The Boulder Dam on the Arizona - Nevada border (first named Hoover Dam in 1931 when work commenced and again renamed the Hoover Dam in 1947). It harnessed water from the Colorado River for use in power generation.   (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
Keystone The Boulder Dam on the Arizona - Nevada border (first named Hoover Dam in 1931 when work commenced and again renamed the Hoover Dam in 1947). It harnessed water from the Colorado River for use in power generation. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)

Construction of the Hoover Dam began on July 7, 1930, marking the beginning of the creation of one of the largest manmade structures in the world.

According to History.com, it took five years to build the dam, which generates enough energy each year to serve over one million people.

On the 85th anniversary of the start of the dam's construction, we thought we'd take a look at some iconic photos of the structure.

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