<i>125th birthday of Statue of Liberty</i>

The Statue of Liberty, the iconic symbol of freedom, New York City and of US immigration, today celebrates its 125th birthday, then closes for a year's repairs.
The event will be marked by a ceremony echoing the original October 28, 1886 inauguration of the monument in front of then-president Grover Cleveland.
The Statue of Liberty, created by French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, was presented to the United States as a sign of friendship from the people of France. It came to symbolize freedom -- especially for immigrants, 12 million of whom passed through nearby Ellis Island as they entered the United States.
Friday's ceremony will see 125 modern day immigrants from more than 40 countries become citizens at the feet of Lady Liberty on Liberty Island, in the heart of New York Harbor.
When the party is over, the landmark statue will close for a year, although Liberty Island itself will remain open to tourists, who arrive by a short ferry trip.
Earlier this year, a $27.25 million renovation deal was announced to improve the spiral stairway up into the crown and to add safety devices .
Access to the interior of the statue was barred after the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York, but reopened two years ago to restricted groups of tourists.