May 23, 1911: The New York Public Library Main Branch Opens

May 23, 1911: The New York Public Library Main Branch opens, facing 5th Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets, on the former site of the Croton Reservoir. It is built in the Beaux-Arts style, inspired by the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and the subsequent "City Beautiful" style. Along with the Library of Congress, it is 1 of the 2 greatest libraries in America.

The branch, one of four research libraries in the library system, contains nine separate divisions. The structure contains four stories open to the public. As of 2015, the branch contains an estimated 2.5 million volumes in its stacks.

The entrance is flanked by a pair of lions, named Leo Astor and Leo Lenox, in honor of the Library's founders, John Jacob Astor and James Lenox. In the 1930s, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia renamed them Patience (on the south side) and Fortitude (on the north), because he felt that these were the qualities that New Yorkers would need to get through the Great Depression.

Patience. The New York Public Library system was founded

in 1895; hence, 2020 was its 125th Anniversary.

Up until 1970, the Main Branch offered circulating books that could be taken out and returned. But even a building this grand can run out of space, so its circulation division was moved to the Mid-Manhattan Library, across 5th Avenue at 40th Street.

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May 23, 1911 was a Tuesday. These baseball games were played on this day:

* The New York Highlanders beat the Chicago White Sox, 4-3 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Russ Ford outpitched eventual Hall-of-Famer Ed Walsh. Both men went the distance: 12 innings.

* The New York Giants beat the Cincinnati Reds, 7-2 at Hilltop Park, the Manhattan home of the Highlanders. The American League team had offered them the use of their home after the 1890 version of the Polo Grounds had burned down the month before. The following month, a new Polo Grounds opened. In this game, Christy Mathewson went the distance for the win.

* The Brooklyn Dodgers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-3 at Washington Park in Brooklyn. Otto Miller went 3-for-4 with an RBI for the Dodgers. Honus Wagner went 2-for-3 with 2 walks and 2 RBIs for the Pirates.

* The Chicago Cubs beat the Boston Rustlers, 6-4 at the South End Grounds in Boston. The Boston team was then named for their owner, William H. Russell. He died after the season, and they were bought by James E. Gaffney, a "Brave" in New York's Tammany Hall political machine, and he renamed the team the Boston Braves.

* The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 12-4 at Baker Bowl in Philadelphia.

* The Philadelphia Athletics beat the Cleveland Naps, 9-1 at League Park in Cleveland. A's left fielder Bristol Robotham "Bris" Lord, a.k.a. the Human Eyeball, went 4-for-5 with 2 RBIs. Napoleon "Nap" Lajoie, Cleveland's manager, 2nd baseman, best hitter and namesake, did not put himself into the game.

* The Detroit Tigers beat the Washington Senators, 9-8 at Bennett Park in Detroit. Ty Cobb went 3-for-4 with 2 RBIs and 3 stolen bases. Walter Johnson was the losing pitcher -- in relief.

* And the St. Louis Browns beat the Boston Red Sox, 3-2 in 11 innings at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.