Pedestrians walk past Notre Dame Cathedral a day before its...

Pedestrians walk past Notre Dame Cathedral a day before its ceremonial reopening in Paris on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, following the devastating fire of 2019. Credit: AP/Bernat Armangue

PARIS — Notre Dame is reopening its doors for the first time since a fire in 2019 nearly destroyed Paris' beloved 12th-century cathedral.

World leaders — including President-elect Donald Trump, America’s first lady Jill Biden, Britain’s Prince William and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — gathered Saturday among more than 2,500 guests to celebrate the restoration of the landmark widely considered to be a pinnacle of French architectural heritage.

Saturday's events started with Archbishop Laurent Ulrich symbolically reopening Notre Dame’s grand wooden doors with three resounding knocks.

Following the 2019 fire, nearly $1 billion in donations poured in from around the world, a tribute to its worldwide appeal.

For more of AP’s coverage on Notre Dame, visit https://apnews.com/hub/notre-dame-cathedral

NewsdayTV's Doug Geed shows us some great spots 'Out East' to visit this summer. Credit: Brian Jingeleski, Randee Daddona

Out East Show: LI Aquarium, Patty's Berries and Bunches, Palmer Vineyards NewsdayTV's Doug Geed shows us some great spots 'Out East' to visit this summer.

NewsdayTV's Doug Geed shows us some great spots 'Out East' to visit this summer. Credit: Brian Jingeleski, Randee Daddona

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