Glimmering like a spike of pearl and silver piercing the New York skyline is the Empire State Building, the third wonder of the modern world. Located in the heart of New York, it is one of the largest and one of the strongest buildings in the world. Its strength was proved when only 2 floors were damaged after a bomber crashed into the 79th floor in 1945. Construction commenced in March of 1930 and was completed 14 months later in May 1931. In total it took 7 million man hours, 1 year and 45 days work for construction to be completed. The building measures 381 meters from the pavement to the roof and casts a watchful eye over the city that never sleeps.
Among the great peaceful endeavors of mankind that have contributed significantly to progress in the world, the construction of the Panama Canal stands as an awe-inspiring achievement. The Panama Canal is the epitome of the centuries-old dream of uniting the two great oceans, the Pacific and the Atlantic. Construction started in 1904 and was completed in 1914. The canal shortened a ship’s voyage from San Francisco to New York from 24200 kilometers to 9800 kilometers. The canal extends 81.63 kilometers from Limon Bay on the Atlantic Ocean to the Bay of Panama on the Pacific Ocean. It is an unrivalled achievement by mankind.
Until 1998 the Americans have always had the world’s tallest buildings, that is until Malaysia revealed the Petronas Towers. It is currently the world’s tallest building standing at a whopping 452 meters. Built over a former racetrack, the towers reflect a unique blend of religion and economic prosperity. The towers contain more than 8 million square feet of shopping and entertainment facilities as well as underground parking for 4500 cars. Each tower’s floor plan forms an 8-pointed star, a design inspired by traditional Malay Islamic art. The towers are joined by a flexible skybridge on the 42nd floor. The only words which can describe these towers are that they are two “cosmic pillars” spiraling endlessly towards the heavens.
The Golden Gate bridge is one of the architectural marvels of the 20th century and a testament to human strife, as it was constructed during the years of the Great Depression. For years it was known as the bridge that could never be built as it had to withstand winds of up to 96 km/h, strong ocean currents and persistently foggy weather. The bridge, which connects San Francisco to Marin county is 1.9 kilometers long. Construction started in 1933 and the bridge was completed in 1937. Towers stand on either side of the bridge which hold up 2 steel cables from which the bridge hangs. It is still a marvel to anybody visiting San Francisco.
My seventh and final wonder is the Aswan High Dam. The dam controls the floodwaters of the Nile River in Egypt and was designed to provide Egypt with fresh water for irrigation the year round. The dam is 111 meters high and 3.7 kilometers long. It is used to irrigate crops during dry periods and to supply factories and rural villages with electricity. This enabled Egypt to double its agricultural production. Construction started in 1960 and was completed some 10 years later. It was and still is an essential part of the Egyptian economy.
These seven wonders are the benchmarks of technology. They will always be remembered as some of the greatest feats and endeavors undertaken by the human race. It shows once again how great the human mind is.