‘The memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever’ May 30, 2018

‘The memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever’

The iconic Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC, is chock full of symbolism and details for eagle-eyed observers to discover. Dedicated on this day in 1922, the landmark has 36 columns, representing each of the states in the Union at the time of Lincoln’s death. The president’s pose was designed to represent both his strength and compassion (one fist is clenched, the other at rest), and even the building materials were sourced from locations significant to his life and legacy. Look closely at the inscription on the wall of the north chamber and you’ll even spot a typo in the text of Lincoln’s second inaugural address, where the sculptor carved ‘EUTURE’ instead of ’FUTURE.’ Oops! The inscription has since been corrected, but the original mistake remains discernable.

© JG Photography/Alamy

palette

Today in History

May 30, 2019A day to celebrate the sun
May 30, 2020Meandering through Patagonia
May 30, 2021Who s hiding in the kelp?
May 30, 2022Memorial Day
May 30, 2023Playa del Amor, Marietas Islands, Mexico
May 30, 2024Everglades National Park marks 90 years
May 30, 2025Little Pigeon River, Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Oct 4, 2018From Sputnik to extraterrestrial storms
Feb 13, 2021Four little birds sitting in a tree…
Oct 14, 2022Río Arazas in Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, Spain
Nov 1, 2021Native American Heritage Month
Sep 9, 2020Where the bearded reedling sings
Oct 25, 2018A silent witness to history
Feb 23, 2020An icy extravaganza
Oct 23, 2018Of moles and liquid nitrogen
Apr 20, 2025Happy Easter!
Feb 15, 2025The natural ice wall of Misotsuchi, Chichibu, Japan
Mar 21, 2020It s World Poetry Day
Aug 26, 2025Trullo buildings in Alberobello, Apulia, Italy
Jun 2, 2018Happy 50th for the National Trails System!
Sep 9, 2018Welcome to ‘Hollywood North’
Jul 28, 2023San Blas Islands, Panama
Oct 30, 2022Polar Bear Week
May 17, 2021Happy Syttende Mai!
Sep 20, 2022Sea Otter Awareness Week
Apr 17, 2024Black bear cub emerging into spring
Oct 27, 2018Don’t get lost in there
Aug 2, 2024Virgin Islands National Park established
Nov 16, 2023World Philosophy Day
Apr 1, 2020It s Census Day—make it count
Jan 4, 2025Bản Giốc–Detian Falls, Vietnam
Feb 9, 2019A tale of almonds and bees
Aug 26, 2018From pirate port to nature preserve
May 13, 2024Fish River Canyon, Namibia
Dec 11, 2018‘The mountains are calling’
Jul 2, 2025Spine-cheeked anemonefish in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea
Jul 30, 2022Milford Sound/Piopiotahi rainforest in New Zealand