One hundred thirty-nine years ago today, on October 28, 1886, one of the world's most famous monuments, the Statue of Liberty, was inaugurated in New York Harbor. Then-President Grover Cleveland was present.
The statue, called "Liberty Enlightening the World," was a gift from the people of France to the United States as a symbol of the two countries' shared ideals of friendship and independence.
The monument was designed by French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, and the internal metal structure was designed by engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, who later became the designer of the Eiffel Tower.
The statue stands 300 feet (93 meters) from the base to the torch, and the statue itself is 150 feet (46 meters) tall. It is located on Liberty Island (formerly Bedlow Island), from where, with a torch raised in her hand, she symbolizes freedom and hope for a new life, primarily for immigrants who arrive in New York in search of new opportunities.
By the way, in 1936, on the occasion of the statue's 50th anniversary, President Franklin D. Roosevelt reopened it.
