The Statue Of Liberty

This is a photo showing the head of the Statue of Liberty on display in France early in 1884, prior to being shipped to the United States.

The pedestal for the Statue of Liberty, designed by Richard Morris Hunt, during its construction March 6, 1886. Long before Morris Hunt designed the pedestal and others for statues in Washington, he learned something about stonework as one of the first Americans to view the ruins of ancient Egypt.

This aerial view shows the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island as French-American organizations gather at its base to celebrate the 147th anniversary of Bastille Day in New York City, July 14, 1936.

Fifty Jewish refugee children, between ages 5 and 16, arrive in New York from Hamburg, Germany, on the liner President Harding on June 3, 1939.

The Statue of Liberty in New York City is shown in 1951 during the 67th anniversary of the laying of the statue's cornerstone. The statue towers 305 feet over New York Harbor on Liberty Island.

The Statue of Liberty, one of America's symbols of freedom, oversees a highlighted event of the Bicentennial in New York City, July 4, 1976. The U.S. Coast Guard's Bark Eagle, background, and many other pleasure boats pass by Lady Liberty during Operation Sail. A Navy Ship can be seen in the center.

Seen from the New Jersey shore, fireworks at the Statue of Liberty light the sky as New York City celebrates the Declaration of Independence bicentennial anniversary, July 4, 1976. The display ended a day of festivities in the New York Harbor, with boats and tall ships from across the world gathered for Operation Sail. The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center are on the right.

Visitors crane for a quick peek through the tiny window from inside the crown of the Statue of Liberty, Sept. 7, 1976. On a busy weekend, the climb up and down the 108 steps inside the statue took at least an hour.

The sun sets behind the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor in 1980.

A "blue moon," the name given to the second full moon within the same month, shines over the Statue of Liberty March 31, 1999. For half a century the meaning of the term has been accepted, but technically, it's wrong, and the editors of Sky & Telescope say it's their fault: The magazine incorrectly defined the term 53 years ago.

The French tall ship Belem sails past the Statue of Liberty during Operation Sail '86, in July 1986. A week-long celebration combined two events: Operation Sail 2000, a gathering of wind-powered "tall ships," and the International Naval Review, featuring 40 modern warships from 23 navies.

Fireworks burst around the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor during a celebration of the famed monument's restoration and 100th birthday, July 1986.

Nancy Reagan waves from the crown of the Statue of Liberty with Kristeen Reft, 9, of Kodiak Island, Alaska and Lawrence Honore, 17, of Herdville, France, as the statue was reopened to the public, July 5, 1986. Miss Liberty had undergone renovation to commemorate her 100th birthday.

Rescue workers attempt to rescue a parachutist who got hung up on the torch of the Statue of Liberty, Aug. 23, 2001, in New York Harbor as a New York City Police helicopter hovers overhead.

Thick smoke billows into the sky from the area behind the Statue of Liberty, lower left, where the World Trade Center towers stood, Sept. 11, 2001.

Seen from Bayonne, N.J., the Statue of Liberty is lit against smoke rising from the wreckage of the World Trade Center in downtown New York, Oct. 3, 2001.

Bello Nock, star circus clown of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, hangs upside down in front of the Statue of Liberty, from a helicopter flown by his brother Eugene Nock, March 31, 2003. Bello Nock hung briefly upside-down from the trapeze as a stunt to signal the circus' arrival to the city.

Gladys Medina of Lima, Peru, wears a Statue of Liberty crown as she joins tourists on a ferry to the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, June 27, 2003. After Sept. 11, Liberty Island was closed to tourists for 100 days, and remains high on the list of potential terrorist targets. The statue continues to be off-limits to tourists, but they go through airport-type security and board packed ferries to visit the island.

Lights from the former World Trade Center site can be seen on both sides of the Statue of Liberty from Bayonne, N.J., Sept. 11, 2003. The statue was closed to tourists from Sept. 11, 2001, until Aug. 3, 2004. Ironically, the reopening of the statue coincided with a heightened terror alert in New York City.

This is an aerial view of the Statue of Liberty, which reopened to visitors Aug. 3, 2004, for the first time since terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, after security and safety improvements paid for by more than $30 million in donations. Visitors no longer will be allowed to make the 22-story climb to the statue's crown.