Ellis Island

More than 50 percent of all Americans can trace their family lineage back to at least one person who immigrated to the United States by passing through the Port of New York on Ellis Island. That's a pretty staggering statistic, especially when you consider that we're talking about everyone from native New Yorkers to L.A. hipsters to Wyoming ranchers.

Yep, for almost anyone who's proud to be an American, their family's history on this glorious continent began with a boat voyage to a 27.5-acre plot of land that sits just off the southern tip of Manhattan and is affectionately known as the Gateway to America.

Proudly located in the shadows of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, Ellis Island began its storied history in the 1630s as a 3.5-acre mud bank inhabited by seagulls. By 1776, merchant Samuel Ellis had purchased the island and made it the site of a popular tavern for fisherman. Ellis' heirs sold the island to New York in 1808, and it was converted into a battery for the war of 1812. In 1892, the first Ellis Island Immigration Station opened its doors, and a 15-year-old "rosy-cheeked Irish girl" named Annie Moore became the first immigrant to pass through. The immigration station remained open until 1954, and between 1890 and 1934 landfill was used to increase the island to its current size.

Today, Ellis Island is one of the most popular tourist destinations in New York. Restored buildings on the island house a Museum of Immigration that is part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, and ferry shuttle legions of history buffs from Battery Park to the island each day.

One final fun fact: In 1998, a United States Supreme Court decision declared most of the island to be part of New Jersey. But New Yorkers can have a chuckle knowing that Jersey controls the landfill portion of the island, while New York maintains claim to the original 3.5 acres.

By Tom