Landmarks in the Making

The 5 moments in this challenge

The scenes are shown below — tap a card to reveal its place and year.

1. 

   Round 1 · 2003

   Toppling Saddam's Statue in Firdos Square

   Baghdad, Iraq

   Watched by millions globally, US Marines and Iraqi civilians pulled down the towering bronze statue of Saddam Hussein, creating the defining visual symbol of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

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2. 

   Round 2 · 1859

   Blondin Crosses Niagara Falls on a Tightrope

   Niagara Falls, USA/Canada Border

   French acrobat Charles Blondin was the first person to cross the Niagara Gorge on a tightrope, doing so multiple times—once even carrying his terrified manager on his back.

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3. 

   Round 3 · 1915

   The RMS Lusitania Torpedoed Off Old Head of Kinsale

   Celtic Sea, Off the Coast of Ireland

   A German U-boat torpedoed the RMS Lusitania, sinking the massive ocean liner in just 18 minutes. The deaths of 128 Americans helped turn US public opinion toward entering WWI.

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4. 

   Round 4 · 1922

   Unearthing the Great Ziggurat of Ur

   Tell el-Muqayyar, Iraq

   British archaeologist Leonard Woolley, backed by the British Museum and the University of Pennsylvania, led excavation teams to clear millennia of sand from this massive Sumerian stepped pyramid.

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5. 

   Round 5 · 1866

   Great Eastern Pulls Transatlantic Cable Ashore

   Heart's Content, Newfoundland

   The behemoth SS Great Eastern, the only ship large enough to carry the 2,500-mile telegraph cable, successfully connected Europe and North America after multiple failed attempts in previous years.

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