October 28, 1886:Cleveland Dedicates the Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on this day in 1886, with President Cleveland formally accepting it from France. Fifty years later, on the same day, President Franklin Roosevelt re-dedicated the statue, and near 50 years after that (actually July 3, 1986), President Reagan spoke at the unveiling of the statue after its restoration.

According to the Park Service, "The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World was dedicated October 28, 1886. Count de Lesseps and Senator Evarts were among the speakers. Bartholdi, in the torch some 300 feet above, pulled the rope that removed the French tricolor from Liberty's face. Then, President Grover Cleveland accepted the statue on behalf of the United States. Especially impressive were these words of his: 'We will not forget that Liberty has here made her home; nor shall her chosen altar be neglected.' That night the torch held high in the hand of the statue was lighted."