Behind the Façade: 40 Surprising Facts About the Hidden Secrets of Famous Landmarks

The Chichen Itza in Mexico, constructed to honor the Mayan deity Kukulan, the Feathered Serpent, is renowned for its impressive feats. On the spring and autumn equinoxes, it creates the shadow of a snake slithering down the pyramid. Interestingly, the pyramid has steps of different heights on each of its four sides: 92, 91, 91, and 91, which add up to 365. Additionally, if you clap your hands in front of the pyramid, its echo will sound like a chirping bird.

The builders of the Empire State Building were determined to make it the tallest building in the world in 1931 and not the Chrysler Building, even going so far as to add a 222-foot (68 m) mooring mast on top of it for zeppelins to dock. In 1945, an airplane crashed into the building, causing significant damage, including severing the cables of an elevator. Despite falling over 70 stories, the woman inside the elevator survived and holds the world record for the longest-survived elevator fall. Interestingly, the Empire State Building's observation deck generates more revenue than all the commercial tenants in the remaining 101 floors combined.

The White House has an entire network of underground tunnels that connect it to other important buildings in the area, such as the Treasury Building, the Old Executive Office Building, and the Blair House. The tunnels were constructed during World War II to ensure the safety of the president and other officials in case of an attack. Today, the tunnels are still in use and are occasionally used to move the president and other high-level officials between buildings without being seen by the public. However, due to the high level of secrecy surrounding the tunnel system, not much is known about its exact layout or extent.

The Trevi Fountain, the largest Baroque fountain in Rome, is a sight to behold with its intricate details and grandeur. Visitors to the fountain also make a wish and throw a coin into the water, contributing to the $4000 worth of coins collected daily. Interestingly, the money collected from the fountain is used to fund a supermarket for the needy.

Despite resembling a castle, the Château de Chambord's moat, walls, and towers were ornamental and had no practical defensive function. Meanwhile, in the backyard of Chateau de Versailles, Marie Antoinette constructed a mock village with a functional farm and fake villagers so that she could assume the role of a "peasant" whenever she desired.

Mont Saint-Michel, located in the north of France, is a vast castle town that only briefly connects to the mainland during low tide. Due to this, it remained unconquered by the English throughout the Hundred Years War. Following the French Revolution, it became a notorious prison for political prisoners, with the surrounding area renowned for its treacherous quicksand, which often ensnared unwary visitors. As a result, it was dubbed the "Bastille of the Sea."

The Golden Temple, located in Amritsar, Punjab, India, is the world's largest soup kitchen and the holiest temple for Sikhs. Every day, it provides free meals for 100,000 to 300,000 people, regardless of their religion, faith, or background. The Golden Temple played a critical role in Operation Bluestar, a significant military action conducted by the Indian Army in 1984 to eliminate Sikh militants who had taken refuge inside the temple complex. These militants were involved in a series of violent activities such as bombings, kidnappings, and assassinations, causing significant unrest in the Indian state of Punjab.

The British crown jewels were kept in a biscuit tin and stored in a chamber under Windsor Castle during WWII. During renovations, they just covered it at night with a tarp to prevent German airplanes from spying on it. Notably, not even then-Princess Elizabeth was told about it. Furthermore, the modern length of a marathon, which is 26.2 miles, was established in 20th-century London as the distance between Windsor Castle and the Olympic Stadium, after which the marathon became an official Olympic event. Prior to this, marathon distances were arbitrary and varied by several miles.

Seattle's iconic Space Needle, an example of Googie architecture that flourished in the post-World War II era, has a 30-foot deep foundation, which means the center of gravity of the 605-foot-tall structure is just five feet off the ground. Interestingly, the floor of the SkyCity restaurant atop the Space Needle makes one rotation every 47 minutes, weighs roughly 125 tons, and is powered by a single 1.5-horsepower motor.

Buckingham Palace was not always the luxurious residence it is today. When Queen Victoria first moved in, the palace was dirty and cold, and the staff were lax and lazy. In 1838, a 14-year-old boy nicknamed "The Boy Jones" stole Queen Victoria's underwear and lived in Buckingham Palace's chimneys for a year. In 1982, a man named Michael Fagan broke into Buckingham Palace, managed to find his way into Queen Elizabeth II’s bedroom while she was sleeping, and even asked for cigarettes, which a maid bought him, before finally being arrested.