Fascinating Facts About Famous Landmarks that Often Go Unknown

Even if you haven't actually visited them, you know them by sight. The world's most famous landmarks have been a testament to the ingenuity of mankind and not too bad a choice for a family vacation photo for decades or centuries. Some facts about these landmarks may not yet have penetrated into your consciousness, however. It's always a good thing to arm yourself with trivial knowledge such as these facts when you arrive somewhere well known. You rarely get the chance to show off how much of a grasp you have on arcane knowledge in front of the type of easily impressed people such as tourists visiting something they've seen in movies and photos all their lives.

Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower spans 49 acres of surface area--larger than Rush Limbaugh, even--and this needs to be painted regularly to keep up appearances. Every 15 years the Eiffel Tower is given a fresh coat of paint to keep it looking all Frenchified. The actual process can take over a year to complete. The process of washing the paint out of the brushes can take four years.

Graceland
Contrary to the belief of many non-compulsive Elvis Presley fans, his famous home and tourist attraction in Memphis is not named for his mother. Yeah, sure, it does seem to make sense if you know just a little about Elvis...like that he was a real mama's boy. But, alas, if such were the case, then Graceland would actually be known as Gladysland. Graceland is named for a female who was related to the publisher who first had the mansion built. The exact details of the identity of Grace is still up for debate.

The Hollywood Sign
Los Angeles is a city filled with landmarks related to its position as the film capital of the world, but few carry the cache of the Hollywood sign looming over the city below. The sign originally read Hollywoodland and was a PR gimmick for a new real estate development. Landslides took care of the Land above as well as some of the land below. Here's an amazing fact for the most recognizable landmark in the city most well known for its cars: you cannot drive to the Hollywood sign; this landmark can only be reached by hiking. Peg Entwistle made that hike before jumping to her ironic death.

Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is a mauseoleum. Built at such a great expense that the threat of national bankruptcy resulted in a coup, the Taj Mahal was directed to be built by the last Moghul emperor of India. Shah Jahan's wife died in childbirth and the building was intended to be a monument to his everlasting love.

Statue of Liberty
Many visitors to the Statue of Liberty are surprised to discover a fascinating fact about her. Most photographs of Lady Liberty are so interested in making sure that her torch is captured that her feet sometimes get less attention than deserved. When you finally do make it this landmark yourself, take the time to notice her feet...although you really don't have any choice. Lady Liberty's feet are covered in the shackles from which she broke free from oppression to deliver her message of universal freedom.