Built in two phases in 1848 and 1884 and subsequently dedicated in 1885, the Washington Monument — a marble-faced granite obelisk that honors the first U.S. president, George Washington — opened to the public in Washington, D.C., on this day in history, Oct. 9, 1888.

The Washington Monument is commonly regarded as the most prominent feature of the Washington, D.C., skyline. 

The monument stands 555’ 5 1/8" tall and weighs 81,120 tons, according to several sources.

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, OCTOBER 8

The structure is made of white marble blocks that range in thickness from 15’ at the base to 18" at the monument’s top. 

The marble changes color at 150 feet; that marks the spot where construction stopped between 1856 and 1876, according to the Trust for the National Mall. Visitors can climb the 896 steps inside the monument to the observation level. 

There is also an elevator.

The construction honoring President Washington had setbacks. 

ON PRESIDENTS DAY, ADVICE FROM WASHINGTON AND LINCOLN THAT'S STILL RELEVANT TODAY

It took nearly four decades to build the enormous monument in the mid-19th century, during which time it was affected by controversy and stalled by a lack of funds, according to National Geographic. 

The process started in 1833.

That's when John Marshall, James Madison and others created the Washington National Monument Society to honor of the 100th anniversary of George Washington’s birthday, according to The Trust for The National Mall. 

The plans for the structure began in 1835, as The Washington National Monument Society appointed bonded agents to collect funds from the public for construction of a monument to George Washington, according to the National Park Service. 

On Nov. 18, 1845, The Washington National Monument Society selected a design for the monument by Robert Mills — and the design of Mills was formally adopted by the society, the same source said.

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, DEC. 6, 1884, WASHINGTON MONUMENT IS COMPLETED 39 YEARS AFTER CONSTRUCTION BEGAN 

The cornerstone was laid July 4, 1848, in a ceremony attended by 20,000 people with much fanfare, as Fox News previously reported. 

President James K. Polk, former first lady Dolley Madison, and future presidents James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson and Abraham Lincoln were among those in attendance, the same article recounted.

Then, on Aug. 2, 1876, Congress appropriated $2 million in federal funds to complete the construction of the Washington Monument, the National Park Service said.

Thomas Lincoln Casey was appointed engineer-in-charge of the monument — and in February 1880, contractors begin installation of the staircase and elevator frames within the monument, the same source chronicled.

Notably, on Dec. 6, 1884, the capstone and aluminum point were set, marking the completion of the construction of the monument, according to several sources. 

After a major restoration project in the 1990s, the Washington Monument reopened in 2001. 

It closed again after an earthquake on Aug 23, 2011, that struck about 85 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., damaging the monument, according to Britannica.com. 

It reopened in May 2014.

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Today, visitors can reserve a place online and ascend to the top of the Washington Monument via an elevator or they can climb the nearly 900 steps. 

There is a small museum at the top as well as panoramic views of our nation’s capital. 

"Plus, you see the monument from all over Washington, peeking around every corner," historian John Steele Gordon, author of "Washington’s Monument and the Fascinating History of the Obelisk," told National Geographic.

"It’s iconic, the ultimate symbol of the capital."

The Washington Monument is surrounded by 50 American flags, one for each state.

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Israel's first line of defense, a missile defense system developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, is labeled the Iron Dome. It was first deployed in 2011, and has since rebuffed and destroyed rockets from Hamas militants and Palestinian forces.

The Iron Dome is land-based and built to keep the citizens of Israel safe from barrages of rockets deployed most often from the Gaza Strip by Iranian-backed terrorists, Hamas. The system is capable of tackling missiles with ranges between 2.5 miles and about 43 miles.

ISRAEL SUCCESSFULLY TESTS SEA-BASED MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM

Israel’s shield uses radar to track an incoming threat, like a missile or artillery shell, and relays the data and target coordinates to a missile firing unit. Interceptor Tamir missiles are fired at the enemy’s projectile to eliminate the threat.

In the past, the Iron Dome has been 90% effective in intercepting thousands of rockets fired from Hamas terrorists, according to Israeli officials. The defense system was integral to Israel's defense during conflict with Gaza in 2012 and 2014. 

In December 2020, Israel's defense ministry reported that they tested sea-based aerial defense systems over a span of a few weeks and all tests were successfully intercepted by Israel's multi-tier defense systems – the Iron Dome, Arrow and David's Sling.

David's Sling, or "Magic Wand" is the secondary layer of protection and a complete air defense system also developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems to combat ballistic missiles and medium-range rocket attacks.

ISRAEL OFFICIALLY UNVEILS DAVID'S SLING MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM

The Arrow is the third layer of protection and an anti-missile defense system – the most advanced of its kind. It is used to combat long-range missile strikes. The U.S. has invested in the Iron Dome, David's Sling and the Arrow and has provided finances for the restocking of the defense systems.

In 2021, bipartisan House lawmakers doubled down on America's support for Israel following a deadly conflict with Hamas. The battle lasted 11 days in May 2021, and resulted in the deaths of 250 Palestinians and 10 Israelis.

Both Democrats and Republicans wrote to now retired Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in June 2021 urging the Pentagon to work with Congress to restock Israel's supply of interceptors for the Iron Dome.

A total of 55 lawmakers signed the letter in support.

The letter read, "We must ensure that the Iron Dome remains able to protect Israel without running the risk that its stockpile of interceptors becomes depleted. Israel must always have the resources it needs to defend itself from incoming rockets when it is targeted again."

The United States began providing funding for the Iron Dome in 2011 and 55% of the system’s components are currently manufactured in the U.S., according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Israel is the unrivaled recipient of U.S. military assistance, totaling over $3 billion each year. For the Iron Dome alone, the U.S. volunteered $1.6 billion for the Iron Dome from 2011-2021.

In June 2022, a U.S. company, JustAnswer, launched aid for Ukraine to build a modernized missile defense system, much like the Iron Dome, to prevent Russian rockets from striking civilians. The missile system "Sky Project" intends to create a mobile, all-weather air defense system designed to intercept and destroy rockets and artillery shells.