A Brief History
On November 17, 1869, the Suez Canal in Egypt was inaugurated, providing passage to and from the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Just over 120 miles long, the canal can accommodate ships up to 254 feet wide. (Note: The author has passed through the Suez Canal four times.) Considered an incredible engineering feat at the time, we ask you what engineering marvel is the greatest?
Digging Deeper
Some suggestions to choose from include The Great Pyramid at Giza (2570 BC), which was built without any power equipment.
The Panama Canal (1914) is 51 miles long but sports three locks in each direction with 85 feet of lift and faced enormous geological and disease obstacles.
Tarbela Dam of Pakistan (1976) is the largest dam in the world by volume of the structure or fill.
The International Space Station, first launched in 1998, is not only the largest and longest lasting space station, but also the product of five separate space agencies, a marvel of its own!
Finally, Burj Khalifa skyscraper (2010) is the tallest building ever built at 2,717 feet tall.
Question for students (and subscribers): What is the greatest engineering marvel? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Black, Vanessa. Panama Canal. Jump! 2017.
Newhouse, Elizabeth L. THE BUILDERS – MARVELS OF ENGINEERING. National Geographic Society, 1992.
The featured image in this article, a depiction of the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author’s life plus 70 years or fewer. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1928.
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