The pyramid of Giza 146.5m (481 ft) was the tallest man-made structure for 3,800 years. Until Lincoln Cathedral 160m (525 ft) in 1311. That's 0.4 of the height of the Empire State building! I am a Lincolnshire lass myself and therefore exceptionally pleased about this information.

For over 3,800 years, the Great Pyramid of Giza held the title of the world's tallest man-made structure until the completion of the Lincoln Cathedral in England in 1311. The cathedral’s central spire reached a staggering height of approximately 160 meters (525 feet), finally surpassing the 146-meter peak of the Great Pyramid. This was a monumental achievement of Gothic architecture, though the spire tragically collapsed during a storm in 1549 and was never rebuilt. Following the Lincoln Cathedral, the title of "world's tallest" shifted among several European religious structures, including St. Mary's Church in Stralsund and the Strasbourg Cathedral. It wasn't until the 19th century that non-religious structures like the Washington Monument and the Eiffel Tower began to dominate the skyline. In 2026, the contrast is stark; while it took nearly four millennia to beat the pyramids' height by just 14 meters, modern skyscrapers like the Burj Khalifa now stand nearly six times taller than the ancient Egyptian marvels, highlighting the exponential acceleration of human engineering capabilities.