Who has climbed the Empire State Building? Masked couple and King Kong

Aside from King Kong, who famously appeared atop the skyscraper in the 1933 film, several people have climbed the building in real life.Show Caption

The masked couple who climbed the Empire State Building may have something on King Kong.On July 1, two people were arrested after reaching the top of the iconic New York City building, displaying a banner and appearing to stage a proposal. They remained on the 1.454-foot skyscraper for several minutes before descending and being taken into custody by New York City police.Charges are pending, and it’s not known how they gained entry to the Empire State Building's spire and antenna.An Empire State Building spokesperson said the "unauthorized incident" had been resolved with the coordination of the New York Police Department. There was no threat to tenants, visitors, and Empire State Building Observation Deck guests, the spokesperson said in a statement.The couple, who identified themselves on social media, are among the select few known to have climbed the skyscraper — especially its spire — both in real life and in popular culture. The pair is also known for scaling buildings around the world."Everything else pales in comparison to King Kong," said Brian Higgins, a lecturer at the City University of New York’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a former Bergen County police chief.Aside from the fictional King Kong, who first appeared in a 1933 film atop the skyscraper, others in real life legally — and illegally — climbed the famous skyscraper. From 'French Spider-Man' to Jared LetoIn 1994, French climber Alain Robert, dubbed the "French Spider-Man," illegally scaled the building, according to Guinness World Records. The organization ranks him as having climbed the most buildings and notes the amount of jail time he’s had for the climbs.In 2023, actor Jared Leto became the first person to legally scale the Empire State Building, the building’s website noted. He climbed from the 86th-floor observatory and reached the 104th floor to perform a song with his brother.The Empire State Building, now the sixth-tallest building in the United States and the fourth-tallest in New York City, remains iconic in movies, art, and architecture. But it doesn't appear to be a place people typically scale, even compared to other venues the couple has climbed, such as the Burj-Khalifa, the world's tallest building.Regardless, Higgins, who runs a security firm, said unauthorized climbs pose immediate safety risks to both the climbers and people below if someone falls. He said the building's security measures will likely be reviewed to determine how the couple may have gained access to the spire.Following the couple's July 1 climb, Higgins suspects it will be even more difficult to climb the Empire State Building.Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@usatoday.com or on Signal at emcuevas.01.