Enlarge / Workers perform a fit check with Starship (above) and the Super Heavy booster. (credit: Elon Musk/Twitter)
Nearly a century ago, humans built skyward for the first time at an unprecedented rate. It was the age of skyscrapers.
During the half-century before 1920, the US population doubled. At the same time, the Industrial Revolution simmered, reaching a boil as America leaned into World War I and produced the machines and material to fight in Europe. After the war, the population growth and significant gains within industrial productivity led to the dramatic rise in office space needs—from 1870 to 1920, the particular demand for US office area increased ten-fold.
As a result, with this high demand and cheap financing, skyscraper construction soared during the Roaring Twenties. First the 71-story Bank of Manhattan Trust Building, with 71 floors, went up in New York City. This was followed by the Chrysler Creating, with 77 floors, and finally typically the Empire State Building, with 102 floors.
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