Today in History

July 24, 1911
Marvel in the Mountains
On a quest to discover the "lost city of the Incas," Yale University professor Hiram Bingham III finds the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes. In a cold drizzling rain, the young scholar sets out from his camp with an Indian guide he hires for 50 cents. Shortly after noon, Bingham discovers walls of ruins built of Inca stone work. The walls lead him to a magnificent semi-circular temple. "It fairly took my breath away," he would later write, "What could this place be?" Today, Machu Picchu, a 15th century Inca palace complex, is one of the most visited sites in Peru, attracting more than half a million visitors annually.



Today's Feature History Article

Machu Picchu

Winter Palace

The first major exhibition devoted to the Incas' fabled cold-weather retreat highlights Machu Picchu's secrets




 



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