Why Is There a Bullet Hole in the Lincoln Memorial?

In one of the holiest temples of America's civic religion there is a bullet hole. Search carefully in the frieze of the Lincoln Memorial and you may be able to spot it.

Here's a clearer image. How did this happen?

In September 1942, when the U.S. government worried about Axis attacks on the American homeland, anti-aircraft defenses stood guard over major cities and important sites. One soldier manning a .50-caliber machine gun in Washington, D.C., accidentally discharged his weapon, firing a burst. Three bullets struck the Lincoln Memorial. One of bullet holes could not be practically repaired, so it remains there to this day.

-via U.S. Naval Institute | Photos: U.S. Park Service