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| Lincoln Memorial | |
| Category: | Landmark |
| Country: | United States of America |
| City: | Washington, D.C. |
| Locale: | National Mall |
The Lincoln Memorial is a national monument located in in the National Mall in Washington, D.C., commemorating Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States of America. The most recognizable feature of the memorial is the statue of Abraham Lincoln carved by sculptor Daniel Chester French and the Piccirilli Brothers in 1920. The statue stands 19 feet tall from head to foot, 16 feet in total width and 17 feet deep.
The interior walls of the chamber are inscribed with two of Abraham Lincoln's most well-known speeches in their entirety; The Gettsyburg Address and Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address. The epitaph carved above the statue of Abraham Lincoln is inscribed with the following words.
IN THIS TEMPLE
AS IN THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE FOR WHOM HE SAVED THE UNION THE MEMORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN IS ENSHRINED FOREVER
In Sci-Fi[]
Planet of the Apes[]
The Lincoln Memorial makes a brief, but memorable appearance at the end of Tim Burton's 2001 remake of Planet of the Apes. In the film, astronaut Leo Davidson escapes from a future world populaetd by talking apes. Returning to what he believes is his own world, his ship crash-lands on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. When he gets out of the vehicle however, he looks up at a statue of Lincoln and is horrified to discover that Lincoln's face is carved in the likeness of his chimpanzee tormentor General Thade. The scene was deliberately ambiguous and intended to invoke the surprise and awe that audiences experienced in the original Planet of the Apes film in 1968. Director Tim Burton later revealed that the surprise ending of the movie is actually just a dream sequence.
Transformers[]
The Lincoln Memorial also makes a brief appearance in the 2011 blockbuster film Transformers: Dark of the Moon. In the film, the Decepticons achieve what they believe is a decisive victory over their enemies the Autobots. Decepticon leader Megatron destroys the figure of Abraham Lincoln and takes his place on Lincoln's throne.
Films that feature the Lincoln Memorial[]
- 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984)
- Planet of the Apes (2001)
- Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
TV shows that feature the Lincoln Memorial[]
Notes & Trivia[]
- A popular urban legend posits the notion that the profile of former Confederate General Robert E. Lee is carved on the back of Lincoln's head. Though there does appear to be some physical resemblance to support the theory, the National Park Service refutes the assertion, citing no such intentional additions were carved onto the statue. [1]
- Martin Luther King's infamous "I have a dream" speech was conducted at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28th, 1963.
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