A passing lane (North American English) or overtaking lane (British, Irish and Australian English) is the lane on a multi-lane highway or motorway closest to the center of the road (the central reservation). In some countries, lanes are described as being on the 'inside' or the 'outside' of a road - which one the passing lane is varies.
When Italian handyman Vincenzo Peruggia stole the Mona Lisa from the Louvre in 1911, he never could have guessed her absence would be the very thing that made her the most recognizable painting on the planet.
The past 50 years had not been terribly kind to the Mona Lisa, even within the seemingly safe confines of the Louvre itself. In August 1911, the painting had been stolen right off of the museumâs walls, in whatâs been called the greatest art theft of the 20th century. For two years, a worldwide search turned up nothing.