In this article we bring you a collection of bite sized facts about the iconic Statue of Liberty.
The Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World is a sculpture which is located on Liberty Island in New York Harbor within New York City, in the United States.
The copper statue which was a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States, was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and its metal framework was built by Gustave Eiffel.
The statue is a figure of Libertas, a Roman goddess. She holds a torch above her head with her right hand, and in her left hand carries a tablet which is inscribed with the date of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
Facts
The Statue of Liberty was a gift from the people of France.
The statue was designed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi.
The head of the statue was displayed at the World’s Fair in Paris in 1878.
It was given to the United States and erected on Liberty Island.
Liberty Island was originally called Bedloe Island.
The statue was meant to celebrate both the American Revolution victory and the abolishment of slavery.
From the statue’s heel to the top of her head is 111 feet and 6 inches tall.
From the foundation of the statue’s pedestal to the top of the torch, it stands at 305 feet and 6 inches.
The statue weighs 450,000 pounds.
The Statue of liberty’s full name is Liberty Enlightening the World.
It was modelled on Libertas, the Roman Goddess of Freedom.
In the crown of the statue are 25 windows.
The Statue of liberty wears a size 879 shoe.
4 million visit the Statue of Liberty each year.
The statue was used as a lighthouse from 1886 to 1902.
The total cost was just over $500,000, about $10 million dollars now
The torch is covered in 24k gold leaf.
The crown has seven spikes which represent both the seven continents and the seven oceans in the world.
A total of 125 tons of iron was used to build the foundations.
It was disassembled into 350 pieces so it could be shipped to New York from France.
It took 4 months to reassemble the 350 pieces when they arrived in New York.
The statue was officially unveiled in October 1886.
When the statue was first erected in 1886 it was the tallest iron structure ever built.
300 different types of hammers were used to create the copper structure.
The copper that cover the statue has turned green due to oxidation.
To get to the crown you have to climb 354 stairs.
In 1984, the attraction was listed as a World Heritage Site.
In 1916, the torch was damaged due to an explosion during World War 1.
Every year the statue is hit by 600 bolts of lightning.
Two people have killed themselves by jumping from the top.
She holds a torch and tablet upon which is inscribed with the date of American Declaration of Independence.
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, the statue was closed for security reasons.
She has appeared in several films – usually being destroyed.
The classic Planet of the Apes ends with a shot of the Statue broken in half in the sand.
Ghostbusters II, the Statue is brought to life by the Ghostbusters to help save New York City.
The Statue appears in the 1981 science fiction film Escape from New York
The Statue of Liberty has been depicted on the USA’s coinage and stamps.
Two images of the statue appear on a $10 bill.
The statue was again closed in 2012 due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy.
