Structures Trivia

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Over half of the city of Frankfurt, Germany, was destroyed during World War II and the rebuilders decided to be innovative in the city's restoration. As a result, the Frankfurt skyline looks more like that of Chicago than of Germany. Frankfurt is now a thriving recreational center for the whole of Hesse, with a good selection of theatres, galleries, and museums.

The first log cabins in North America were built in 1683 by Swedish immigrants in Delaware.

Point Pinos is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the west coast of the United States. Its beacon has flashed nightly as a guide and warning off the rocky coast of California since 1855.

The first manager of the Seattle Space Needle, Hoge Sullivan, was acrophobic – fearful of heights. The 605-foot-tall Space Needle is fastened to its foundation with 72 bolts, each 30 feet long. The Space Needle sways approximately 1 inch for every 10 mph of wind. It was built to withstand a wind velocity of 200 miles per hour.

President George Washington oversaw construction of the White House, but he never lived there. It was the second U.S. president, John Adams, elected in 1796, who first lived in the White House. His term was nearly over by the time he moved in, and only six rooms had been completed.

The first revolving restaurant, The Top of the Needle, was located at the 500-foot level of the 600-foot-high, steel-and-glass tower at the Century 21 Exposition in Seattle, Washington. It contained 260 seats and revolved 360 degrees in an hour. The state-of-the-art restaurant was dedicated on May 22, 1961.

President James K. Polk's mansion was called Polk Place.

Groundbreaking was set to happen in 1999 in Chicago, Illinois for a new skyscraper. Seven South Dearborn Avenue rose to a height of 1,550 feet at its rooftop, and an additional 450 feet of HDTV antennas was attached to its roof. This architectural marvel was inspired by the mast of a racing yacht and sits on a 200-foot lot. Currently, the world's tallest building is the Petronas Tower in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Petronas Towers measures 1,483 feet.

Hawaii has the only royal palace in the United States – Iolani.

Hershey, Pennsylvania has a zoo, an amusement park, and the world's biggest chocolate factory.

If you walked the entire length of the China's Great Wall, you would be walking farther than the distance between New York City and Miami, Florida. The wall stretches for over 1,500 miles. The driving distance between New York and Miami is just over 1,250 miles – provided you don't get lost.

In 1769 the British designer Edward Beran enclosed wooden slats in a frame to adjust the amount of light let into a room. These became known as venetian blinds from their early use over Italianate windows.

In 1931, an industrialist named Robert Ilg built a half-size replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa outside Chicago and lived in it for several years. The tower is still there.

In 1951, Jack in the Box opened its first restaurant in San Diego, California, pioneering the drive-thru concept and featuring 18-cent hamburgers.

In 1975, a birdhouse costing $10,000 was built in Quebec by the city fathers.

In 1998, Gay Head lighthouse on Martha's Vineyard was changed to its original Native American name, Aquinnah. The lighthouse is the largest on the island and guards treacherous shoals offshore, the Devil's Bridge.

In a small park at the northeast corner of Sanam Luang in Bangkok, Thailand, stands the crafted figure of Mae Toranee, the earth goddess, wringing the water from her ponytail. Originally part of a fountain built here by Rama V's queen, Saowaba, to provide Bangkokians with fresh drinking water, the statue illustrates a Buddhist legend featured in the murals of many temples.

The first roller-skating rink, Belgravia Skating Rink, was opened to the public in Great Britain on August 2, 1875.

President John Tyler's estate was called Sherwood Forest.

The first skyscraper in the United States was built in Chicago.