It is said the importance of learning about our history is that it reveals what has happened in the past so that we can study it and improve our future.
These pictures and facts may give you a glimpse into the past that you may have not known, as humans we always have something new to learn.
Statue Of Liberty
Edouard De Laboulaye proposed a statue to represent liberty, and its friendship with France in 1865. Bedloe’s Island was chosen as the location since it was visible to any ship entering the NYC harbor.
Eiffel Tower
When the Eiffel Tower was first built it was thought of as the ugliest building in Paris, and then became the symbol of the city.
Colosseum
Everyone knows about the Roman Colosseum, but did you know for years it was a tangled garden? For years, plant life was allowed to take over the ruins.
Empire State Building
9/11 was not the first time a large plane struck a building in NYC. In 1945, a b52 bomber was flying through dense fog and accidentally struck the Empire State Building.
The Golden Gate Bridge
On January 5, 1933, construction on the Golden Gate Bridge began. It took 4 years to build and at 4,200 feet, it is the world’s longest suspension bridge.
St Peter’s Basilica
St Peter’s Basilica is actually the second version of the church. The original is thought to be the resting place of St Peter, and was built by Emperor Constantine, the first christian ruler of Rome.
The Great Wall Of China
This series of walls totals 13,000 miles in length and is located in Northern China. Its purpose was to stop invading barbarians. It became a symbol of strength.
St Basil’s Cathedral
This famous church in the Red Square, Moscow was built on orders from Ivan the Terrible to commemorate the capture of Kazan and Astrakhan. This building is like no other in Russia.
Arc De Triomphe
This structure in France is the center of 12 radiating avenues. It was constructed to honor those who died fighting during the French Revolutionary, and Napoleonic Wars.
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal was built by Emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal. It is also a tomb for the builder Shah Jahan. It took 20,000 artisans to build this structure.
Pyramids of Giza
The Great Pyramids were built to last forever and so far they have pulled it off; they were built over 4,500 years ago. Pharaoh Khufu’s pyramid was built first and stands at 481 feet.
The Great Sphinx
The Sphinx is a limestone statue of a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human. Some believe that the Sphinx is supposed to represent the Pharaoh Khafre.
The Forbidden City China
Construction began on the Forbidden City in 1406 and lasted 14 years. It required more than one million workers to build. For 492 years this was the Imperial Palace of China.
Mount Everest
This picture shows the first expedition to make it to the summit of Mt Everest. This was the 9th expedition to go to the mountain.
Capitol Hill
Construction on the original building was finished in 1800. Later the building was expanded including the dome. Before this, Congress met in Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge began construction in 1869 and it took 14 years to complete the project. It was also called the New York Bridge and the East River Bridge.
Acropolis Greece
Throughout the years acropolis of Athens has been used for many different purposes; a palace for royalty, a citadel, a church, a home for the Gods, and a tourist attraction.
St. Mark’s Basilica
St. Mark’s Basilica has enough mosaics to cover 1.5 football fields. The conquest of Constantinople led to the acquisition of treasures like gold and gems.
Times Square
At first, Times Square was known as Longacre Square, but when the New York Times moved, the people started referring to it as Times Square.
The White House
After living in two houses in New York and then one in Philadelphia, George Washington decided on a location by the Potomac river to build the presidential home.
Louvre Museum
The Louvre takes the tile as the largest museum in the world and in 2018 over 10 million visitors visited. Originally the Louvre was a fortress, and in the basement the remains can still be seen.
Versailles
The palace of Versailles was once a hunting cabin. When Louis XIII was 6, he visited the hunting ground with his father, and later decided it was where his palace should be built.
Pompeii
Pompeii was an ancient Roman city near modern day Naples. Around AD 79 Mount Vesuvius had a massive eruption that covered the entire city in 13-20 feet of volcanic ash.
Florence Cathedral
The Florence Cathedral started construction in 1296, and was completed in 1436. This basilica is still one of Italy’s largest churches.
Machu Picchu
It was considered a royal estate but it wasn’t passed down through the royal family. Tourism was beginning to affect the ruins so tougher entrance rules were made to reduce the effect.
Tower of London
The Tower of London is the Queen’s royal palace. Controlling the tower has been crucial in controlling the country, and it has been besieged several times.
Las Vegas
During the building of the Hoover Dam there was an influx of male workers, so casinos were built by the mafia for the workers to have something to do with their down time.
St Paul’s Cathedral
The original construction of St Paul’s Cathedral began in 604AD, and the ground the cathedral stands on has been considered consecrated ground for a very long time.
Central Park
This park has been a historic national landmark since 1962. The park is 2.5 miles long by .5 miles wide.
Mount Rushmore
What is now called Mount Rushmore, the mountain had other names including the six grandfathers, cougar mountain, sugarloaf mountain, and slaughterhouse mountain.
Alcatraz
Alcatraz was used as a federal prison from 1934 to 1963. Not only was the island used for a prison, but it also home to the oldest operating lighthouse on the west coast of the US.
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is the world’s tallest obelisk and it resides in Washington DC. From 1884 to 1889 it was the tallest structure in the world.
Easter Island
The island is 2,300 miles off the coast of Chile and was named Easter Island by dutch explorers because of their arrival in 1722. It has almost 900 giant stone statues.
Terracotta Army
This collection of Terracotta soldiers depicts the armies of Qin SHi Huang. It is thought these warriors would protect the emperor in the afterlife.
Petra
The area called Petra was once known as Raqmu and is believed to have been settled as long ago as 9,000 BC.
Sistine Chapel
The Sistine Chapel is in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope, in Vatican City. Michelangelo painted the ceiling – one of the most important artistic accomplishments of all time.
Brighton Pier
Brighton Pier began construction in 1823 by St George Moore. During 1896, a storm destroyed Chain Pier, and it almost destroyed Brighton Pier.
Hollywood Walk of Fame
There are more than 2,600 stars on the Hollywood walk of fame. The walk attracts about 10 million visitors annually.
Pond Du Garre
The Pond Du Garre is an ancient roman aqueduct that crosses the Gardon River in southern France. It carried about 8,800,000 gallons of water daily to the fountains, baths and homes.
Disney World
Walt Disney World opened on October 1, 1971. Disney World is the most visited vacation resort in the world, more than 52 million people visit the park a year.