In 1636, Dutch pioneers settled western Long Island, founding Breuckelen in 1646. Farms lined an old trail, and ferry service began in 1642—later giving rise to today’s Fulton Street.
Alfred Peet (1920–2007) was a Dutch-American coffee roaster and entrepreneur who helped launch the American specialty coffee movement. Founder of Peet’s Coffee & Tea in Berkeley in 1966, he influenced the founders of Starbucks and transformed U.S. coffee culture.
Founded in 1660 by French immigrants, Boswijck quickly grew between Breuckelen and Middleburgh. Amid war and English threats, settlers petitioned for protection—yet by 1664, Boswijck became Bushwick under English rule.
Colonel Tom Parker (1909–1997), born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk in the Netherlands, was the longtime manager of Elvis Presley and one of the most influential figures in popular music management. His aggressive promotion helped turn Presley into a global superstar.
Long Island, once called 't Lange Eylandt by the Dutch, became a contested territory between New Netherland and New England. Dutch and English place names reflect its rich, conflicted colonial history.
Abraham Pais (1918–2000) was a Dutch-American theoretical physicist and science historian who made important contributions to particle physics and later became known for his influential biographies of leading physicists, including Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer.
Named for the Dutch States General, Staten Island was purchased in 1630 by Pieter Minuit. Though promising, early Dutch settlements struggled after conflict erupted with local tribes in 1641.
Heiko A. Oberman (1930–2001) was a Dutch-American historian and theologian known for his scholarship on the Reformation and late medieval theology. His influential biography Luther: Man Between God and the Devil reshaped modern understanding of Martin Luther and the Reformation.
In 1624, thirty Walloon families fleeing Spanish Catholic rule arrived with Cornelis May aboard the Nieu Nederlandt. Most settled upriver; eight men remained on Nut Island for fur trading.
Isaac Newton Van Nuys (1836–1912) was a California rancher, banker, and entrepreneur who helped develop the San Fernando Valley and founded the community that became Van Nuys, California. His investments in agriculture, milling, and real estate helped shape early Los Angeles growth.
