The Eiffel Tower’s History and Facts

The Eiffel Tower is one of the world’s most recognised landmarks. The Eiffel Tower is an architectural icon and a global symbol of Paris and France. The Eiffel Tower also has a historical and cultural significance. It is a marvel of engineering and a wonder of architecture. The tower has been a source of inspiration and wonder to people from all over the world.

The Eiffel Tower is not just a beautiful monument, it also has an interesting history. In this article, we’ll discuss the Eiffel Tower, as well as its history, construction, and other interesting facts.

1: What exactly is the Eiffel Tower?

The Eiffel Tower is a metallic structure made up of interconnecting joists that rest on four huge pillars on the ground. Its general shape is similar to that of a pyramid, but it is distinguished by the minor but present curve of its sides.

It is divided into two sections: the lower, which is defined by four pillars, and the upper, which is the continuation of the pillars’ elevation at the time of their connecting. A room is located at the top of the monument, above the 3rd floor, where radio and television equipment for wave broadcasting is situated. The first floor, for example, has a gorgeous arch beneath its floor, and each pillar has an elevator for speedy ascension.

2: What does the term “Eiffel Tower” mean?

The Eiffel Tower is named after Gustave Eiffel, a 19th-century French entrepreneur and engineer famed for his work on massive metal constructions.

3: Who designed the Eiffel Tower?

Gustave Eiffel of France is generally credited with the design of the Eiffel Tower. However, the initial sketches for the monument were created by Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier. Also, architect Stephen Sauvestre is most known for being one of the architects that helped design the world-famous Eiffel Tower.

4: Who built the Eiffel Tower?

The Eiffel Tower was built by French engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company specialised in metal frames and construction, between 1887 and 1889. Many metallic structures in Europe were designed by Gustave Eiffel, including the Porto Viaduct in Portugal, the Viaduct du Garabit in France, and the Budapest Train Station (Hungary).

Gustave Eiffel’s company also constructed the metal framework for another famous monument: the Statue of Liberty (New York, United States), which was given to the United States as a gift to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence in 1886.

5: What is the material used to construct the Eiffel Tower?

Gustave Eiffel’s civil engineering team built the Eiffel Tower using 7,500 tonnes of iron and 2.5 million rivets. The Eiffel Tower is composed of iron rather than steel. The iron used to construct the Eiffel Tower was refined using a process known as puddling, which removed excess carbon when the ore was melted. Following this technique, you receive practically pure iron, which was the best and most robust material available at the time, according to Gustave Eiffel.

6: What was the purpose of the Eiffel Tower’s construction?

The Eiffel Tower was built for the 1889 Paris World’s Fair as one of the principal attractions. The World’s Fair that year spanned the entire Champ de Mars in Paris, with the focus on the massive iron and steel structures that represented the era’s immense industrial achievement. It was built to mark the French Revolution’s centennial and to showcase France’s industrial superiority to the rest of the globe.

7: How long did it take to build the Eiffel Tower?

The Eiffel Tower was built in under two years, two months, and five days. Construction began on January 28, 1887, and ended on March 15, 1889.

8: When did the Eiffel Tower open to the public?

During the official inauguration event on March 31st, 1889, Gustave Eiffel gave a tour of the world’s tallest tower to some of the day’s most prominent figures.

In a ceremony presided over by the tower’s designer, Gustave Eiffel, and attended by French Prime Minister Pierre Tirard, a small group of dignitaries, and 200 construction workers, the Eiffel Tower is officially dedicated in Paris.

9: What is the location of the Eiffel Tower?

The Eiffel Tower is located in the 7th arrondissement, in the heart of Paris, on the banks of the Seine. The Seine separates the Trocadero from the tower, which is located between the Trocadero and the fields of Mars in the north. Its GPS coordinates are 48° 51’30.13″ North and 2° 17′ 40.13″ East.

10: What is the height of the Eiffel Tower?

The Eiffel Tower is known in France as La Tour Eiffel or la dame de fer, which translates to “the Iron Lady.” It’s a 300-metre (or 984-foot-tall) iron lattice tower (1,083 feet if you include the digital radio antennas at the top).

The tower was 300 metres tall when it was finished. Throughout the twentieth century, new sets of antennae were installed to the structure’s top for radio and television transmission.

By 1994, the tower had risen to a height of 317 metres. The tower was 324 metres tall in 2000. Then, on January 17, 2005, a new set of antennas was installed, bringing the total height to 325 metres. On March 15, 2022, TDF placed a new digital terrestrial radio antenna on top of the Paris landmark, increasing its height by 6 metres (20 feet). The Eiffel Tower’s current height is 330 metres (1,083 feet).

11: How many steps in the Eiffel Tower?

The staircase has a total of 1665 steps, but access to the top is restricted to the public. You must ascend 674 steps to reach the second story of the Eiffel Tower. Then, if you want to go to the top, take the elevator to the second floor.

12: How many floors is the Eiffel Tower?

The Eiffel Tower stands at a height of 330 metres (1,083 feet), about the same as an 81-story structure. The Eiffel Tower features three public floors: the first floor, the second floor, and the peak.

The peak, like the second floor, is divided into two levels (an enclosed lower level, and an open-air level above). The first two levels can be reached by either the stairwell or the elevator, depending on your preference. The only way to get from the 2nd level to the summit is to take the elevator up to the top.

13: How big is the Eiffel Tower?

The Eiffel Tower is supported by a 5 metre (17 foot) high base, with a 324 metre overall height due to a television antenna atop the tower (1,063 feet). The Eiffel Tower grew by 6 metres (20 feet) as TDF installed a new digital terrestrial radio antenna on the top of the Paris landmark on March 15, 2022. The current height of the Eiffel Tower is 330 metres (1,083 feet).

14: What is the weight of the Eiffel Tower?

The Eiffel Tower is about 10,100 tonnes in weight. The metal framework alone weights 7,300 tonnes, with 60 tonnes of paint protecting the structure!

15: How long was the Eiffel Tower the world’s highest monument?

In 1889, the Eiffel Tower surpassed the Washington Monument as the world’s tallest monument, at a height of 300 metres (169 m). It held this record for 41 years, until the erection of New York City’s 319-metre-high Chrysler Building in 1930.

16: Is the Eiffel Tower the tallest structure in France?

No, the Viaduct of Millau surpassed the Eiffel Tower as France’s tallest structure in 2004. The bridge’s centre pylon rises to a height of 343 metres. The Eiffel Tower, on the other hand, remains Paris’s tallest monument.

17: How many people can the Eiffel Tower accommodate at one time?

No more than 5,000, to be precise. The first platform, which is 57 metres long, can accommodate a total of 3,000 people. At 115 metres high, the second platform can hold 1,600 people, but the tower’s peak can only hold 400 people (on two different levels linked by a staircase).

18: How many people died building the Eiffel Tower?

During the building of the Eiffel Tower, there were no significant injuries or deaths. Thanks to the widespread use of guard rails and safety screens, there was just one fatality among the 300 on-site personnel.

19: How often does the Eiffel Tower need to be maintained?

The tower is maintained by applying 60 tonnes of paint every seven years to keep it from rusting. Since its construction, the Tower has been repainted every seven years for nearly 130 years. The layer of paint that protects the Tower’s metal is quite effective, but it must be renewed on a regular basis.

20: What color is the Eiffel Tower?

Since its completion, the Tower has been repainted 19 times, on average once every seven years. The “Iron Lady” has modified her appearance throughout the years by using a variety of paint colours.

The Eiffel Tower was a reddish-brown hue when it first debuted in 1889. It was covered in yellow paint a decade later. Prior to the adoption of the present, specifically mixed “Eiffel Tower Brown” in 1968, the tower was also yellow-brown and chestnut brown. To enhance the structure’s silhouette against the canvas of the Parisian sky, the tower is painted in three colours that get lighter with height.

After undergoing substantial renovations in 2022, the renowned monument will take on a golden colour characterised as “yellow-brown.” The hue was chosen by Gustave Eiffel himself to replace the “Eiffel Tower brown” that has been in use since 1968.

21: Was the Eiffel Tower damaged in World War II?

When Germany invaded France during WWII, Hitler wanted the Eiffel Tower to be demolished, but the order was never carried out. During the German occupation of Paris, French resistance soldiers avenged themselves by cutting the Tower’s elevator wires, forcing the Nazis to ascend the stairwell to fly their flag.

22: What is the symbolic meaning of the Eiffel Tower?

The Eiffel Tower was designed as a gateway to the 1889 International Exposition and as a symbol of French economic genius. When it was first constructed for the 1889 World’s Fair, its size and audacious design wowed the entire world, and it represented French know-how and industrial ingenuity. It has subsequently come to symbolise the distinct personality of the city of Paris.

23: Why the Eiffel Tower is famous?

It is well-known because it appears in nearly every photograph of the Paris skyline and in nearly every film set in the city. It’s also one of the world’s most distinctive structures, and climbing it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

One of the reasons the Eiffel Tower is so well-known is that it was built using a modern, creative design that was deemed “crazy” at the time. Another reason for the Eiffel Tower’s worldwide fame was that it was the world’s highest structure at the time. The Eiffel Tower is 986 feet tall, nearly twice as tall as the previous highest structure (the Washington Monument at 555ft). As a result, it towered over everything else in Paris, and people were awestruck by its ability to stand alone.

24: Why is the Eiffel Tower important today?

Today, the Eiffel Tower is regarded as an architectural marvel, attracting more tourists than any other paid tourist attraction in the globe. It continues to play a significant part in television and radio broadcasts.

25: Why is it against the law to photograph the Eiffel Tower at night?

Even though the Eiffel Tower is legally a public site, the lights are not. The evening light display on the tower, which was installed by Pierre Bideau in 1985, is technically owned by the artist and is protected by copyright.

Because the lighting and shimmering lights of the Eiffel Tower are protected by copyright, professional usage of pictures of the Eiffel Tower at night requires prior licence and may incur a price.

26: Can you get married at the Eiffel Tower?

It’s unusual to have a wedding in one of the Eiffel Tower’s restaurants. Couples frequently select places from which they may enjoy a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower. It is, however, possible to celebrate inside if you like.

27: Is there anyone who has died on the Eiffel Tower?

Franz Reichelt was a tailor from the early 1900s who is renowned for falling to his death from the Eiffel Tower while testing a wearable parachute he designed. He leapt from the tower’s first platform wearing his invention in 1912. He died after his parachute failed to deploy and he fell 57 metres (187 feet) to his death.

28: Is the Eiffel Tower France’s most famous structure?

Despite not being the world’s tallest, nicest, or largest structure, the Eiffel Tower, or La Tour Eiffel, is one of the most recognised and iconic monuments. More than 7 million people visit the tower each year, and it is believed that more than 250 million people have seen it since it was built. In reality, the Eiffel Tower is the world’s most visited paid-entry monument.

29: How many Eiffel Tower replicas are there in the world?

The Eiffel Tower is one of Paris’s and the world’s most famous landmarks. It has sparked the construction of more than 30 replicas and comparable structures around the world since the turn of the twentieth century. Many Eiffel Tower replicas have been created as a result of its popularity. The United States boasts the most copies of the Eiffel Tower in the world. In the United States, there are around 15 Eiffel Tower reproductions.

30: Is Eiffel Tower a world heritage site?

Since 1964, the Eiffel Tower has been a historic monument, and since 1991, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is widely regarded as the unquestioned symbol of France around the world.

31: Is the Eiffel Tower the most visited monument in the world?

As the world’s icon of France and the showcase of Paris, it now attracts almost 7 million people each year (around 75% of them are foreigners), making it the world’s most visited pay-to-enter monument.

32: Was the Eiffel Tower ever the tallest structure in the world?

The Eiffel Tower held the record for world’s tallest structure for more than four decades. During its opening in 1889, the Eiffel Tower stood at 986 feet, nearly twice the height of the world’s previous highest structure, the Washington Monument. The Eiffel Tower was the world’s highest structure for 41 years until the completion of the 1,046-foot Chrysler Building in New York in 1930.

33: What are some of the most interesting facts regarding the Eiffel Tower?

• The French call the Eiffel Tower “La Dame de Fer,” or “The Iron Lady.”
• Every seven years, 60 tonnes of paint are used to re-paint the Eiffel Tower.
• The Eiffel Tower is painted in three different tones of ‘Eiffel Brown,’ which become lighter as you climb higher.
• In the sun, the Eiffel Tower expands and contracts by up to six inches.
• The Eiffel Tower is illuminated with 20,000 lights.
• Between 1925 and 1936, the Eiffel Tower was utilised as a large billboard, with Citroen lighting their brand name in lights.
• In 1912, the parachute’s inventor, Franz Reichelt, died by leaping from the Eiffel Tower.
• Gustave Eiffel also designed the Statue of Liberty’s internal frame.
• Since its opening, over 250 million people have visited the Eiffel Tower, with over 7 million people visiting each year.
• The Eiffel Tower sways somewhat in the wind, which is a design feature that helps to protect the structure.
• On two occasions, con artist Victor Lustig “sold” the tower for scrap metal.
• As the Allies approached Paris in 1944, Hitler ordered the military governor of Paris, Dietrich von Choltitz, to demolish the tower, as well as other areas of the city. The general turned it down.
• In 1914, the tower was instrumental in the Allied victory at the First Battle of the Marne. One of its transmitters disrupted German radio communications, preventing them from moving forward.
• The Eiffel Tower was supposed to be removed after 20 years, but because it was used as a wireless telegraph transmitter, it was permitted to stay.
• Between 1925 and 1934, French car manufacturer Citroen utilised the tower as a massive billboard, with the company name inscribed on the tower using a quarter of a million light bulbs, and the Guinness Book of Records declared it the world’s largest advertisement.
• A lady with an object fetish married the Eiffel Tower in 2008, renaming herself Erika La Tour Eiffel in honour of her “spouse.”
• Gustave Eiffel kept a tiny third-floor apartment for entertaining guests. It is now accessible to the general public.
• Margaret Thatcher, like the Eiffel Tower, is known as La Dame de Fer (“The Iron Lady”).
• The Eiffel Tower has 20,000 lightbulbs that make it gleam every night.

Sources:Wikipedia, Official Eiffel Tower Website