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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Detroit Industry Murals by Diego Rivera
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Rooftops in the walled city of Urbino, Italy
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A bridge of Madison County
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Jan van Eyckplein in Bruges, Belgium
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1934 Labor Day parade, Gastonia, North Carolina
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Earthrise on Moon Day
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Terraced fields of green
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Feeling crabby?
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International Literacy Day
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International Day for Biosphere Reserves
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Dancers perform ‘Revelations’
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It’s National Dolphin Day!
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It’s Napping Day
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Autumn in Alaska
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Cannes, France, in the spotlight
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National Mushroom Day
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Ringing in the new year at Teotihuacan
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International Whale Shark Day
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Fin whales: A success story
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International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem
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Flock together for Cousins Day
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Swimming with the sea cows
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Love blossoms
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Gamboa Crater, Mars
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Brown-throated three-toed sloth in cecropia tree, Costa Rica
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European Day of Parks
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Spring awakens
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A red knot on the Shetland Islands, Scotland
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Manhattan
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Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

