Statue of Liberty Timeline

(1865 - Present)

The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical copper statue designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and engineered by Gustave Eiffel. A gift from the people of France to the United States commemorating liberty and Franco-American friendship, it stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. Dedicated in 1886, it became a welcoming beacon for millions of immigrants arriving by sea and remains one of the world's most recognizable symbols of freedom. More Less

Go to: Timeline | Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Origins and Conception

Laboulaye proposes the idea of a liberty monument

1865

At a dinner near Versailles, French scholar Édouard René de Laboulaye proposed the idea of a monument commemorating American independence and the friendship between France and the United States, planting the seed for what would become the Statue of Liberty.

Image source: Statue of Liberty

Bartholdi commissioned to design the statue

1871

Sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi was tasked with designing the proposed monument. He traveled to America to promote the project, selecting Bedloe's Island in New York Harbor as the ideal site for the future statue.

Image source: Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi

Franco-American Union formed to fund the statue

1875

The Franco-American Union was established to raise funds for the statue, with France responsible for building the statue itself and the United States expected to provide the pedestal.

American Committee struggles to fund the pedestal

1883 - 1885

Fundraising for the pedestal lagged badly in the United States, prompting efforts like an auction of Bartholdi's models and a plea by Joseph Pulitzer in his newspaper The World, which raised over $100,000 from small donations.

Emma Lazarus writes 'The New Colossus'

1883

Poet Emma Lazarus wrote 'The New Colossus' for a fundraising auction, with its famous lines welcoming 'the tired, the poor' later becoming closely associated with the statue's symbolism.

Image source: The New Colossus

Construction in France

Bartholdi begins sculpting the statue's head and arm

1875

Work began in Bartholdi's Paris workshop on the statue's head and torch-bearing arm, with copper sheets hammered over a wooden framework using repoussé techniques.

Torch-bearing arm displayed at Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition

1876

The completed right arm holding the torch was exhibited at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia to raise publicity and funds for the project.

Image source: Centennial Exposition

Head of the statue displayed at Paris World's Fair

1878

The statue's head was displayed at the Paris World's Fair of 1878, drawing crowds and helping generate enthusiasm and financial support for the monument.

Image source: Exposition Universelle (1878)

Eiffel designs internal iron support structure

1884

Engineer Gustave Eiffel took over structural design from Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, creating an iron framework that would allow the copper skin to move independently while supporting the statue against wind.

Image source: Gustave Eiffel

Statue completed in Paris

Jan 1884

The Statue of Liberty was fully assembled in Paris, standing outside Bartholdi's workshop, where it was viewed by thousands before being disassembled for shipping.

Statue disassembled and shipped to America

Jan 1885 - Jun 17, 1885

The statue was taken apart into 350 pieces packed in 214 crates and shipped aboard the French frigate Isère, arriving in New York Harbor after weathering rough seas during the voyage.

Assembly and Dedication

Statue reassembled on its pedestal

1886

Workers spent months reassembling the statue's copper sections onto the newly completed pedestal, connecting them to Eiffel's iron framework.

Pedestal construction completed on Bedloe's Island

Apr 1886

Architect Richard Morris Hunt designed the granite pedestal, which was finally completed atop Fort Wood on Bedloe's Island after years of funding delays.

Statue of Liberty dedicated

Oct 28, 1886

President Grover Cleveland presided over the dedication ceremony before thousands of spectators, with a massive parade through New York City and a naval salute marking the statue's official unveiling.

Modern Era

Statue becomes functioning lighthouse

Nov 22, 1886 - 1902

The Lighthouse Board placed an electric light in the torch, making the statue a working lighthouse, though its light proved too weak to be effective as a navigational aid.

Black Tom explosion damages the statue

Jul 30, 1916

German saboteurs detonated munitions at the Black Tom pier in Jersey City, sending shrapnel into the statue and causing roughly $100,000 in damage, leading to restricted public access to the torch.

Image source: Black Tom explosion

Ellis Island included in the national monument

1965

President Lyndon B. Johnson added Ellis Island, the historic immigration station, to the Statue of Liberty National Monument, linking the two symbols of American immigration.

Image source: Ellis Island

September 11 attacks close the statue

Sep 11, 2001

Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, the Statue of Liberty was closed to visitors due to security concerns, remaining shut for years before reopening in stages.

Image source: September 11 attacks

Statue reopens to visitors after 9/11 closure

Aug 3, 2004

After nearly three years of closure, the statue reopened to the public with enhanced security measures, though the crown remained off-limits until 2009.

Crown reopened to public visits

Jul 4, 2009

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced the reopening of the statue's crown, allowing limited numbers of visitors daily to climb to the top for panoramic views of New York Harbor.

Statue of Liberty Museum opens on Liberty Island

May 16, 2019

A new 26,000-square-foot museum opened on Liberty Island, displaying the original 1886 torch, interactive exhibits, and artifacts telling the story of the statue's creation and legacy.

Image source: Statue of Liberty Museum

Statue remains open amid pandemic restrictions

2020 - 2021

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Liberty Island and the statue operated under capacity limits and health protocols, gradually restoring fuller access as conditions improved.

Preservation and Restoration

Emma Lazarus's poem plaque installed at the base

1903

A bronze plaque bearing Emma Lazarus's sonnet 'The New Colossus' was mounted on the pedestal, cementing the poem's association with the statue as a symbol of welcome to immigrants.

Gutzon Borglum modifies the torch

1916

Sculptor Gutzon Borglum redesigned the torch, replacing the original copper flame with glass panes backed by electric lights, following damage concerns and leaks in the original arm.

Image source: Gutzon Borglum

Statue of Liberty designated a national monument

Oct 15, 1924

President Calvin Coolidge declared the Statue of Liberty a national monument under the Antiquities Act, formally protecting it as a symbol of national significance.

Image source: Statue of Liberty National Monument

Statue transferred to National Park Service

1933

Administration of the Statue of Liberty was transferred from the War Department to the National Park Service, beginning its modern era as a protected national monument.

Image source: National Park Service

Statue designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site

1984

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization inscribed the Statue of Liberty as a World Heritage Site, recognizing its outstanding universal value as a symbol of freedom and democracy.

Image source: List of World Heritage Sites in the United States

Major restoration ahead of centennial begins

1984 - Jul 5, 1986

A comprehensive restoration replaced the corroded original torch with a new copper flame covered in 24-karat gold leaf, repaired the iron framework, and reworked the copper skin, closing the statue to visitors during the work.

Liberty Weekend celebrates restored statue

Jul 4, 1986 - Jul 6, 1986

The restored Statue of Liberty was rededicated during Liberty Weekend, featuring President Ronald Reagan, fireworks, tall ships, and celebrations attended by millions marking the statue's centennial.

Image source: Liberty Weekend

Pedestal museum and exhibits closed for renovations

2018 - 2019

The old museum inside the statue's pedestal was closed and its collections moved to the new museum, allowing improved visitor circulation and preservation of the historic structure.

Key Facts

The idea for the statue originated around 1865 with French historian Édouard de Laboulaye, who proposed a monument celebrating American independence and friendship between France and the U.S.
French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi designed the statue, with engineer Gustave Eiffel designing its internal iron framework.
The statue was completed in France in 1884, disassembled into 350 pieces, shipped to America in 214 crates aboard the frigate Isère, and reassembled on Liberty Island (then Bedloe's Island).
President Grover Cleveland dedicated the Statue of Liberty on October 28, 1886, before thousands of spectators in New York Harbor.
In 1924 it was designated a National Monument, and in 1984 UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site; its full name is 'Liberty Enlightening the World' (La Liberté éclairant le monde).

Source

This Statue of Liberty timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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