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On 4 January 2010, Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, officially opened in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. So, today’s questions are all about structures which have been amongst the world’s tallest.
One
What building did Burj Khalifa replace as the tallest?
Answer: Taipei 101 (aka Taipei Financial Center)
Inaugurated in January 2010, the Burj Khalifa, standing at 163 floors and a height of 2,717 feet (828 metres), surpassed Taipei 101 — 1,667 feet (508 metres), — in Taipei, Taiwan. The Burj Khalifa also broke several other records including the world’s tallest freestanding structure, the highest occupied floor and the highest outdoor observation deck.
Two
Which medieval cathedral, whose governing body holds one of the original 1215 Magna Carta manuscripts, surpassed the Great Pyramid of Giza to become the world’s tallest man-made structure?
Answer: Lincoln Cathedral
Completed around 2560 BCE, the Great Pyramid of Giza originally stood at approximately 481 feet (146 metres), making it the tallest man-made structure ever built at the time. Remarkably, it retained this distinction for nearly 3,800 years, until the completion of medieval cathedrals including Lincoln Cathedral in England in the 14th century.
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Three
Which monument did the Eiffel Tower surpass to become the tallest man-made structure in the world?
Answer: The Washington Monument
Completed in 1889, the Eiffel Tower stands 1,083 feet (330 metres) tall, exceeding the Washington Monument’s height of 555 feet (169 metres). The Eiffel Tower held the record as the world’s tallest man-made structure for 41 years, until the Chrysler Building surpassed it in 1930.
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Four
True or false: the Lighthouse of Alexandria, aka the Pharos of Alexandria, was once the tallest building in the world.
Answer: False
The Pharos of Alexandria, the tallest lighthouse of the ancient world, was never taller than the Great Pyramid of Giza, which remained the tallest man-made structure.
Five
What nearby structure did the Empire State Building replace as the world’s tallest building?
Answer: The Chrysler Building
When it opened in 1931, the Empire State Building reached 1,250 feet (381 metres), surpassing the Chrysler Building, which had briefly held the title at 1,046 feet (319 metres). The Empire State Building retained the world’s tallest-building title for nearly 40 years, until the completion of the original World Trade Center in 1970.
Quizology Online 