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Eiffel Tower, Paris (started 1887 – completed 1889)

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The Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel) in Paris, France is one of the most recognizable structures in the world, and one of the symbolic structures of France. The tower is the tallest structure in Paris, standing at 1,063 feet (325 meters), and is also one of the city’s most visited landmarks. It was originally built as a temporary structure that was to be torn down after 20 years, but survived criticism and demolition to become the icon it is today.

Designed by its namesake the engineer Gustave Eiffel, the plans for the tower was among 700 proposals for an entrance arch to be built for the 1889 World’s Fair, which also commemorated the French Revolution’s centenary. It was previously proposed to and rejected by a similar Barcelona competition. Construction took roughly two years, was completed and inaugurated in March of 1889, and opened in May of 1889.

The Eiffel Tower initially drew the ire of Parisians – its frame design was considered by many to be ugly, harsh, and generally an eyesore. Structurally, it was just a frame – eighteen thousand pieces of iron held together by two and a half million rivets. But the design was calculated and deliberate, and took into consideration the tower’s great height, as well as wind resistance.

Eiffel Tower, Paris

The permit for the tower was only for 20 years – it was expected to be torn down in 1909. However, the dawn of the radio age changed its course in history. At the turn of the century, the tower became the perfect transmitter for radio signals, and long range communication – in 1913, the United States and France even conducted a joint experiment to send radiowaves between Paris and Washington DC.

As a tourist spot, the tower draws an average of 10,000 visitors a day, who have access to the first three floors, getting them as high as 902 feet (275 meters). Two restaurants reside in the tower, one of them run by renown chef Alain Ducasse. The Tower welcomed its 200,000,000th visitor in 2002.

Until 1930, when the Chrysler Building was built in New York City, The Eiffel Tower was the tallest structure in the world. Other significant moments in the Eiffel Tower’s history include being hit by lightning in 1902, used as a billboard for Citroen from 1925 to 1934, and being sold as scrap metal by a con artist in 1925 – twice!

For more information and interesting facts on the Eiffel Tower, please visit Eiffel Tower Facts.

 

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