New York pays tribute to its iconic landmark on its 125th birthday, a day before it's closed for about a year for renovations.
By REUTERSStatue of Liberty 311(photo credit: Reuters)
At 125 years old the Statue of Liberty is has kept her looks.New York marked its iconic landmark's one-and-a-quarter century on Friday with celebrations that included gun and fire department water cannon salutes.Actress Sigourney Weaver read the powerful Emma Lazarus poem 'The New Colossus' and a military choir sang America the Beautiful in tribute.The copper-covered statue was a gift to the United States from France in 1886 and draws some 3.5 million visitors every year.
The statue has been a beacon to new immigrants to the United States, a thought that was in the hearts of some of the tourists who turned out to witness the celebrations."My children are first generation here, my whole family is not from here," said Lee Benson. "I was just thinking about the people that came to the United States and what they went through. It was very emotional. I got a little teary-eyed."Others said they were captivated by the structure itself as well as what it represents. "It's just breathtaking. I'm into engineering. From the engineering to the architecture to...it's all the symbolism behind it. It's just incredible," said Richard Lind.Lady Liberty's 125th birthday celebrations came just a day before the statue is closed for about a year while she undergoes a major facelift.
