15 Startling Pictures of Popular Landmarks That Reveal How Much Our World Has Changed
It may seem, at times, that the world is moving at a gentle pace in our everyday lives, but its effects are impossible to avoid. Some famous cities in the world have gone through drastic changes in the past decades, while other places have remained a symbol of unwavering stability. Even in these cases, the passing of time is evident, telling the silent story of our planet and its progress.
5-Minute Crafts has compiled a list of famous landmarks around the world and the way they have changed through the years.
1. Times Square — New York City, USA
Times Square is one of the most bustling places on earth, with roughly 360,000 pedestrians walking through it in a normal day.
2. Big Ben — London, England
Big Ben is actually the bell inside the recognizable clock tower, which weighs more than 28,500 pounds (13,000 kg). In the year 2000, the London Eye was opened to a paying public, another landmark that defines London’s skyline.
3. Machu Picchu — Perú
These remains of the Inca civilization were first photographed and published in 1911, when it was overrun by vegetation. Nowadays, Machu Picchu is renowned for being Perú’s biggest tourist attraction, with thousands of people visiting it each year.
4. The Eiffel Tower — Paris, France
The 1,083 ft (330 m) high Eiffel Tower is one of the world’s most renowned landmarks. Its significance has turned it into not only a landmark but a medium of expression for the entire city as well.
5. CN Tower and Rogers Centre — Toronto, Canada
These landmarks gave the skyline of Toronto a unique and distinctive appearance, particularly the CN tower, a broadcast tower that was the world’s tallest freestanding structure until 2007.
6. Golden Gate Bridge — San Francisco, USA
The bridge boasts the fame of being recognized as the most photographed bridge in the world. When it was finished in 1937, it held the title of being the longest bridge in the world at 4,200 feet (1.28 kilometers).
7. Empire State Building — New York City, USA
This iconic building became somewhat synonymous with the city of New York, which explains its reoccurring appearances in popular culture media, most notably, movies like King Kong and Independence Day.
8. Sumida River and Komagata Bridge — Tokyo, Japan
This river runs through the city of Tokyo under 26 different bridges, with roughly one bridge placed every half a mile (one kilometer). Visible in both pictures is one of the bridges that runs through the river, the Komagata Bridge.
9. Hollywood sign — Los Angeles, USA
While nowadays synonymous with fame and the entertainment industry, this sign was first built as some sort of billboard to entice people to move into the area, though the sign read Hollywoodland. The sign was almost taken out at some point, but it was eventually rebuilt at the end of the 1970s.
10. Brandenburg Gate — Berlin, Germany
The pictures depict the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin’s most famous landmark and a national symbol of unity. It is also a site where major events in the city tend to take place.
11. Miami River — Miami, USA
The above photos show the evolution of the view around the Miami River, which runs through the city and provides a view of its skyline.
12. Tokyo Tower — Tokyo, Japan
This landmark was modeled after the Eiffel Tower, but it actually surpasses it in height, standing at 1,093 feet (333 m) tall. Much like its inspiration, it lights up at night, and it has become Tokyo’s biggest symbol.
13. Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House — Sydney, Australia
The pictures show the development around the imposing Sydney Harbour Bridge. The Sydney Opera House, which can be seen in the center of the bottom picture, was formally completed in 1973.
14. The Colosseum — Rome, Italy
The Colosseum in Rome owes its fame to, among other things, the amount of time it has been standing. It was built between the years 70–80, and it has withstood multiple natural disasters. In the 2010s, it underwent restoration due to its fragile state.
15. Taj Mahal — Agra, India
Its beauty, cultural significance, and architectural value are some of the reasons why UNESCO named India’s Taj Mahal a World Heritage Site in 1982.
Which city has gone through the most startling changes? How much has your city changed throughout the years?