At dusk on Tuesday, November 9, 1965, one of the biggest
power failures in history occurred as all of New York state,
portions of seven nearby states, and parts of eastern
Canada are plunged into darkness.

The Great Northeast Blackout began at the height of rush
hour, delaying millions of commuters, trapping 800,000
people in New York’s subways, and stranding thousands
more in office buildings, elevators, and trains.