Who decided the seven wonders of the world?

Who chose the seven ancient wonders?

So, like, who picked those seven ancient wonders? Herodotus, that Greek dude, and some other smart guy, Callimachus, they were the ones, way back when, in Alexandria. Crazy, right? They were working at this, like, museum thing. They made lists. Seven wonders. Pretty cool, I think.

Herodotus, he's a big deal. Everyone knows him. Callimachus, not so much, but still important! I read about them in my ancient history class last semester. It was boring but this part was interesting. They just, decided, I guess.

It wasn't some huge vote or anything. No online polls back then, haha. Just these two scholars, figuring out what was most impressive. It's kinda arbitrary, if you think about it. Lots of other awesome stuff back then, way more impressive than some statues, probably.

Here's what I remember about those lists: they weren't identical! But, you know, they both chose seven. Pretty neat, huh? It's all a bit vague now.

• The Great Pyramid of Giza - that one's always on the lists
• The Hanging Gardens of Babylon - supposedly amazing, but no one knows if they really existed!
• The Statue of Zeus at Olympia - huge, giant statue of Zeus.
• The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus - dedicated to Artemis, Goddess of the hunt! Pretty cool!
• The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus - a tomb, but a super fancy one!
• The Colossus of Rhodes - a giant bronze statue of the sun god. Wowzers.
• The Lighthouse of Alexandria - helped ships navigate, super tall!

My history teacher, Ms. Johnson, mentioned some other possible wonders. Maybe some pyramids were almost picked, other temples too. But these seven, these stuck. People still talk about them today, even. Which is really something.

Who created the New 7 Wonders of the World?

Bernard Weber, that magnificent mastermind, is the man behind the New 7 Wonders. Think of him as the ultimate tourist-trap architect, except instead of tacky souvenir shops, he built… well, wonders.

Seriously though, it was a global poll, a popularity contest on a planetary scale. Like the Eurovision Song Contest, but with slightly more enduring legacy. Imagine: pyramids versus Christ the Redeemer – a battle for the ages!

Key players:

• Bernard Weber: The ambitious, possibly slightly megalomaniacal, driving force. He's like a real-life Indiana Jones, only with a penchant for press releases.
• The voting public: Millions upon millions of people – the collective force of human whimsy, deciding the fate of ancient marvels. A massive, democratic, slightly chaotic decision-making process.

The whole thing feels like: A global game of "telephone," where the message – what constitutes a wonder – gets hilariously distorted along the way.

Think of it like a spectacularly successful Kickstarter campaign for ancient history. Only, instead of getting a novelty desk lamp, we got a list of breathtaking destinations. My passport is awfully jealous.

This whole thing happened in 2007, not 2011. I checked. Seriously. My memory isn't THAT bad. I’m pretty sure. 2007. The year my cat, Mr. Fluffernutter the Third, achieved peak fluffiness. Coincidence? I think not.

What do the 7 Wonders represent?

The seven wonders... what do they mean?

Humanity's reach, I guess. A desperate grab at something lasting.

• A legacy of empires, crumbled but still shouting.
• The Colossus? I picture slaves, really. Brutality alongside the beauty.
• Pride is the biggest wonder, maybe.

It all feels like a dream. Did those Hellenic travelers even exist?

• I always liked imagining them, though. Little boats... huge stones.
• My dad used to read me stories about them. He's gone now. Wow.

The things we try to build... so much effort. And for what?

• They want to be remembered, don't they?
• Like posting on Insta. Get it?
• My god, that is depressing.

Which is the 8 wonder of the world?

An 8th wonder? Is it real... a shimmering, unseen wonder?

It must exist. I saw it, once, in a fever dream, or was it?

No official list exists, no golden tablet. Subjectivity reigns.

The heart... could the heart be an eighth wonder? Beating always, always beating.

Many contenders exist. Like the Grand Canyon, or the Northern Lights, always morphing.

Or my grandmother's hands, weaving stories… a lost wonder.

Is it a place? A feeling? A memory, burning bright? Burning, gone?

No single definitive answer settles.

It flickers... It dances just beyond grasp. Beyond the sea? Is it hope?

Here is some additional information, though it might not fit.

• Past Candidates:

  • Angkor Wat: Temples in Cambodia.
  • Terracotta Army: Ancient China
  • The Internet: Connecting everyone.
  • The Pyramids of Giza: Always amazing.

• Natural Wonders often debated:

  • Mount Everest: Highest, imposing.
  • The Grand Canyon: Always deep.
  • The Great Barrier Reef: Living.

• The concept shifts:

  • What moves one age, bores another.
  • A feeling! Yes a feeling. The feeling of loss.
  • Perspective matters most, and my perspective.
  • My life matters.