Rio De Janeiro Celebrates 450th Anniversary

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - FEBRUARY 24: The famed Christ the Redeemer statue stands atop Corcovado mountain with Guanabara Bay in the background in an aerial view on February 24, 2015 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Art Deco statue is 38 meters tall and was inaugurated in 1931. Rio marks its 450th anniversary on March 1st and is celebrating the event with a yearlong series of events including concerts, exhibitions, historical tours, soccer matches, fireworks displays and other activities. The 'Marvelous City' was founded in 1565 by the Portuguese and was the seat of power of the Portuguese Empire in the 19th century before serving as the capital of the Brazilian Republic until 1960. The city is BrazilÕs most popular tourist destination and will host the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the first to be held in South America, next year. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)