Five Photos: Canada's tallest lightning rod - the CN Tower
Friday, February 6, 2015, 3:20 PM - On this day 42 years ago, construction began on Toronto's CN Tower. As Canada's tallest free-standing structure, it is a majestic sight in any weather. Here are five photos celebrating this iconic landmark.
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It took more than 1,500 brave individuals working 24 hours a day, five days a week 40 months to complete the tower. At 533.33 meters high, the CN Tower held the record for world's tallest tower and tallest free-standing structure for 34 years. Today, it is the 6th-tallest free-standing structure in the world and is considered one of the seven modern wonders of the world by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
FACT: On a clear day, it is possible to see more than 160 kilometers in any direction from the tower's observation decks.
Submitted by Istvan Banyai
FACT: The tower attracts more than 1.5 million visitors from around the world each year.
Submitted by David Fraser
FACT: The tower is struck by lightning an average of 75 times per year. Long copper strips running the length of the tower to grounding rods buried deep in the Earth ensure that the lightning strikes reach the ground safely without harming any of the occupants inside.
Submitted by Seena Ziai
FACT: You don't have to be afraid of the tower's famous glass floor cracking beneath you; it's built to withstand the weight of 14 large hippos.
Submitted by Sophia Radic
FACT: The tower contains 40,524 cubic meters of concrete - enough to build a sidewalk curb from Toronto to Kingston, Ontario (about 231 kilometers).
Submitted by Chris Barry
Tower facts via the CN Tower website.
