In more recent years, this historic site has become an area for some of the nation’s most important civil justice movements. Of the many historic events to occur at the Lincoln Memorial, perhaps the most notable to date is Dr. Martin Luther King’s I Have A Dream” speech. Given on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, this iconic speech gave a “new voice to the meanings that reverberated through the stone.” According to Statista, today the Lincoln Memorial hosts an average of approximately 6 million visitors every year. In 2018, this number rose to an estimated 7.8 million.
The Lincoln Memorial is inscribed with excerpts from two of Lincoln’s most famous speeches: The Gettysburg Address and Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address. He is largely regarded as a “Savior of the Union,” so it’s only right that the monument has served as a site for many protests and speeches throughout the years.
Dresden Frauenkirche Today
Though the Church was largely destroyed as a result of World War II attacks on the city of Dresden, thankfully, the Martin Luther Statue placed in front of the church was far luckier. Originally built in the 18th century, this statue memorializes Martin Luther, the famed forerunner and leader of the Protestant Reformation. While prior to World War II, the city center of Dresden was majorly occupied by residential buildings, nowadays, only a few of these structures can be found in the area.
Today, most of the buildings in the center are taken up by shops, museums, hotels, restaurants, and office spaces. Though a large part of the city has in fact been successfully restored to its former glory pre-WWII, this restoration is far from over. Upon visiting the city today, visitors will still find a myriad of construction sites scattered throughout many areas and streets of the city.
The Lincoln Memorial Then
The Lincoln Memorial was built to commemorate the president’s tragic assassination in 1865. In the end, it took more than 50 years before the ground finally broke on the memorial project, and construction began. From here, it would take another ten or so years before the final monument was completed. In 1922, the Lincoln Memorial was finally opened to the general public.
The dedication ceremony celebrated and unified both civilians and veterans. Sadly it did not succeed in unifying a large part of the population as those attending the 1922 dedication ceremony were divided along racial lines even if it appeared to advocate for equality.
The Eiffel Tower Then
Believe it or not, the city actually built the Eiffel Tower as an entrance to the World Fair of 1889. Of all the artists who submitted proposals, it was the architect, Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel that ultimately received the honor of constructing the great Parisian monument. It is notable to point out that it was actually one of his employees, Maurice Koechlin—not Eiffel himself—that devised the Eiffel Tower’s original design and conception. When the Eiffel Tower first made its debut at 1,000 feet high was deemed the tallest building in the world.
Despite its popularity today, back then many Parisians hated it as they either feared the structure was unsound or believed that it was nothing more than an annoying eyesore. It was even scheduled for demolition in 1909, with the arrival of World War I but was put on hold, as the tower ultimately proved to be a vital radiotelegraph station for the country and its Allies.
The Eiffel Tower Today
Today the Eiffel Tower is considered one of the “most recognizable structures on the planet." To ensure proper maintenance of the structure, 500 employees are tasked with keeping up the tower’s daily operations, including restaurant workers, elevator operators, security guards, and crowd organizers, who control the vital flow of the crowds that flock in and out of the Eiffel Tower’s platforms.
Here, guests are just a short elevator ride away from breathtaking, panoramic views of Paris, viewable at the three different access points of the tower. For those looking to splurge, two of these levels of the Eiffel Tower actually contain restaurants, where one can sit by candlelight while taking in the beauty that is Paris, France.