Statue of Liberty Facts
The Statue of Liberty is often regarded as a symbol of friendship and alliance between the United States and France and it’s usually viewed as one of the most iconic statues in the world. However, in the piece below, we will be exploring some interesting and extraordinary facts and features about the national monument.
1. Interestingly, the statue of liberty was gifted to the US by France in 1886.
2. Quite amazing to know that the statue of liberty female figure represents the word “Libertas” which simply means the Roman goddess of Freedom.
3. In terms of height, the Statue of Liberty is about 93 meters and weighs about 204 metric tonnes.
4. She has a mammoth waistline of about 35-foot.
5. To reach the statue’s crown you will have to climb an incredible 354 stairs.
6. It might sound a bit weird but the Statue of Liberty’s shoe size is in the region of 879.
7. The statue of liberty’s crown consists of an unbelievable 25 windows.
8. According to statistics, an estimated 4.24 million people visited the statue in 2016.
9. Interestingly, the seven spikes on Lady Liberty’s crown symbolizes the seven continents and seven oceans of the world.
10. The idea of the statue of liberty was birthed and designed by Edouard de Laboulaye and Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi respectively.
11. The copper structure of the statue of liberty consists of an astonishing 300 different types of hammers.
12. It is believed that the face of the statue of liberty was modeled after the sculptor’s mother named Charlotte.
13. The statue of liberty’s feet is lies in between a broken shackle and chains with her right foot slightly raised showing her moving away from oppression, tyranny, and slavery.
14. The statue of liberty first appeared in a 1968 movie titled “Planet of Apes” of which it was seen buried half in the sand.
15. Interestingly, the statue of liberty was regarded as the tallest iron structure ever built-in 1886.
16. Lady Liberty was once listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
17. During windy periods, the statue of liberty’s torch can surprisingly move up to five inches and sway up to three inches.
18. Astonishingly, it is believed that the statue of liberty is usually hit by over 600 bolts of lightning per year.
19. Although not as big as the statue of liberty, replicas of lady liberty do exist in smaller sizes in Paris and in Las Vegas.
20. Lady Liberty’s torch served as a lighthouse for over 16 years and was capable of lighting up a distance from about 25 miles away.
21. Quite remarkable to know that on the 28th of October 2021, Lady Liberty will be celebrating her 135th birthday.
22. Lady Liberty is believed to be holding a torch and a tablet on which the date of Americans’ Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776) is written.
23. Laboulaye’s ideology behind gifting the statue of liberty to the US was to stir up the French people to fight for equality under a monarchial led government by Napoleon III.
24. Lady Liberty was destroyed in fictional movies such as Independence Day and the Day After Tomorrow.
25. Lady liberty was believed to be funded by both Americans and French with donors raising up to $102,000.
26. Unfortunately, while some survived, many have died from jumping from the top of the statue of liberty.
27. The Island on which Lady Liberty stands is often called Liberty Island.
28. Following the 9/11 attack in September 2001, the statue of liberty was closed due to security reasons but was reopened in 2009 to a limited number of visitors.
29. Quite befitting to know that two of the statue of liberty images appear on the image of every $10 bill.
30. The estimated cost of building the statue of liberty is believed to be in the region of $500,000.
31. Surprisingly, in 1982, it was discovered that the head of lady liberty had been wrongly installed two feet off the center.
32. Following the damage suffered from the German attacks in 1916, no one is allowed to go into the torch of the statue of liberty.
33. Lady Liberty appears to be green in color because it has suffered from oxidation over the years.
34. Contrary to opinions, the statue of liberty was initially designed for the Suez Canal in Egypt but the deal fell through and was pitched to the Americans.
35. With fundraising efforts in New York not going as expected, the city of Boston tried to hijack the statue to their own side.
36. Barthlodi’s initial plan for the Statue of Liberty was to be covered in gold but the plan could materialize due to the high level of funding involved.
37. Sounds weird but true, famous scientist Thomas Edison interestingly had some strange plans to make the statue of liberty talk from a far distance but luckily no one bought into his ideology.
38. A Particular group is known as the “Suffragettes” who are known to be advocates for “Votes for women” protested massively in October 1886 against the unveiling of the Statue of Liberty because they believe it’s not right to erect a gigantic female figure that depicts freedom but no Liberty for women to vote.
39. In other for the statue of liberty to be shipped into the US, the parts were divided into 350 pieces and packed in 214 crates. Reassembling all the parts took a staggering 120 days.
40. Lady Liberty’s torch was believed to be covered in gold in 1986 with thin sheets of around 24 Karat Gold.
41. Lady Liberty was often seen as a symbol of immigration with over 13 million immigrants arriving by boats to the Ellis Islands between 1892 and 1943.
42. The statue of liberty inner framework was also designed by Gustavo Eiffel the man who later designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
43. An average of 4.5 million people from different parts of the world come to visit the statue of liberty at Liberty Island.
44. The original name for the statue of liberty is known as “Liberty Enlightening the World,”
45. Interestingly, at the base of the statue of liberty, the US National Park Service announced the construction of a small museum on Liberty Island.
46. Lady Liberty’s nose is believed to be about 1.37 meters.
47. In addition, the statue’s index finger is about 2.44m.
48. Given Lady Liberty’s height, it is believed that she’s about a 22-story building tall and is taller than most buildings in the world.
49. The statue of liberty’s hands are about 16.5 feet long.
50. While it’s not allowed to reach the top of the Statue’s torch it is always visible via the Ellis Island TorchCam.
51. Originally, Lady Liberty was coated with over 31 tons of copper.
52. At the height of 305 feet, the statue of liberty is the tallest in the United States of America.
53. The Copper exterior is about 2.5 millimeters in terms of thickness.
54. In the right arm of the Statue of Liberty, there is an unbelievable 42-foot ladder.
55. The Statue of Liberty is one of history’s first crowdfunding campaigns in the world.
56. At the world’s fair in Paris in 1878, the head of the statue of liberty was seen on display.
57. Over 200,000 Americans welcomed the arrival of the Statue of Liberty on the 28th of October 1776.
58. A bronze plaque well written by American Poet Emma Lazarus and placed inside the lower level of the statue of liberty in 1903.
59. In 1944, the statue of liberty lights flashed the “dot-dot-dot-dash” which means “V” for victory in terms of Morse Code.
60. The Statue of Liberty was painted by Andy Warhol and it is believed to be in the region of $35 million.
61. The statue of Liberty is believed to be the source of power for the Comic book character Miss America.