August 16

On August 16, 1913, HMS Queen Mary, a Lion-class battlecruiser of the Royal Navy, was formally completed. Designed for speed and heavy armament, she carried eight 13.5-inch guns and could reach over 25 knots. The ship represented a leap in naval engineering, featuring improved armor and propulsion systems. Queen Mary would later serve in World War I, including action at the Battle of Jutland in 1916. Her completion underscored the naval arms race between Britain and Germany in the early 20th century. The vessel’s design influenced subsequent classes of battlecruisers in navies worldwide.

The Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago, designed by architect Adrian Smith for Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and developed by the Trump Organization, reached its topping-off height of 1,389 feet on August 16, 2008. This milestone made it the tallest all-residential building above ground level in the world at the time. The 92-story skyscraper features luxury condominiums, upscale hotel rooms, and panoramic views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline. Engineers employed a novel combination of reinforced concrete and high-strength steel to achieve both height and structural stability. The ceremony brought together city officials, designers, and construction crews to celebrate a landmark achievement in modern skyscraper design. Since its completion, the tower has become an iconic part of Chicago’s architectural heritage and a symbol of urban luxury living.