The Statue of Liberty, maybe probably the most celebrated image of American beliefs and exceptionalism, reopened after the 9/11 assaults on today in historical past, August 3, 2004.
The globally acknowledged landmark had been closed to the general public for almost three years following the destruction of the close by World Commerce Middle on Sept. 11, 2001.
Woman Liberty stood stoically watching over the horror in Decrease Manhattan that day, little greater than a mile throughout New York Harbor.
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“This beacon of hope and liberty is as soon as once more open to the general public, sending a reassuring message to the world that freedom is alive in New York and shining brighter than ever earlier than,” stated then-Gov. George Pataki, as he reopened the Statue of Liberty together with Michael Bloomberg, NYC’s then-mayor, plus the Secretary of the Inside Gale Norton, different officers and members of the general public.
The celebration featured pomp and circumstance, together with a efficiency of “You are a Grand Previous Flag” and the nationwide anthem by a army choir.
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However the occasion additionally got here amid considerations about terror assaults that loomed over the nation lengthy after 9/11. New York Metropolis, close by Newark, N.J. and Washington, D.C., all confronted terror threats within the days earlier than the reopening ceremony.
Thick smoke billows into the sky from the world behind the Statue of Liberty, decrease left, the place the World Commerce Middle was, on Sept. 11, 2001. (AP Photograph/Daniel Hulshizer)
“I believe it exhibits the world that liberty can’t be intimidated,” Craig Manson, assistant inside secretary, stated earlier than the festivities.
“I believe it is important that regardless of the elevating of the alert ranges, we’re nonetheless going forward with the reopening.”
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The Statue of Liberty, a present from the individuals of France, opened to the general public in 1886. French sculptor Frederic Bartholdi conceived of it; he visited america in 1871 after serving his nation within the Franco-Prussian Battle.
Woman Liberty’s inside metallic framework was fabricated by Gustave Eiffel, who instantly afterward started constructing the enduring tower in Paris that bears his identify.
The Statue of Liberty has stood proudly in New York Harbor since 1886. It attracts about 3.5 million guests per yr, however has been closed for prolonged intervals a number of occasions in its historical past. (Kerry J. Byrne/Fox Information Digital)
The Statue of Liberty has been shuttered for varied causes via its historical past.
It was closed for 2 years from 1984 to 1986 for intensive restoration work earlier than its centennial celebration.
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The scaffolding across the Statue of Liberty turned a pop-culture image of the Nineteen Eighties that appeared in every thing from films to music movies.
The Nationwide Historic Landmark closed for eight months after Superstorm Sandy in Oct. 2012, earlier than reopening on July 4, 2013.
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The Statue of Liberty closed once more to the general public for 4 months at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020, earlier than a phased interval of reopening started in July.
An incredible view of the Statue of Liberty, the skyline and One World Commerce Middle. (iStock)
Guests might entry the statue’s well-known torch for the primary 30 years of its existence.
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However public entry to the torch ended following the lethal “Black Tom explosion” of July 30, 1916.
The Statue of Liberty’s torch was among the many buildings broken by explosion fragments.
Because the U.S. contemplated entry into World Battle I, German spies sabotaged a barge in New York Harbor full of an estimated 2 million kilos of arms and munitions destined for Allies in Europe.
The horrific explosion may very well be felt as far-off as Philadelphia.
Remarkably, it killed solely 4 individuals, however it brought about an estimated $500 million in injury in New Jersey and New York Metropolis.
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The Statue of Liberty’s torch was among the many buildings broken by explosion fragments.
It has been open solely to Nationwide Park Service officers within the 106 years for the reason that Black Tom assault.
