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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Talampaya National Park, Argentina
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Once upon a midafternoon dreary…
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Cypress trees in George L. Smith State Park, Georgia
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Stuben am Arlberg, Austria
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World Turtle Day
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Seville celebrates first world tour
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A visit to Limerick on Limerick Day
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Land ho in New Zealand 250 years ago
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San Gimignano, Siena Tuscany, Italy
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Jaguar in the Pantanal wetlands
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Assembling the Smithsonian
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Design for Each and All
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Fog above the forest
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Duck, duck. duck, duck, duck...
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Marine Day in Japan
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Virgin Islands National Park established
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Struck by Southwestern beauty
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Take this for a spin...
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A march toward a dream
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Hallstatt, Austria
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World Penguin Day
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Fiordland National Park, New Zealand
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The cycle begins anew
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Guiding ships to safety
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Penn Station
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Pollinators: not to be sneezed at
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Paralympic Games begin in Paris
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World Giraffe Day
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International Day for Biological Diversity
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Lake Bled, Slovenia
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

