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Events on Wednesday 31 December 1653 1
1632 – 1653Taj MahalAgra, India — New WonderA white marble mausoleum built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their fourteenth child. Over 20,000 artisans worked for 21 years to complete it. Its perfect symmetry, intricate inlay work of precious and semi-precious stones, and luminous appearance — which changes colour with the light throughout the day — have led many to call it the most beautiful building in the world.