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 Migratory Bird Day
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Black grouse males, Estonia
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Barracudas at Shark Reef, Ras Mohammed National Park, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt
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Lakeside serenity in Finland
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Wander the ancient medina
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Maritime forest in Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia
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‘Think equal, build smart, innovate for change’
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The forecast calls for blooms
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Rice processing in Bangladesh
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South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida
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The borrowed days are here
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International Tea Day
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Take the Stairs Day
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The Cutty Sark turns 150
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Canada s $20 view
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And the skies filled with bats…
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Don t forget—it’s World Elephant Day
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The moai you know
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’Chess on ice’
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Swimming into the season
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Festivus
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Bonsai Rock, Lake Tahoe, Nevada
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Chapel on the rock
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Craters of the Moon centennial
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Amelia Earhart
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An unlikely friendship in the wild
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Groundhog Day
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Siblings Day
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International Dark Sky Week
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A cry for independence
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

