One of city's most recognizable landmarks, Boston's Paul Revere statue commemorates Revere's famous midnight ride, as the Revolutionary War began. The bronze statue created by American sculptor Cyrus Dalin, took sixteen years to complete and was unveiled on September 22, 1940. Rising in the background is Old North Church, which was used on the night of Revere's famous ride to signal surrounding areas as to the how the British troops were advancing to Concord. “One, if by land, and two, if by sea”.