Jean Beliveau (1931 - 2014)

Jean Beliveau, who won 10 Stanley Cup Championships during his career with the Montreal Canadiens, has passed away at the age of 83. 

Paul Revere House

Undated photograph of the Paul Revere House in Boston, Massachusetts.

The Dakota: 1912

The Dakota Park Apartments, located in New York's Central Park West and West 42nd Street, is pictured in 1912. Built in 1880, it is perhaps best remembered today as the place where famed Beatle John Lennon was shot to death on December 8, 1980. In addition to Lennon, other famous celebrities who called The Dakota home included Lauren Bacall, Leonard Bernstein, Judy Garland, and Rex Reed. Today the building is on the National Register of Historic Places and also is a  National Historic Landmark.

Eastern State Penitentiary

Opened on October 25, 1829, Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia was the largest public building project of its' time. The wheel shaped structure was designed to primarily keep inmates isolated from each other as well as the outside world, the belief being that this would be beneficial to their spiritual rehabilitation. Economic reasons as well as overcrowding eventually led to the prison closing in 1971. Today, Eastern State's massive walls provide tourists with their own original form of deteriorating beauty as a result of being abandoned for many years.

Thru the years, Eastern State housed such famous criminals as Willie "The Actor" Sutton, and Alphonse "Scarface" Capone, and was also the setting for many television shows as well as Hollywood movies. In order to safely protect visitors from its' ongoing decay, the penitentiary is currently maintained in a state of  'preserved ruin'.

Thomas Viaduct

Construction on the Thomas Viaduct began on July 4, 1833 and was completed July 4, 1835. Spanning the Patapsco River between Relay and Elkridge, Maryland, the world's first multi span railroad bridge is also the oldest continuously operational structure of its' kind. Pictured above in 1970, current efforts are underway to preserve this national landmark.

The Alden House

The Alden House (1910)

Probably one of the greatest love stories ever told was that of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins, both Pilgrims who crossed over on the Mayflower and landed in Plymouth, MA in 1620. Somewhere around 1672, the Aldens built the home pictured above in the town of Duxbury. While it was not their original house which they constructed in Plymouth shortly after arriving on the Mayflower, it is the only one of their homes still standing. The house has remained in the Alden family and today is maintained by the Alden House Historic Site, and is a National Landmark.

USS Nautilus

The USS Nautilus (SSN-571), The world's first operational nuclear powered submarine, is pictured passing under the George Washington Bridge in 1956 as part of an Armed Forces Week visit to New York harbor. The Nautilus was launched on January 21, 1954 at the submarine base in Groton, CT. On May 10, 1955 the Nautilus traveled fully submerged for 84 hours from New London, CT, to San Juan Puerto Rico. It is also best known for having completed a submerged voyage across the North Pole. The vessel was decommissioned in 1980, and is currently a museum at the Groton Sub Base in Groton, Ct. The USS Nautilus has been designated a National Historic Landmark, and is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Mt. Vernon

Mt. Vernon, pictured above, was the plantation home of the first President of The United States, George Washington. Built in 1757 along the shores of the Potomac River near Alexandria, Virginia, the site was designated a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 19, 1960.

Fort Ticonderoga

Fort Ticonderoga is an 18th Century fort built in 1755 - 1758 near the south end of Lake Champlain in upstate New York. The site was strategically important during the 18th Century colonial conflicts between Great Britain and France, and to a lesser extent during the American Revolutionary War. A popular tourist attraction today and a museum, it was designated a National Historic Landmark on October 9, 1960. It would eventually be placed on the National Registry of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.

Gateway To The West

This 1965 picture taken from across the Mississippi River in St Louis shows the Gateway Arch nearing its' completion. Construction began February 12, 1963 and was fully completed on October 28, 1965. The Arch was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.