Top Ten Man Made Wonders

Throughout the history of humanity we have sought to leave a mark on the world. For both individuals and entire civilizations, this quest has led to some of the greatest achievements in our history, and sadly some of the most horrific as well. Humanity has accomplished some truly epic feats and this list is just a small sampling of the wonders that have become part of our history and part of our modern lives.

10. Interstate 70 through the Rocky Mountains

Some people may think that a road has no business even being considered a manmade wonder much less showing up on this list. The reason why I-70 belongs on this list is that it is one of the greatest feats of human engineering ever. This roadway was one of the single largest projects ever taken on by the United States Government and to this day stands to a testament to the power and strength of our nation. It may seem like a simple highway but its construction was far from easy.

9. The Microchip

When someone says Wonder of the World, we naturally conjure images of massive monuments and awe-inspiring buildings. However, not all the great wonders of humanity are massive buildings that reach for the sky, some are almost too small to see with the naked eye. The microchip stands out among these small but great wonders because of what it has done for our world. One of the other entries on this list owes its existence to the microchip and it is in billions of products used worldwide every day. Without the microchip our world would be drastically different.

8. Mount Rushmore

Mount Rushmore stands out as one of the greatest man made wonders in our history because of the scale of its creation. While plenty of monuments have been built from stone, Mount Rushmore was carved from the side of a mountain. Admittedly, the creator of Mount Rushmore had modern tools and equipment to work with, but even with this consideration it is a truly amazing feat.

7. The Coliseum

The Coliseum of Rome is not on this list because of its own greatness but because it is one of the most iconic structures of the Roman Empire. The Romans are without a doubt the single greatest influence in Western Culture today and will remain so for thousands of years to come. Our alphabet, laws, and more come directly from the people who built the coliseum and this means that something they left behind should be recognized.

6. BurjKhalifa

Currently the tallest building in the world, the BurjKhalifa soars over the desert landscape of Dubai and is a testament to humanity’s quest for greatness. BurjKhalifa will eventually be replaced by another structure and that one will eventually be overshadowed as well because humanity is always striving to outdo what has been done before.
 

5. The Sphinx

Long held as one of the greatest wonders of the world, the Sphinx is a stone monument built by the ancient Egyptians thousands of years ago and still stands to this day. The Sphinx belongs on this list because of the fact that besides the pyramids it is one of the oldest structures created by humanity to still be standing and that alone earns it recognition as one of the greatest monuments ever built.

4. Hubble Telescope

The Hubble telescope served as our eye into the wider universe for over a decade and gave us a view of things that we only dreamed of.  Its ability to take pictures of distant planets and other parts of the cosmos gave us a wider understanding of how the universe works and what we need to do to explore it further.

3. The Pyramids

No list of manmade wonders is complete without mention of the Pyramids. While these ancient structures are cliché in a way, there is no denying that they stand as a testament to an ancient civilization that has been gone for a long time. Inside all of us is the desire to leave our mark, and the pyramids will remain as a mark long after many other monuments have fallen.

2. International Space Station

Since humankind first looked up at the stars, there have been those who have dreamed of living out among those lights.  The International Space Station was one step toward that dream. Not only is the space station a testament to our technology, but it’s also a testament to our ability to work together towards a common goal. While the space station only houses a few people, it is hoped that eventually this will lead to true human settlement on distant worlds.

1. Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is the single largest manmade structure on the planet today and is likely to remain so for quite a long time. The Great Wall is large enough that it can actually be seen from space and is so massive that nothing short of the entire planet exploding will cause its destruction. The Great Wall of China should serve as a reminder to us all that humankind can accomplish truly great things and that while one man may have ordered its construction, it took hundreds of thousands of people to build it.