We’ve covered the Statue of Liberty in multiple entries already, as it is one of the most important monuments in American history. This landmark is a welcome sign to all new immigrants and inspires values of freedom in everyone. It was originally built in Paris and sent as a gift to America in the late 19th century.
The statue can be seen here in its final form, back when it was still in Paris. Lady Liberty was originally made of copper, and this can be quite clearly seen in the picture. It has since lost its glossiness and turned green due to oxidation. It took years to construct the structure and many more years to transport and assemble it on Ellis Island.
This Restaurant Owner Offered to Open a $10,000 Bottle of Wine as a Prize for Osama Bin Laden’s Capture
Osama Bin Laden became the world’s most notorious and hunted man after 9/11. He was blamed for over 3,000 deaths that occurred that day, and the entire U.S. Army was hot on his tail. A few years later, Ted Balestreri, a restaurant owner from California, made a costly joke that turned into a reality.
He suggested that if Leon Panetta, the U.S. Defense Secretary, were to capture or kill Osama Bin Laden, he would open a bottle of his 141-year-old Chateau Lafite Rothschild, estimated at roughly $10,000. Once Bin Laden was taken down in 2011, Panetta told his wife, 'Tell Ted to get that bottle ready.’ The former Secretary of Defense enjoyed the bottle with several of his friends in CIA shot glasses, which they were allowed to keep.
The Elephant Gates in Copenhagen, Adorned With Symbols That Remain to This Day
It's impossible to call a tour of Copenhagen complete without visiting the famous Carlsberg Brewery and seeing its famous Elephant Gates. It has four life-sized elephant statues, and each one of them is adorned with a symbol that represents the regime of the 1930s in Germany. The elephants were originally built in 1901, back when the former German chancellor was still a young boy.
When the buildings were first sketched in 1882, their owner, Carl Jacobson, wanted to put a symbol of good luck and prosperity on his elephants. Unfortunately, he picked that symbol years before it became a symbol of hatred. The brewery closed its doors a few decades later in 1940, but the symbols remain to this day.
This 1939 Vehicle Was One of the 20th Century's Most Ambitious
Duesenberg Motors Company closed its doors in 1937 after Cord's financial empire went bankrupt. However, before retiring, he had one last project to complete. The 1939 Duesenberg Coupe Simone Midnight Ghost took a full three years to complete and was entirely custom-made. It’s considered by many the most beautiful car ever made.
The Midnight Ghost was inspired by the Art Deco movement and captures the romance and grandeur of that era. It was made by American car designer Emmet-Armand and was based on the Duesenberg Type J. The car was ordered by the French cosmetics mogul Gui De LaRouche. Many believe the car was lost in World War II.
This Bat Lantern was Made in the 1930s
Up until the early 20th century, most people still believed in everything from ghosts to demons. This religious and faith-based nature made creatures such as bats a lot scarier than they are today, as they carried deep mythological significance at the time.
This hand-sculpted torch was created in honor of an older version of Halloween. It shows a bat spreading its wings and kind of looks like a Batman logo. Its torso is made to split open and light a fire inside before hanging it on a wall to illuminate a gloomy stairwell. They sure don’t make them like they used to.