On this day in 1977 at 9:34 p.m. the lights went out in New York City due to lightning strikes, leaving many throughout the city without electricity for nearly 24 hours.
As documented on BrooklynHistory.org, "what characterized the power outage of 1977 was the looting and destruction that began in its wake. The looting and burning resulted in the arrest of over 3,700 individuals, as well as massive property damages..." In fact, the Bushwick and Crown Heights neighborhoods of Brooklyn were among those most devastated.
But amid the destruction, some residents such as the unknown photographer who took the images on Brooklyn History, also observed moments of playfulness and resourcefulness. (Check out the complete gallery on the site.)
Do you have a memory from the 1977 blackout? Share it in the comments below.
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