BUFFALO, N.Y. — 10 years ago this week:
NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced he was awarding $55 million from the Buffalo Billion program to IBM to bring a tech hub to the Key Center in downtown Buffalo.
"We have businesses coming in that you couldn't dream of three years ago," Cuomo said.
However, the facility largely failed to meet expectations with only about half of the 500 jobs promised ever materializing. Moreover, far from the high salaried, cutting-edge software development jobs envisioned, most were call center jobs for modest pay and meager benefits, and certainly not of type promised this week in 2014.
20 years ago this week:
Fallsview Casino began operating in Niagara Falls, Ontario giving the Canadian city its second large scale casino.
A former Benderson Development property at Southwestern Boulevard and Orchard Park Road was being razed to make way for the first Lowes home improvement store in Western New York.
William Hung, whose notoriously bad tryout for American Idol propelled him to stardom, was among the performers at Kiss the Summer Hello which was held at the now long gone Pier Restaurant on Buffalo's outer harbor.
The nation's 40th president, Ronald Reagan, died at the age of 93 this week in 2004.
30 years ago this week:
An Irish actor was introduced as the choice to become newest James Bond and would eventually play the role of Agent 007 in four Bond films over the course of the next seven years. He is also the subject of this week's News 2 You Pop Quiz (The answer to which can be found at the end of the video attached to this story).
New York State democrats brought their annual state convention to Buffalo, which featured speeches by several party stalwarts of the day including Geraldine Ferraro, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Al Sharpton, and Mario M. Cuomo.
Jim Kelly's Stargaze, a once popular event to raise money for Cradle Beach Camp, had a new home at UB stadium and featured its usual compliment of famous folks not only from the world of sports but from rock music, such as Eddie Van Halen, and the acting ranks such as Alan Thicke.
A new state law went into effect requiring children 13 and under to wear helmets while riding bicycles this week in 1994.
40 years ago this week:
Eligible bachelors and Bachelorettes where still visiting offices to sign up for a dating service because we had no internet or apps for that.
The once popular Macaroni Company on Pearl Street in downtown Buffalo was still serving up meals.
Ground was broken in Hamburg for the construction of the McKinley Mall this week in 1984.
80 years ago this week:
The greatest armada ever assembled began the invasion to liberate Europe, and on D-Day 2,501 brave American servicemen died in a time when it was not from television, but through news reels that we learned of what happened in the days when it was all news 2 you.
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