The completed Empire State Building included a spire  which was not in the original plan.  In part, the spire was installed to ensure that the building would be taller than the competing Chrysler Building.  Years later, antennas were added to the top of the spire which is how the building appears today.

The Empire State Building was completed in only eighteen months, an accomplishment that would be nearly impossible to duplicate today.  The availability of qualified labor contributed greatly to the speed of the buildings construction.  The very recently completed Chrysler Building can be seen in the background.

King Kong scaled the side of the building in the 1933 movie of the same name.  The building was used because of its sheer height and that it was immediately identifiable as the tallest building in the world.  Interestingly enough, the movie returned the favor and contributed significantly to the building's legend.