Amazing moment the world's biggest Christ was struck by lightning

This was the dramatic scene as the world's largest statue of Jesus was hit by lightning. (Daily Mail 13th February 2008)

The bolt parted the thunderclouds over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to strike Christ the Redeemer.

The statue is 130ft tall, is made of 700 tons of reinforced concrete and stands atop the 2,296ft Corcovado mountain overlooking the city. It was named one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.

Sunday's storm caused havoc in Rio, felling trees in several neighbourhoods - but did not damage the statue.

This amazing photograph gives whole new meaning to the phrase "May God strike me with lightning if..."

Eighth wonder of the world? The stunning temples secretly carved out below ground by 'paranormal' eccentric

Nestling in the foothills of the Alps in northern Italy, 30 miles from the ancient city of Turin, lies the valley of Valchiusella. Peppered with medieval villages, the hillside scenery is certainly picturesque.

But it is deep underground, buried into the ancient rock, that the region's greatest wonders are concealed.

Here, 100ft down and hidden from public view, lies an astonishing secret - one that has drawn comparisons with the fabled city of Atlantis and has been dubbed 'the Eighth Wonder of the World' by the Italian government.

For weaving their way underneath the hillside are nine ornate temples, on five levels, whose scale and opulence take the breath away.

Constructed like a three-dimensional book, narrating the history of humanity, they are linked by hundreds of metres of richly decorated tunnels and occupy almost 300,000 cubic feet - Big Ben is 15,000 cubic feet. (Daily Mail)

Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu is a pre-Columbian city created by the Inca Empire. It is located at 2,430 m (7,970 ft)^[2] on a mountain ridge. Machu Picchu is located above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, about 70 km (44 mi) northwest of Cusco. Forgotten for centuries by the outside world, although not by locals, it was brought back to international attention by archaeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911, who made the first scientific confirmation of the site and wrote a best-selling work about it.

Machu Picchu was constructed around 1450, at the height of the Inca empire, and was abandoned less than 100 years later, as the empire collapsed under Spanish conquest. Although the citadel is located only about 50 miles from Cusco, the Inca capital, it was never found and destroyed by the Spanish, as were many other Inca sites. Over the centuries, the surrounding jungle grew to enshroud the site, and few knew of its existence. (Wikipedia)

Petra, Jordan

Petra is an archaeological site in Jordan, lying in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah (Wadi Araba), the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. It is famous for having many stone structures carved into the rock. The long-hidden site was revealed to the Western world by the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812. It was famously described as "a rose-red city half as old as time" in a Newdigate prize-winning sonnet by John William Burgon.

Rekem is an ancient name for Petra and appears in Dead Sea scrolls such as 4Q462 associated with Mount Seir. Additionally, Eusebius and Jerome (Onom. sacr. 286, 71. 145, 9; 228, 55. 287, 94) assert that Rekem was the native name of Petra, supposedly on the authority of Josephus (Antiquities iv. 7, 1~ 4, 7), Pliny the Elder and other writers identify Petra as the capital of the Nabataeans, Aramaic-speaking Semites, and the centre of their caravan trade. Enclosed by towering rocks and watered by a perennial stream, Petra not only possessed the advantages of a fortress but controlled the main commercial routes which passed through it to Gaza in the west, to Bosra and Damascus in the north, to Aqaba and Leuce Come on the Red Sea, and across the desert to the Persian Gulf. (Wikipedia)

The new Seven Wonders

Chichen Itza, Mexico

The Great Wall of China, Petra in Jordan and Brazil's statue of Christ the Redeemer are among the modern-day seven wonders of the world chosen in a poll of 100 million online voters, organizers said on Saturday. The other four are Peru's Machu Picchu, the mountain settlement that symbolizes the Incan empire, Mexico's Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza, the Colosseum in Rome and the Taj Mahal in India.

The seven winners were announced at a glitzy show at Portugal's Benfica stadium following what is likely to be the biggest ever online poll at www.new7wonders.com.

"Never before in history have so many people participated in a global decision," said actress Hilary Swank at the presentation.

The New 7 Wonders of the World organizers say the contest was a chance to level the global cultural playing field and recognize the achievements of societies outside Europe and the Middle East.

The traditional "seven wonders of the world" all existed more than 2,000 years ago and were all in the Mediterranean region. Only one remains standing today -- the Pyramids of Giza. (Reuters)

The World has Voted for the New 7 Wonders !

The results of the first-ever online global vote will be revealed at the Official New7Wonders Declaration Ceremony tonight in Lisbon, Portugal. The event is also available via live streaming. (7 Wonders)

7 Wonders - The Finalists

21 stunning structures are battling it out to be named among the new Seven Wonders of the World. Britain's sole contender is Stonehenge which has spiritual significance for thousands of druids and New Age followers.

Sky News Photo Gallery

7 Wonders countdown ...

The UK does have one site in the running – Stonehenge - although it is not one of the hotly-tipped favourites

If someone asked how many of the world’s seven wonders you had personally visited how many would you say? If you answered any more than one you would be lying, because only one of the original architectural feats - the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt - is still in existence. And this is the problem one man has spent seven years trying to solve – by calling on the global population to nominate seven new wonders travellers can still see, feel, touch and experience today.

In true iconic style, the modern-day list – which is based on the votes of 50 million people - will be revealed on July 7, 2007, and is expected to include some of the most stunning sights on earth. It is the brainchild of Swiss entrepreneur Bernard Weber, who set up the New 7 Wonders Foundation to raise funds for restoration project and publicise global awareness of heritage sites.

With only 16 days left to vote, the contenders have been whittled down to a shortlist of just 12.

The UK does have one site in the running – Stonehenge - although it is not one of the hotly-tipped favourites and must fight-off stiff competition from the likes of the extraordinary Machu Picchu in Peru and India’s 17th century Taj Mahal, plus modern-day world icons such as the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, the Sydney Opera House and the Statue of Liberty. (UK MSN)

7 Wonders - 07/07/07

The Saturday evening Official Ceremony is sure to be a once-in-a-lifetime event. Attendees can expect an impressive presentation of music and dance, all adding support to the spectacular announcement of the New7Wonders of the World.

Following up the recent news item which featured Stonehenge being named as one of 'the 7 wonders of the world' (link to it here) ... I did some web surfing based on the 7 wonders of the world and the connection to 7th July 2007 ... I found this New 7 Wonders web site.... "07.07.2007 Lisbon - Official Declaration Of The New 7 Wonders Of The World ... 'The New 7 Wonders of the World will be announced during the Official Declaration ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal on Saturday, July 7, 2007 - 07.07.07. "