Until the Industrial Revolution, any structure over six stories was rare indeed and likely considered a “wonder.” Known as the “grandfather of skyscrapers,” built in 1797 AD, The Flaxmill in Shrewsbury used cast-iron columns and beams to support a five-story brick construction. Sixty years later Elisha Otis invented the “safety” elevator, and architects started to think bigger. In 1885 the ten-story Home Insurance Building in Chicago was christened, incorporating a steel framework, fireproofing, elevators, and electrical wiring … all considered indispensable in modern skyscrapers. Though they don’t really scrape the sky, some of them get pretty tall, like the Burj Khalifa in Dubai at 2,722 feet (829.8 meters).