From Grumman and Gatsby to Sagamore and Sandy
Before America had suburbs, there was Levittown.
Before America landed on the moon, engineers in Bethpage figured out how.
Before wireless communication circled the globe, Tesla and Marconi experimented on Long Island.
Before "Jaws" terrified beachgoers, Frank Mundus was chasing sharks off Montauk.
Long before most Americans had heard of Long Island, the island kept quietly inventing, testing and redefining the country itself.
Here are 25 times Long Island changed the country.
John Valenti, a Newsday reporter since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press, Society of the Silurians and National Headliner Awards for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing. He is the author of “Swee'pea,” about New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. His debut crime novel, “For Nothing Is Hidden,” rooted in 1950s Long Island, was released in October 2025.
Sarra Sounds Off: Football and soccer playoffs, plus plays of the week Gregg Sarra sounds off on football quarterfinals, Michael Sicoli has a breakdown of the Long Island soccer playoffs and Jared Valluzzi has the plays of the week.
