Channel Tunnel belongs to the Common Era — dated here to c. 1994 CE at UK–France. Dates mark a scholarly centre of gravity (dedication, completion, or iconic phase), not a single foundation day.
50 km under the English Channel — three tubes bored through chalk marl so trains run beneath the sea.
How it amazes the brain
TBMs from both sides met within centimetres. Service tunnel, crossover caverns, and fire safety as design drivers.
Why it counts as a wonder
It never needed a contest ballot to scramble the brain: scale, craft, or sheer improbability is enough.
An island that is no longer an island when you board Eurostar.
On dating
CE means years after the traditional birth of Christ. A monument listed as c. 1994 CE may have been founded earlier, rebuilt later, or become famous only in one phase. Engineering wonders (dams, tunnels, orbiting labs) are dated to opening or assembly.
This is story 26 of 100 in The Trend Ledger’s illustrated desk on world wonders raised after the birth of Christ — the companions to our BCE series.