Frenchman Édouard de Laboulaye proposed the idea in 1865 to honor American independence and the abolition of slavery. Sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi brought it to life, while Gustave Eiffel, the mastermind behind the Eiffel Tower, engineered the iron skeleton that supports her.
She was built in France, shipped in 350 pieces, and reassembled in New York. The dedication took place on October 28, 1886.
Her full name? Liberty Enlightening the World.
Her skin? Only as thick as two pennies.
Her color? Originally copper brown, it turned green over time due to oxidation.
She’s struck by lightning around 600 times each year.
Her shoe size? A staggering 879.
The seven spikes on her crown represent the seven continents and seven seas.
Before she was completed, her arm and torch toured America to raise funds for the pedestal. Over 120,000 Americans donated — most gave less than a dollar. A true grassroots campaign inspired by newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer.
And in a strange twist, the U.S. Postal Service accidentally used an image of the Las Vegas replica on a forever stamp in 2011 instead of the real statue.
Etched at her base is one of the most powerful pieces of American poetry, from Emma Lazarus’s The New Colossus:
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
The Statue of Liberty stands not just as a monument, but as a testament to freedom, resilience, and global cooperation.
Which fact surprised you the most?
