Facts about the Eiffel Tower

Did you know?

Erika La Tour Eiffel, an ex-U.S. military officer, is married to the Eiffel Tower. She apparently suffers
from a condition called 'Object sexuality', wherein a person transfers his/her romantic and emotional
desires onto an inanimate object.
It is highly unlikely that we would come across someone who does not know the Eiffel Tower. It is
almost impossible to imagine the city of Paris without this grand edifice, that attracts an enormous
number of visitors every year. But, it was widely criticized when it was built, back in 1880s.
In fact, people - including some prominent names from the art community of Paris - went to the
extent of calling it an 'eyesore' and a 'black blot' on the picturesque landscape of the city. Now
however, this tower, located at Champ de Mars has become a global icon of Paris and France, and
its popularity among tourists and in the popular culture, speaks volumes about it.
Why was the Eiffel Tower Built?
? The Eiffel Tower was built as the entrance arch for the 1889 World Fair - Exposition Universelle,
which marked the centennial celebration of the French Revolution. The image above shows an
advertisement that was published to promote the 1889 World Expo.
? It was considered to be the symbol of France's achievements in the field of science and
engineering.
? Out of a number of designs submitted as part of a competition, Alexandre Gustave Eiffel won, and
was responsible for the construction of the Eiffel Tower.
? It was a temporary structure with a permit of 20 years, after which it was to be demolished, and
that nearly happened in 1909. Had it not been for its use as a telecommunication tower, the Eiffel
Tower would have had been long gone!
Eiffel Tower Facts
Even though it is one of the best known monuments worldwide, some interesting facts about the
Eiffel Tower are not known to many. These facts range from some unbelievable ones - like 9,441 tons
of wrought iron was used to build it, to some bizarre ones - like a conman almost sold it as scrap on
two occasions. Following are a few important facts about La Tour Eiffel, which explain the journey of
this monument from being an exhibit at the 1889 World Fair to a global icon of France.
? Construction of the Eiffel Tower began on January 28, 1887, and was eventually completed on
March 31, 1889. It took 2 years, 2 months, and 5 days for the 300 workers involved to complete the
task.
? Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, the person who had created the internal frame of the Statue of Liberty in
1885, was the main architect and contractor, Maurice Koechlin and mile Nouguier were the main
engineers, while Jean Compagnon handled the construction of the monumental edifice.
? The Eiffel Tower stands 324 meters tall, inclusive of the 24 m antenna, and weighs 7,300 tons.
With that height, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest structure in the world, when it was built, and
continued to be so until 1930.
? The Eiffel Tower was built using 9,441 tons of wrought iron (puddle iron) of the highest quality. A
total of 18,038 pieces of wrought iron were joined together to create it.
? The base of the Eiffel Tower covers a square area of 100 m.
? The Eiffel Tower has a total of 1,710 steps that ascend to the third level platform at the top. One
has to climb 674 steps to the second level, and 347 steps to the first level, all counted from the
ground.
? One can use the steps or elevator to reach the top, but stairs are only available till the second
platform, and the third platform is accessible only via elevators, which are also available for
wheelchairs.
? Due to the height of this structure and gusty winds, the chances of accident during the
construction of Eiffel Tower were high, but prompt precautionary measures ensured that there were
no accident-related deaths in the course of construction.
? The only death that was reported during its construction, occurred, not in the working hours.
? A temporary relocation of the Eiffel Tower to Montreal, wherein it was to be used as a landmark
and tourist attraction during 1967 International and Universal Exposition or Expo 67, was attempted
in the 1960s. However, the company which was in charge of operations ruled out this move out of
the fear that the French administration may deny them the permission to restore it to its original
place.
? Victor Lustig, a conman, famous for his scams the world over, posed as the deputy director-general
of the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs, and sold the Eiffel Tower to a scrap dealer - Andre Poisson -
citing that the city could not afford the maintenance of this structure anymore. Lustig is now widely
known as 'The man who sold the Eiffel Tower. Twice.'
? In 1956, the tower suddenly caught fire, after which its top had to be reconstructed. In 2003, it
caught fire again, which took a long time to be extinguished.
? The ownership of the tower belongs to the city of Paris, and is given on a renewable contract to a
limited company named Societe d'exploitation de la Tour Eiffel.
? The names of 72 prominent French scientists and famous personalities are affixed on the sides of
Eiffel Tower just beneath the first platform, 18 names per side.
? In clear weather, which is seldom seen nowadays, you can see approximately 42 miles from the top
of the Eiffel Tower. During gusty winds, the Eiffel Tower sways up to 15 cm at its summit.
? Over 200 million people have visited the Eiffel Tower since its inception, with the 200,000,000th
visitor visiting this monument on November 28, 2002.
? The Eiffel Tower has got restaurants on the three platforms. The restaurant on the first platform
that directly faces river Seine, is the '58 Tour Eiffel', previously 'Altitude 95'. The restaurant on the
second platform is named 'Jules Verne' and is owned by the famous chef Alain Ducasse. The third
platform has a bar and a lounge.
? Today, the Eiffel tower is primarily used for TV and radio transmission, and also for cellular
communication, other than being a popular tourist destination.
Other Intriguing Facts
? In 1912, Franz Reichelt, an Austrian tailor, who claimed to have invented a coat parachute, tried to
test his invention by jumping off the first deck of the tower. Unfortunately, he was killed in the
attempt.
? Between 1925 and 1934, a French automobile company, Citron, converted the four corners of
the tower into a billboard. At that time, it was the biggest advertisement ever.
? Other than the tourists, the Eiffel Tower has also attracted daredevils from across the globe. It has
been scaled by mountaineers, used as a platform for bungee jumping and parachuting. Some have
even gone to the extent of using it as a platform for cycling and rollerblading stunts.
? In the winter of 2004, the first level of the tower was converted into an ice skating rink, in order to
advertise and officially announce France's candidature for the 2012 winter Olympics.
? Much like most of the other sky rising structures in the world, the Eiffel tower was also used by
people to commit suicides. In fact, the Eiffel tower, due to its height, has a record of highest number
of suicides than any other French landmark.
? Despite this kind of ridicule, the Eiffel is still regarded as one of the most romantic places in the
world. Moreover, it is also one of the favorite destinations of the honeymooners, hailing from
different countries.
All these facts speak volumes about the grandeur of the Eiffel Tower - a structure which stands tall
as a witness to the two world wars and much more. It is virtually impossible to believe that this is
the same wrought iron tower which was criticized by artists and environmentalists alike. Nor is it
possible to believe that it was nearly brought down to be sold as scrap. If the authorities had given
in to these sentiments back then, the history of world architecture would have had missed out on
one of its most important chapters - the Eiffel Tower.