A third European colonization attempt lasted six years, but again failed due to attacks by native americans and ends in the peach war (1650-55).
    The fourth European colonization attempt by Nineteen Dutch and French Huguenots took and became the first permanent settlement (August 20, 1661).
    Reverend Samuel Drisius began religious services to Staten Islanders (1663).
    They remained loyal to the British allowing General William Howe of England to headquarter there (July 1776).
    At one point during the revolution, 30,000 British troops were stationed here.
    The British troops used up the majority of Staten Island's forestry.
    John Adams, Ben Franklin and Edward Rutledge met with British commander William Howe looking for a peace compromise. Howe demanded surrender for clemency, it was not accepted (September 11, 1776).
    Fort Richmond (Fort Wadsworth) and Fort Tompkins were used to protect New York City during the war of 1812.
    A riot against the Civil War draft led to burning homes of African Americans blaming them for causing the war (July 14, 1863).
    Immigrants with Yellow Fever and Small Pox were quarantined to the island (1799). Islanders burned down the Quarantine Hospital in Tompkinsville (September 1, 1858).
    Until 1916, they had a thriving oyster industry that was closed down, due to fears of typhoid.
    In 1923, they began to build a subway train system to connect Staten Island to Brooklyn. It never got built.
    Fresh Kills Landfill opened as a 'temporary' trash dump in 1948, it is still in use and is the world's biggest trash dump.
    The, then worst U.S. air disaster when a TWA and United plane crashed into each other over Staten Island, killing 128 (December 16, 1960).
    Geraldo Rivera rose to fame when he exposed the mistreatment of the disabled and mentally challenged patients at Willowbrook State Hospital (1971).
    Exxon's pipeline spilled over 550,000 gallons of oil into the Arthur Kill waters (1990).

Why Staten Island might not be annoying:

    Although it only makes up 5% of New York City's population, it is larger than any other city in New York state.
    All the towns and villages joined into a single Staten Island when they merged into New York City (1898).
    The oldest still standing school in the US, Voorlezer's House is located here (circa 1695).
    The final shot of the American Revolution was fired by a departing British vessel at a crowd of booing residents (December 5, 1783).
    The, then richest man in America, 'Commodore' Cornelius Vanderbilt lived on Staten Island in the 1800s.
    Staten Islander, Daniel D. Tompkins, lead and won the fight to abolish slavery in New York State (1827).
    Charles Goodyear opened his first rubber factory here.
    The US's first home and hospital for retired seamen opened here (1833).
    One of America's first suburban communities was established at New Brighton (1835).
    'The King and I' is based on Anna Harriet Leonowens, who's West New Brighton School tutored the King of Siam's 67 children.
    The America's Cup was first defended off Staten Island (1870).
    The first U.S. tennis court was built by Mary Ewing Outerbridge in St. George (March 20, 1874).
    The New York Metropolitan Baseball Team in American Association moved here (April 1886).
    The Staten Island Stapeltons joined the NFL (1929).
    Their Mid-Island Little League won the Little League World Series (August 29, 1964).
    The Outerbridge Crossing and the Goethals Bridge connecting to New Jersey, opens on the same day (June 20, 1928).
    The one time world's longest suspension bridge, Verrazano Narrows Bridge, connected Staten Island to Brooklyn (1964).
    It is the home of The Staten Island Zoo.
    Due to a clean waters act of the 1970's, many birds visit and thrive on the Island.
    The Fresh Kills landfill was used for the disposal of the World Trade Center and used as a crime lab by the police.
    The TV series 'Working Girl' and 'You Can't Take it with You' are set in Staten Island.

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 28 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 60 Votes: 53.33% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 150 Votes: 55.33% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 35 Votes: 62.86% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 63 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 37 Votes: 91.89% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 73 Votes: 49.32% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 13 Votes: 38.46% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 54 Votes: 77.78% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 32 Votes: 43.75% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 55 Votes: 65.45% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 21 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 38 Votes: 55.26% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 85 Votes: 68.24% Annoying
    In 2006, Out of 114 Votes: 61.40% Annoying
    In 2005, Out of 241 Votes: 62.24% Annoying
    In 2004, Out of 377 Votes: 63.93% Annoying
    In 2003, Out of 50 Votes: 60.0% Annoying