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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Venice by night
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Thomsons gazelles, Maasai Mara, Kenya
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Paradise, found
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The tortoise and the finch
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Join the parade for World Elephant Day
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International Museum Day
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In praise of bogs, swamps, and marshes
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Zion National Park Turns 100
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Womens History Month
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Saint Andrews Day
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Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California
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A Christmas market with a long history
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A river on the tundra
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A center of antiquity on the Mediterranean
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Point Reyes National Seashore in California
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Martinique
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Arches National Park anniversary
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World Dolphin Day
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International Day for Biosphere Reserves
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Scotts Bluff National Monument, Gering, Nebraska
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Amber Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
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Dark Sky Week
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Surf s up—Down Under
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World Migratory Bird Day
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Happy Holi!
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Gemsbok in Namibian sand dunes
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Celebrating migrations
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For the love of bikes
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Tibetan New Year
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Dunluce Castle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

