Recommended for you

Start writing a post

Featured

7 Fun Facts About The Statue of Liberty

Most of us know about its origin, but did you know these facts?

Craig Kanalley

Mar 15, 2023

6369

Pixabay

It's one of the most adored monuments in the United States of America. Symbolic of so much. Standing tall.

The Statue of Liberty sits on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, and it has inspired generations of immigrants and Americans alike. It was given to the United States as a gift from the French in commemoration of the American Revolution.

But did you know...

1. It Almost Ended Up In Egypt

commons.wikimedia.org

The original concept from French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi was for a woman monument that served as a lighthouse in Egypt, in recognition of the French construction of the Suez Canal. When that fell through, he turned to the relationship with the United States. (Source: The Collector)

2. It's Also Known As...

obamawhitehouse.archives.gov

The Statue of Liberty project is also (and originally) known as Liberty Enlightening the World. Or in French: La Liberté éclairant le monde . (Source: National Park Service)

3. The Spiky Hat Is Symbolic

commons.wikimedia.org

The 7 spikes represent the 7 oceans and continents of the world. It speaks to the universality of freedom. (Source: Hotels.com)

4. It Took 21 Years To Build

www.flickr.com

From concept in 1865 to completion in 1886, following the securing of funds, etc., it was a long journey to build. (Source: National Geographic)

5. It's Closer To New Jersey Than New York

www.nps.gov

...and it lies in New Jersey waters, technically. Despite that, the island belongs to New York's 8th Congressional District and New Jersey has never disputed that. (Source: The Collector)

6. The Statue Represents A Roman Goddess

www.flickr.com

More specifically, Libertas, a Roman deity who personified freedom. Fitting. (Source: Google Arts & Culture)

7. It Weighs 560,000 Pounds

www.flickr.com

And that's just the statue and internal framing. The concrete foundation would be another 54 million pounds to make sure the statue is secure and not going anywhere. (Source: National Park Service)

Things I Am Actually Going To Do This Semester

Or at least try to do.

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

114

CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less

new year

Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

Southwestern University

856

woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch

Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less

library

Student Life

The 14 Stages Of The Last Week Of Class

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

Michigan State University

647

Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash

December... it's full of finals, due dates, Mariah Carey, and the holidays. It's the worst time of the year, but the best because after finals, you get to not think about classes for a month and catch up on all the sleep you lost throughout the semester. But what's worse than finals week is the last week of classes, when all the due dates you've put off can no longer be put off anymore.

Keep Reading...Show less

Student Life

Top 20 Thoughts College Students Have During Finals

The ultimate list and gif guide to a college student's brain during finals.

University of Vermont

Thanksgiving break is over and Christmas is just around the corner and that means, for most college students, one hellish thing — finals week. It's the one time of year in which the library becomes over populated and mental breakdowns are most frequent. There is no way to avoid it or a cure for the pain that it brings. All we can do is hunker down with our books, order some Dominos, and pray that it will all be over soon. Luckily, we are not alone in this suffering. To prove it, here are just a few of the many deranged thoughts that go through a college student's mind during finals week.

Keep Reading...Show less

finals

Student Life

28 Daily Thoughts of College Students

"I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever else invented copy and paste. Thank you."

Kennesaw State University

1340

group of people sitting on bench near trees duting daytime

Photo by Naassom Azevedo on Unsplash

I know every college student has daily thoughts throughout their day. Whether you're walking on campus or attending class, we always have thoughts running a mile a minute through our heads. We may be wondering why we even showed up to class because we'd rather be sleeping, or when the professor announces that we have a test and you have an immediate panic attack.