Happy Lighthouse Day!
Those tall coastal towers that cast their lights out to sea for nautical navigation of sailors at night have been fulfilling their purpose since roughly 300 BC. The very first lighthouse was built 450 feet high in ancient Egypt with a gigantic bonfire that was lit each night to light more than 30 miles out. That’s TEN miles more than the average visibility range for today’s lighthouses!
This original lighthouse was included as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World for its size. It lasted well over a thousand years until an earthquake toppled it. It didn’t resemble much the iconic image of today’s lighthouses, but even today 
you can find these symbols of hope in all different shapes and sizes. Here are several unique lighthouses.
This spiraling lighthouse is an interesting design that almost seems impossible with a papery or ribbon-like effect and creating the illusion of magically suspended lantern high up off the ground.
Accessible only by air or sea, this lighthouse eventually received a landing pad on the very top of the tower for helicopter—the safest means of reaching this lighthouse because of all the rocks in the water scattered around the tower's base.
Not too many people realize that the Statue of Liberty used to be a lighthouse. It hasn’t been used as one since 1902, but we used to use an electric light in Lady Liberty’s torch that shone for 24 miles.
Those are my top three, but there are many other unique lighthouses out there. I came across a lighthouse designed as a giant ice cream cone and another one that looked like a big water bottle. You can get a more detailed idea of the history around these amazing architectural beauties from a past Blog post when you click here. Enjoy learning more about lighthouses and, as always, thanks for reading!
- John