Here are the most important dates in the timeline of the United States receiving the Statue of Liberty:
- July 4, 1884 – The Formal Gift: The completed statue was formally presented to the U.S. ambassador in a ceremony held in Paris, France. This date marks the official gifting of the monument from the people of France to the people of the United States.
- June 17, 1885 – Arrival in New York: After being disassembled into 350 individual pieces and packed into 214 crates, the statue arrived in New York Harbor aboard the French frigate Isère. Although it was physically in the United States, it had to wait in storage for over a year for its pedestal to be completed.
- October 28, 1886 – The Official Dedication: This is the most significant date and the one most often celebrated. On this day, the fully reassembled Statue of Liberty was formally dedicated in a ceremony presided over by U.S. President Grover Cleveland. This marked the moment “Liberty Enlightening the World” was officially unveiled to the public and became a permanent feature of the New York skyline.
In summary, while the statue was officially gifted in 1884 and arrived in 1885, the United States truly “got” the Statue of Liberty as we know it on the day of its public dedication, October 28, 1886. Sources