Former architect and tour guide Peter Sekules poses for a photo at the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia September 29, 2023. REUTERS/Alasdair Pal/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Sydney Opera House celebrated its 50th birthday on Friday, with a laser show planned to illuminate the iconic building. Officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 20 October 1973, the Opera House is widely regarded as one of the greatest architectural designs of the 20th century, with 10.9 million people visiting every year. As part of the 1956 Opera House international design competition, 233 designs were submitted by architects from around the world with Jorn Utzon from Denmark chosen as the winner. The Sydney Opera House was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2007.

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Persons: Peter Sekules, Alasdair Pal, Queen Elizabeth II, Robin Fox, Anthony Albanese, Jorn Utzon, Construction, Utzon, Lincoln Organizations: Sydney Opera House, REUTERS, Rights, Opera, Sydney Opera, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Australian, Denmark