Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty is located on Liberty Island, in the New York harbor, USA. It is one of the most famous
symbols of freedom in the world. Statue of Liberty commemorates the American Declaration of Independence
and was a gift from the people of France. The statue was assembled on its pedestal after being constructed in
France and sent to the US in crates. It was dedicated on October 28, 1886. The Statue of Liberty was designed
by French sculptor Frederic Bartholdi. The female form represented by the sculpture is based on Libertas, the
Roman goddess of liberty. She holds a torch and a tabula ansata (tablet) that has the date of the American
Declaration of Independence inscribed in it (July 4, 1776).

A broken chain also lies at the feet of the statue which is hard to see from the ground. The official name of the
Statue of Liberty is Liberty Enlightening the World. The statue has been closed for renovation a number of
times, including between 1984 and 1986 when the torch and much of the internal structure was replaced. The
Statue of Liberty stands 151 feet (46 metres) in height, and 305 feet (93 metres) from the ground to the torch.
The head of the statue was displayed at the World's Fair in Paris, 1878. There was difficulty in the United States
finding money to fund the project, especially after a financial crisis in 1873. A fundraising drive led by newspaper
publisher Joseph Pulitzer was embraced by New Yorkers and helped push work forward. 80% of the donations
were of less than $1.

Liberty Island was previously called Bledloe's Island. There are replicas of the Statue of Liberty found in Paris,
Las Vegas and many other cities around the world.

1. Where is located the Statue of Liberty?

2. Which symbol represents?

3. What does the Statue of Liberty commemorates?

4. Who gave it to the Americans?

5. Who designed the Statue of Liberty?

6. What does the tabula ansta contain?

7. What does it lay on her feet?

8. Why has it been close?

9. What was displayed at the World's Fair?

10. Where are the replicas of the Statue of liberty?

Egyptian Pyramid Facts
Enjoy our range of interesting Ancient Egyptian pyramid facts for kids.

Learn about the first pyramid built in Egypt, the Great Pyramid of Giza, important burial sites such as Saqqara,
what Egyptians put in burial tombs, where the famous mask of Tutankhamun was discovered and much more.
Read on and have fun learning about Ancient Egyptian pyramids.

Ancient Egyptian pyramids are the most well known pyramid structures. Most Ancient Egyptian pyramids were
built as tombs for Pharaohs and their families. Over 130 pyramids have been discovered in Egypt. The first
Egyptian pyramid is believed to be the Pyramid of Djoser, it was built in Saqqara around 4650 years ago (2640
BC). Saqqara is a huge ancient burial ground built near the Egyptian city of Memphis. The Great Pyramid of
Giza is the oldest and largest of three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis. Also known as the Pyramid of Khufu, it
is the oldest of the Ancient Wonders of the World and the last one still largely intact. For over 3800 years, the
Great Pyramid of Giza was the tallest man made structure in the world. Although it has lost around 10 metres
(33 feet) in height, it still stands around 146 metres (480 feet) above the ground. As well as Giza and Saqqara,
important Egyptian Pyramid sites include Dashur, Abusir, Meidum, Lisht, Abu Rawash and others. Nearly all
Egyptian Pyramids are located on the west bank of the Nile.

Egyptian Pyramids often contain multiple chambers and passages. Bodies placed in the tombs were preserved
by mummification. Egyptians buried their dead with burial goods that ranged from everyday items they believed
would useful in the afterlife to more expensive items such as jewelry. Tomb robbers targeted many of the royal
tombs and most were eventually robbed. One tomb that was left largely intact was that of Tutankhamun in the
Valley of the Kings. Rediscovered in 1922 by Howard Carter, this famous tomb is best known for the solid gold
funerary mask of Tutankhamun. Tutankhamun was a pharaoh from 1332 BC to 1323 BC. Check out some
more pyramid facts.

Empire State Building Facts

The Empire State Building is a skyscraper in Manhattan, New York City, USA. The building has 103 floors and
at roof height is 1250 ft (381 m) tall. The height when including the antenna spire is 1454 ft (443.2 m). The
Empire State Building was designed by William Lamb of the architect firm Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Associates.
The contracting construction firm was Starrett Brothers and Eken. Around 3,400 workers were involved in the
construction of the Empire State Building, with official records showing five workers died. It took just 410 days
for the Empire State Building to be constructed, quicker than anticipated.

The building was officially opened on May 1, 1931 when President Herbert Hoover turned the lights on with a
push of a button from Washington, D.C. For 41 years between 1931 and 1972 the Empire State Building was
the tallest building in the world. There are 6,514 windows in the Empire State Building. From street level to the
103rd floor there are 1,872 steps. A race up the stairs to the 86th floor is held annually, the athletes must climb
a total of 1,576 steps. There are 73 elevators in the building, including 6 freight elevators. Because so many
businesses are housed in the building the Empire State has its own zip code, 10118. The building itself cost
$24,718,000 to build, when the cost of the land is included this figure climbs to $40,948,900. This cost was less
than half of the total anticipated cost due to the Great Depression. The Empire State Building has a lightning rod
near the top which is struck by lightning around 23 times every year. There are observation decks on the 86th
and 102nd floors. These tourist attractions are visited by around 4 million people annually. The Empire State
Building became the tallest building in New York City again after the collapse of the World Trade Center in
2001. In April 2012 the new One World Trade Center surpassed the Empire State Building in height.

1.
Leaning Tower of Pisa Facts
Enjoy our fun Leaning Tower of Pisa facts for kids. Find a wide range of interesting trivia and information related
to one of the most iconic structures in the world.

Learn when the tower was built, how far it leans, how long it took to build, how tall it is and much more.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa (Torre pendente di Pisa) is a bell tower in Pisa, Italy.
The Tower of Pisa is world famous for its prominent tilt to one side.
The tower's foundations were built on soft subsoil which had difficulty supporting the tower's weight
(14,500 ton). When the second storey was started the lean became noticeable and only got worse as
construction continued.
Originally the tower leaned at an angle of 5.5 degrees. After restoration work between 1990 and 2001
this angle was reduced to 3.97 degrees.
The tower is 8 stories high, 55.86 m (183.27 ft) on the low side and 56.67 m (185.93 ft) on the high side.
Construction of the Tower of Pisa started in the year 1173 and was completed in 1372. Construction
stopped and restarted twice over those 199 years due to wars.
War stopped construction the first time for almost a century which gave the underlying soil time to settle
and compact. If construction had not halted, the tower would most likely have toppled.
As well as the tower, Pisa's Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo or Piazza dei Miracoli) also has a
cathedral, a baptistery and a cemetery.
The entire Cathedral Square was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
There are 294 steps on the north side of the tower and 296 steps on the south side.
Seven bells sit in the bell-chamber at the top of the tower, one bell for each note of the musical major
scale.
The tower's design has widely been attributed to Guglielmo and Bonanno Pisano however recent
studies suggest the architect Diotisalvi may have been involved in the design.
While the original architect of the tower has never been verified many are known to have worked on it
including: Bonanno Pisano and Gerardo di Gerardo in phase 1, Giovanni Pisano and Giovanni di
Simone during phase 2 before Tommaso di Andrea Pisano oversaw its completion.
Because of the marshy underlying subsoil there are several other towers in Pisa with less prominent
tilting issues.
Germans used the tower as a lookout during World War II. The Allies new this but decided against
bombing the area due to the impressive beauty of the tower and cathedral.
To demonstrate that speed of descent is independent of an object's mass Galileo Galilei is said to have
dropped two cannonballs of differing mass from the tower. However, this is believed to be an old wives'
tale.

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/earth/mounteverest.html

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/earth/bermudatriangle.html