949. The Lighthouse of Alexandria

Now we're out of the range of wonders that I know anything about and into the "here's an artist's representation" territory. This was a big old lighthouse, and one of the tallest structures in the world for a long time.

948. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon

It's never been clear to me what was actually special about the hanging gardens, but they must have been pretty sweet.

947. The Colossus of Rhodes

Extremely well known despite standing for less than a century before being brought down by an earthquake. Here's an inaccurate representation where the colossus stands literally astride the harbor, where boats can sail under his loincloth. (Both the loincloth and the posture are probably wrong.)

946. The Great Pyramid of Giza

I'm off hiking and out of internet range for the week, so here's a special series I've been saving up. I'll try to present them roughly in order from most famous to most obscure. So here we go, starting with the only wonder of the ancient world still standing.

945. Puss in Boots

Another entry in the series of French stories where the moral is that cleverness is more important than wealth.

944. Saving Private Ryan

That is one emotionally scarring movie.

943. Sherlock (the BBC series)

Sherlock Holmes stories retold in modern London.

942. Brave New World

In the future, we'll have everything we want! Hooray!

941. The Little Prince

940. The Martini Tower

Good old Groningen.

939. O Holy Night

This one's for Ellen.

938. A Wizard of Earthsea

Fantasy about the power of names and our self-perceptions.

937. The Twelve Labors of Hercules

After all this, Hercules is really an expert at killing and/or capturing a whole variety of beasts. Seems like they should have mixed up the labors a bit, you know? Maybe he should have had to build a really big bridge or paint a really lifelike portrait or bake the best cake in the world.

936. Hound Dog

Not an Elvis original, but the Elvis version was a defining song for rock and roll.

935. Les Misérables (the musical)

934. Portal and Portal 2

This one's a twofer because I think it makes sense to consider the two games as a single unit. Good puzzles, good writing, and good music, but the real strength is how the games manage to tutor you through even mundane actions without feeling like they're dictating what you do.

933. The Importance of Being Earnest

I did say early on that The Importance of Being Earnest would make its appear once I started to run low on ideas. Really it's on here because I'm trying to make sure I don't neglect anything major.

932. Wall-E

931. The French Republican Calendar

This one is super hard to classify. During the French Revolution, the revolutionaries introduced a new calendar to get rid of the old royalist and ecumenical influences inherent in the standard calendar. The result is a sequence of twelve thirty-day months, with each day associated with an animal, a tool, a plant, or a mineral. July 13th would roughly be the guinea fowl (pictured).

930. Robin Hood

Apparently the original Robin Hood mythos did not include that he robbed from the rich and gave to the poor. Without that, he's just a guy who's really good with a bow and arrow, I guess.

929. Chopin's Funeral March

Stone cold bummer.

928. Three Musicians

927. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

I can't figure out whether this is supposed to be read as a feminist empowerment ballad or just a catchy pop song. Either way, it is extremely catchy.

926. I Sing the Body Electric

Read it here.

925. The Sedlec Ossuary

It's a shame I'm all out of Halloweens, because this has got to be one of the creepiest buildings in the world. Pictured here is a large chandelier made primarily out of human bones. This is one serious reminder of your mortality.

924. O Brother, Where Art Thou?

I don't want Fop! I'm a Dapper Dan man!

923. The Lord of the Rings

Oops. Almost missed this one.

922. Oh Shenandoah

Listen here.

921. The Chinese Zodiac

I don't really know how to categorize this one. The origin story for the zodiac is interesting, but the iconography itself is really what sticks with you.

920. House of Cards (the US miniseries)

Ellen, if you read this, finish watching House of Cards so that we can talk about it! (But you're probably not going to see this message until September.) This show is great to watch as a counterpoint to The West Wing. House of Cards is all about politicians acting for the wrong reasons.

919. The School of Athens

Take a minute and check out the bigger version. This size doesn't do the painting justice.