The tallest building in the world when it was completed in 1884, the Washington Monument was meant to capture the respect and gratitude American citizens have for our first president. The journey to build the obelisk was long and arduous, including a 23-year gap in the construction. According to Mark Twain, the incomplete monument looked like ‘a factory chimney with the top broken off.’ On this day in 1876 the Washington Monument was accepted into the National Park System, and today it’s one of the most recognizable buildings in the US.
An uncommon look at an American icon
Today in History
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Great cormorants
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Greece celebrates its independence
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World Population Day
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Tall, taller, tallest
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A cutting-edge art gallery opens in Paris
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National Park Service Founders Day
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The Giants Causeway, Northern Ireland
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Día de los Muertos celebrations in Mexico
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From Sputnik to extraterrestrial storms
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Palouse farmland, Washington state
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Love blossoms
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Peel Castle on St. Patrick’s Isle with the Isle of Man in the background
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The lemurs of Madagascar
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The circular castle of Cornwall
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Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy, France
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Common raven
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Kochia, Hitachi, Ibaraki prefecture, Japan
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Ardez, Graubunden, Switzerland
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Birch trees, Drammen, Norway
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Dog days of summer
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The city of Osaka at night, Japan
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Reflections on the mighty Amazon
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National Poinsettia Day
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Keep your hands inside the ride at all times…
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A glittering diamond in the rough
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Porto Cathedral, Portugal
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Celebrating National Park Week, April 21-29
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Red squirrel
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

