An eternal flame is a flame, lamp or torch that burns for an indefinite time. Most eternal flames are ignited and tended intentionally, but some are natural phenomena caused by

natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbon d ...

leaks,

peat fire Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and is the most effic ...

s and

coal seam fire A coal-seam fire is a burning of an outcrop or underground coal seam. Most coal-seam fires exhibit smouldering combustion, particularly underground coal-seam fires, because of limited atmospheric oxygen availability. Coal-seam fire instances ...

s, all of which can be initially ignited by lightning,

piezoelectricity Piezoelectricity (, ) is the electric charge that accumulates in certain solid materials—such as crystals, certain ceramics, and biological matter such as bone, DNA, and various proteins—in response to applied mechanical stress. The word ' ...

or human activity, some of which have burned for hundreds or thousands of years. In ancient times, eternal flames were fueled by wood or

olive oil Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: ...

; modern examples usually use a piped supply of

propane Propane () is a three-carbon alkane with the molecular formula . It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure, but compressible to a transportable liquid. A by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining, it is commonly used as ...

or natural gas. Human-created eternal flames most often commemorate a person or event of national significance, serve as a symbol of an enduring nature such as a religious belief, or a reminder of commitment to a common goal, such as

diplomacy Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. ...

Religious and cultural significance

The eternal fire is a long-standing tradition in many cultures and religions. In ancient Iran the ''

atar Atar, Atash, or Azar ( ae, 𐬁𐬙𐬀𐬭, translit=ātar) is the Zoroastrian concept of holy fire, sometimes described in abstract terms as "burning and unburning fire" or "visible and invisible fire" (Mirza, 1987:389). It is considered to ...

'' was tended by a dedicated priest and represented the concept of "divine sparks" or ''

Amesha Spenta In Zoroastrianism, the Amesha Spenta ( ae, , Aməša Spəṇta—literally "Immortal (which is) holy/bounteous/furthering") are a class of seven divine entities emanating from Ahura Mazda, the highest divinity of the religion. Later Middle Persia ...

,'' as understood in

Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism is an Iranian religion and one of the world's oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. It has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil within the framework of a monotheisti ...

. Period sources indicate that three "great fires" existed in the

Achaemenid The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire (; peo, wikt:𐎧𐏁𐏂𐎶, 𐎧𐏁𐏂, , ), also called the First Persian Empire, was an History of Iran#Classical antiquity, ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. Bas ...

era of Persian history, which are collectively considered the earliest reference to the practice of creating ever-burning community fires. The eternal flame was a component of the Jewish religious rituals performed in the

Tabernacle According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle ( he, מִשְׁכַּן, mīškān, residence, dwelling place), also known as the Tent of the Congregation ( he, link=no, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ’ōhel mō‘ēḏ, also Tent of Meeting, etc.), ...

and later in the

Temple in Jerusalem The Temple in Jerusalem, or alternatively the Holy Temple (; , ), refers to the two now-destroyed religious structures that served as the central places of worship for Israelites and Jews on the modern-day Temple Mount in the Old City of Jeru ...

, where a commandment required a fire to burn continuously upon the Outer

Altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in pagan ...

. Modern Judaism continues a similar tradition by having a

sanctuary lamp Malta - Mosta - Rotunda in 57 ies. A sanctuary lamp, chancel lamp, altar lamp, everlasting light, or eternal flame is a light that shines before the altar of sanctuaries in many Jewish and Christian places of worship. Prescribed in Exodus 27:20- ...

, the ''ner tamid'', always lit above the ark in the synagogue. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, such flames gained further meaning, as a reminder of the six million Jews killed in

the Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europ ...

. The

Cherokee Nation The Cherokee Nation ( Cherokee: ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ ''Tsalagihi Ayeli'' or ᏣᎳᎩᏰᎵ ''Tsalagiyehli''), also known as the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. ...

maintained a fire at the seat of government until ousted by the Indian Removal Act in 1830. At that time, embers from the last great council fire were carried west to the nation's new home in the

Oklahoma Territory The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as t ...

. The flame, maintained in Oklahoma, was carried back to the last seat of the Cherokee government at Red Clay State Park in south-eastern

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...

, to the Museum of the Cherokee Indian in

Cherokee, North Carolina Cherokee ( chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, translit=Tsalagi) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Swain and Jackson counties in Western North Carolina, United States, within the Qualla Boundary land trust. Cherokee is located in the Oconaluftee River ...

, and to the Cherokee Nation Tribal Complex in Talequah, Oklahoma.''From the First Rising Sun: The Real Prehistory of the Cherokee People and Nation According to Oral Traditions, Legends, and Myths''. Charla Jean Morris. Author House, Bloomington, IN: 2011. Page xvii. In China, it has at times been common to establish an eternally lit lamp as a visible aspect of

ancestor veneration The veneration of the dead, including one's ancestors, is based on love and respect for the deceased. In some cultures, it is related to beliefs that the dead have a continued existence, and may possess the ability to influence the fortune of t ...

; it is set in front of a

spirit tablet A spirit tablet, memorial tablet, or ancestral tablet, is a placard used to designate the seat of a deity or past ancestor as well as to enclose it. The name of the deity or past ancestor is usually inscribed onto the tablet. With origins in tr ...

on the family's ancestral altar.

Extinguished flames

* One of the three "Great Flames" of the

Achaemenid Empire The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire (; peo, 𐎧𐏁𐏂, , ), also called the First Persian Empire, was an ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. Based in Western Asia, it was contemporarily the largest em ...

was extinguished during the reign of

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to ...

to honour the death of his close friend

Hephaestion Hephaestion ( grc, Ἡφαιστίων ''Hephaistíon''; c. 356 BC – October 324 BC), son of Amyntor, was an ancient Macedonian nobleman and a general in the army of Alexander the Great. He was "by far the dearest of all the ...

in 324 BC. * The

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' Leviticus 6:5, JPS, regarding the altar of Burnt Offering in the

, and later the altars in

Solomon's Temple Solomon's Temple, also known as the First Temple (, , ), was the Temple in Jerusalem between the 10th century BC and . According to the Hebrew Bible, it was commissioned by Solomon in the United Kingdom of Israel before being inherited by t ...

and the

Second Temple The Second Temple (, , ), later known as Herod's Temple, was the reconstructed Temple in Jerusalem between and 70 CE. It replaced Solomon's Temple, which had been built at the same location in the United Kingdom of Israel before being inherited ...

(the latter sacked by Rome in 70 AD). Many churches (especially Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran), along with Jewish synagogues, feature an eternal flame on or hung above their

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in pagan ...

s (churches) or

Torah ark A Torah ark (also known as the ''Heikhal'', or the ''Aron Kodesh'') refers to an ornamental chamber in the synagogue that houses the Torah scrolls. History The ark, also known as the ''ark of law'', or in Hebrew the ''Aron Kodesh'' or ''aron ha- ...

s (synagogues). * The Sacred fire of Vesta in Ancient Rome, which burned within the Temple of Vesta on the

Roman Forum The Roman Forum, also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum ( it, Foro Romano), is a rectangular forum ( plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancie ...

, was extinguished in 394 AD. *The sacred fire of the

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foo ...

goddess Brigid burned at

Kildare Kildare () is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. , its population was 8,634 making it the 7th largest town in County Kildare. The town lies on the R445, some west of Dublin – near enough for it to have become, despite being a regional ce ...

, Ireland in pagan times and the fire was continued when the site was Christianised by

Saint Brigid Saint Brigid of Kildare or Brigid of Ireland ( ga, Naomh Bríd; la, Brigida; 525) is the patroness saint (or 'mother saint') of Ireland, and one of its three national saints along with Patrick and Columba. According to medieval Irish hagiogr ...

in the 5th century AD. It continued burning until the 16th-century Dissolution of the Monasteries. * The eternal flame near the

Bronze Soldier of Tallinn The Bronze Soldier ( et, Pronkssõdur, russian: Бронзовый солдат, ''Bronzovyj soldat'') is the informal name of a controversial Soviet World War II war memorial in Tallinn, Estonia, built at the site of several war graves, whi ...

in Estonia was extinguished after the country gained independence from the

USSR The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nati ...

in 1991.

Bundesarchiv Bild 183-J0930-0035-001, Berlin, Neue Wache Unter den Linden

* The eternal flame that was part of the

East German East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

"Memorial to the Victims of Fascism and Militarism" at Neue Wache in East Berlin was removed after the 1990

German reunification German reunification (german: link=no, Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) was the process of re-establishing Germany as a united and fully sovereign state, which took place between 2 May 1989 and 15 March 1991. The day of 3 October 1990 when the Ge ...

. In 1993, the space was redesigned without a flame and rededicated as the "Central Memorial of the Federal Republic of Germany for the Victims of War and Tyranny". *

Llama de la Libertad The Llama de la Libertad or Llama Eterna de la Libertad (lit. "Flame of Liberty" or "Eternal Flame of Liberty") was a ceremonial flame located in Plaza Bulnes in Santiago, Chile. It was lit on September 11, 1975 by Augusto Pinochet to commemorat ...

lit by

Augusto Pinochet Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (, , , ; 25 November 1915 – 10 December 2006) was a Chilean general who ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990, first as the leader of the Military Junta of Chile from 1973 to 1981, being declared President of ...

in 1975 in to commemorate the 1973 Chilean coup d'etat against Salvador Allende. It was extinguished in 2004. * A high Eternal flame monument was erected in Belgrade in 2000, to commemorate the victims of 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. The flame was extinguished just months later, after the overthrow of Slobodan Milošević. * A lighthouse-like memorial in the suburb of Eira in

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...

was originally erected in honour of the Finnish seamen and seafaring. It later became a symbol of those who have perished at the sea, the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...

in particular. A minor controversy arose when the flame was temporarily extinguished, to conserve gas, technically meaning the flame was not an eternal one. It had been relit but in the middle 2010s, the city of Helsinki grew tired of having to relight the flame and decided to put it out for good.

Current man-made eternal flames

Europe

Belarus

Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative stat ...

, at the Victory Square, lit in 1961 *

Baranovichi Baranavichy ( ; be, Бара́навічы, Łacinka: , ; russian: Бара́новичи; yi, באַראַנאָוויטש; pl, Baranowicze) is a city in the Brest Region of western Belarus, with a population (as of 2019) of 179,000. It is no ...

, at the memorial of the fallen during the Great Patriotic War, lit in 1964. * Brest, near the ruins of the Engineering Administration, lit in 1972.

Belgium

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

, at the foot of the Congress Column, surmounting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...

, the Sarajevo eternal flame (Vječna vatra), in memory of the military and civilian victims of the Second World War

Bulgaria

Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and h ...

, at the Monument to the Unknown Soldier

Croatia

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...

, in front of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in memory of the police officers killed in the

Croatian War of Independence The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between Croat forces loyal to the Government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY)—and the Serb-controlled Yug ...

Sisak Sisak (; hu, Sziszek ; also known by other alternative names) is a city in central Croatia, spanning the confluence of the Kupa, Sava and Odra rivers, southeast of the Croatian capital Zagreb, and is usually considered to be where the Posavin ...

, in Dr. Franjo Tuđman Park, in front of city market and swimming pool, in memory of soldiers fallen in the

France

* Paris, under the archway at the

Arc de Triomphe The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile (, , ; ) is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, France, standing at the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly named Place de l'Étoile—the ''étoile'' ...

, which has burned continuously since 1921, in memory of all who died in World War I. *

Arras Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department, which forms part of the region of Hauts-de-France; before the reorganization of 2014 it was in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The historic centre of ...

, at the Notre Dame de Lorette war memorial.

Germany

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...

, at the

Theodor-Heuss-Platz Theodor-Heuss-Platz (; colloquially called Theo by locals, ) is a large city square in the Westend district of Berlin, Germany. It is named after Theodor Heuss (1884–1963), the first President of Germany after World War II. Location The ...

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and ...

, in the

Square of the Victims of National Socialism In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral, which means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles (90- degree angles, π/2 radian angles, or right angles). It can also be defined as a rectangle with two equal-length ad ...

(''Platz der Opfer des Nationalsozialismus'')

Hungary

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population o ...

, in Kossuth Square, commemorating the revolutionaries of the 1956 uprising against control by the Soviet Union

Ireland

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

at the junction of Amiens St and Memorial Road, the

Universal Links on Human Rights Universal Links on Human Rights is a memorial sculpture located in Dublin, Ireland, on the traffic island at the junction of Amiens Street, Beresford Place, and Memorial Road, close to Busáras and The Customs House. It is a sphere of welded i ...

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and s ...

, honoring prisoners of conscience *

a perpetual flame burns in the town square. It was formerly housed, since 1993, at Solas Bhríde, a sanctuary run by the Catholic Brigidine sisters. The modern flame rekindles the original one burned by the sisters of

Saint Brigit Saint Brigid of Kildare or Brigid of Ireland ( ga, Naomh Bríd; la, Brigida; 525) is the patroness saint (or 'mother saint') of Ireland, and one of its three national saints along with Patrick and Columba. According to medieval Irish hagiogr ...

in Kildare, which was extinguished during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. *

New Ross New Ross (, formerly ) is a town in southwest County Wexford, Ireland. It is located on the River Barrow, near the border with County Kilkenny, and is around northeast of Waterford. In 2016 it had a population of 8,040 people, making it t ...

at a new monument to Irish emigrants. On June 18, 2013, a torch from the eternal flame at the John F. Kennedy grave at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

was used to light this flame.

Italy

* Madonna del Ghisallo, near

Lake Como Lake Como ( it, Lago di Como , ; lmo, label=Western Lombard, Lagh de Còmm , ''Cómm'' or ''Cùmm'' ), also known as Lario (; after the la, Larius Lacus), is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. It has an area of , making it the thir ...

, for all cyclists who have died * Rome, on the Altare della Patria, for the Unknown Soldier

Latvia

Riga Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the ...

, at

Brothers' Cemetery Brothers' Cemetery or Cemetery of the Brethren ( lv, Brāļu Kapi), also sometimes referred to in English as the Common Graves or simply as the Military Cemetery, is a military cemetery and national monument in Riga, capital of Latvia. The ceme ...

or Cemetery of the Brethren (''Brāļu Kapi''), a military cemetery and national monument memorializing thousands of Latvian soldiers who were killed between 1915 and 1920 in World War I and the Latvian War of Independence. The memorial was built between 1924 and 1936, and designed by sculptor Kārlis Zāle.

Lithuania

Kaunas Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Traka ...

, at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier, in the Square of Unity in front of the

Vytautas the Great War Museum The Vytautas the Great War Museum ( lt, Vytauto Didžiojo karo muziejus) is a museum in Kaunas, Lithuania. It was built in Art Deco and early functionalism style. Originally it was established in 1921 by Vladas Nagevičius but later it was deci ...

Luxembourg

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

, near the Place du Saint-Esprit, in memory of all Luxembourgers fallen in World War II.

Malta

* Floriana, inaugurated in 2012. Two eternal flames are placed beside the War Memorial, dedicated to all the Maltese dead of World War I and World War II.

Moldova

Chișinău Chișinău ( , , ), also known as Kishinev (russian: Кишинёв, r=Kishinjóv ), is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Moldova. The city is Moldova's main industrial and commercial center, and is located in the middle of the ...

, a flame dedicated to Chișinău's unknown soldiers who died in World War II at the Eternity Memorial Complex.

Netherlands

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

, at the Hollandsche Schouwburg, in memorial of the Dutch Jewish people who were killed in World War II *

Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; li, Mestreech ; french: Maestricht ; es, Mastrique ) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the ...

, at the Market Square, a statue of

Jan Pieter Minckeleers Jean-Pierre or Jan Pieter Minckelers (also Minkelers, Minckeleers) (1748-1824) was a Dutch academic and inventor of coal gasification and illuminating gas. Minckelers was the son of Anna Margaretha Denis en Laurens Michael Minckelers, a pharm ...

, a Dutch scientist and inventor who discovered illuminating gas (coal gas) and was the inventor of gas lighting. *

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital o ...

, at the

Peace Palace , native_name_lang = , logo = , logo_size = , logo_alt = , logo_caption = , image = La haye palais paix jardin face.JPG , image_size = , image_alt = , image_caption = The Peace Palace, The Hague , map_type = , map_alt = , m ...

, dedicated to the idea of international peace * Oosterbeek, at the Airborne Museum Hartenstein, in memorial to those who died in the Battle of Arnhem during

Operation Market Garden Operation Market Garden was an Allied military operation during the Second World War fought in the Netherlands from 17 to 27 September 1944. Its objective was to create a salient into German territory with a bridgehead over the River Rhine, ...

Norway

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

, inaugurated on June 9, 2001 at The Pier of Honour,

Port of Oslo ''Oslo Port Authority'' ( no, Oslo Havn KF) is a kommunalt foretak (municipal enterprise), and accountable to the Municipality of Oslo. For many years, Oslo Havn KF was known as ''Oslo havnevesen (OHV)'' but was renamed on June 8, 2004, to its cu ...

Sri Chinmoy Chinmoy Kumar Ghose (27 August 1931 – 11 October 2007), better known as Sri Chinmoy, was an Indian spiritual leader who taught meditation in the West after moving to New York City in 1964.Aker Brygge complex in 2002. By 2013 however, it was removed from Aker Brygge and reinstalled at Holmenkollen.

Poland

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...

, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Portugal

* Batalha, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (inside the Batalha Monastery), honoring the Portuguese dead in the

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, lit April 6, 1921 *

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administrative limits w ...

, at the Monument to the Overseas War Combatants, honoring the dead in the

Portuguese Overseas War The Portuguese Colonial War ( pt, Guerra Colonial Portuguesa), also known in Portugal as the Overseas War () or in the former colonies as the War of Liberation (), and also known as the Angolan, Guinea-Bissau and Mozambican War of Independence, ...

, lit January 15, 1994

Russia

Eternal flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Moscow

* Moscow, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Alexander Garden to honor the dead of the

Great Patriotic War The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of conflict between the European Axis powers against the Soviet Union (USSR), Poland and other Allies, which encompassed Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Northeast Europe (Baltics), an ...

. A second one at Victory Park, also built to honor the dead. *

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

has three sites with eternal flames. The first is at the Monument to the Fighters of the Revolution, on the

Field of Mars The term Field of Mars ( la, Campus Martius) goes back to antiquity, and designates an area, inside or near a city, used as a parade or exercise ground by the military. Notable examples of places which were used for these purposes include: * Campus ...

, in memory of those who died during the

Bolshevik Revolution The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key mom ...

. The second is at Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery in memory of those who perished in World War II during the

Siege of Leningrad The siege of Leningrad (russian: links=no, translit=Blokada Leningrada, Блокада Ленинграда; german: links=no, Leningrader Blockade; ) was a prolonged military blockade undertaken by the Axis powers against the Soviet city of ...

. At Victory Square, several flames can be seen at the Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad, in commemoration of the victims and survivors of the Siege of Leningrad. * Volgograd has two eternal flames. The first is located at Mamayev Kurgan in the Hall of the Warrior Glory in tribute to all those who died defending the city from 1942 to 1943. The second is located at The Square of the Fallen Fighters on the monument of those who died defending in the Civil and

* Kursk has two eternal flames. One is located at the war memorial and the other close to the Triumphal Arch. *

Saratov Saratov (, ; rus, Сара́тов, a=Ru-Saratov.ogg, p=sɐˈratəf) is the largest city and administrative center of Saratov Oblast, Russia, and a major port on the Volga River upstream (north) of Volgograd. Saratov had a population of 901, ...

has two eternal flames: in the Theatre Square and in the Victory Park * Tambov * Novokuznetsk has an eternal flame at the Heroes Boulevard * Tolyatti, at the Obelisk of Glory, lit in 1978 *

Samara Samara ( rus, Сама́ра, p=sɐˈmarə), known from 1935 to 1991 as Kuybyshev (; ), is the largest city and administrative centre of Samara Oblast. The city is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Samara rivers, with a population ...

, at the Obelisk of Glory *

Tver Tver ( rus, Тверь, p=tvʲerʲ) is a city and the administrative centre of Tver Oblast, Russia. It is northwest of Moscow. Population: Tver was formerly the capital of a powerful medieval state and a model provincial town in the Russi ...

has an

obelisk An obelisk (; from grc, ὀβελίσκος ; diminutive of ''obelos'', " spit, nail, pointed pillar") is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape or pyramidion at the top. Originally constructed by An ...

and an eternal flame nearby, located on Ploschad Pobedy near the confluence of the rivers T'maka and

Volga The Volga (; russian: Во́лга, a=Ru-Волга.ogg, p=ˈvoɫɡə) is the longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of , and a catch ...

, to honor the Soviet soldiers who fought against

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

in the

( :ru:Великая Отечественная война) *

Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburg ( ; rus, Екатеринбург, p=jɪkətʲɪrʲɪnˈburk), alternatively romanized as Ekaterinburg and formerly known as Sverdlovsk ( rus, Свердло́вск, , svʲɪrˈdlofsk, 1924–1991), is a city and the administra ...

, on Kommunarov Square, where dead soldiers were buried in a common grave in 1919. An eternal flame was lit at the site in 1959. *

Omsk Omsk (; rus, Омск, p=omsk) is the administrative center and largest city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia, and has a population of over 1.1 million. Omsk is the third largest city in Siberia after Novosibirsk a ...

, an eternal fire was lit in 1967 on Memorial Square, in honour of fallen soldiers in

. *

Severodvinsk Severodvinsk ( rus, Северодвинск, p=sʲɪvʲɪrɐdˈvʲinsk) is a city in the north of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, located in the delta of the Northern Dvina, west of Arkhangelsk, the administrative center of the oblast. As of the ...

* Ufa has two eternal flames. The first was lit in 1980 in Victory Park, honouring Alexander Matrosov and Minnigali Gubaidullin. The second was lit in 1967, honouring soldiers, who fell fighting for the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

. * Salavat, opened in 1981. Honors Salavat citizens, who died during the Great Patriotic War. *

Arkhangelsk Arkhangelsk (, ; rus, Арха́нгельск, p=ɐrˈxanɡʲɪlʲsk), also known in English as Archangel and Archangelsk, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina near ...

, in honor of fallen Northerners in 1941–1945 *

Sterlitamak Sterlitamak ( rus, Стерлитама́к, p=stʲɪrlʲɪtɐˈmak; ba, Стәрлетамаҡ, translit=Stärletamaq; ) is the second largest city in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia, located on the left bank of the Belaya River (Kama' ...

* Biysk *

Bryansk Bryansk ( rus, Брянск, p=brʲansk) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Bryansk Oblast, Russia, situated on the Desna (river), River Desna, southwest of Moscow. Population: Geography Urban la ...

* Kovrov *

Kolchugino Kolchugino (russian: Кольчугино) is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. Modern localities ;Urban localities *Kolchugino, Vladimir Oblast, a town in Kolchuginsky District of Vladimir Oblast ;Rural localities * Kolchugino ...

, located on Lenin Square * Kaspyisk *

Mahachkala Makhachkala ( rus, Махачкала, , məxətɕkɐˈla, links=yes),; av, Махӏачхъала, Maħaçqala; ce, ХӀинжа-ГӀала, Hinƶa-Ġala; az, Маһачгала, Mahaçqala; nog, Махачкала; lbe, Махачкъала; ...

Kaliningrad Kaliningrad ( ; rus, Калининград, p=kəlʲɪnʲɪnˈɡrat, links=y), until 1946 known as Königsberg (; rus, Кёнигсберг, Kyonigsberg, ˈkʲɵnʲɪɡzbɛrk; rus, Короле́вец, Korolevets), is the largest city and ...

Petrozavodsk Petrozavodsk (russian: Петрозаводск, p=pʲɪtrəzɐˈvotsk; Karelian, Vepsian and fi, Petroskoi) is the capital city of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, which stretches along the western shore of Lake Onega for some . The population ...

Anapa Anapa (russian: Ана́па, ) is a town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located on the northern coast of the Black Sea near the Sea of Azov. Population: History The area around Anapa was settled in antiquity. It was originally a major seaport ...

Sochi Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents i ...

* Novy Urengoy *

Sergiyev Posad Sergiyev Posad ( rus, Се́ргиев Поса́д, p=ˈsʲɛrgʲɪ(j)ɪf pɐˈsat) is a city and the administrative center of Sergiyevo-Posadsky District in Moscow Oblast, Russia. Population: It was previously known as ''Sergiyev Posad'' (un ...

Vologda Vologda ( rus, Вологда, p=ˈvoləɡdə) is a city and the administrative center of Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the river Vologda within the watershed of the Northern Dvina. Population: The city serves as a major transport hu ...

Tula Tula may refer to: Geography Antarctica *Tula Mountains * Tula Point India * Tulā, a solar month in the traditional Indian calendar Iran * Tula, Iran, a village in Hormozgan Province Italy * Tula, Sardinia, municipality (''comune'') in the ...

Oryol Oryol ( rus, Орёл, p=ɐˈrʲɵl, lit. ''eagle''), also transliterated as Orel or Oriol, is a city and the administrative center of Oryol Oblast situated on the Oka River, approximately south-southwest of Moscow. It is part of the Central Fe ...

, an eternal fire was lit in 1967 on Tankman's Square. *

Inozemtsevo Inozemtsevo (russian: Иноземцево) is an urban locality (a settlement) under the administrative jurisdiction of the town of oblast significance of Zheleznovodsk in Stavropol Krai, Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation ...

Serbia

Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; names in other languages) is the capital and largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. Nearly 1,166,763 mi ...

, the Eternal Flame in the Park of Friendship in Ušće, in memory of the military and civilian victims of the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia

Spain

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

, Catalonia, at the

Fossar de les Moreres The Fossar de les Moreres (, literally "Grave of the Mulberries") is a memorial square in Barcelona ( Catalonia, Spain), adjacent to the basilica of Santa Maria del Mar. The plaza was built over a cemetery where defenders of the city were b ...

(adjacent to the Basílica de Santa Maria del Mar), honouring the Catalans buried there, who died defending Barcelona from those loyal to Philip V on the

siege A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characteriz ...

of 1714. The torch with the eternal flame was inaugurated in 2001. *

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

, at the Plaza de la Lealtad. The Monumento a los Caídos por España honours all those who have died fighting for Spain. Following the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

, the

Mayor of Madrid The Mayor of Madrid presides over the Madrid City Council, the government body of the capital city of Spain. The mayor has the duty of boosting the local policies, it directs the action of the other executive bodies, leads the Local Executive Adm ...

inaugurated on 15 May another eternal flame at Plaza de Cibeles, in memory of those who died during the pandemic.

Switzerland

* Näfels, at the St. Hilarius Parish Church, in atonement for a 14th-century murder.

Transnistria

* Tiraspol, a flame dedicated to losses of the War of Transnistria.

Ukraine

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe. Ky ...

, in the Glory Park at the Glory Obelisk and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, honoring the dead of

. *

Chernihiv Chernihiv ( uk, Черні́гів, , russian: Черни́гов, ; pl, Czernihów, ; la, Czernihovia), is a city and municipality in northern Ukraine, which serves as the administrative center of Chernihiv Oblast and Chernihiv Raion within ...

, in the Glory Memorial in the Boldina Gora'hill * Vinnytsia, the Glory memorial. *

Odessa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...

, a monument to the unknown sailor.

United Kingdom

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, at the New Scotland Yard. The flame commemorates, as the inscription notes, "those who have lost their lives in the service of the

Metropolitan Police The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...

". *

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

, at the

Anfield Anfield is a football stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, which has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 ...

stadium, in memorial to those who died in the

Hillsborough disaster The Hillsborough disaster was a fatal human crush during a football match at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, on 15 April 1989. It occurred during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in ...

North America

Canada

* The Flame of Hope in

London, Ontario London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximat ...

, at 442 Adelaide Street, where

Frederick Banting Sir Frederick Grant Banting (November 14, 1891 – February 21, 1941) was a Canadian medical scientist, physician, painter, and Nobel laureate noted as the co-discoverer of insulin and its therapeutic potential. In 1923, Banting and Joh ...

did theoretical work leading to the discovery of human insulin. It will remain lit until diabetes is cured. It was lit by

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was th ...

in 1989. * The

Centennial Flame The Centennial Flame (french: Flamme du centenaire) is a monument on Parliament Hill commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation. First lit in January 1967, the Flame worked with natural gas and as of 2021 uses biogas, pre ...

in Ottawa,

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, first lit in 1967, is in the spirit of an eternal flame; however, it is annually extinguished for cleaning and then relit. It commemorates the first hundred years of

Canadian confederation Canadian Confederation (french: Confédération canadienne, link=no) was the process by which three British North American provinces, the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, were united into one federation called the Dominio ...

. * The Centennial Flame on the grounds of the Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton, Alberta commemorates the same milestone as its counterpart in Ottawa. The flame burns from a metallic cauldron and is located south along the walkway from the south entrance of the Legislature between the south side of Legislature Building Road NW and Fortway Drive NW. Another eternal flame is located on the grounds of the Legislature honours those fallen in the line of duty working for the province. * The Eternal Flame in the Peace Garden in

Nathan Phillips Square Nathan Phillips Square is an urban plaza in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It forms the forecourt to Toronto City Hall, or ''New City Hall'', at the intersection of Queen Street West and Bay Street, and is named for Nathan Phillips, mayor of Tor ...

in front of

Toronto City Hall The Toronto City Hall, or New City Hall, is the seat of the municipal government of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and one of the city's most distinctive landmarks. Designed by Viljo Revell and engineered by Hannskarl Bandel, the building opened ...

. It was lit by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

in September 1984 and symbolizes the hope and regeneration of humanity. * The 2004 Olympic flame remains burning in a memorial park in the Greek town area of Toronto.

United States

* Alabama:

Huntsville Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in th ...

, Big Spring Park in honor of John F. Kennedy Ignited in 1976, the flame has been extinguished at times for years due to poor maintenance. * California: Koyasan Buddhist Temple in Los Angeles, where the Peace Flame directly taken from the torch at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Japan is kept. The flame was brought to Los Angeles in 1989 by Mayor Tom Bradley and has been maintained by the resident priests ever since.

University of California, Santa Barbara The University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara or UCSB) is a public land-grant research university in Santa Barbara, California with 23,196 undergraduates and 2,983 graduate students enrolled in 2021–2022. It is part of the U ...

, houses an eternal flame on its campus in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Auburn, on the corner of Fulweiler St. and Nevada St. depicts a soldier carrying a fallen comrade. The statue is named 'Why'. Redlands, in Jennie Davis Park (corner of Redlands Blvd. and New York St.), at the Veterans' Memorial.

La Mirada La Mirada ( Spanish for "The Look") is a city in southeast Los Angeles County, California United States, and is one of the Gateway Cities. The population was 48,527 at the 2010 census, up from 46,783 at the 2000 census. The La Mirada Theatre ...

, in front of City Hall to honor the residents who have given their life for their country.

Pico Rivera Pico Rivera is a city located in southeastern Los Angeles County, California. The city is situated approximately southeast of downtown Los Angeles, on the eastern edge of the Los Angeles basin, and on the southern edge of the area known as the ...

, in front of the civic center, to honor Pico Rivera veterans who died in the line of duty. * Connecticut:

New Britain New Britain ( tpi, Niu Briten) is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from New Guinea by a northwest corner of the Solomon Sea (or with an island hop of Umboi the D ...

, at the

National Iwo Jima Memorial The US National Iwo Jima Memorial is a memorial on Ella Grasso Boulevard, near the New Britain/ Newington town line in Connecticut. It was erected by the Iwo Jima Survivors Association, Inc. of Newington, Connecticut. It was dedicated on Februa ...

to honor the memory of US servicemen who gave their lives at Iwo Jima. * Florida:

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

, at the

Veterans Memorial Wall The Veterans Memorial Wall is located at 1145 East Adams Street, adjacent to TIAA Bank Field in downtown Jacksonville, Florida. The quarter-million dollar monument was dedicated in November, 1995 and serves as a tribute to more than 1,500 Jackson ...

there is an eternal flame to honor those who served.

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

, at

Bayfront Park Bayfront Park is a public, urban park in Downtown Miami, Florida on Biscayne Bay. The Chairman to the trust is Ary Shaeban. Located in the park is a bronze statue of Christopher Columbus sculpted by Count Vittorio di Colbertaldo of Verona, ...

Biscayne Boulevard U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) in Florida runs along the state's east coast from Key West to its crossing of the St. Marys River into Georgia north of Boulogne and south of Folkston. US 1 was designated through Florida when the U.S. Number ...

, is the Torch of Friendship for John F. Kennedy * Georgia: Carrollton, at the main entrance of the University of West Georgia, lit at the beginning of each school year; Decatur, at the square downtown, for the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...

, World War II, and the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

; Monroe, at the Monroe Historic Courthouse, to honor Walton County veterans;

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...

at the Chatham County Courthouse dedicated to the "Glory of God" and honors veterans, specifically Captain Willie O. Sasser, U.S. Air Force;

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

, at the King Center, for assassinated civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. * Hawaii:

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the isla ...

, to honor victims of the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...

* Illinois:

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

, at Daley Plaza, to honor those who perished in World War II, ignited August 22, 1972, by Albina Nance, president of the Illinois Gold Star Mothers. Highland Park, in the Freedom's Sacrifice veterans memorial located on the corner of St. John Ave and Central Avenue to remember the soldiers from Highland Park that gave their lives in the name of freedom. Naperville, on the city's Riverwalk to honor victims of

Loves Park Loves Park is a city in Boone and Winnebago counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. Most of the city is in Winnebago County, with a tiny sliver in the east located in Boone County. The population was 23,996 at the 2010 census, up from 20,044 in 2 ...

, in Holdridge Park on North Second Street to honor all veterans. Bowman eternal flame

* Indiana:

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...

, the Highland-Wicker Park Veterans Memorial in Wicker Park on Indianapolis Boulevard and Ridge Road, erected to honor all veterans. * Louisiana: Saint Martinville, at the Acadian Memorial, symbolizing the survival of exiled

Acadians The Acadians (french: Acadiens , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Most Acadians live in the region of Acadia, as it is the region where the de ...

as south Louisiana

Cajuns The Cajuns (; French: ''les Cadjins'' or ''les Cadiens'' ), also known as Louisiana '' Acadians'' (French: ''les Acadiens''), are a Louisiana French ethnicity mainly found in the U.S. state of Louisiana. While Cajuns are usually described a ...

. * Maryland:

Emmitsburg Emmitsburg is a town in Frederick County, Maryland, United States, south of the Mason-Dixon line separating Maryland from Pennsylvania. Founded in 1785, Emmitsburg is the home of Mount St. Mary's University. The town has two Catholic pilgrimag ...

, at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial, on the grounds of the National Fire Academy * Massachusetts: Springfield, at

Forest Park A forest park is a park whose main theme is its forest of trees. Forest parks are found both in the mountains and in the urban environment. Examples Chile * Forest Park, Santiago China * Gongqing Forest Park, Shanghai * Mufushan National Forest ...

, John F. Kennedy Memorial Flame to honor the memory of President Kennedy. The flame was lit November 22, 1964 on the first anniversary of his death. * Michigan:

Farmington Hills Farmington Hills is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Part of the affluent suburbs northwest of Detroit, Farmington Hills is the second most-populated city in Oakland County, after Troy, with a population of 83,986 at the 20 ...

, at the Holocaust Memorial Center in honor of those who perished during the Holocaust.

Flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Flint was widely used historically to make stone tools and start ...

, in Downtown Flint, across from the Durant Hotel, to honor John F. Kennedy * Mississippi:

Mississippi State University Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Univ ...

, the eternal flame of education * Missouri: Downtown, Saint Louis, to commemorate the founding of the

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is made up of state, U.S. territory, and overseas departments, and these are in turn made up of ...

in 1919 by Theodore Roosevelt Jr. * Nevada:

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...

, at the

Allegiant Stadium Allegiant Stadium is a domed stadium located in Paradise, Nevada. It is the home stadium for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL), the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) UNLV Rebels football, Rebels college footbal ...

and

Las Vegas Raiders The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Raiders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West div ...

headquarters in

Henderson Henderson may refer to: People * Henderson (surname), description of the surname, and a list of people with the surname *Clan Henderson, a Scottish clan Places Argentina *Henderson, Buenos Aires Australia *Henderson, Western Australia Canada * ...

to honor the late

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Ra ...

owner

Al Davis Allen Davis (July 4, 1929 – October 8, 2011) was an American football coach and executive. He was the principal owner and general manager of the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) for 39 years, from 1972 until his death in ...

. * New York: New York City, at

Ground Zero In relation to nuclear explosions and other large bombs, ground zero (also called surface zero) is the point on the Earth's surface closest to a detonation. In the case of an explosion above the ground, ''ground zero'' is the point on the grou ...

, lit by

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

Michael Bloomberg Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman, politician, philanthropist, and author. He is the majority owner, co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. He was Mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, and was a c ...

on the first anniversary of the

upon the financial district of the city; St. Clare's Church, honoring 29 parishioners who died during the

. Lewistonbr>Veteran's Circle of Honor Memorial
that reads, "America's flame burns brightly, fueled by the courage and sacrifice of those who have defended our freedoms." * North Dakota:

Grand Forks Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the state of North Dakota (after Fargo and Bismarck) and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2020 census, the city's population was 59,166. Grand Forks, along with its twin city ...

, at the

University of North Dakota The University of North Dakota (also known as UND or North Dakota) is a public research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It was established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of N ...

, Old Main Memorial Sphere erected on the site where the university's first building once stood. * Ohio:

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...

at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Represents the candles that were placed in the windows of Underground Railroad Supporters. Canton, Ohio, Canton, Garden Center, incorporated into the city's memorial to the memory of President John F. Kennedy, dedicated in 1966. Steubenville, Ohio, Steubenville, at the Tomb of the Unborn Child, the gravesite of seven aborted fetuses, on the campus of the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Columbus, Ohio, Columbus, at Battelle Riverfront Park, to honor fallen members of the Columbus Fire Department. Clinton, Ohio, Clinton, at Ohio Veterans Memorial Park. The monument is made up of a large sitting area that is surrounded by benches, a four tier waterfall, a fifty foot wide pond, a black granite POW/MIA monument, an inverted Vietnam War helmet with the eternal flame and a cast steel POW/MIA seal. Mount Vernon, Ohio, Mount Vernon, on the campus of Mount Vernon Nazarene University to honor the commitment to learning and the expansion of knowledge. * Oklahoma: Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Tulsa, atop the Prayer Tower, which represents the baptism of the Holy Spirit * Pennsylvania: Gettysburg Battlefield, in memory of the dead of the American Civil War, first lit by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1938; Flight 93 National Memorial, Shanksville, to honor the crew and passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 93 on

in their efforts to thwart the hijacking. Washington Square, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, site of the city's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Philadelphia), Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution and above the mass grave of thousands of Revolutionary War soldiers. * South Carolina: Bowman, South Carolina, Bowman, lit in 1987 in honor and memory of the community's residents who died in World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War * South Dakota: Pierre, South Dakota, Pierre, at the Flaming Fountain (Veterans) Memorial on the shores of Capitol Lake. The flame is part of a fountain. *Tennessee: The Cherokee maintained a fire at their seat of government, and carried coals to the

. Coals from that fire were used to relight the eternal flame at Red Clay State Park, the last seat of the independent

. The Cherokee People Eternal Flame, located on the Qualla Boundary in

, is another example of a flame first lit on the Oklahoma Cherokee Reservation and carried as hot coals back to the homeland. Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis, at the grave of Elvis Presley at his home Graceland * Virginia: John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame in

, lit by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Jacqueline Kennedy on November 25, 1963, during the assassinated president's state funeral; Newport News Victory Arch, commemorating American servicemen and women.; Huntington Park (Newport News) Vietnam Veterans War Memorial dedicated in 1992; Lynchburg, Virginia, Lynchburg, gravesite of Jerry Falwell at Liberty University * Washington, D.C.: at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, first lit in 1993 by President Bill Clinton and noted Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel

Mexico

* El Ángel, The Column of Independence, México City in memory of the heroes of the Mexican Independence War

Nicaragua

* Tomb of Carlos Fonseca in the Central Park of Managua.

South America

Argentina

* In the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. It was lit on August 17, 1947 to honor the tomb of General José de San Martín, whose remains rest inside it; and the soldiers who fought and perished in the wars for Argentina, Chile and Perú's independence from the Spanish crown. * In the National Flag Memorial (Argentina) in Rosario, Santa Fe. * In the 'Monument to the dead of the Malvinas War' (Caidos en Malvinas) in Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires.

Brazil

* In the Museu Paulista, Independence Park, São Paulo, the ''Pira da Liberdade'' marks the site of the independence of Brazil * Outside the Pantheon of Fatherland and Freedom, Tancredo Neves, Brasília, on top of a tower built on the diagonal, burns an eternal flame which represents the freedom of the people and the country's independence. * In São Sepé, central region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Boqueirão Ranch has a shed that houses a fire that has been lit since the shed was built in 1800. The Simões Pires family, in its sixth generation, currently maintains the bonfire still lit today.

Chile

* The

, which commemorated the 1973 Chilean coup d'état. It was extinguished in 2004 due to budget cuts. * In Punta Arenas, to commemorate the heroes of the Battle of La Concepción. It was extinguished in 2013 due to natural gas shortages.

Colombia

* In the Battle of Boyacá Memorial in Boyacá Department, Boyacá.

Venezuela

* In the Battle of Carabobo Memorial in Carabobo state, Carabobo.

Australia

* In the ANZAC War Memorial, Hyde Park in Sydney * In the Shrine of Remembrance, Melbourne, Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne * In the Shrine of Remembrance, Brisbane, Shrine of Remembrance in ANZAC Square, Brisbane, ANZAC Square in Brisbane, Queensland * At the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory * At the state War Memorial in Kings Park, Western Australia * In the Carillon War Memorial located at Bathurst, New South Wales *At the Anzac Memorial, ANZAC Park, Townsville

Asia

Armenia

* Yerevan, in the center of the Tsitsernakaberd, Armenian Genocide Memorial

Azerbaijan

* Baku, at the Martyrs' Lane in memory of the military and civilian victims of the Black January and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict * Ateshgah of Baku

Bangladesh

* Dhaka, at the Swadhinata Stambha commentating the martyrs of the Bangladesh Liberation War and the precise location of the signing of the Pakistani Instrument of Surrender, Instrument of Surrender.

Georgia

* Tbilisi, at the roundabout and underpass of Hero's Square

India

* Raj Ghat, New Delhi, Delhi, in memory of Mahatma Gandhi at the site of his cremation. The date that the flame was first lit is unknown. * Amar Jawan Jyoti, New Delhi, at the India Gate, first lit in 1971 to honor 90,000 soldiers who died in

and later conflicts. On 21 January 2022, the eternal flame was merged with an eternal flame at the National War Memorial (India), National War Memorial. * Kargil War Memorial, Dras, Ladakh, the eternal flame was lit to commemorate the Indian victory in the 1999 Kargil War and to pay homage to martyrs. * Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, to remember the victims of the 2004 Asian tsunami, unveiled in 2005 * Dwarka Mai Mosque, Shirdi, Maharashtra, lit by Sai Baba of Shirdi in the late 1800s * Some ancient temples in South India are known to have eternal flames which have burnt for centuries. Most established temples (such as Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala, Venkateswara Temple, Mantralayam, etc.) have eternal flames.

Indonesia

* Api Abadi Mrapen (Mrapen Eternal Fire), Grobogan, Central Java source of some remarkable events such as GANEFO, but it was permanently die out due to lack of gas sources. * Api Abadi Sungai Siring (Siring River Eternal Fire), Samarinda, East Borneo * Ijen Blue Fire, Ijen, Banyuwangi, East Java * Api Kayangan Abadi (Kayangan Eternal Fire), Bojonegoro, East Java. This site have eternal flame since the era of Majapahit * Api Abadi Bekucuk (Bekucuk Eternal Fire), East Java * Tugu Api Semangat Indonesia Tidak Pernah Padam (Monument of the Undying Spirit of Indonesia), at Jenderal Soedirman Building, Ministry of Defense (Indonesia)
Central Jakarta, Jakarta.

Israel

* Tel Aviv, at Rabin Square, for assassinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin * In Jerusalem at Yad Vashem, the national Holocaust-Memorial of Israel * Near Jerusalem at Yad Kennedy, Israel's memorial to U.S. President John F. Kennedy

Japan

* At the Buddhist temple Daishō-in (Miyajima), Daishō-in, at Mount Misen (Miyajima), Mt. Misen, Itsukushima, where the flame is said to have been burning since AD 806, for more than 1,200 years * Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, to remain lit until all nuclear weapons in the world are abolished

Kazakhstan

* Almaty, the Monument to the Unknown Soldier (from Soviet times)

Kyrgyzstan

Bishkek 03-2016 img50 Eternal flame at Victory Square

* Bishkek, the Victory (Pobedy) Monument on Victory Square, Bishkek, Victory Square

Nepal

* Eternal Peace Flame Lumbini, birthplace of Gautama Buddha, since 1986.

Philippines

* Eternal Flame of Freedom in Corregidor * Eternal Flame on the grave of former president Ferdinand Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City

South Korea

* At the Peace Gate at Olympic Park, Seoul, South Korea

Turkmenistan

* Türkmenbaşy, Turkmenistan, Türkmenbaşy, the Victory Monument

Africa

Kenya

*Nairobi, Kenya: The Eternal Flame of Uhuru Gardens

Ghana

* Accra, Ghana: The Eternal Flame of African Liberation

Zimbabwe

* Harare, Zimbabwe: An eternal flame burns atop the Kopje to commemorate Lancaster House Agreement, independence.

South Africa

* Pretoria, South Africa: An eternal flame burns in the Voortrekker Monument, since 1938. * Johannesburg, South Africa: The flame of democracy burns on Constitution Hill, Johannesburg, Constitution Hill, since 2011. * Cape Town, South Africa: The Flame of Remembrance for the fallen soldiers and heroes of the struggle burns at the Parliament

Caribbean

Trinidad and Tobago

* Port of Spain: At The Red House (Trinidad and Tobago), The Red House, in memory of the lives lost in the 1990 attempted coup

Cuba

* Havana: Memorial to the Soviet Internationalist Soldier * Havana: Museum of the Revolution (Cuba), Museum of the Revolution in the Granma (yacht), Granma complex * Santa Clara, Cuba, Santa Clara: Inside the Che Guevara Mausoleum * Santa Clara, Cuba, Santa Clara: In the cemetery beside the Che Guevara Mausoleum complex

Naturally fueled flames

Fueled by natural gas

* At Yanartaş in the Olympos (Lycia), Olympos National Park in Turkey, natural gas burns from many vents on the side of the mountain. It is thought to be the location of ancient Mount Chimaera. This is the largest venting of possibly abiogenic methane on Earth's terrestrial surface, and has been burning for over 2500 years. The flames were used in ancient times as a navigation beacon. * The Eternal Flame Falls, featuring a small natural gas-fueled flame that burns behind a waterfall, can be found in Chestnut Ridge Park in Western New York, United States. * There is an eternal flame in Guanziling, Taiwan, as a result of methane gas. * Flaming Geyser State Park in Washington (state), Washington, United States. * An area in India's Great Himalayas, worshiped by Hindus as ''Jwala Devi'' Temple, or Jawalamukhi#Jwalamukhi Devi Temple, Jwalamukhi Devi Temple in Himachal Pradesh produces natural spontaneous flames and is said to have been doing so for thousands of years. * The Darvaza gas crater fire, near Derweze, Turkmenistan, is a large hole leaking natural gas that has been burning since 1971. * An eternal flame near Kirkuk, Iraq, known to the locals as Baba Gurgur, is said to have been burning for thousands of years. * An eternal flame is found at the Yanar Dag mud volcano in Azerbaijan. * In the Central Javanese village of Manggarmas in Indonesia, the Mrapen is a famous natural gas-fueled eternal flame originally ignited sometime before the 15th century era of the Demak Sultanate. Before September 2020, it had never died out despite intense tropical rain and winds. It is said that the sacred kris heirloom dagger of Demak Sultanate was forged in this flame. The Mrapen flame, considered sacred in Javanese culture, is used in an annual Vesak, Waisak Buddhist ceremony, brought to Mendut and Borobudur temple. It was also used in several torch relays for sport events such as Pekan Olahraga Nasional held every four years, 1997 Southeast Asian Games, 2008 Asian Beach Games, 2011 Southeast Asian Games, and 2018 Asian Games. * Deep in the Himalayas of Nepal in Jomsom, a flame is said to be burning for thousands of years in one of the most sacred Hindu temples of world called Muktinath. * In Murchison, New Zealand, a natural flame has been burning in the forest since it was lit by hunters in 1922. Access is facilitated by a tour company that serves tea and pancakes cooked on the fire.

Fueled by coal seams

* A coal seam-fueled eternal flame in Australia known as "Burning Mountain" is claimed to be the world's longest burning fire, at 6,000 years old. * A coal mine fire in Centralia, Pennsylvania, Centralia, Pennsylvania, Centralia mine fire, has been burning beneath the borough since 1962. * A Jharia#Coal field fire, coal field fire in Jharia, Jharkhand, India, is known to have been burning for almost a century. * The Laurel Run mine fire started burning in 1915. * The New Straitsville, Ohio#History, New Straitsville mine fire started burning in 1884.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Eternal Flame Eternal flames, Types of monuments and memorials Indo-European religion

Religious and cultural significance

Extinguished flames

Current man-made eternal flames

Europe

Belarus

Belgium

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bulgaria

Croatia

France

Germany

Hungary

Ireland

Italy

Latvia

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

Moldova

Netherlands

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Russia

Serbia

Spain

Switzerland

Transnistria

Ukraine

United Kingdom

North America

Canada

United States

Mexico

Nicaragua

South America

Argentina

Brazil

Chile

Colombia

Venezuela

Australia

Asia

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Bangladesh

Georgia

India

Indonesia

Israel

Japan

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Nepal

Philippines

South Korea

Turkmenistan

Africa

Kenya

Ghana

Zimbabwe

South Africa

Caribbean

Trinidad and Tobago

Cuba

Naturally fueled flames

Fueled by natural gas

Fueled by coal seams

See also

References

External links