Five Times Binghamton Made National Headlines

This summer, the annual Forbes Top Colleges list placed Binghamton University as the top state school in New York. This is a big accomplishment as BU continues to grow and expand. Penn State University was ranked only 12 spots ahead of Binghamton and the only public school in New York State to be ranked ahead of BU was the U.S. Military Academy.

On November 20, 2015, Main-Endwell’s high school football team lost their first football game since 2010.  The Spartans lost to Buffalo South Park in the Class A state semifinal with their seven turnovers leading to their demise. During their record-setting 62-game winning streak, the Spartans won 4 state championships and ESPN Films presented a 30-for-30 exclusive covering their historic record.

In the summer of 2011, the Binghamton Senators brought Binghamton its first championship in the 29 years of having an American Hockey League team.  Senators games are one of the main attractions for local sports fans and with the championship win over the Houston Aeros, the Sens brought pride to Binghamtontonians. What is most shocking about the victory is that the Senators were in 5^th place heading into the playoffs, but never looked back.

September 2011 is a time many Binghamton residents will remember. Tropical Storm Lee left the region wrecked and flood records of the past were swiftly broken as 20,000 residents were told to evacuate. The Susquehanna River rose to 25.7 feet, a half a foot higher than the last flood. The rain fell over a 48-hour period resulting in almost a foot of rainfall leaving the Susquehanna River basin in New York and Pennsylvania with close to $1 billion in damages.

On April 3, 2009, Binghamton stood in shock as Jiverly Wong took the lives of innocent victims at the American Civic Association. Wong killed 13 people and then himself -- possibly over his frustrations with police, America, and his difficulties learning English. At the time, this shooting was the largest mass killing since September 11^th and is still one of the deadliest shootings in American History.  A memorial now stands at the corner of Front and Clinton streets honoring the lives lost.