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
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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World Bamboo Day
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Bryce Canyon National Park turns 100
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Happy Pi Day!
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St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland
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International Day of the Tropics
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Village of Labro, Italy
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Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica
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On the hunt
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The lemurs of Madagascar
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Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan Province, China
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National Park Week: Haleakalā National Park, Hawaii
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Pollinator Week
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The Great Glen
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National Park Week: Guadalupe Mountains National Park
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Sligachan Old Bridge, Isle of Skye, Scotland
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Infant Sumatran orangutan, Indonesia
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Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve in Costa Rica
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Traditional red fishermens cabins, Reine, Norway
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Tintern Abbey, Wales
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Paleontology meets art
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A different kind of dive
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Water colors
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King of the dinosaurs
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SantaPark, Lapland, Finland
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Baddest of the badlands
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Splügen Pass, Switzerland
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A gorge-ous mill in the Causses
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Camel thorn trees, Namib-Naukluft Park, Namibia
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National Love a Tree Day
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Rays on parade