On March 31 the iconic Eiffel Tower, the Iron Lady of Paris, celebrates its 126th birthday. It was initially criticized by a number of French artists and intellectuals, but it has become a real cultural trademark of France and one of the world’s most renowned architectural monuments. Now the Eiffel Tower is the tallest structure in Paris and the most-visited paid monument.
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© AP Photo
The Eiffel Tower was designed by the French engineer Alexander Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 Exposition Universelle, the World Fair, which would celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution and show off the industrial power of France.
Above: This 1887 file photo shows the Eiffel Tower under construction in Paris.
Above: This 1887 file photo shows the Eiffel Tower under construction in Paris.
January 28, 1887 – That is when the construction of the tower began. The main structural work was completed at the end of March 1889 and on March 31st Eiffel celebrated this by leading a group of officials and journalists to the top of the tower. The construction took two years, two months and five days.
Above: The staircase which Gustave Eiffel used to plant a French flag at the top of the tower during its unveiling in 1889.
Above: The staircase which Gustave Eiffel used to plant a French flag at the top of the tower during its unveiling in 1889.
324 meters – That is the height of the Eiffel Tower, including the antenna at the top. Without the antenna the tower is 300 meters tall. Before the construction, Eiffel called the project "the 300-meter-tall tower". When the tower was officially opened, it became the tallest construction in the world and held the title for 41 years, until the Chrysler Building in New York City was built in 1930. Because of the addition of the antenna atop the Eiffel Tower in 1957, it is now taller than the Chrysler Building by 5.2 meters.
Above: A view of the Eiffel Tower in Paris in September.
Above: A view of the Eiffel Tower in Paris in September.
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© AP Photo / Remy de la Mauviniere
20 years – That is how long the construction was originally planned to last. The Eiffel Tower was to be removed in 1909. However, Eiffel managed to persuade officials to save the tower after the permit expired. The fact that the tower could be used as a wireless telegraph transmitter saved it from being demolished.
Above: Tourists use a selfie stick on the Trocadero Square, with the Eiffel Tower in the background.
Above: Tourists use a selfie stick on the Trocadero Square, with the Eiffel Tower in the background.
7,300 tons – That is how much the puddle iron structure of the Eiffel Tower weighs. The entire structure, including non-metal components, is approximately 10,000 tons. Some 18,038 iron pieces were welded together during the construction of the tower.
Above: People enjoy ice skating at the snow covered Trocadero gardens near the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Above: People enjoy ice skating at the snow covered Trocadero gardens near the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
18 centimeters – This is how much, depending on the temperature, the top of the Eiffel Tower may shift away from the sun because of thermal expansion of the metal. The height of the tower varies by 15 centimeters due to temperature.
Above: A blooming tree near the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Above: A blooming tree near the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
18 – The number of times the iron lady has been repainted over the years. Maintenance of the tower includes using 50 to 60 tons of paint every seven years to protect the structure from rust. Despite new technical advances, paint is applied with ordinary brushes. The tower is painted in three different shades of bronze (from dark at the bottom to light at the top). However, the perspective view creates an illusion of a one-color coat.
Above: People enjoy sunny spring weather near the Eiffel tower in Paris.
Above: People enjoy sunny spring weather near the Eiffel tower in Paris.
1944 – When visiting Paris, Adolf Hitler ordered General Dietrich von Choltitz, the military governor of Paris, to tear the tower down along with the rest of the city. The general disobeyed the order.
Above: Fireworks near the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Above: Fireworks near the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Six to seven centimeters – That is the amount the Eiffel Tower sways in the wind, and it is really small. When the tower was built, Eiffel was accused of trying to create something artistic without regard to engineering. However, Eiffel and his team, as experienced bridge builders, understood the importance of wind forces. Eiffel used empirical and graphical methods rather than a mathematical formula to withstand the effects of wind.
Above: People have a bath in a fountain beside the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Above: People have a bath in a fountain beside the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
250 million – That is the number of tourists who have come to see the tower over the years. Nowadays, the Eiffel Tower welcomes 7 million visitors a year, 75 percent of whom are foreigners.
Above: A couple stands in front of the Eiffel Tower in the morning in Paris.
Above: A couple stands in front of the Eiffel Tower in the morning in Paris.
