Iberia (Madrid) this week is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its first flight from Madrid to New York and return on August 3, 1954 on a 74-seat Lockheed 1049E Super Constellation. Five days later, on August 8, 1954, Iberia started regular service with three roundtrips a week between the two cities.
Today, 60 years later, Iberia serves the route with 17 roundtrips a week mainly flown with Airbus A340-600s and A330-300s.
Iberia: 
Video: Iberia.
Iberia started flying to San Juan, Puerto Rico in the late 40’s using C-54. The Azores would be a refueling stop. Caribair would provide with flight services including weather forecasting and flight dispatch. Sadly, after so many years, Iberia no longer service San Juan. Thus, preceding New York service by several years.
Thank you Billy. That is correct. They were just celebrating 60 years of flying to New York. They were not claiming New York was the first destination in this hemisphere. All the best my friend.
Bruce