The history of the Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty, officially named Liberty Enlightening the World, is a monument symbolizing the United States, and is one of the most recognizable symbols in the world. It welcomes visitors, immigrants and returning Americans travelling by ship. For many years, it was one of the first glances of the United States for millions of immigrants and visitors after returning from ocean voyages.

A sculptor by the name of Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi designed the statue, and Gustave Eiffel (the man who designed the Eiffel Tower) was responsible for the iron framework underneath the copper plating. It is placed near the entrance to New York City harbor, on a small island known as Liberty Island.
The statue is of a woman with a book in one hand and a torch held high in her other hand. It stands on the top of a giant pedestal. The entire structure is 305 feet (93 m) tall from the ground to the tip of the torch. The statue is the central part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, administered by the National Park Service. The National Monument also includes Ellis Island.

The Statue of Liberty commemorates the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence. It was given to the United States by the people of France, to represent the friendship between the two countries established during the American Revolution. It represents the political freedom for new immigrants to America, and is known around the world. The building project of the statue was sponsored by ordinary citizens of both countries, and it took a very long time to raise enough money to finish construction.

The construction of the statue began in Paris in 1875 and was not completed until 1884. Crews worked round the clock, seven days a week, for nine years to finish the Statue of Liberty. Various parts of the statue were on display throughout Paris as they were completed. When it was complete in 1885, the statue was broken down into 350 pieces – which were packed in 214 crates – and then shipped to New York City. It took 4 months just to put the Statue of Liberty back together again!
The Statue of Liberty was officially dedicated and unveiled on October 28, 1886. A million people attended the parade and other festivities that were held that day to celebrate the event.
In October 1924, the Statue of Liberty became a national monument, and in 1982 it was restored at a cost of $ 87 million. Two years later, in 1984, the monument was named a World Heritage Site by the United Nations.

GLOSSARY
to symbolize [tə ˈsɪmbəlaɪz] - szimbolizál
recognizable [ˈrekəɡnaɪzəbəl] - felismerhető
glance [ɡlɑːns] - pillantás
voyage [ˈvɔɪɪdʒ] - hajóút
sculptor [ˈskʌlptə] - szobrász
to design [tə dɪˈzaɪn] - tervez
responsible for [rɪˈspɒnsəbəl fɔː] - felelős valamiért
iron framework [ˈaɪən ˈfreɪmwɜːk] - vas szerkezet
underneath [ˌʌndəˈniːθ] - alatt
copper plating [ˈkɒpə ˈpleɪtɪŋ] - réz bevonat
to be placed [tə bi ˈpleɪst] - el van helyezve
torch [tɔːtʃ] - fáklya
held high [held haɪ] - magasra tartott
pedestal [ˈpedɪstəl] - talapzat
structure [ˈstrʌktʃə] - szerkezet
tip [tɪp] - valaminek a csúcsa
to be administered [tə bi ədˈmɪnɪstəd] - igazgat, intéz
to include [tə ɪnˈkluːd] - magába foglal
to commemorate [tə kəˈmeməreɪt] - megemlékezik
signing of ... [ˈsaɪnɪŋ ɒv... ] - valaminek az aláírása
Declaration of Independence [ˌdekləˈreɪʃən əv ˌɪndɪˈpendəns] - Függetlenségi Nyilatkozat
to represent [təˌriːprɪˈzent] - képvisel
to be established [tə bi ɪˈstæblɪʃt] - létre van hozva
to be sponsored by [tə bi ˈspɒnsəd baɪ] - fizetve, szponzorálva , támogatva lenni
ordinary [ˈɔːdɪnri] - átlagos
to raise money [tə reɪz ˈmʌni] - pénzt gyűjteni
construction [kənˈstrʌkʃən] - építés, építkezés
to be completed [tə bi kəmˈpliːtɪd] - befejezve lenni
crew [kruː] - brigád
round the clock [raʊnd ðə ˈklɒk] - napi 24 órában
various [ˈveərɪəs] - különböző
to be on display [tə bi ɒn dɪˈspleɪ] - kiállítva lenni
to be broken down into ... [tə bi ˈbrəʊkən daʊn ˈɪntə... ] - ... részre törve lenni
crate [kreɪt] - láda
to ship [tə ʃɪp] - szállít
to put back together [tə ˈpʊt bæk təˈɡeðə] - újra összetesz
to be dedicated [tə bi ˈdedɪkeɪtɪd] - felszentelve lenni
to be unveiled [tə bi ˌʌnˈveɪld] - leleplezve lenni
to attend [tu əˈtend] - részt vesz valamin
festivity [feˈstɪvɪti] - ünnepség
to celebrate [tə ˈselɪbreɪt] - ünnepel
event [ɪˈvent] - esemény
to be restored [tə bi rɪˈstɔːd] - felújít, helyreállít