#OTD 30 years ago, Sue Hendrickson discovered the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex unearthed to date. Here are some highlights from @SUEtheTrex's three decades above ground.

Tag us in your favorite memories of this fierce fossil. #Happy30SUE

Twelve fossil preparators spent over 30,000 hours readying the fossil for display. SUE's skull alone required 3,500 hours of meticulous work! #Happy30SUE

Additionally, it took 20,000 hours to build and prepare the original SUE exhibit. On May 17, 2000, SUE debuted in Stanley Field Hall, greeting over 10,000 visitors in a single day. #Happy30SUE

FMNH PR 2081 (a.k.a. SUE) has been swabbed, scanned, molded, and studied from head to toe by researchers around the world. #Happy30SUE

The armature, or mount, that holds SUE's fossilized bones in place is an engineering marvel but rarely seen on its own. #Happy30SUE

SUE's gastralia—a set of rib-like bones stretching across the belly—were also discovered in 1990. Before we knew how they fit in with the rest of the skeleton, these bones were displayed in a separate case. #Happy30SUE

Moving @SUEtheTrex in 2018 gave us the ability to mount the gastralia and make other adjustments, like correcting SUE's wishbone. http://bit.ly/BiggerBetterSUE  #Happy30SUE