Landmarks: Historic Monuments | HISTORY

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Aerial view of the Panama Canal

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Panama Canal

When Was the Panama Canal Built? The idea of creating a water passage across the isthmus of Panama to link the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans dates back to at least the 1500s: After explorer Vasco Nuñez de Balboa realized that a narrow strip of land separated the two oceans, King Charles I of Spain tapped […]

HISTORY: The Golden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge, opened in 1937, is an iconic suspension bridge connecting the city of San Francisco to Marin County, California.

Erie Canal (Original Caption) Lockport, Erie Canal.

Erie Canal

Jesse Hawley Beginning in 1807, Jesse Hawley—a flour merchant from western New York who went broke trying to get his product to market in the Atlantic coastal cities—published a series of essays from debtor’s prison. In them, Hawley advocated for a canal system that would span nearly 400 miles from Buffalo, New York, on the […]

The Great Serpent Mound in Adams County, Ohio, built by the Adena people between 800 BC and AD 400. This protected historical earthworks is nearly a quarter of a mile long and represents a giant snake holding an egg in its jaws.

Serpent Mound

What Is Serpent Mound? As its name suggests, Serpent Mound resembles a giant sinuous snake with a curled tail at the west end, a head at the east end, and seven winding coils in between. In all, the snake stretches a quarter of a mile and ranges from 1.2 to 1.5 meters (3.9 to 4.9 […]

Stories

Arlington National Cemetery during the Civil War.

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How Robert E. Lee’s Home Became Arlington National Cemetery

When General Robert E. Lee left Arlington to lead Confederate forces, Union troops moved in and soon the general’s estate hosted Civil War burials.

Why the Statue of Liberty Almost Never Got Built

Why the Statue of Liberty Almost Didn’t Get Built

Although France paid for the statue, the US had to pay for the pedestal.

The Eiffel Tower at night.

10 Things You May Not Know About the Eiffel Tower

10 surprising facts about the Paris icon.

10 World Engineering Marvels

10 World Engineering Marvels

These remarkable feats of design and construction transformed the ways that people travel, communicate and live.

Videos

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Panama Canal

Hailed as one of the great achievements of the 20th Century, the Panama Canal connects 160 countries and 1,700 ports around the world.

Grand Canyon

Explore the geological history of the Grand Canyon, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

Deconstructing History: Brooklyn Bridge

One of New York’s most famous landmarks, the Brooklyn Bridge transports 120,000 vehicles and 4,000 pedestrians every day.

Emily Roebling Saves the Brooklyn Bridge

American history author David McCullough shines a light on Emily Roebling—the driving force behind construction of the Brooklyn Bridge.

This Day in History

1905

The U.S. officially begins construction on the Panama Canal

1992

This Day In History: 04/29/1992 – Riots Erupt in Los Angeles

1883

This Day in History: 05/24/1883 – Brooklyn Bridge Opens

1999

This Day in History: 12/31/1999 – Canal Handed Over to Panama

This Day in History: 10/01/1980 – Yosemite Established

This Day in History: 12/06/1884 – Washington Monument Complete