The Seven Wonders of the Modern World

People have put together many lists of the seven ancient wonders of the world. But this “seven wonders” list celebrates monumental engineering and construction feats of the 20th century.

Empire State Building

Finished in 1931, it towers 1,250 ft over New York City. It was the world’s tallest building until 1972.

Itaipu Dam

Built by Brazil and Paraguay on the Parana River, Itaipu dam is the world’s largest hydroelectric power plant. Completed in 1991, its length totals 7,744 m.

CN Tower

In 1976, the tower became the world’s tallest freestanding structure. It looms about one-third of a mile high (1,815 ft) above Toronto, Canada.

Panama Canal

It took 34 years to create this 50-mile-long canal across the Isthmus of Panama. It was the most expensive project in American history at that time.

Channel Tunnel

Known as the Chunnel, it links France and England. It is 31 miles long, and 23 of those miles are 150 ft beneath the seabed of the English Channel.

Netherlands North Sea Protection Works

Because the Netherlands is below sea level, a series of dams, floodgates, and surge barriers have been built to keep the sea from flooding the country during storms.

Golden Gate Bridge

Connecting San Francisco and Marin County in 1937, for many years this was the longest suspension bridge in world. It took about four years to complete the beautiful 1.2-mile-long bridge.